Bad LNB???

[swandive76]

I have a Directv setup using the SL5-SWM SlimLine Single Wire Ka/Ku Five LNB With Built-In Multiswitch (SL5-SWM). I have been using this for about 18 months now and have just started having some problems with it.

Ive started getting the 771a error quite regularly and Im trying to figure out what is going on. Until now whenever I could get the error I could go out to the dish and jiggle the cabling and I would be back up again. I have checked all my connections and cabling and everything seems to be ok. But I would still get the errors. Funny thing was I would only get these errors when the outside temp would rise above freezing.

As I said I have always been able to get the signal back again until today. Now I have the same error and no matter what I do I cant get rid of it. Today I took a 100' RG6 cable and ran it directly from the LMB through the Power Inserter and then into the receiver and still had no luck.

So to me it must be either the Receiver (H22) the PI (PI-21) or the above mentioned LMB.

Im interested in your thoughts

Thanks for reading this!

Swandive

 

[raoul5788]

Can you post your signal levels for all of the satellites?

 

[Jimbo]

You've checked the connections, but have you replaced them ?
Mainly the ones outside.
I'm thinking your probably in the right direction with the LNB, you mentioned you could Wiggle the connection at the dish and it would come back ?.
I would replace the connection at that point first and check it.
sounds like a loose connection or one that is getting water in it (also possibly the LNB at this point, same issues.)

When the temps are low enough the water freezes and the trouble goes away ...
When they rise, the water liquefies and your getting water in your connection somewhere, same situation at the LNB as well.

Is this your only recvr, do others also have this problem ?
If you have other recvrs, swap a recvr out and see if the trouble moves or not, that would tell you if by chance it's a recvr. (my bet is it's not a recvr and you have it isolated to the outside cable / LNB.)

 

[swandive76]

Right now im not getting any signal. none what so ever. My dish hasnt been moved unless i bumped something when i was looking at the LNB

I have replaced a few of the connections if they even looked a bit shoty. But I have also tested with a brand new cable that i ran directly from the LNB through the PI and then into the receiver. I by passed all the existing cabling with this cable. I put new ends on the cable as well. The cable I was testing with was 100' long. I dont know if thats too long?

Im quite stumped.

Thanks for your replies so far

Swandive

 

[Jimbo]

Right now im not getting any signal. none what so ever. My dish hasnt been moved unless i bumped something when i was looking at the LNB

I have replaced a few of the connections if they even looked a bit shoty. But I have also tested with a brand new cable that i ran directly from the LNB through the PI and then into the receiver. I by passed all the existing cabling with this cable. I put new ends on the cable as well. The cable I was testing with was 100' long. I dont know if thats too long?

Im quite stumped.

Thanks for your replies so far

Swandive

100 ft is not the problem, your fine there.

Do you have more than one active recvr ?

 

[raoul5788]

Like Jimbo said, the 100' of cable shouldn't be an issue. Did you reset the receiver after connecting the cable? It does sound like an lnb problem.

 

[swandive76]

No i only have the one. I was going to take my receiver over to a friends who has the same dish etc and see if I could get mine going there. or vice versa with his receiver over at my place.

 

[Jimbo]

No i only have the one. I was going to take my receiver over to a friends who has the same dish etc and see if I could get mine going there. or vice versa with his receiver over at my place.

So you have NO signal on your recvr at all ?

Like Chip said, can you post your numbers ?

Menu-Set Up-System Set Up-Sat and Antenna- View Signal Strength- Give us the 101, 99c and 103c for starters.

Not much on the 110 and the S (spot beam) ones we can look at after we figure out the National ones.

 

[swandive76]

0's on all birds and all transponders. Seems like my dish is out of alignment. But Ive done nothing to mess with the alignment. And it doesnt explain the 771a error as opposed to the dish alignment error.

 

[Jimbo]

If you think it's your dish, and it could be, i suppose...
Is there anyone else home and is your dish accessible ?

If so, have someone watch the signal strength screen on the 101 and go out and put a small amount of pressure on the dish, on the left then the right , top and bottom and see if they say the signal came in, if you, it's an easy way to see which direction needs adjusting.

 

[swandive76]

Thanks for all your help so far Jimbo.

I recruited my wife who is just as anxious for the TV to work again. She watched the Signal Strength and I tried to push the dish as you suggested. Nothing. No peaks or blips or anything. I dont think its alignment as there has been nothing done to the dish its self but Im open to any and all suggestions. do lnb's go bad?

 

[jdspencer]

When you checked the cables, did you remove the LNB and check the one right on the LNB?

 

[swandive76]

I only have one cable coming off the LNB. and only one port on the LNB to plug the cable into it. I used a new cable and a wrench to attach the cable

 

[Jimbo]

Sorry guy, I had to step out, had a Union Meeting to go to.

I think you alignment is fine and you LNB is bad ....
So when are you calling D* to come out and replace it ?

IF you have the Protection plan it should be free.

I hate to see you start buying parts incase it's not an LNB and you spending money to fix it ....
You CAN bring a buddy's recvr over , but make sure it's SWM comparable and you'll need to run the Sat set up .... IF you take your recvr over to your buddy's, if he has a SWM you should be fine, if not, you'll need to re run the Sat set up to adjust to his system.

Have you tried unplugging the PI for a minute and plug it back in and see if anything happens ?

 

[Jimbo]

Thanks for all your help so far Jimbo.

I recruited my wife who is just as anxious for the TV to work again. She watched the Signal Strength and I tried to push the dish as you suggested. Nothing. No peaks or blips or anything. I dont think its alignment as there has been nothing done to the dish its self but Im open to any and all suggestions. do lnb's go bad?

Yes, LNB DO go bad and D* had a rash of ones that wouldn't work well in cold weather as well, but I don't know if the SWM ones were in that group.

 

[swandive76]

No protection plan for me. but ill wait and see what Dtv says when they finally get here. 2 weeks out is what they told me today!

If it is the LNB that i need to replace is it better to get one that has the multi switch built in. Like the one I have now? Or better to get the ones with the multi switch separate?

 

[swandive76]

I just put my volt meter on my PI and found 20.3V with a short patch cable. Then hooked up everything and went out to the LNB. 20.3V there as well.

That is below the 21V but Im guessing that would be ok still??

 

[Jimbo]

I just put my volt meter on my PI and found 20.3V with a short patch cable. Then hooked up everything and went out to the LNB. 20.3V there as well.

That is below the 21V but Im guessing that would be ok still??

It's probably fine.

You know when you use the SWM, you DEFINITELY need the PI connected or you won't get anything signal wise, the PI supplies the power to the LNB, unlike other set ups where the recvr supplies the power.

 

[Jimbo]

No protection plan for me. but ill wait and see what Dtv says when they finally get here. 2 weeks out is what they told me today!

If it is the LNB that i need to replace is it better to get one that has the multi switch built in. Like the one I have now? Or better to get the ones with the multi switch separate?

Call again ....
You might even want to try a LOCAL installer company and see if they can help you sooner.
You do need the SAME LNB set up that goes with the SWM otherwise things won't work.

The SWM gets 21 or 28volts I think it was where a normal set up the recvr sends 13 and 18v.

 

[swandive76]

I do have the PI hooked up in-line to the LNB. I mentioned the short patch cable just so i could test the voltage as close to the PI as i could. I then hooked it back up and went out to test at the LNB.

Any other tests for the LNB that you can think of?