Tech replaced everything, yet!!!

[spoiler1041]

His handheld unit show 60 dbs at H3 and is locked but 2 different H3's don't show switch or signal. He gave up after replacing everything including the cable.

Any ideas? His brain was stuck at, if he has a signal the H3 should work PERIOD. So how does one get 60db but still no signal?

 

[HipKat]

His handheld unit show 60 dbs at H3 and is locked but 2 different H3's don't show switch or signal. He gave up after replacing everything including the cable.

Any ideas? His brain was stuck at, if he has a signal the H3 should work PERIOD. So how does one get 60db but still no signal?

First, if db's or DBM's are truly what that scale read, then that's why. On a Dish tech's Meter, there are 2 scales. The one on the right is Satellite Signal. The one on the left is line noise or dBM's.

Every 10 feet of cable adds 1 dBM. Every connector adds 1.5. At the Dish, dBM's measure about 26-30. That allows for up to 200' of cable, -1.5 for each connector. If you're seeing 60, that's WAY past the threshold. Either the cable run is way too long, the cable is not good or damaged, or water damaged or there's a component like a splitter, etc that's failing.

 

[spoiler1041]

First, if db's or DBM's are truly what that scale read, then that's why. On a Dish tech's Meter, there are 2 scales. The one on the right is Satellite Signal. The one on the left is line noise or dBM's.

Every 10 feet of cable adds 1 dBM. Every connector adds 1.5. At the Dish, dBM's measure about 26-30. That allows for up to 200' of cable, -1.5 for each connector. If you're seeing 60, that's WAY past the threshold. Either the cable run is way too long, the cable is not good or damaged, or water damaged or there's a component like a splitter, etc that's failing.

thanks, I hope he knows how to read his meter.... but ya never know.

question: 30 at dish plus 20 from cable plus 3 for 2 connections gets ya 53. is 59-61 that much higher then 53?

 

[HipKat]

thanks, I hope he knows how to read his meter.... but ya never know.

question: 30 at dish plus 20 from cable plus 3 for 2 connections gets ya 53. is 59-61 that much higher then 53?

The limit is 50. @50 dBM's, you'll see a lot of signal loss. That's why we limit cable runs to 200'. So if yours is much less than that, then there's a problem in the cabling/connections itself. Usually, the first place I'm looking is for water damage @ the Solo hub or breaks/cuts in the exposed cabling.

 

[spoiler1041]

The limit is 50. @50 dBM's, you'll see a lot of signal loss. That's why we limit cable runs to 200'. So if yours is much less than that, then there's a problem in the cabling/connections itself. Usually, the first place I'm looking is for water damage @ the Solo hub or breaks/cuts in the exposed cabling.

Can the solo be replaced by a straight connector (leave out joeys) just to check if it's the solo?

 

[spoiler1041]

The limit is 50. @50 dBM's, you'll see a lot of signal loss. That's why we limit cable runs to 200'. So if yours is much less than that, then there's a problem in the cabling/connections itself. Usually, the first place I'm looking is for water damage @ the Solo hub or breaks/cuts in the exposed cabling.

If my H3 used the old lnb's (he installed the dph lnb) and he dumped the node and put in a hub would that be insufficient, meaning do I also need a new dish (its not red logo so 1000.4?) or does the lnb shew change etc....

 

[TheKrell]

If my H3 used the old lnb's (he installed the dph lnb) and he dumped the node and put in a hub would that be insufficient, meaning do I also need a new dish (its not red logo so 1000.4?) or does the lnb shew change etc....

I have no idea what's wrong in your case. But I do know that I have a 1000.4 with a hybrid LNB on it. The plastic yoke has been nibbled at, in order to make it fit the arm. I do not believe a change in skew was needed, but I wasn't up there on the roof seeing what happened. I do know that he adjusted the dish and made its reception much better than it was with the DPP LNB that was there before.

 

[TheKrell]

Can the solo be replaced by a straight connector (leave out joeys) just to check if it's the solo?

I think you can take out that hub (and Joey's), replace it with a barrel, and see if the H3 works with that trivial configuration. Are you sure he has a hybrid LNB up there?

 

[HipKat]

Can the solo be replaced by a straight connector (leave out joeys) just to check if it's the solo?

Absolutely! Or run a straight cable from the LNB to the Hopper through a window or something as a test line

If my H3 used the old lnb's (he installed the dph lnb) and he dumped the node and put in a hub would that be insufficient, meaning do I also need a new dish (its not red logo so 1000.4?) or does the lnb shew change etc....

If he used a DPH LNBF, it's a 1000.2. The logo is just a logo. It doesn't signify anything. The Hopper 3 can only use a DPH LNBF and Solo Hub

 

[sam_gordon]

First, if db's or DBM's are truly what that scale read, then that's why. On a Dish tech's Meter, there are 2 scales. The one on the right is Satellite Signal. The one on the left is line noise or dBM's.

Every 10 feet of cable adds 1 dBM. Every connector adds 1.5. At the Dish, dBM's measure about 26-30. That allows for up to 200' of cable, -1.5 for each connector. If you're seeing 60, that's WAY past the threshold. Either the cable run is way too long, the cable is not good or damaged, or water damaged or there's a component like a splitter, etc that's failing.

What is dBM measuring? Is it not power (signal strength)? If so, how do cable or connectors ADD power?

 

[TheKrell]

What is dBM measuring? Is it not power (signal strength)? If so, how do cable or connectors ADD power?

According to HipKat, it's a measure of noise.

 

[TheKrell]

If he used a DPH LNBF, it's a 1000.2.

Not necessarily. My tech installed a DPH LNBF on my existing 1000.4 dish. I suspect he used a nibbling tool to make it fit.

 

[spoiler1041]

What is dBM measuring? Is it not power (signal strength)? If so, how do cable or connectors ADD power?

The actual numbers are negative (.00000x is a negative exponent which becomes the constant when expressed per milivolt) so cable are making the signal weaker as reflected by a larger negative number.

 

[spoiler1041]

I think you can take out that hub (and Joey's), replace it with a barrel, and see if the H3 works with that trivial configuration. Are you sure he has a hybrid LNB up there?

H3 with solo hub but he used a dpp lnb to replace the bad dph lnb.

Dish is bringing out a new lnb.

Thanks to all for the education.

 

[HipKat]

Not necessarily. My tech installed a DPH LNBF on my existing 1000.4 dish. I suspect he used a nibbling tool to make it fit.

More like he used his side cutters to cut the tabs off. You can do that with the older style hybrids not the slim lines, but I still think that's pretty rare. There's not a lot of 1000.4 dishes left anyway and most guys are not going to go outside of their training

 

[HipKat]

H3 with solo hub but he used a dpp lnb to replace the bad dph lnb.

Dish is bringing out a new lnb.

Thanks to all for the education.

Well, that would be the problem right there. Glad to see we got that figured out and I'm sure that the new lnb will solve the problem

 

[sam_gordon]

The actual numbers are negative (.00000x is a negative exponent which becomes the constant when expressed per milivolt) so cable are making the signal weaker as reflected by a larger negative number.

THAT I understand, thank you.

 

[bobc469]

The actual numbers are negative (.00000x is a negative exponent which becomes the constant when expressed per milivolt) so cable are making the signal weaker as reflected by a larger negative number.

A 1-mW signal has a level of 0 dBm. Signals weaker than 1 mW have negative dBm values; signals stronger than 1 mW have positive dBm values.