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hihghatsize
Last reply · posted in DIRECTV General Forum
Hi, again. I just posted the following message in the, "Chit Chat", forum for new members and am reposting it here because I am more likely to find members on this site familiar with Directv problems. Any help would be appreciated:

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Hi. You never know what you are going to find when you go on the internet. Who could believe that there are so many people interested in discussing satellite TV? I was looking for an answer to a question about my system when I found this site.

Pleased to meet you all.

I live in San Francisco and have a three Lnb dish feeding a powered multiswitch that splits the signals into eight coax cables, one being unused. I run four t.v.s; two directv/Tivos, one DirectvDVR, and one regular receiver. I had the system installed by a professional who does commercial installations because the initial Directv installation, (of a dual lnb, unpowered line), was pretty bad. None of my receivers is HD.

For the past six months, my pictures have been frequently pixelated, particularly on the channels around 250. Even though the dish is a commercial sized oval dish, my reception seems affected in those channels from fog, and, now with the forest fires south of San Francisco, smoke.

I just hosed off the dish which is the most that I can do since it is inaccessible without special equipment and was wondering what tests I could run to find out if there is a problem with my system and where it is, or if the problem is with Directv's satellite transmission.

If any of you have had similar problems, especially if you live in this neck of the woods, I'd appreciate hearing from you as well.

Thanks.

Cordially,
highhatsize
5 Replies · 1600 views
highhatsize
No replies. However, I had tightened every connection that I could find at the multiswitch. Some had quite a bit of play. I will let you know if the problem recurs.

highhatsize
It didn't work. We had a day of heavy fog two days ago and one of the stations became pixelated again. I suspect that it is a system flaw with the satellite. Here in San Francisco, we are at the edge of the satellite signal and the transponder(s) that broadcast USA and the like must be particularly weak.

Cordially,
hihghatsize
raysat
If your coax connections were loose I would unscrew the connections to make sure that the coax has not been compromised by moisture. Next I would with the help of someone and a receiver in the signal strength screen do the "bend" test and see if the signal goes up in strength. This is lightly pulling or pushing up/down and left/right. Make sure that the sat selected is 101.
jcrandall
Go into the satellite setup and post for us the numbers you are seeing for signal strength on the 101, 110, and 119 satellite. There will be upwards of 30 on 101, 3 on 110, and 10 or so on 119.
highhatsize
Time for the Experts

Dear raysat and Jason,

My satellite dish is so situated three stories above ground that only someone with specialized climbing equipment can touch it. I tried last week and, as I struggled to maintain contact with the pitched roof with as many square centimeters of my body as possible to avoid sliding off, decided that this was a job for a pro.

I did the signal strength test several times recently. The lowest signal strength that I measured was in the high 80s. Two of the transponders, (or was it three), had no signal whatsoever, but the Directv literature says that this is OK.

The coaxial connectors that I tightened were all within the attic. I can't reach any that are on the roof. So water infiltration is still a possibility.

I do thank everyone for their suggestions, but I am afraid that I will have to live with this condition until it become significantly worse or until it is time to upgrade to Directv's latest essential piece of equipment. Thereupon I will call Crawford Satellite, a responsive, reliable, efficient, professional and expensive private company which will discover the problem in short order and gore me like a clumsy matador in the Madrid bull ring after they fix it.

[Sigh!]

Cordially,
highhatsize
Scott Greczkowski
Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU! Cutting Edge
Last reply · posted in The Chit Chat Club
Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!

So let the game continue!

The last song was added by Bobby who posted...

One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters

CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!

Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game

Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.

Example:

Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow

Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio

Another example:

Ride the Lightning -- Metallica

Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne


Get it?


An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
68631 Replies · 2678978 views
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H
PEOPLE Are Strange-The Doors
harshness
Still Loving You - Scorpions
Bobby
PEOPLE Are Strange-The Doors

You're Still A Young Man - Tower Of Power
No Match, back to:
People Are Strange - The Doors




Isn't Life Strange - The Moody Blues
FTA4PA
Strange Days - Nazareth
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gms49ers
Dancing Days - Led Zeppelin
dishstaller
Dancing in the Street - Van Halen
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
· posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network
0 Replies · 5 views
TRG
TRG
Pub Member / Supporter
Last reply · posted in Local Radio Discussion
20 Replies · 583 views
dishdude
It's probably been 2 decades since I've listened to an AM radio station. Very rarely listen to FM any more.
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Jimbo
I am 1 that wants the AM to Stay ....
That said, since '08 I have had Sat radio available to me ... I think I have turned on AM 3 or 4 times, just to see if its still there.

Fwiw, if theres a Major disaster or bad weather or whatever, the chances of me finding out about it by going to the AM side of the radio is SLIM and None.
Even FM, I haven't really had on since '13ish, I may turn it on from time to time, just to see if its still there.
harshness
Fwiw, if theres a Major disaster or bad weather or whatever, the chances of me finding out about it by going to the AM side of the radio is SLIM and None.
Automation has seen to that. You can't get evening drive traffic reports where I live, much less disaster reports.
dishstaller
Very rarely listen to FM any more
That goes for a lot of people. I've been advertising on radio for more than a decade now and am very familiar with this subject. While it is still a valuable tool, it has far less impact than it did just a few years ago. The best reaction I get is from a local Country music station....they play a mix of older and newer music and have a very big footprint.
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Jimbo
That goes for a lot of people. I've been advertising on radio for more than a decade now and am very familiar with this subject. While it is still a valuable tool, it has far less impact than it did just a few years ago. The best reaction I get is from a local Country music station....they play a mix of older and newer music and have a very big footprint.
Do you do any Ad's on Satellite ?

If Not, why not, because it's not Local ?
dishstaller
Do you do any Ad's on Satellite ?

If Not, why not, because it's not Local ?
No, just regular FM stations. One is the country station I mentioned and the other is a Talk Radio station which used to get fantastic results but honestly, since the death of Rush Limbaugh, talk radio just doesn't do as well. There were two guys who had an early morning show which was hugely popular here in the southeast but one of them retired a couple years ago and the show just doesn't garner the same numbers as it used to.
TheForce
Supporting Founder Pub Member / Supporter
Last reply · posted in The Phone & Tablet Zone
Apple Fall Hardware Event takes place today, September 9, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. ET. It marks the debut of new CEO John Ternus and the expected reveal of Apple's first foldable phone.
135 Replies · 1640 views
comfortably_numb
Can't remember if I've posted this yet..


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfL5seXJyWU
  • Haha
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Foxbat
IFixIt has published their Teardown and they had some positive things to say about the iPhone Duo. It still showed some dust ingress into the hinge assembly but seemed otherwise well-sealed.
​

But with a considerable number of reports of the main screen dying with similar failures, AppleCare+ should be a no-brainer for this phone.
S

most carriers do. that's why they send updates that slow phones down!! i buy unlocked phones no effect to me
S
IFixIt has published their Teardown and they had some positive things to say about the iPhone Duo. It still showed some dust ingress into the hinge assembly but seemed otherwise well-sealed.
​

But with a considerable number of reports of the main screen dying with similar failures, AppleCare+ should be a no-brainer for this phone.

hope you have apple care a screen job is 1000.00 :oops:. can we say over priced garbage!!!
harshness
Gone are the days when Apple "perfects" what debuted years earlier on an Android phone.
comfortably_numb
Gone are the days when Apple "perfects" what debuted years earlier on an Android phone.

Or better yet, innovate something "completely revolutionary!"
SkyWatcher57
Pub Member / Supporter
Last reply · posted in Free To Air (FTA) Discussion
Hello folks, well my luck ran out last week with a nasty thunderstorm and after 39 years here, finally took a hit. Now, the FTA receivers I had for some years worked great until now. Recently picked up a fairly cheap receiver, online, KOQIT and seems to be good, but for the life of me, I cannot get the HDMI output to work with 3 of my Samsung monitors. I can hook it up to my Samsung TV and its HDMI input and it works fine. The 2 receivers I lost also worked fine with them, so am I going crazy? anyone have come across this or have any suggestions? And, since this is a somewhat cheap unit but works, what is everyone out there using for receivers these days? without breaking the bank? I enjoy watching FTA TV, so I will invest more if needed, what is a really good, detailed unit these days. I'm so use to watching a few of them HD channels. Right now I'm down to composite hookups, yuck! Any help or info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Frank :rolleyes:
47 Replies · 1293 views
(((Garyd)))
Hello folks, well my luck ran out last week with a nasty thunderstorm and after 39 years here, finally took a hit. Now, the FTA receivers I had for some years worked great until now. Recently picked up a fairly cheap receiver, online, KOQIT and seems to be good, but for the life of me, I cannot get the HDMI output to work with 3 of my Samsung monitors. I can hook it up to my Samsung TV and its HDMI input and it works fine. The 2 receivers I lost also worked fine with them, so am I going crazy? anyone have come across this or have any suggestions? And, since this is a somewhat cheap unit but works, what is everyone out there using for receivers these days? without breaking the bank? I enjoy watching FTA TV, so I will invest more if needed, what is a really good, detailed unit these days. I'm so use to watching a few of them HD channels. Right now I'm down to composite hookups, yuck! Any help or info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Frank :rolleyes:
Take the cover off, show me pics of the board of the bad one and also the bottom of the board. I'm an old hardware electronics tech plus a satellite dealer; I fixed a lot of FTA and regular receivers. I may be able to fix it for you. And yes, they got hit by lightning; it's best to email me the pics at diamondsatellite@snet.net or call me at 203-232-8888. I give you a 50-50 chance of fixing it; I do have spare parts. my phone is a fliptop phone
Gary
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S
Hello folks, well my luck ran out last week with a nasty thunderstorm and after 39 years here, finally took a hit. Now, the FTA receivers I had for some years worked great until now. Recently picked up a fairly cheap receiver, online, KOQIT and seems to be good, but for the life of me, I cannot get the HDMI output to work with 3 of my Samsung monitors. I can hook it up to my Samsung TV and its HDMI input and it works fine. The 2 receivers I lost also worked fine with them, so am I going crazy? anyone have come across this or have any suggestions? And, since this is a somewhat cheap unit but works, what is everyone out there using for receivers these days? without breaking the bank? I enjoy watching FTA TV, so I will invest more if needed, what is a really good, detailed unit these days. I'm so use to watching a few of them HD channels. Right now I'm down to composite hookups, yuck! Any help or info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Frank :rolleyes:
a good surge protector will help to.
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SkyWatcher57
Take the cover off, show me pics of the board of the bad one and also the bottom of the board. I'm an old hardware electronics tech plus a satellite dealer; I fixed a lot of FTA and regular receivers. I may be able to fix it for you. And yes, they got hit by lightning; it's best to email me the pics at diamondsatellite@snet.net or call me at 203-232-8888. I give you a 50-50 chance of fixing it; I do have spare parts. my phone is a fliptop phone
Gary
Hi Gary, still working on getting you those
Hi Gary, just saw this, ok, I'll grab some pics tomorrow and post them. thx
Still working getting you those pictures, nice weekends means yard work and fall prep, thanks
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k4otl
Anybody know how to add "hidden" audio channels like for 101 W Ku or 105W C band on these recvr's? I've exported the database file but don't have anything that will read or edit it.
cyberham
For 105W C, you scan in the Westwood tp normally. Then select the audio channel you want. Not necessary to manually enter. On 101W, you must manually enter.
k4otl
For 105W C, you scan in the Westwood tp normally. Then select the audio channel you want. Not necessary to manually enter. On 101W, you must manually enter.
Seems like I remember that now, with my V9 I manually entered anyway on 105, easier for me to pick the channel later :)
T
Last reply · posted in Free To Air (FTA) Discussion
IS Amiko MIRA 3 any good ???
Can you recommend the best to cover all bases. NO BEEPS on certain channels 101w (NEWSMAX ,NEWS NATION), a clock that keeps working STEADY for timed recording ,solid unit with good lifespan. My Amiko died AND my Linkbox has NO Favorites Button and BEEPS on many channels. Picking up 105 west with a NEW SHED IN THE Way with 6 foot Cband ..95 percent quality ...unbelievable.
10 Replies · 270 views
T
Have you tried a new power brick on your Amiko?

YOU WERE RIGHT. IT IS WORKING NOW WITH 2X AMPS !!

DAN
primestar31
Have you tried a new power brick on your Amiko?

YOU WERE RIGHT. IT IS WORKING NOW WITH 2X AMPS !!

DAN
That's great!

Many people have all sorts of power bricks laying around. Provided the plug fits, and it's the right polarity and same voltage and the same OR higher amps, why not try another one IF the device you want to try it on doesn't seem to work right.
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JFOK
That's great!

Many people have all sorts of power bricks laying around. Provided the plug fits, and it's the right polarity and same voltage and the same OR higher amps, why not try another one IF the device you want to try it on doesn't seem to work right.
primestar31,

Could you explain to me what a power brick is ?
Thanks,

John
primestar31
primestar31,

Could you explain to me what a power brick is ?
Thanks,

John
Some people just call them power supplies (which really isn't a good fit in this case), some call them "wall adapters" but it's an external power supply or AC adapter that converts (AC) from a wall outlet into low-voltage (DC) that an electronic device needs to run.
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T
[Give us a summary of what you receive with a 6-footer. I'm very curious.]

Right now on C band getting 105w, a Mexican channel with 95% quality and I am near Detroit! I'm recording a TECHNO MUSIC FESTIVAL today from Mexico ..if you can believe it.....and yes that SHED is partly in the path so I'm puzzled. There are also christian channels on 105w.
cyberham
...Right now on C band getting 105w, a Mexican channel with 95% quality...
105W has some very strong transponders. I received more than four transponders using a 41-inch dish recently. See here.
k4otl
[Give us a summary of what you receive with a 6-footer. I'm very curious.]

Right now on C band getting 105w, a Mexican channel with 95% quality and I am near Detroit! I'm recording a TECHNO MUSIC FESTIVAL today from Mexico ..if you can believe it.....and yes that SHED is partly in the path so I'm puzzled. There are also christian channels on 105w.
The Westwood One Mux on 105W would likely be receivable, has some good music channels on there. It does scan in, but it's more convenient to manually enter the PIDs, check out Lyngsat for the channels: EchoStar 105/SES 11 at 105.0°W - LyngSat

I use a 10 footer (only C-band dish I have), but it's very strong.