322 and phone line noise.

[7300]

I have 2 of the 322 receivers(4 TV's). These have to be plugged into a phone line or I get charged $4.99 extra for not doing so. Ok, they're plugged in. Well these boxes put alot of noise on my phone lines. I have dial-up internet and this line noise almost kills my connection. Where I would normally connect at 49kbs, I'm now connecting at 28-32kbs. It makes a big difference. I called Dish an was instructed to go to Radio Shack and get a RF filter for my phone line between the receiver and the wall. I did that. It didn't help.
I mean this noise is noticeable when your on the phone. It's loud.
Want to check your line? Pick up the phone and hit one number, any number then listen. It should be quiet. With the 322's plugged in there is a loud hum. Both boxes do it.
What's next? Do these boxes call home every night? I really don't want to have to unplug both boxes when I get on the internet, then plug them back in when I'm done.
Anybody else having this problem?

 

[SimpleSimon]

Is it a 60Hz hum?

If so, make sure you're using good phone cord (NOT the flat stuff) and/or route it away from the power cords - certainly do NOT parallel the phone line with the power cord - that's guaranteed to cause hum. I've seen that when people go to "clean up" the cord mess behind their TVs.

 

[Big Bob]

also, you may have some sort of a ground loop problem.
Most of the easy fixes for that have problems of their own.

 

[7300]

Is it a 60Hz hum?

If so, make sure you're using good phone cord (NOT the flat stuff) and/or route it away from the power cords - certainly do NOT parallel the phone line with the power cord - that's guaranteed to cause hum. I've seen that when people go to "clean up" the cord mess behind their TVs.

Not sure what a 60Hz hum sounds like. I'm using the cord that came with the box. Yes I have also used other cords with the same result. I made sure the phone line was away from any power cords but....The phone line plug on the box is right next to where the power cord is attached to the box. Could this be the problem? Bad design? I'm at a loss. I'm going to call dish again.

you may have some sort of a ground loop problem.

How can I check if it's a ground loop problem?
The hum only shows up when these boxes are plugged in. I can plug phones into the same outlets and no hum. Humm...
I think it's the receivers.

 

[Big Bob]

for a quick check, you can use a ground-lift adapter.
the kind that accepts a 3-prong plug and only has 2 prongs to plug into the wall.
Get a couple from you local hardware store and see if that helps any.
(I wouldn't want to use them for a permanent fix though)

report back to what you find

 

[Wayd Wolf]

Had this problem on a 522. Installer didn't bother with grounding. It was an SBC Dish job so when SBC came to check the phone noise and traced it back to the receiver they were slightly tweaked and installing proper ground fixed the noise problem completely.

 

[ropdyke]

I have one of those connected to mine and there is a noticable hum (bad enough I wouldn't try to use as a voice line) and it work just fine for the box. I have had it for a couple of months. You can go to setup and check the phone connection if it sees it its good enough.

 

[7300]

Had this problem on a 522. Installer didn't bother with grounding.

Do you mean grounding the dish? The dish is grounded. They ran a ground wire to a water faucet outside the house. I'll have to check to make sure it is a good ground.

You can go to setup and check the phone connection if it sees it its good enough.

The phone line is good and both boxes see and use the phone line to call home. The hum/noise is screwing up my dial-up internet connection.

for a quick check, you can use a ground-lift adapter.

I'll have to give it a try.

 

[7300]

Well a Disk Network Tech is coming out in the morning to check out the problem. I can't be the only one this is happening to. Do all of you guys with the 322 box have broadband? Am I the only poor bastard using dial-up?

 

[KKlare]

Get a polarity checker.

Go to Home Depot or the corner hardware store and for $10 or less get a three-prong line tester. It compares each wire to the gound plug. One or more of your AC sockets could be reversed low to high. This means you get 120V on the normally 0V wide blade. If one is wrong the electronic phone set or satellite receiver may be riding high.

In remodeling, I found 50% +- 1% of my wall sockets were wrong for 25 years. A water pipe ground may have its own voltage -- measure with a VOM between your antenna and the pipe, then fix the water-pipe or house ground. I have seen 40V of AC on some. Good luck.

 

[DishSatUser]

Any time there is a ground connected to a water pipe anywhere, make sure that you have a ground strap connecting the hot and cold pipes on your water heater and that this is also bonded to your primary ground. Depending on the last time you've purchased a water heater, and if installed professionally, this should already be completed. You'll see this item checked on any house inspection if you've purchased/sold recently.

I've heard stories of people replacing their water heaters and getting a nice shock from the grounds connected to the pipes and either the heater is very old, or had not been installed to recent code.

If you really want to be up on all of the electrical code, here's a link to where you can purchase a copy of the 2002 NEC. http://www.codehandbook.com/ Another way to purchase the NESC code is from the IEEE at 1-800-678-IEEE. Ask for C2-2002, "National Electrical Safety Code (2002)". Besides this "national" code, you need to check with local and state regulations as well. They can be somewhat more stringent. NEC is basically the national baseline, in case your local government hasn't set any stronger regulations in regards to the electrical code.

Have fun

 

[7300]

They changed the lines, they changed the receivers. No change. Even the techs could hear the hum and the dial-up connection difference with the boxes plugged in and with them unplugged. It's the receivers.
They brought in a couple of wireless phone jacks. No noise and the internet connection is good. They said that the wireless phone jacks are filtered, even for DSL. Well the wireless phone jacks are the cure.
I called Dish while these guys where still here. I let the talk to the tech.
They said that the boxes are not compatible with the phone line, which happens sometimes and I could buy 2 wireless phone jacks for them for $40 a piece. I need 2. She said that this is not a known problem so my only option was to leave them unplugged, order 2 wireless phone jacks or just deal with it. I told her that these receivers are not suppose to interfere with any other services and they are. When they are not plugged in, it's fine. When they are plugged it, there's interference. She put me on hold. After talking with her supervisor, he has heard of this problem before so they will sell me 2 wireless phone jacks for the price of 1. $40 for 2 instead of $80. Mighty big of them. OK, I bought'em. They're being sent in the mail.
I'll let you know if the ones they send me work.

Go to Home Depot or the corner hardware store and for $10 or less get a three-prong line tester. It compares each wire to the gound plug. One or more of your AC sockets could be reversed low to high. This means you get 120V on the normally 0V wide blade. If one is wrong the electronic phone set or satellite receiver may be riding high.

Got one and their all ok.

I'll have to check to see if there is any voltage on the water pipe though.

 

[Big Bob]

You might also want to get a phone line checker. I think I got one at home depot. Handy little dohicky with two LEDs. Green means the line it wired properly, red means the wires are reversed and nothing means no service. Worth a try.

Any luck lifting the ground on the receivers? Or do they even have a ground plug?

 

[7300]

You might also want to get a phone line checker. I think I got one at home depot. Handy little dohicky with two LEDs. Green means the line it wired properly, red means the wires are reversed and nothing means no service. Worth a try.

Any luck lifting the ground on the receivers? Or do they even have a ground plug?

I got one of them phone line testers and the whole house was reversed. Reversed polarity that is. Thanks for the suggestion Bob. I corrected the problem in the box on the outside of the house. All phone lines are now the correct polarity. But I still have the same problem.
When The boxes are plugged in, my internet connection drops like a rock. And I still get the hum.
I'm still waiting on the wireless units.

I did check the water pipes and they are all grounded.

 

[Wayd Wolf]

The rule generally is, if the cable companies with all their lawyers say not to do it, then there's a reason. In cable, the strictest outfits will only ground to one of three places.

1. Power conduit at service entry
2. Ground rod IF rod is strapped to power service ground
3. COLD water IF COLD water is strapped to power service ground

NEVER to hot water, NEVER to water spigots, NEVER to gas or oil, etc.

And when going to cold water, they tell you that you should always go to the pipe where it enters the foundation BEFORE the first interruption which usually is the water meter. NEVER after it unless that's A)where the power service ground is connected and B)it is strapped across the meter to the pipe where it enters the foundation.

Remember, the 2002 NEC is only where electrical code STARTS. Town codes gets only stricter from there as do state and federal laws.

 

[Big Bob]

If you have the time, just to satisfy my curiosity, care to try one other thing?

Unplug your computer modem, plug in you 322, lift up a handset, press 1 and see if you still have a hum. If you do, then it is definately the 322. If you don't, plug in the computer modem and see if the hum comes back.

Just wondering if it is an interaction between the 322 and your modem. It could be the fault of your computer.....

 

[7300]

I unplugged the modem and I still get the noise/hum.


I received the 2 wireless units from dish yesterday and they work great.
I'm glad to have the full potential of my dial-up connection back.

Thanks all.

 

[Bobby]

I unplugged the modem and I still get the noise/hum.


I received the 2 wireless units from dish yesterday and they work great.
I'm glad to have the full potential of my dial-up connection back.

Thanks all.

Yay 7300, we have liftoff.......

 

[Big Bob]

I unplugged the modem and I still get the noise/hum.


I received the 2 wireless units from dish yesterday and they work great.
I'm glad to have the full potential of my dial-up connection back.

Thanks all.

thanks for trying for me. Curiosity squashed. Glad it is working for you