Signal issue - 119 weak, 110 good

[dabigoreo]

Setup - 625 dual tuner DVR feed from DP separator, 311 single tuner on other line. Dish 500 w/ DPP LNB connected with RG6 quad cables. Background - Up until recently things were going great, even during rainy periods signal was good from both birds (119, 110). Now 119 is hella weak (25-40 on the meter) on clear days and if it rains forget about it. 110 is reading good (40-80) depending on the weather. I tried switch checks, removing one receiver and driving the dish with other, re-alignment, checking the cable ends - nothing seems to help. Both receivers are reading the same thing - 119 weak or dead, 110 good. I've scouted around for insight and symptoms are pointing to a bad LNB. Couple questions: In a 2 receiver setup like mine which one drives the LNB or do both? Do LNBs just go bad out of the blue? Have I missed anything in the way of troubleshooting that can pinpoint the problem? I already pulled the trigger on a new LNB but would like to know for sure what the root cause is and how to avoid it in the future. Any constructive help would be greatly appreciated, being down sux!

 

[dabigoreo]

Hmm, no replies... Is everyone stumped? Did I post in the wrong forum?

 

[Jared Twomey]

Couple questions: In a 2 receiver setup like mine which one drives the LNB or do both? Do LNBs just go bad out of the blue? Have I missed anything in the way of troubleshooting that can pinpoint the problem? I already pulled the trigger on a new LNB but would like to know for sure what the root cause is and how to avoid it in the future. Any constructive help would be greatly appreciated, being down sux!

Either receiver will power the lnb, or both... there is no "driving" the lnb... the receivers just provide power to the lnb.

Yes, any equipment can just die out of the blue. Generally that is how it happens, all or nothing.

When you run the check switch, everything comes back ok? Odd and Even transponders?


Without seeing the system myself... it POSSIBLY can be an lnb issue, but honestly, but the way you describe it... i'd be more apt to believe a tree is gaining leaves and is starting to block the signal.

 

[dabigoreo]

When I said "driving the LNB" I meant powering, excuse the choice of words. Some electronics don't just quit all of a sudden, they may exhibit degraded performance before they go belly up. Yes, the switch check reports all is well with both even and odd transponders on both sats 119/110. You bring up a very interesting possibility - a tree getting new leaves. There is a tree in the signal path line of sight, just off to the right if you are behind the dish. Hmm, that tree might have to die...even if it does belong to the neighbor. I'll explore this tree blooming scenario tomorrow, too dark for me to go messing around on the roof now. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Jared Twomey]

yeah, if check switch shows both even and odd, odds are, your lnb is fine.
Sounds like a tree problem to me.

In my experience, when a twin dies, it normally just either dies all at once, or the internal switch dies, but the lnb continues to work

 

[WiCkeDuDe]

I have to agree with Jared here. This does not sound like a LNB issue and if it is not reporting any drift then I would say its fine. If you stand behind the dish the 110 is to the left and the 119 to the right. Since the tree is only to the right it would only affect 119.

 

[old corps]

I'm experiencing the same problem tonight. 110 and 129 ss strength is good to excellent, 119 is poor or dead on all tp's. Clear night, no weather issues. Another tree problem????

Ed

 

[dabigoreo]

I don't think my problem is signal blocking from tree leaves - the closest tree to the line of sight from the dish is an evergreen which always has its needles so that theory doesn't apply to me. The evergreen was there when I planted the dish and at that time signal was good on both sats (119/110). Just to make sure I will move the dish to a new location to verify. So I'm back to suspecting the LNB and I'll know for sure once the new one gets installed. Stay tuned...

 

[old corps]

I'm having a hard time believing my problem is being caused by trees. Gonna do a little peaking this morning.
No one else experiencing a problem with 119???

Ed

 

[old corps]

Update. A "repeaking" seems to have taken care of the problem.

Ed

 

[dabigoreo]

Unfreakinbelievable! Turns out it was a tree issue after all - another tree to the right of the evergreen, which looks like a freakin mini-redwood (branch span is 2 houses wide, no joke) and tall as hell was causing the problem. Moved the dish about 3 feet to the left and voila - 119 is back. Now I'm the proud owner of a new back-up LNB lol. Life is good again... Thanks to the people who responded with helpful insight. :up

 

[Jared Twomey]

yeah, this is the time of year when we have people calling missing 1 satellite or the other, and it is very often tree's starting to get in the way... glad you both got everything worked out