Switches/LNBs/Birds/129...wth?

[jefflewis]

Okay, I've had Dish network for about 3 years now and I have never once been into the "guts" of the system. I have left everything as is since it's been installed.

I keep reading about people re-aligning their dishes, switchin transponders, etc to get a better signal.. What am I missing out on? I have good LOS and very little rain fade, however when it storms (like it has been for the past month here in iowa) i get pretty sketchy viewing, sometimes down for an hour at a time.

Is there anything that I should be aware of or doing to "optimize" my dish experience?

Let me know what I should be looking at and I can get some numbers to everyone when I get home.

 

[RandallA]

Some information would help. What kind of dish, lnb, switch and receivers you have?

We all try to peak our dish or have E* peak our dish so we don't get rain fade. Peaking the dish means getting the max. signal on all satellites. 129 is a pain in the behind because the satellite is failing so the signal is weak.

 

[jefflewis]

I have Americas Top 200 w/ DVR 522.

I believe it's the standard 18" or 20" dish. I'm not exactly sure. They installed everything at the time so I have no idea what LNB's switches, etc are installed. Just the basic install I assume.

I two lines coming into my 522, one goes out to TV1, the other runs upstairs to tv2. Other than that, i'm not sure what other hardware is on there.

 

[mdonnelly]

Sounds like you got a very good install. "If it works, don't fix it." Sometime when you want to upgrade to HD, call that same installer back to your house.

You can find out some more about your system by going to Menu->Setup->Installation->Point Dish and select "Test". That will tell you about what type switch and LNBs you have.

 

[BobaBird]

You can't choose which transponders to get you channels from - that is set by Dish. The point dish screen allows you switch TPs only to see the signal reading. When you go to that screen you are shown the TP that carries the channel you were viewing.

See EKB: Newbie Page and browse around the rest of the site.

 

[Smith P.]

BobaBird, now by Dish will you forced to provide second acceptable level for good signal, for 30 pts less.

 

[RandallA]

BobaBird, now by Dish will you forced to provide second acceptable level for good signal, for 30 pts less.

Hard to do with 129 and some TPs unless you get a bigger dish.

 

[jefflewis]

I looked in the menu and I do not have a signal for 129, but 119 and 110 are both around 60.

As for the install, I ran the cables when we built the place, the dish guy just hooked everything up. it is a townhome, so i was limited to what i could install so i ran cable and phone to each room, surround sound in the great room. at that time i had never thought of structured wiring or else i would have had everything ran to the utility closet.

so it seems that everything is working pretty good. when we build our next house (hopefully next year) i will definately be doing some better research to "max" out out install. i will be doing all the low-voltage runs myself, so thats the time to go cable-happy!

thanks everyone!

 

[jeffmw]

I live in the Grand Rapids, MI area and it seems like whenever it is overcast I lose 129. Could I get another dish and point it at 61.5? If I kept 129 as well how would the receiver know which dish to use for the duplicated channels (like Voom HD)?

 

[jefflewis]

Under Check Switch:

Satellite Input 1
Port 1:
Satellite - 119
Trans - OK
Device - Twin
Status - Reception Verified
Switch - DPP Twin w/Separator

Port 2:
Satellite - 110
Trans - OK
Device - Twin
Status - Reception Verified
Switch - DPP Twin w/Separator

Port 3:
Satellite - Conn
Trans - X
Device - N.C.
Status - Reception Verified
Switch - DPP Twin w/Separator

Satellite Input 2
Port 1:
Satellite - 119
Trans - OK
Device - Twin
Status - Reception Verified
Switch - DPP Twin w/Separator

Port 2:
Satellite - 110
Trans - OK
Device - Twin
Status - Reception Verified
Switch - DPP Twin w/Separator

Port 3:
Satellite - Conn
Trans - X
Device - N.C.
Status - Reception Verified
Switch - DPP Twin w/Separator

SS 69 on 110
SS 59 on 119