Bell express with dish net hardware

[312icarus]

New user, nice forum, thanks in advance!

I have a new Bellexpressvu account and I am having trouble, and Bell's "tech support" is not much help.

I am using a Dish 500 with dual LNBs with internal switches. I have two receivers, one a 6100 series HD the other a 4100 series conventional unit. The trouble I am having is this. (Both purchased from Bell, both getting perfect programming on sat 91)

Expressvu uses 2 sats, 91 and 82. I aim and get 91 just fine with a signal strength of ~80% (Both receivers) Neither receiver will get ANY signal at all from sat 81. I have tried everything I could think of. I tried a different dish with a single LNB, and it too only gets 91. I even added an single LNB to a larger satellite internet dish, and it got 91 just fine, but couldn't get 82.

I am not a complete newbie doing this kind of stuff, having installed many TV dishes over the years, as well as a number of satellite internet dishes.

What I have gleaned from the net seems to be fairly contradictory. Some sights suggest that I need LNBs specifically from Bell, others have suggested that I need a Dishpro LNB. Still others have suggested I need a dual LNB without an internal switch. Others have suggested that there is nothing wrong and it should "just work" ( Bell's answer!)

So, I am asking all you learned folks, does anyone have any idea what the "right" answer is? I am hesitant to go out and buy a bunch of hardware that either won't work or don't need.

Once again, thanks for any and all help,

Icarus

 

[Slartibartfarst]

I would be inclined to think it is an aiming issue as there is no reason a Bell receiver will not work with any of the Dish equipment.

It is only a guess but I am thinking you are getting 91 degrees on the 82 degree side of the LNBF, therefore giving you nothing on the 82 degree side of the LNBF.

If you have a regular LNBF, install that in the 91 degree side of the "Y" yolk. Or alternately, mask off the 82 degree side of the LNBF you have right now and re-aim the Dish.

 

[312icarus]

Thank you for your reponse,

My Dishnet LNBF is labeled 110/119. So are you suggesting that I am (in essence) getting 91 on the 110 side (which would be the 82 side if they were labeled 82/91)

So you are suggesting that I mask the right (west side) of the LNB?

Icarus

PS What do you suggest I use to mask the LNB?

 

[peano]

Put your single LNB in the 119 slot on the Y adapter. Run a line direct to a receiver with no switches. Set skew as per Bell manual. Peak 91. Replace single with your Dishnet twin. Run checkswitch. 82 will be there if you have line of sight.

 

[312icarus]

Thanks for both your responses,

I covered the furthest east LNB with foil (should be 82) and the signal on the tv stayed strong on sat 91. Covering the west (91 LNB slot) and the TV signal went blank.

I will try the single lnb in both the 91 and the 82 slots and see what happens, but in the meantime any thoughts? I suppose it is possible that I have a bad dual LNB, but it was working fine on a dishnet system until a few days ago.

Once again thanks for the help.

T

 

[peano]

The LNB you are trying looks like this?:

 

[312icarus]

LNBs Do look like that!

I have tried a single lnb (from a different system) in the 91 slot,, (119slot) great signal,+90% moved it to the eastern slot (82/110) and nothing,, not a bleap!

Any thoughts? (No switches in the line at all, just straight coax.

Tony

 

[peano]

What is your skew set to?

If you go to Satellite Finder / Dish Pointing Calculator with Google Maps | DishPointer.com you can enter your exact address, select the correct dish in the menus and move the cursor to the exact location of the dish on your house.

The numbers it gives will be exact. You can also check line of sight issues which it sounds like you have.

If you have everything aimed correctly you will still need to do a check switch for the receiver to identify the Twin LNB.

 

[312icarus]

I've used that exact link, and had it display the building I have the dish on,,,,no line of sight issues. I don't remember the skew, but I took the numbers from that site.

I suppose I will get it eventually, but I am on day 3 now!

Tony

 

[312icarus]

So, after spending another 2 hours on a ladder, with a single LNB direct wired to the receiver, I get 91 like nobodies business. I can move the dish several degrees r/l or up/dwn or skew up/down before I lose signal.

I can't get 82 AT ALL. I thought for a moment I had it but alas no way.

I put the TV in the yard on a table so I could see it from the ladder so I would miss any changes. I really don't have any further ideas.

Tony

 

[Slartibartfarst]

If everything else checks out, I guess it must be the skew settings then.

Unless you are using the 4100 as the pointing aid...? It will not see 95% of the transponders on 82..... Just a thought...

 

[Mr Tony]

good point

When you aim at 82W use one of these TP's
1
2
6
15
16

Those any receiver can see...the rest are HD and only a HD receiver can see those TP's

 

[312icarus]

Rather sheepishly, I confess to a whole series of mistakes that are almost too stupid to mention, but I will, just to provide the next guy a head ache.

First, I didn't realize that dishpointer.com has a tab for multiple lnb set ups. Single lnb set ups revealed a NEGATIVE skew number which caused me to skew the dish backwards. Solved that one pretty easily.

Then, I was using the lnb in the wrong slot. I assumed that since the 82 satellite was further east, I should use the eastern most slot to find the 82, and vise versa. I was so stuck in my assumptions that it never occurred to me that I was putting them in the wrong slot! This, even after reading a couple of instructions that showed the 91 should go in the east slot and the 82 in the west! It was only after I downloaded and printed a paper copy and read, and reread and reread it did I discover my error. (I am using a Dishnet dish 500 with the slots labeled 110/119, and once again the 119 is the furtherest east, and I still didn't see it.

So today I will try again to aim it, and I assume it should be a snap!

I'll post later, and once again thanks for all the help,

Icarus

 

[312icarus]

So did I say snap? Make that 1/2 a snap. In 30 seconds I was done, so I hope my lack of being able to RTFM will help others avoid the same fate. 91 LNB goes in the LEFT slot, 82 in the RIGHT!

Thanks for the help,

Feeling stupid,

Icarus

 

[Mr Tony]

dont feel bad. Done that numerous times myself

Just a FYI...when working with multiple LNB's they go opposite how they are in the sky

so from looking from behind the dish 91 is on left and 82 is on right

 

[312icarus]

Iceberg,

I got that now!!!

I believe I will commit that to memory. Sometimes it surprises me when I don't know as much as I think I do!

Icarus

 

[peano]

Glad you got it going. Aiming can be very frustrating sometimes if one seemingly small item is overlooked.

 

[nrholland]

You can't get Bell TV programming off a Dish receiver, such as a 722, can you?

 

[Mr Tony]

no

You need the Bell version. The software is different.

 

[312icarus]

You can't get Bell programming with a dish receiver or vise versa, but the hardware is cheap. I bought my HD Bell receiver for less than $100, a conventional from Bell for less than $50. (Cheaper if you look on Craigs list or Ebay)

Dish net stuff is nearly free. (I have a attic full of receivers!) There is no reason that with either two dishes (also nearly free) and a couple of switches, or one dish with 4 LNBs and an account with either you should be able to get programming from either.

Truth be told, I way prefer Bell's programming dollar for dollar. I get virtually all my dish net programming on Bell plus a whole lot more! Taking into account the exchange rate and the taxes the Bell plan is cheaper in the states.

Icarus