Dish 500 - Getting Satellite 110 not 119

[loconet]

I'm new here and apologies in advance if this quesiton has been asked before but I did a search and although I found several related issues on 119, I couldn't find any advice for this paticular problem.

Equipment:
Rec: Dish 311
Dish: 500 - QUAD LNBF
Switch: SW21

I get pretty strong signal for 110 (up to 125 sometimes) according to the Point/Signal option and a satellite finder tool. Unfortunately, when I try to see the signal strength for the 119, I get ""Wrong Sat -- Echostar 110 West" in red at the bottom of the screen.

When i first installed the switch I did a switch check and as installed device it said SW21. Due to lack of 119 signal, I tried switching the cable connections to the switch and when I did the switch check again it said Device installed: QUAD DP. It has stayed with Device installed: QUAD DP since then even after switching the cables back. It also says: WARNING only one satellite connected.

I have tried connecting the receiver directly to the dish without the switch on both the 110 and 119 ends but I always only get 110 regardless of the connection end.

Does this seem like a dish pointing problem? maybe the switch is not operating properly? Is the receiver setup incorrectly?

Would doing a "restore to factory defaults" help to start fresh? Is it safe? ..would it deprogram some data that i may not be able to get afterwards without calling dishnetwork again? ...

Sorry if this information is too vague to help, I'm new to this so let me know if you need more info.

 

[TheDishNetworkInstaller]

If you have a Twin (Two white eyes in one grey case with two outputs) or Quad LNB (Two white eyes in one grey case with four outputs) on the Dish 500 there is no need for the SW21 unless you have a must carry dish installed pointing at 148 or 61.5 sats.

Second its sounds like you need to turn your dish a little if your peaking 110 at a 125.

 

[loconet]

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See the attached images for the one I have. Should it not be connected through a switch to merge the 110 and 119 signals?

I will try to move the dish a little to see if i get any results.

Thank you for your help so far!

 

[TheDishNetworkInstaller]

Nope the switch is built into the LNB on twins and quads.

Switch is only necessary if adding a 3rd sat in your situation.

Also that’s not a DP21 so it wouldn't work anyway. That’s a legacy SW21.

Remove the switch altogether and re-point your dish and baring any LOS issues you should be good to go.

By the way this is a DP21 http://www.satelliteone.com/dish/images/dp21.jpg if you ever decide to add a must carry dish.

 

[loconet]

Interesting .. hmm excuse my ignorance, so from the picture of my equipment, do I or do I not need the 2 cables (one off the 119 and one off the 110) ..and if i do.. can't really connect the two to the receiver right? .. or are you saying that i actually only need one and the "merging of signals" is already happening inside since it has a built in switch?

 

[TheDishNetworkInstaller]

Your last comment is correct.

Since the switch is built into the LNB you only need ONE cable from it to the receiver.

The DP Twin is designed to allow you to run two receivers with a minimum amount of cables. DP Quad is just like the Twin only it allows up to four receivers.

It only gets more complicated when running a must carry for something like PBS or Sky Angle and then its as simple as throwing a DP21 in for each receiver to tie in a third satellite.

If I was any good at Photo Shop I'd draw you a diagram to better explain what I'm saying.

Just pick a cable run it straight to your receiver and check switch it. You might not have to even tweak the dish.

 

[loconet]

Ok, so ... I connected it with one cable directly from the dish to the receiver as well as moved it around for a while to see if i could find 119 but nothing. I can still see 110 fine though. Should i continue to try to find 119 ? or?..

See the images below.

1st image: after connecting it with one cable and restarting receiver & going to point/switch option

2st image: after running check switch

3rd image: 110 signal strength

3rd image: attempt at checking 119 signal strength

 

[thiggin2]

Is the dish all setup to the right angles?? Azimuth,elevation and Skew?? And Plum??

 

[loconet]

I thought those #s were correct and I assumed they were since 110 is fine and i was told 119 is very close by? i will double check just in case..

 

[thiggin2]

Just make sure the Dish is mounted 100% level and the skew is correct.

 

[iKramerica]

Probably your answer...

Had this same issue re: 110 strong, 119 zero.

Simple solution.

Your dish angle (azimuth) is WAY off. You are actually picking up the 110 on what should be the 119 part of the dish! Thus, the 110 part is pointing at nothing. The receiver is not smart enough to understand this (I wish it was). It just sees the 110 and is happy as pie to tune it.

Despite my dish being pointed at what I thought was the right direction on my self install, I ran into the same issue. Rotating it it more to the west (much more) solved the issue. Then once I got both in the 80s, tilting it was used to peak it in the 90s for both (my 721 goes to 100, not 125).

For whatever reason in my area of LA, while the skew provided by DISH was perfect, but both the azimuth and elevation were far from what DISH says to use. Might be a combination of elevation of my house in the valley and poor numbers provided by Dish.

 

[wobbie]

When aiming the dish point for the 119 bird and be sure you hace the cable going to your meter or television on the 119 side of the LNB. If all you are getting is the 110 I would say you are using the 110 side of the LNB when aiming. You more than likely just need to got back west a few degrees and raise the dish a litle bit.

 

[TheDishNetworkInstaller]

For whatever reason in my area of LA, while the skew provided by DISH was perfect, but both the azimuth and elevation were far from what DISH says to use. Might be a combination of elevation of my house in the valley and poor numbers provided by Dish.

Then what ever you used for a compass was probably off (Valleys with deposits of metal can do that) for the az and your lot elevation would explain the elevation issue.

Dish trys for a happy medium for the masses, but you can't plan for everyone.

 

[digiblur]

Cover up the "110 eye" with foil and point at 119. Once you have 119 and the skew set correctly then do the check switch. Then fine tune from there. I usually keep an old single legacy LNB around for pointing Dish500's, if you have one of these it'll even make your job easier.

 

[boba]

With no cable connected to the receiver run a switch test. It should run 38 tests and find no switch detected. This will reset the switch to factory settings with no satellites detected.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Loconet: Your second picture tells the story in it's entirety.

When using a Twin or Quad, the first column is the 119 eye, the second column is the 110 eye. ALWAYS!

Therefore, "110 X" means you're pointing 9 degrees too far east.

For completeness, "X 119" (or more likely "129 119") means you're 9d too far west. And finally, "X 129" is 19d west.

 

[loconet]

Thank you for the advice guys. SimpleSimon, you are right...the pointing was off. I finally managed to get it to detect 119 but now the problem is that 110 is gone.. .

I managed to get up to 80 on 119 and about 50 on 110 and both go green but I stilll can't see 110 channels. I'm guessing I have to adjust it a bit more to get both on solid signal strengths?

Anyone knows the correct skew/elevation values for Toronto, Canada? I've been checking online with various tools but they seem totally off (maybe im just reading them wrong). Same with a zip code close to the border.


Thank you for the help!

 

[SimpleSimon]

Just starting nudging the dish up & down with your hand to see which way the 110 LNB has to go, and adjust the skew accordingly.

Think about what you're doing - a lower LNB is a higher look angle.

You might even still need a good left/right nudge, too.

Finally, remember that the receiver is slow in responding to these nudges - patience!

 

[iKramerica]

that would explain it

Then what ever you used for a compass was probably off (Valleys with deposits of metal can do that) for the az and your lot elevation would explain the elevation issue.

Dish trys for a happy medium for the masses, but you can't plan for everyone.

yep, I live in a high valley, and the compass was not reliable.

but knowing the orientation of the house in real geography, it seems as if I'm pointed far west for what I should be.

either way, I got a signal, so I'm happy.

 

[DarrenRV]

Loconet what direction did you swing the dish from 110 to pickup 119?

I covered the 110 eye, and panned left to find 119. I found a weak 110 on the 119 lnb instead. Panned right,on the same elevation, and still nothing.