New 942 switch issues?

[jcvaughan]

Hoping someone can help me. I just had a new dish and dvr942 installed last month and it has been very inconsistent. constantly having signal issues especially when I change channels (I'm assuming the ones that need to change from 119 to 110 sat). Recieved a switch error message so had someone come back and replace the switch. Still having problems. Dish had me do multiple resets but I still have to run the check switch numerous times and get different results everytime. Sometimes the name of the switch even changes. I believe I have a DPP Twin but sometimes it says SW64. I also have gotten a result that shows 5 ports on my tuner 2 input. I only have one dish 500. I'm really starting to think it's a problem with the reciever but Dish Network just doesn't want to admit that yet. Any suggestions? I don't want to give up on it just yet.

 

[j5races]

what switch or lnb's you have?

go to the system info screen. should say something like DAP quad or DAP twin or dish 500 quad.

I have a feeling you have older lnbs/switch gear and that seems to be problematic for new receivers like the 942 and 625.

let us know.

 

[jcvaughan]

It says DPP Twin. I'm getting more convinced that it's the receiver because tonight I was watching tuner 1 when the signal was lost and the switch error screen came up and yet tuner 2 was working fine. any other suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Try rebooting the receiver - either by holding the front-panel button for a 10 count, or if that's no help, unplug it from power for a 10 count.

While you're at it, check your connections at the back of the box. You probably have a DPP Separator, and maybe one of the connections is loose.

 

[Van]

On the back of the reciever there are two coax ports that say satellite one and two, there should be two coax lines connected to these ports, are they connected into what looks like a splitter by chance? If so thats a posibility, another more likely possibility is that if an existing cable line in your home was used by the installer it may be the issue or if there is an existing coax wall plate that could be the problem, check it by removing the coax line from the wall plate and look to see if the plastic insert is clear, if so its not rated for the signal that you need and should be blue instead.

Since your switch was replaced and with what your posting as showing up on the check switch we can rule out the switch and the lnbf and narrow it down to an issue between the switch and the reciever. One more thing to look for is if the installer used a staple gun to secure the lines then there could be a staple that has punctured the casing of the coax and is disrupting the signal path. The barrel connection in the wall plate should be rated for 3000mhz, also the coax should be rated the same, you can inspect the casing of the coax that you can see to find the rating, also it should be atleast rg-6 coax, if its rg-59 then it must be replaced.

 

[jcvaughan]

Now that you mention the coax cable I took a look and noticed the installer connected the satellite cable to the existing catv cable. It doesn't have any writing on it besides a series of numbers and "catv". It connects to the wallplate that the second installer replaced with the blue type. I am assuming if the cable wasn't RG-6 one of them would have brought that to my attention too. Would that cable cause my most recent problem of one tuner getting a signal and one not? Also, the splitter going to the reciever is a diplexer, is that the right equipment as well or should it just be a splitter?

 

[Van]

There should be a diplexer, out of this one line goes to the tuner 2 tv 2 output, the other goes to small silver splitter type called a seperator that then feeds two lines to the sats 1 and 2 ports on the back of the reciever. Disconnect the sat feed line from the diplexer to the seperator and check to see how the inside of the fittings look. What your looking for is to see if it has a clean look to it, there should not be any kind of steel braiding or foil making contact or near contact with the center conductor. If this is clean then the probable cause is either a bad diplexer or a bad seperator, less probable is a coax issue but without seeing what is going on between the wall plate and the dish I am gonna have to stab at it blindly. Either way call up dish and tell them what is going on and that you want this fixed now or you will be contacting your legal eagle over this and make sure to tell them that you have not have the promised service since day one.

 

[jcvaughan]

I decided to go out and get an RG-6 coax and replace the catv coax. It's working so far. Good clean switch test and I'm able to fly through the channels with ease. Hopefully that did it. I can't believe two installers didn't notice it. Thank you so much for your help. I'll follow up later to let you know if it's still running perfectly.

 

[jcvaughan]

Well, it stopped working again. I finally got a call back from a Dish tech specialist and they informed me I had the wrong lnb. they have had compatibility issues with the 942. So they're sending a DP44 and having it installed on thursday. Just a warning to all, make sure your installer is updated on the right equipment.

 

[Van]

What lnbf do you have? does it say dishpro plus on the face of it? Nothing has come down the pipeline to my office yet though I've been off since thursday so this must be something new. But thing is is the dpp44 is a switch and not an lnbf so hopefully the are replacing the lnbf as well.

 

[mudder1310]

I've run into problems with DPP Twins and 942, not too often but sometimes I just can't get them to work together. I'll always opt for running a second cable at that point, replacing the DPP with a legacy or dp twin if I have it.

 

[mpeltz]

I've run into problems with DPP Twins and 942, not too often but sometimes I just can't get them to work together. I'll always opt for running a second cable at that point, replacing the DPP with a legacy or dp twin if I have it.

What kinds of problems have you been running into?

 

[jcvaughan]

Van, just so I don't have to call them again, which lnbf should be used with the dpp44? I'm assuming since they didn't send one the installer will have it with him. I just want to make sure he installs the right one.

 

[jcvaughan]

All Fixed

So when the tech went up to my dish he found one of the covers on the lnbf had a big hole in it, allowing weather and such to get into it. Didn't change to the dpp44 and replaced the lnbf. All working now, finally, only took a month and a half.

 

[salisb]

It says DPP Twin. I'm getting more convinced that it's the receiver because tonight I was watching tuner 1 when the signal was lost and the switch error screen came up and yet tuner 2 was working fine. any other suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

I had a similar problem with Input 1 failing while Input 2 worked fine. Cause turned out to be overheating. My PVR seems to have a fan malfunction, the fan only runs when power is initially applied. Input 1 is closer to the hard drive inside the cabinet, where much of the heat is generated.

Try locating the unit where lots of air circulates around it, point a fan at it, whatever you can do to keep the temperature down, and see what happens.