No Go Shaw Direct on 100cm dish

[Othea]

Thanks, guys, for the helpful comments.

Iceberg, F1 is the first channel map to install after a factory reset (default is channel 299). So, yes, I have a strong signal on F1 right now, but no channels from F2 yet. Channel 719 and a few others appear in the channel list, but they report 0% for now.

Based on my previous 4 attempts, F2 will kick in tomorrow and "displace" F1.

V-code. Hmm. How might I communicate that idea to my Canadian rep?

(We all know that at some point I'm going to break down and install 2 dishes, just to see what happens - but until then, I intend to remain stubborn for a bit !!!)

 

[Mr Tony]

Iceberg, F1 is the first channel map to install after a factory reset (default is channel 299). So, yes, I have a strong signal on F1 right now, but no channels from F2 yet.

can you view all the channels on F1 that you subscribe to?

Based on my previous 4 attempts, F2 will kick in tomorrow and "displace" F1.

that makes absolutely no sense

V-code. Hmm. How might I communicate that idea to my Canadian rep?

make sure it is a UNSTACKED setup. That is what most setups now are. The stock dishes they use are unstacked (nonstacked). But I assume that is as Shaw only sets up stacked systems if they are told to

(We all know that at some point I'm going to break down and install 2 dishes, just to see what happens - but until then, I intend to remain stubborn for a bit !!!)

If you get good signal on both there is NO reason why you need to "upgrade" to 2 dishes

 

[Othea]

Iceberg,

When F2 channels download into my channel list (or map), F1 channels drop to 0% - I know that that makes no sense, but that's what has happened up to now (4, maybe 5 attempts). I don't control when the download occurs, it just happens.

Do I get all of the channels from F1? Honestly, I don't know (not having had any experience with a fully functional installation). Right now I get most if not all: 293/311/312 CTV, 229/407 Fire log, 301/303 CBC, 310 NTVNFD,327 Promo, 329/330/331 Global, 342/351 CTV2, 343 Omni1, 345 CHCH, 354 Know, 360-365 NBC, Abc, Cbs, Fox Pbs, Foagain) Detroit, 366 Promo, 367 TLN, 390 CBCNN... and Omni, Cpac Weather, Grace, GameTV, several SNEt,TOONE-W, Nick, Food, Travl, Aux.
French channels 730 RDI and 771 TOONF are available. 800 TLN is good.

French channels 716, 717, 723 show up in the list (i.e. they are not grey), but the red light indicates 0% signal quality. These channels are on F2 and will activate (if past experience is a guide) tonight or tomorrow without my doing anything.. Other French channels will then be available (I remember 704 and 712, which someone somewhere designated as good channels for a software or channel map download).

 

[Frenchophile]

my understanding of stacked vs unstacked. please correct me if I am wrong

new setups (with the quad LNB) are unstacked

old set-ups (with the "beer can" LNBs) are stacked

using two separate LNBs each pointed to a different bird and an external switch is the equivalent of a stacked system.

all new receivers have default of unstacked, so if one has an old set-up, you have to tell the CSR to change vcode when setting up.

 

[Othea]

Thanks for your input, Frenchophile.

My receiver is brand new; it's my first Shaw Direct installation (which hasn't gone well). Hence it's never been used with the Shaw Direct lnb and dish, only two 11.7-12.2 standard linear lnb's and 22k switch.

I assume that the "CSR" is my Canadian handler - whose mantra is 2 dishes w/ 22k switch. I can see where this is going...

Iceberg says I need unstacked v-code; Frenchophile says stacked v-code. Shall we vote?

 

[catamount]

my understanding of stacked vs unstacked. please correct me if I am wrong

new setups (with the quad LNB) are unstacked

old set-ups (with the "beer can" LNBs) are stacked

using two separate LNBs each pointed to a different bird and an external switch is the equivalent of a stacked system.

all new receivers have default of unstacked, so if one has an old set-up, you have to tell the CSR to change vcode when setting up.

It is the LNB which determines "stacked or non-stacked" Standard KU LNB's require voltage switching to switch from H to V. Stacked requires no voltage switching as both H and V travel together.

I've got an old starchoice single lnb dual output that is unstacked. Also have a starchoice single lnb single output that is stacked.
So it depends on the lnb's used, not necessarily the setup.

Catamount

 

[Mr Tony]

in the Original post he mentions the LNB's
* 2 DMS standard linear lnbf's, 11.70-12.20Ghz, side by side.

Those are unstacked...I've used those LNB's before

 

[Mr Tony]

new setups (with the quad LNB) are unstacked

yup

old set-ups (with the "beer can" LNBs) are stacked

yup. The old "flashlight" LNB's were stacked too

using two separate LNBs each pointed to a different bird and an external switch is the equivalent of a stacked system.

unstacked. Most aftermarket LNB's are unstacked which means each receiver needs a line from the LNB to the receiver or switch. In dish/directv terms its the old Legacy LNB's

 

[Mr Tony]

Do I get all of the channels from F1? Honestly, I don't know (not having had any experience with a fully functional installation). Right now I get most if not all: 293/311/312 CTV, 229/407 Fire log, 301/303 CBC, 310 NTVNFD,327 Promo, 329/330/331 Global, 342/351 CTV2, 343 Omni1, 345 CHCH, 354 Know, 360-365 NBC, Abc, Cbs, Fox Pbs, Foagain) Detroit, 366 Promo, 367 TLN, 390 CBCNN... and Omni, Cpac Weather, Grace, GameTV, several SNEt,TOONE-W, Nick, Food, Travl, Aux.
French channels 730 RDI and 771 TOONF are available. 800 TLN is good.

ok when I check the list most of those are Horizontal polarity channels but then a few of those (331, 390, 345) are vertical so that proves the F1 LNB is working fine

 

[Othea]

Thanks for the helpful comments everyone. Iceberg, thanks for your expertise!

I haven't had the occasion or need to deal with terms like v-code or stacked/unstacked in the past... They haven't really come up in my mundane ku and c-band experience. If I've understood correctly, Shaw installations default to unstacked and I have unstacked lnbs, so the v-code doesn't need to be changed to unstacked?

Anyway, I got up early this morning. Overnight channel 299 went to 0% signal (F1 gone), so I changed the channel to 303 and the channel list immediately started to load up (F2 has "displaced" F1 - that's what I meant earlier - doesn't make sense).

"Something" must have downloaded to the receiver overnight.

Addition: Ok, so let me think out loud. The tone signal is not making it down the line to either lnb. The default lnb F1 works fine until some software probe "forces" a change over to the lnb for F2. Then the tone signal to change back to the lnb for F1 doesn't make it down the line. Hmmm. Could this mean that the Chieta ports (B-off and A-on) are MISLABELED? I've seen diseqc switches where the ports have been mislabeled. Would the system then behave this way?? I suppose I can try changing the ports (i.e. LnbF1-on, LnbF2-off) and... sigh... perform another "factory reset"... ???

 

[catamount]

Put your receiver on a HD channel, say Fox 287 and go into manual tune. See if the 22khz option is checked to on.

Then you'll know if the switch is working.

Catamount

 

[catamount]

I f you want to be 100% sure you are aimed at F2, hook up your cable to an FTA box 10750 22k on and scan.

There are some radio channels with hot transponders:

11808 V Freq 2890
11769 V Freq 3269

Good Luck, Catamount

 

[Mr Tony]

He mentions he got channel 700 before which is only on F2 so that is working

Iceberg, I connected to F2 without the switch and channel 700 comes in fine, as it did with the 22k switch in the loop.

 

[catamount]

He mentions he got channel 700 before which is only on F2 so that is working

Iceberg, I connected to F2 without the switch and channel 700 comes in fine, as it did with the 22k switch in the loop.

Thanks Ice, didn't see that part. The last thing I can think of other than V-code or defective box is firmware version.

Current version should be 06.22 and target version 00.00

 

[Othea]

I asked the dealership's tech support if my v-code was stacked or unstacked. Here's the answer that I got:

"Vcode is different for xQuad and regular quad lnb. So you have to make sure that you are in Quad LNB code and not xQuad setup." (I have no idea what to do with this information).

Current version is 5.02; target version 6.22.

 

[Mr Tony]

xquad is the new LNB that Shaw is coming out with in Canada (gets some new HD locals only in Canada)...so for you it would be regular quad LNB

the software version being that low probably has something to do with it

 

[catamount]

I activated my 600 about an hour ago. It already had firmware 6.22 installed. While waiting, we chatted about v-codes. She said there was at least 6 different ones, depending on LNB and classic/advanced maps. I brought up a hypothetical scenario about northern Canada, requiring 2 large dishes and switch. She was a bit hard to understand, and certainly no tech, but she said it would probably need the single dish non-stacked v-code LOL.

Anyway, I'd try a force download to get new firmware. That may help with the maps. Also, when you factory reset, you lose your v-code, so nothing will work perfectly right away unless your broker gets them to send a new hit

 

[Othea]

Thanks to all for your continued help (and sympathy).

Catamount, I could not force a download of 06.22 because line 1 (F1) has... you guessed it!... 0% signal. In order to return to 98% signal, I'd have to perform a factory reset...

Chieta mislabeled? -- Well, I swapped the Chieta 22k lines (thinking that the ports may be mislabeled), but that didn't work at all after a factory reset. So I've undone that experiment and am now back to the point of departure. 98% signal on F1; software vers. 5.02; target version 00.00.

I can't force a download until the receiver box has been "targeted" (that's the term that was used at the site where I read about the forced download). If 6.22 appears as a target before the "automatic switchover" to F2, I'll try to force a download. Otherwise I have the following project for today:

I've got a cement block with a short pole on it for FTA testing. This morning I'm going to attach an 80cm dish to it and place it next to my current dish in order to demonstrate that the installation with 2 dishes will not (will?) solve my problem. Otherwise, I see no hope of obtaining any help from my broker, who has told me over and over again that I must install 2 dishes; that they have other customers who have all failed in their attempt to install 1 dish with lnbs side by side, etc.

In response to my query about v-code, my broker asked me to "make sure that I am in Quad lnb code." Any idea on how I might do that?

 

[joshuals]

I've been lying awake nights trying to figure this one out.....I don't have any answers, but I do have a couple of questions.....

Notice in post #10 of your thread Iceberg has posted some pics of his "ghetto" setup. Using his 1.2 meter dish, the LNB eyes nearly touch each other. In comparison, with the standard 75e Shaw dish, the eyes actually overlap, requiring an LNB specially fabricated for this dish.

That being said, is it possible that your broker is actually correct that, with the 100cm dish you are using, the four-degree satellite spacing would require the LNBs to be so close together as to make it physically impossible to mount them correctly?

Do we have anyone in the forum who has actually successfully mounted two four-degree-spaced LNB's on a 100cm dish??

I know that your situation, as you have described it, makes it appear the both LNBs are receiving signal from their respective satellites, but I dunno......could you please explain (or send a pic) of how you mounted the LNBs and got them to be at what you believe to be the proper spacing?

In the for-what-it's-worth department, I once had a 85cm FTA dish for which I was told (by Mike Kohl) that there was no way that two LNB's could be mounted for a four-degree satellite spacing and that I would need two dishes if I wanted both F1R and F2.

Have you tried connecting one LNB directly (no switch) to your receiver, pointing the dish at F1R, and letting it sit on 299 until all downloads/updates are complete? Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the channel map for all channels and firmware updates are downloaded from F1R (see PS below). Once all the downloads and firmware updates are installed from 299, then you can begin to experiment with bringing the second LNB into the game.



PS...with my old 85cm FTA dish pointed at F2 only, I never received any firmware updates in over four years of using this setup, leading me to believe that all such updates came from F1R......not sure if that's correct or not.....

 

[catamount]

Okay.

My suggestion is to email Mike Khol. He is well respected on this site . He sells a hotdish 90 with 2 single lnbs,bracket and 22k switch. He also sells receivers and programming. Ask him if this setup would be equivalent to the quad LNB setup as far as V-code.

If indeed you require a single dish non-stacked code, then ask him about the multiswitches he sells. I'm certainly no switch expert, but perhaps all 4 lines into his 5/4 pico switch would be the same as quad LNB. I think QCK mentioned some inexpensive switches on the first page.

Sounds like your broker may require you to have the Quad code.

I would do as Joshuals suggested in the meantime. Hook direct to F1. Maybe the signal will last long enough to get a firmware upgrade at least.

Catamount