Bad/no signal after roof work - help!

[ShinyNewPenny]

Let me start by saying that I don't know much about the tech surrounding my satellite, so go easy on me.

I have 2 receivers, one is a DVR that says 625 on the front, the other is smaller (not a DVR) and doesn't say any model numbers on it that I saw.

My landlord recently re-shingled my roof and after he put the dish back I got very poor signal. I would get the lower (local) channels alright, but anything past 100 was hit-or-miss. I told him about the problems and his response was basically "I marked where it was and put it back on where I found it". I tried messing with the dish earlier today (bad idea) and now that hit-or-miss signal turned into no signal at all. I tried following the numbers listed in "Point Dish" to align the dish, but I got nothing. I ran a switch test and I got "Reception Error". So I have nothing right now.

I'm not sure what to do without messing anything up anymore. What can I do to try to get my signal back? I didn't want to have to call Dish Network if I didn't have to.

 

[garys]

Call Dish and have them send a tech out to repoint the dish.

 

[vegassatellite]

Let me start by saying that I don't know much about the tech surrounding my satellite, so go easy on me.

I have 2 receivers, one is a DVR that says 625 on the front, the other is smaller (not a DVR) and doesn't say any model numbers on it that I saw.

My landlord recently re-shingled my roof and after he put the dish back I got very poor signal. I would get the lower (local) channels alright, but anything past 100 was hit-or-miss. I told him about the problems and his response was basically "I marked where it was and put it back on where I found it". I tried messing with the dish earlier today (bad idea) and now that hit-or-miss signal turned into no signal at all. I tried following the numbers listed in "Point Dish" to align the dish, but I got nothing. I ran a switch test and I got "Reception Error". So I have nothing right now.

I'm not sure what to do without messing anything up anymore. What can I do to try to get my signal back? I didn't want to have to call Dish Network if I didn't have to.

Make sure the mast is plumb. If it isn't, the settings on the dish will be incorrect.

 

[Jared Twomey]

crank the volume up on the tv so you can hear it outside... turn the signal meter on the screen...
slowly move the dish under you hear the meter start beeping

 

[Fredinva]

crank the volume up on the tv so you can hear it outside... turn the signal meter on the screen...
slowly move the dish under you hear the meter start beeping

Nah, I have better luck using a cell phone and someone inside watching the meter.
But for the OP, vegassatellite is right on! Make sure mast is plumb FIRST!!!!

fred

 

[ShinyNewPenny]

I tried again today to get a signal. I made sure the mast was level and I set the dish to the right Elevation and Skew. I turned it right and left little by little with no results tho. I've tried small tweeks with no results.

At one point I had kinda moved the dish to the side so I could get to a nut better and I got about 25% signal from satellite 129. That signal was quickly lost when I tried to get it higher then 25%.

So after messing with the dish for about 2 hours (yea...) I got a little signal from 129, got a quick little signal from something around 110 or 119, not sure which tho, I was kinda moving the dish in all directions when I got it. And in the end I still don't have any TV.

Is there anything I can try other then randomly moving the dish around to get something?
How much do you think it would cost just to have a Dish Network guy come out and re-aim the dish?

 

[dishcomm]

crank the volume up on the tv so you can hear it outside... turn the signal meter on the screen...
slowly move the dish under you hear the meter start beeping

you did not mention opening of a window...Some self installers forget this part of the "open window, crank up tv volume " method of peaking a dish.

 

[vegassatellite]

How much do you think it would cost just to have a Dish Network guy come out and re-aim the dish?

About $6 if you add DHPP (Digital Home Protection Plan) first. Just cancel DHPP next month.

 

[Voyager6]

I tried again today to get a signal. I made sure the mast was level and I set the dish to the right Elevation and Skew. I turned it right and left little by little with no results tho. I've tried small tweeks with no results.

At one point I had kinda moved the dish to the side so I could get to a nut better and I got about 25% signal from satellite 129. That signal was quickly lost when I tried to get it higher then 25%.

So after messing with the dish for about 2 hours (yea...) I got a little signal from 129, got a quick little signal from something around 110 or 119, not sure which tho, I was kinda moving the dish in all directions when I got it. And in the end I still don't have any TV.

Is there anything I can try other then randomly moving the dish around to get something?
How much do you think it would cost just to have a Dish Network guy come out and re-aim the dish?

Sounds like your elevation is too low. Raise it about 10 degrees and try again. 110/119 will to be to the left of your 129 sighting.

 

[Y2k06]

Dude,


If you have a land line phone and a cell phone, call yourself from land line and put the handset next to the TV, turn up the volume on the TV.

Use your cell (on speakerphone) outside while messing with the dish and really listen for the signal tones. Move very slowly. when you lock onto one, come in and see which one your on.

I'd try for 110 or 119 for good signal tone (above 50), then change to 129 and slowly move the dish by tiny increments. Be satisfied if you get 30-35 or greater with no drift.

It can be done..... I had the exact same thing a couple of weeks ago. Entire new roof put on and I set it back up where it was and tweaked it myself, but had significant drift, so they sent out a tech and ended up changing the dish out for a 1000.2 and re-aimed it...... (no charge I might add)

Good Luck!

 

[wardfan]

If the landlord nicked the coax it could cause issues too, I believe. Maybe the alignment of the dish itself isn't the entire problem.

 

[ShinyNewPenny]

I messed with the dish again for a little bit and I got about 63 signal from satellite 110. A lot of channels wouldn't show up (local channels were fine) and the second receiver wouldn't work. I have the America's top 200 plan and I can't get stuff like Food Network, Sci-fi Channel, Cartoon Network, the History Channel, etc. They don't show up what-so-ever. I didn't have time to keep trying, but I was wondering two things.

Was I only able to get signal on my 625 receiver and not my 322 because I have the dish aimed a little off?

Do I need to find 129 to get the rest of my channels back? Also, if I do need to try to hit 129, what would be the best way to find it?

 

[Agonizing Fury]

After getting the signal back, did you run another check switch? If your receiver doesn't know that it has a signal from all the sats, it will only display channels for the sats that it previously thought it had. I still think your best bet is to call dish and have them send a tech out to re-peak your dish as they will probably be able to do much better on your signal strength as well as making sure that the roofer didn't mess anything else up while he was up there. Good luck to you.

 

[Voyager6]

I messed with the dish again for a little bit and I got about 63 signal from satellite 110. A lot of channels wouldn't show up (local channels were fine) and the second receiver wouldn't work. I have the America's top 200 plan and I can't get stuff like Food Network, Sci-fi Channel, Cartoon Network, the History Channel, etc. They don't show up what-so-ever. I didn't have time to keep trying, but I was wondering two things.

Was I only able to get signal on my 625 receiver and not my 322 because I have the dish aimed a little off?

Do I need to find 129 to get the rest of my channels back? Also, if I do need to try to hit 129, what would be the best way to find it?

With a 625 and 322, you need the 110 and 119 sats. If you got a 63 signal on 110, then you are very close. Run a check switch and see what you have now.