Thread: warning 836 nightmare... please help

howdy all this is my first post and i wish it were on better terms... about a week ago my dish 500 started to lose signal through satellite 110 even on the clear days... so i started to readjust it and ran a new check switch test... after the test finished it prompted the message: waring 836 - the check switch test has found you have fewer satellites than previously detected - cancel or save... not thinking i opted to save the results... before i saved i had eight columns and two rows starting with 110 odd 100 even, four X'd out columns, and 119 odd 119 even... after saving i found myself with four columns and two rows two X'd out columns and 119 odd 119 even... 110 completely vanished... so my first question is... how can i get back those columns back and will that even fix my problem... because of right now my dish can either pick up satellite echo119 or echo110 with the same lnbf or "eye"... that being the case does it sound like one of my "eyes" has gone bad... i've had this dish about 10 years but at least everything was at functioning... any help is greatly appreciated... thanks guys...

chop655

Clear the switch matrix by unhooking the coax from the receiver and running the check switch again. Then, hook your cable back up, go to the dish and adjust to get signal. Standing behind the dish, if you want to zero in on 119, cover the LNB on the right with aluminum foil and turn the dish until you have a good signal. You can then remove the foil and run check switch again. If LNB's are good you'll get good signal on both.

By clearing the matrix do you mean selecting save after running check switch with the cable removed. If so, will it reset them when i hook it back up? When we hit save the other time the 110 satellite went away and we no longer show it. Since then we have put foil over the right one and dont find any signal while moving the dish around. I just didn't want to push Save again a lose the 119 also!!!!

Thanks
chop655

1. Yes, select save. It won't show ANY satellites.
2. Then, reconnect coax.
3. Then, go outside any do the foil thing and zero in 119. Make sure that the dish pole/foot is plumb, and skew is set correctly.
4. Then, remove foil.
5. Then, run check switch again. If LNB's are good, you will see both satellites.
6. Save.

well... i followed your directions and now i have no signal at all... even with both eyes uncovered i can't find 119 or 110... everything is plumb... any other suggestions?

Sorry Chop, I've given you the protocol. I've summoned a guru for you, who hopefully will post shortly.

thanks a ton... i really appreciate it... i'm about ready to switch to direct tv

Chop, I asked the guru to drop by and help, and he said that there is nothing else that can be said. Once you go to the point dish screen, and adjust the dish, you should be getting a signal if the lnb's are good and the protocols above have been followed.

well that's what i figured... on the up and up however... i talked to dish and threatened to cancel... they're sending out a tech and new receiver tomorrow free of charge... thanks for all your help anyways!