Please help diagnose my D* dish problem

[barth2k]

With Voom dead, I decided to hook my D* gear (unused for one year) back. I have 3LNB oval dish and Hughes E86 recvr. The recvr won't download guide data. I go into system test / line test and got this:

Sat A: zero across the board.
Sat B: NA and zero across the board.
Sat C: 100 on #8, 79 on #10, 82 on #12, NA for rest.

I check the dish elev, tilt, and orientation. They look okay. Even if they're a bit off, I still should get SOMETHING shouldn't I? I don't think it's the line b/c I've been using the same line for the Voom dish. I tried an old RCA receiver and it too gets stuck at "searching for satellite signal".

any ideas? thanks.

 

[boba]

In that year of VOOM something happened to your Directv dish. The fact two receivers have found no signal on the 101(main) satellite would suggest a LNB problem 1st then a dish missaligned second. The fact you got signal on "C" indicates the receivers are working.

 

[VOOMER]

Since you are only seeing 1 sat it sounds like boba is heading you right.
You must have 101 for core programming.
Make sure your mast is plumb.
Pull up your point dish screen /signal strength and get it on 101.
If you get 101 in you should have little problem getting the others.
Depending on where you are and what programming you want you may only need 101.
In any case you need 101 before any others, something may have got bumped and you may need to re-align the dish.

 

[moonman]

If you tune to channels 490,491,492,493,494- you will get D*s test channels for the
odd/even transponders of all 3 sats. Do you see any msg or just "searching for sat. signal" msg.?

 

[slacker9876]

Boba is right again. Also the fact that you have SAT C dialed in, indicates an LNB problem. Normally you would have A & B but no C ... I do not believe the reverse is possible (probable).

 

[barth2k]

what do you mean by "make sure mast is plumb"

it's really odd that I get 80+ on C and zero, nada, zilch on A and B. Can this happen with misalignment? But it seems highly improbably I would have two bad LNBs.

If I call D* to take care of it, I'm afraid they'll hit me w/ another 1yr commitment, which I don't want. Who knows what may happens in a year (I'm thinking Verizon FIOS).

 

[VOOMER]

mast

what do you mean by "make sure mast is plumb"

it's really odd that I get 80+ on C and zero, nada, zilch on A and B. Can this happen with misalignment? But it seems highly improbably I would have two bad LNBs.

If I call D* to take care of it, I'm afraid they'll hit me w/ another 1yr commitment, which I don't want. Who knows what may happens in a year (I'm thinking Verizon FIOS).

The pole your dish is mounted on!
Make sure it is level /check on the sides of pole with a small level.
If it got moved even several degrees can make a big difference.

Being wherever it is mounted for a year without use anything is possible.

Barth if your pole/mast is not plumb everythig is off as far as dish alignment .

 

[VOOMER]

Did barth2k ever get his system in order ?

No word yet ........

 

[Wild Tech]

Look- if you want to nail it dead square, here is what I recommend:
If there is a portable tv or any tv near where the dish is installed that can be or IS connected to a reciever, either bring it outside, or put it in a window. If this cannot be done, turn up the volume of the tv loud enough to hear it at the dish.

Go through the menus to dish pointing, the 101 sat, and the 1 through 4 transponders (don't worry about all the others yet). You should make sure the mast is STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN (vertically level!) on the side and front. This ensures that the dish calibration is ON.

Loosen the side to side retaining bolts, and move the dish slowly through the range of compass degrees for your area (available by plugging your zip code into one of the menus for alignment info). I use an orienteers compass - an inclinometer is overkill.

Listen for the tone from the tv... It will pick up and lock on when it is right.

Tweek it in for best sig strength. (Very small corrections) and wait in between for tone and numbers.

When you HAVE 101 and Xponder 1 -4 solid, look at xponder 32. Tweek slowly, and balance the two.

I think you will find your signal, if not - look at the line of site for anything that might be interfering. Check the lines for damage, and always suspect any splices you find. Barrel connectors should never be used on the exterior of a residense.

EVERYTHING on the outside must be weather-proofed.

WT

Note: Anything that tweeks the mast (High winds, etc...) can throw a dish off, if it has not been mounted solidly. I have never been in favor of dishes mounted near the ground, because they can be run into in various ways...

Also, kids sometimes hang on them or play with them....

 

[Rappy]

Since you are zeroed in on 110 you may need to slowly rotate your skew setting, also known as tilt. 110 tolerates a wide skew setting, 101 and 119 do not. You must be right on for 101 and 102. I know this because I adjusted for elevation and azimuth and got nothing on 101 and 119 until i rotated the skew setting. Good luck.

 

[VOOMER]

Since you are zeroed in on 110 you may need to slowly rotate your skew setting, also known as tilt. 110 tolerates a wide skew setting, 101 and 119 do not. You must be right on for 101 and 102. I know this because I adjusted for elevation and azimuth and got nothing on 101 and 119 until i rotated the skew setting. Good luck.

------------------------------------------------------------------:shocked

If the mast is Plumb and the skew was set correctly -There is NO need to move the skew.
Skew is the first thing to set before even mounting the dish...

 

[boba]

If you haven't moved everything around and screwed up the dish, take the LNB off the VOOM dish and replace the 101 LNB. You know VOOM was working and the two LNBs are interchangible. Let us know your status?