411 receivers switching channels on their own.

[bnaivar]

I have twenty 411 receivers that are providing programming to a college campus. 5 of the 20 keep switching channels on their own to the Dish Info channel (101) instead of staying on the channel they are supposed to be on 24/7. I've created a Favorites list in each receiver for the one channel they are supposed to stay on, but to no avail. Some times they stay on the proper channel for a couple of days in a row, sometimes they switch several times a day. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to it. They are on different DP44 switches. Most of the channels that they are supposed to stay on are Atlanta locals, but there's also a couple on HDNet and Comedy Central that are doing the same thing.

Any ideas?

 

[TimberWolf]

IR interference from something else

They need software updated

Somebody screwing with you

 

[bnaivar]

Covered the IR sensors with tape.

All have current software.

I've checked the security tapes.

Thanks anyway.

 

[Tampa8]

You are possibly temporarily losing a channel signal or it temporarily thinks it is not authorized. When that happens I have found my receiver on either 101, or the slate that shows what satellite or Dish you have. It most often happens with the RSN HD. But I have seen it on locals when the signal is lost. This happens I believe especially if the receiver did a reboot, say from the automatic update, and you were on one of those channels or circumstances mentioned.

There are other examples that cause this - the TVJapan switches, a channel off the air, free preview channel no longer free etc.. always that you last watched and the receiver was still on.

If they are all off the same satellite, and the other receivers not having the problem are on different satellites that would indicate losing the satellite from time to time.

The number one time it happens (I realize you are not on this channel but it illustrates what I am saying) is on ESPN. I often leave the channel on ESPN after watching Around the Horn and PTI, and turn off the TV. When I come back, say around 8PM or a little later, if ESPN is showing a baseball game that night that is blacked out, I will find the receiver is on either 101 or the satellite slate. This happens often as I have three major league teams in my DMA. I even know why it is sometimes on 101 and sometimes on the satellite slate, but not important.

 

[bnaivar]

That actually helps a lot. I've noticed that it seems to happen after every thunderstorm when we lose signal.

Now the question becomes what can I do about it? I figured that when I created the Favorite list with the only one channel listed that it would go to that channel when it came back. No luck there.

 

[TheKrell]

How about a timer to auto-tune? PITA doing this for 20 receivers, though.

 

[pabeader]

probably the best idea for this situation though.

 

[Jim5506]

How about locking out and hiding all of the other channels on each receiver so it is only able to see one channel it is supposed to carry (except that you cannot lock out the "you have Dish 129" and the like slate channels).

 

[bnaivar]

How about a timer to auto-tune? PITA doing this for 20 receivers, though.

I tried that before I created the Favorites list. That worked on my home 222 so that my Tivo would work with it. Since there's no particular time when these receivers switch, I'd have to create several a day.

 

[bnaivar]

How about locking out and hiding all of the other channels on each receiver so it is only able to see one channel it is supposed to carry (except that you cannot lock out the "you have Dish 129" and the like slate channels).

I thought of that. The only reason I haven't tried it yet was the PITA factor. These receivers are on the bottom of an equipment rack. I practically have to stand on my head to get the remote to them. I guess it may come to that though.

 

[TheKrell]

If this is happening more frequently than usual, then perhaps the dish(es) are malaligned? To reduce the chance of rain fade, you could always install larger dishes. To reduce the chance that power failures cause this, then an UPS on everything, including the DPP44 power injectors, might be indicated.

 

[Mr Tony]

How about locking out and hiding all of the other channels on each receiver so it is only able to see one channel it is supposed to carry (except that you cannot lock out the "you have Dish 129" and the like slate channels).

can you lock out 101? I didnt think you could

 

[Tampa8]

Surprisingly it is in the list of channel lock-outs.

 

[bnaivar]

Well, the channel lockout didn't work. Even though I had channel 101 locked out, three of the five receivers were on channel 101 this morning.