Hello, all, long time lurker, first time to register (cause I need help!)
I have been a pretty satisfied Dish customer since 1997, back when you could purchase your own gear and install it with no real worries. I started with a E* 4000 + 5000 (I still have the 5000 in service, although it has been replaced once due to a freezing issue that needed a power cycle to resolve). I then had a DishPlayer 7200 + 5000, and my current setup is a DVR 508 and my old faithful E* 5000.
When I installed my stuff originally, I put both receivers in the living room with the main TV, and fed my secondary receiver throughout the house via coax to my other sets (it's very rare we would need a receiver at each other set, as we only rarely watch more than one channel)...little did I know this would be the way of the future with the new multiroom DVR receivers.
Anyhow, I have a wall plate in the living room with two LNB feeds from up top, I have a Dish 500 with 119/110 dual LNB's feeding two SW21's, one for each feed to the receivers. I have NEVER had a signal issue in 11 years until Sunday when I woke up to check the news. My 508 was "acquiring signal" and never did get signal. After a power cycle it came up but started pixelating every 30 seconds or so, and went to "acquiring signal" for about 1 second, then working again for 30 seconds, then looking for signal again.
I switched inputs at the wall plate between the 508 and the 5000 and still had the issue, which makes me believe it's merely a receiver issue. The 5000 does not miss a beat on either LNB feed from up top.
I checked the fittings to the SW21s and found the one that had originally been on the 508 had some corrosion between the center pin and the shield, so I reterminated all the fittings outside, same issue. I even took a new piece of RG6QS from the SW21 to the 508 temporarily through the window, bypassing all my coax in place with the same issue. I swapped out the SW21 with a spare, same issue.
Keep in mind the E* 5000 doesn't miss a beat on either feed from up top.
Could it have something to do with the corrosion found inside the coax connector on the 508's original feed at the SW21? Could this have over time degraded the receiver's sensitivity or damaged it in some way?
My signal is as follows (on the east coast, in Western NC):
508 @ 119/11: 76, 110/11: 60
5000 @ 119/11: 97, 110/11: 93
One thing to note is the 508 shows Locked 119 on the signal screen, then every 30 seconds or so, without the signal level changing goes to "Wrong Satellite" and turns red. I suspect if I was watching TV this would be the point I saw "acquiring signal" briefly.
I understand Dish changed the scale on the newer equipment, which would (I hope) explain the differences in signal between the two. I have NO trees or buildings in line of sight. I even re-peaked the dish with my known good E* 5000 (I marked it before starting, and nothing was different when done). The only other difference between the two is the fact the 508 is "DishPro" but I suspect that wouldn't have any bearing on the issue at hand.
So what happens now, say I call Dish, are they going to ding me big time to send a tech? I have thought about getting a 722 as I now have an HDTV and need a bigger DVR, but I hate the thought of a DVR charge every month. Am I better off buying one out right along with a Dish 1000.2?
Any ideas on a next step?
Sorry this was so long, details are important though!
Mark
I have been a pretty satisfied Dish customer since 1997, back when you could purchase your own gear and install it with no real worries. I started with a E* 4000 + 5000 (I still have the 5000 in service, although it has been replaced once due to a freezing issue that needed a power cycle to resolve). I then had a DishPlayer 7200 + 5000, and my current setup is a DVR 508 and my old faithful E* 5000.
When I installed my stuff originally, I put both receivers in the living room with the main TV, and fed my secondary receiver throughout the house via coax to my other sets (it's very rare we would need a receiver at each other set, as we only rarely watch more than one channel)...little did I know this would be the way of the future with the new multiroom DVR receivers.
Anyhow, I have a wall plate in the living room with two LNB feeds from up top, I have a Dish 500 with 119/110 dual LNB's feeding two SW21's, one for each feed to the receivers. I have NEVER had a signal issue in 11 years until Sunday when I woke up to check the news. My 508 was "acquiring signal" and never did get signal. After a power cycle it came up but started pixelating every 30 seconds or so, and went to "acquiring signal" for about 1 second, then working again for 30 seconds, then looking for signal again.
I switched inputs at the wall plate between the 508 and the 5000 and still had the issue, which makes me believe it's merely a receiver issue. The 5000 does not miss a beat on either LNB feed from up top.
I checked the fittings to the SW21s and found the one that had originally been on the 508 had some corrosion between the center pin and the shield, so I reterminated all the fittings outside, same issue. I even took a new piece of RG6QS from the SW21 to the 508 temporarily through the window, bypassing all my coax in place with the same issue. I swapped out the SW21 with a spare, same issue.
Keep in mind the E* 5000 doesn't miss a beat on either feed from up top.
Could it have something to do with the corrosion found inside the coax connector on the 508's original feed at the SW21? Could this have over time degraded the receiver's sensitivity or damaged it in some way?
My signal is as follows (on the east coast, in Western NC):
508 @ 119/11: 76, 110/11: 60
5000 @ 119/11: 97, 110/11: 93
One thing to note is the 508 shows Locked 119 on the signal screen, then every 30 seconds or so, without the signal level changing goes to "Wrong Satellite" and turns red. I suspect if I was watching TV this would be the point I saw "acquiring signal" briefly.
I understand Dish changed the scale on the newer equipment, which would (I hope) explain the differences in signal between the two. I have NO trees or buildings in line of sight. I even re-peaked the dish with my known good E* 5000 (I marked it before starting, and nothing was different when done). The only other difference between the two is the fact the 508 is "DishPro" but I suspect that wouldn't have any bearing on the issue at hand.
So what happens now, say I call Dish, are they going to ding me big time to send a tech? I have thought about getting a 722 as I now have an HDTV and need a bigger DVR, but I hate the thought of a DVR charge every month. Am I better off buying one out right along with a Dish 1000.2?
Any ideas on a next step?
Sorry this was so long, details are important though!
Mark
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