Recent content by DTVSatman

As I understand it, for up to four receivers, use the four outputs from the 3-LNB dish. For more than four receivers, feed the four outputs into a 4X8 multiswitch. I have been told not to use a 2X4 multi on a 3-LNB dish because a multi is already built into the LNB.

If the home has plywood soffit, look for the nails where it is attached to the joists. The rafter ends will be to the left or right of the joists. Taking into account a 2X piece of lumber is not really 2 inches and the spacing is most likely 16-inches on center, the chances of finding the rafter...

I can appreciate your sarcasm in a thread that reads like one big April Fool's joke. In my ham radio days, I encountered people who actually believed "It's only illegal if you get caught." A CBer in the area with a fat amp was messing up everyone's TVs and cordless phones so the neighbors all...

Welcome. This is a great site with lots of technicians willing to share their knowledge. Ask questions and you will get plenty of answers, many of them correct. I have learned a lot just by lurking.

A pirate radio station is a pirate radio station. The FCC may not put a lot of effort into tracking down CBers with liner amps but I think they would get real interested in someone broadcasting on a TV frequency. Especially when the neighbors started seeing Dish channels on their TVs. The...

Trying to aim a triple-sat without a Birdog has to be one of the most frustrating things I have ever tried in this business. I wouldn't give that job to a monkey on a rock. If you can find a tech with a meter, he should be able to get it peaked in about a minute. uboatcmdr is right, get the...

This thread got me curious, so I conducted a very un-scientific test. Hooked my Birdog up to a pole-mounted DTV dual LNB dish (Wineguard) set at a 46 degree angle. From a dry dish, I got a reading of S=71 and Q=100. With everything still connected, I flooded the dish with a garden hose set on...

For you Birdog retailers out there: How long do you think it will take for config files to be available after the three new DTV sats are heated up?

Using Warner Ave as ground-zero, compass heading 341 degrees will get you KCBS, KNBC, KTTV, KABC and a bunch of others about 35 miles away. The Winegard should give you a pretty good shot at picking them up if you can get it high enough. The key is a line of sight across 35 miles of SoCal...

You might want to give the non-amp antenna a second chance. Positioning and pointing one is almost an art. How far are you from the transmitting towers and are they all in the same general compass heading? What is between you and the towers (trees, hills, buildings)? Amplified antennas can...

Good point. $5.99/mo sounds like a lot until something happens...

Just fix the cut with a couple of connectors and a barrel to get you through until DTV can come out and do the repair. Anything less than an unbroken run from the LNB to the receiver/multiswitch is non-standard. Let DTV fix it and send the contractor the bill. I would never suggest the customer...

About 8:30PM EDT, began losing signal on some channels. Ran through the xponders and the problem seemed to be random but mostly odd xponders. During that time, I called a customer about a service call tomorrow and he told me he was suddenly getting SFSS on 101W. All seems to be fine now...

You need the international dish with the single K-band LNB for 95W. The dish also has a standard dual LNB for 101.

Two up (Skyway 1, DirecTV 8), one to go (Skyway 2 next month.) By the time they get all three heated up, it will be time to start planning for the fourth bird. A DTV suit said during the pre-launch that it was like the company was starting from scratch - or words to that effect.