722k - new install, odd issue

[lparsons21]

I got my new install done a few days ago, and for the most part it has been excellent.

But I have had 2 issues pop up, one is intermittent the other so far has been a one time thing.

1. Intermittently while watching a show, the screen will pop up and say looking for satellite signal. A quick in and out of the guide with the remote and things go back to normal. Generally this doesn't happen again that same night.

This started the day of install, but it only did it twice and things seemed ok for a couple days, then it started doing it again. No rhyme or reason to why. Weather, clear skies, cloudy, whatever, doesn't seem to be a part of it as it has happened in bright sunshine and overcast.

Doesn't seem to be related to which bird it is looking at as it shows 119 or 129 everytime it has done it.

Signal strengths are in the mid 40's to 50's on 110/119 and about the same on 129.

2. One time issue (so far), mostly because I haven't set up the same scenario.

I had 4 events recording, 2 SAT, 2 OTA. I was watching something else. Something made me go look at how things were progressing. One of the OTAs was having a signal problem which was due to me not setting the blasted antenna pointing right, but at the same time, BBCA (135) was recording a black screen. Couldn't get things to right themselves, so I reset and then things were fine.

Suggestions or help appreciated.

 

[KAB]

Regarding signal loss, you readings are low, especially for 110. On a 1000.2 Dish, my 110 and 119 are in the 70's, 129 about 60. I would call Tech Support and have them send someone out to realign the dish.

 

[lparsons21]

Thanks.

I just got off the phone with Dish and they are sending a tech out because of the popping up of the 'acquiring signal...' intermittently. I specifically asked them about the signal strengths and the tech said that on the 722k, my readings are very acceptable.

For info, last night we had a horrendous downpour. At the very beginning of the rain, the signal dropped out, but in a few moments it was back up and running even though the rain was still very heavy. Kind of like a rain shock that it recovered from.

again thanks.

 

[KAB]

Thanks.

I specifically asked them about the signal strengths and the tech said that on the 722k, my readings are very acceptable.

LOL. They are very acceptable...right. Make sure they re-peak the Dish, and not try to focus on the receiver.

 

[lparsons21]

I'll make sure to do that.

One of the things I didn't mention 'cause I forgot, was that the LNB head appeared to be not new and was scuffed a bit. I mentioned that to the tech at Dish also. I don't know if that was an indicator or not.

 

[tempVAdish]

Do you have OTA connected to the 722?

 

[lparsons21]

Do you have OTA connected to the 722?

It is a 722k and I have the 2-tuner OTA module installed and connected.

Today I was fiddling around and had a recording going on a channel I was watching, hit PIP and up came the other channel on PIP, did a swap and the other channel video was there, but no audio.

Only way that I got everything back right was to stop the recording.

I'm starting to look for gremlins...

 

[lparsons21]

Had the installer come back out and check things because of these issues. He found a few connectors that were not dish approved and checked dish alignment. Since then we've had a rain, not a frog strangler, but pretty good and things held in place just fine.

Also since then, everything seems to be working as it is supposed to. No burps, no dropouts, no freezes. I get the 2 OTAs that are doable with an indoor antenna with good sig strength. One is at 100 most of the time, the other is at 75+ all the time. There is a 3rd one that comes and goes for no apparent reasons, but it was always flakey.

The OTAs would require a big antenna, rotors and amps and then would only get at most 1-2 channels for any pointing. Quite expensive to do for little return.

So I record ABC & CBS on the 722k, and NBC and Fox on my D* HR21. Works for me. As an aside, NBCs local affiliate was one of the few that switched back to VHF and is the most distant. It was always a PITA to get, even with outdoor antennas and such. Changing to digital didn't improve that at all, only during the test when they used UHF.

 

[stimpson]

If one of the receivers inputs (TV1 or TV2) is tuned to an OTA and the OTA loses it's signal, the currenly being watched Sat channel will give you the loss of signal error. If it happens again see what the other feed is tuned to. I have that happen to my 722 and 722K.

 

[lparsons21]

If one of the receivers inputs (TV1 or TV2) is tuned to an OTA and the OTA loses it's signal, the currenly being watched Sat channel will give you the loss of signal error. If it happens again see what the other feed is tuned to. I have that happen to my 722 and 722K.

That confirms what I thought I was seeing. Since there are only 2 OTA channels that I watch, I started a recording on both of them so both tuners are involved. Then stopped the recording. This way the OTA tuner is never tuned to a weak or flakey station. The other 2 broadcast stations I get are done with my DirecTV HR21.

What was throwing me a bit, was that when it did the search for signal pop-up, it would show looking for the channel/sat that I was watching, but it really wasn't that sat/channel that was causing the error, it was the OTA.

I'm on a single TV setup.