Can't find 119,110 on my Dish 500

[markchadwick]

I mounted my Dish 500 on my roof and get zero signal on my 510 PVR. Zilch, zero, none, it's like it's not even registering.
I set the Azimuth to 217 (using a compass), Elevation to 34, Skew to 116, the settings that the 510 gave me once I put in my zip code. I made sure the mast was straight using a bubble level.
I've tried adjusting the azimuth slowly, a degree at a time, waiting a minute or so in between. Still nothing.
I have the dish connected directly to the 510. I have a DP34 switch but I haven't attached it yet. The coaxial cable is rated for 2500 Mhz; I think that's ok, they say for satellite tv you need at least 2150Mhz rated cable.
I connected the cable to the 119 output on the LNB. The PVR is set to align the dish by the 119 satellite, transponder #11.
Part of an outdoor TV antenna is in the path of the line of sight between the dish and the satellite. Could that be blocking/absorbing the satellite signal?
I tried pointing the dish without the smartcard in the 510. Could not having the smartcard in the 510 be the problem?
I'm kind of at a loss here. Shouldn't I be getting some sort of weak signal if I'm close, like a 5 or 10? Is it my PVR, which seems to be fine?

 

[boba]

The first thought I had with your title was to post that the 110 & 119 wasn't on your dish but 22,000 miles out in space. Now for questions, is this equipment new or used? Are you reinstalling it after a move? Why would you remove the smart card? If you are a new customer why aren't you getting a free install with leased equipment?

 

[webbydude]

Unless I'm mis-reading the OP, it sounds like it's a dish mover. But yeah...I agree...why the hell would you remove the smartcard????

*ahem*...anyhoo!! Without more info, I would start with the likely candidates: bad fittings...bad LNB...or even your receiver not surviving the "move"

 

[Bill R]

You have to be almost perfectly aimed in order to get any signal at all. Put the smartcard back in your receiver and leave it there. It is not what is causing your problem but there is no reason to remove it.

I seriously doubt that your TV antenna is causing a problem, remember the signal comes in at an angle about 20 degrees higher than where your dish appears to point. Your problem could be a bad cable or LNB but it is most likely that your dish is not aimed correctly. Try adjusting the elevation 2 degrees (up or down, but remember which way you adjusted it) and try again. Move the dish very small amounts at a time and give it a few seconds to lock on the signal between moves. If you adjust the elevation up and that does't work, adjust it down and try again.

Good luck!

 

[garys]

Check the transponder you are trying to use, 11 or 12 should be good. You may be trying a spot beam not available in your area which could cause no signal at all - not even a blimp.

 

[SmityWhity]

I've tried adjusting the azimuth slowly, a degree at a time, waiting a minute or so in between. Still nothing.

In addition to what the others have said.

How much is one of your degrees? When looking at the dish bracket on the mast pipe, you can move it about 1/16" and lose a perfect signal.

Think open heart surgery, and not auto-mechanics.


EDIT: I lose an o in loose before the grammar police gets me; so now that I lost an o in loose, I'm not loose, but am at a loss for words.

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

Why would you remove the smart card?

He had to reprogram it after a key change?

 

[markchadwick]

moved unit, card is MIA

Moved recently, did not have dishmover protection package (dadgummit!), and the CAM is somewhere in one of the many boxes in the middle of my basement. I think. I'm hoping. I know it wasn't it in the receiver when I unpacked it, although I don't know why it wouldn't be. If one of the movers took it, I'm screwed. Although I can just sign up for new service
Plus, I'm kind of a techno geek, and I always figgered I could do this myself. I mean, it ain't rocket science, although it's turning out to be a hell of a lot harder than I thought it would be.
I'll try adjusting the dish again, elevation and azimuth. This means I get to make another lovely trip up to my roof: it's amazing that a 40 degree angle can make you feel like you're just one misstep from falling off...

 

[Jared Twomey]

find a local retailer (or ebay) and buy a cheap $20 signal meter,
by using that up at the dish, for one you will be able to make sure that your connection from the receiver to the meter is good (because that is what will power the meter)... and also you will have a better shot at lining up the dish since the meter will respond instantly if you do get a signal...

 

[yooper.mi]

If you can,t see the tv screen while adjusting the dish its next to impossible to find the signal. I borrowed a cheap meter from a local shop mostly haul a small tv to the dish so I can watch the screen.
lots of luck

 

[Jared Twomey]

and in case you haven't quite figured out yet, it is pretty precise... you have to be pretty well dead on. I just did a service call yesterday where the guy said he had been messing with it for weeks and just could not get a signal, I hooked up the meter, moved it literally a quarter of an inch, and got a signal. he was kinda agrevated.....

 

[rashmi]

Wrong Elevation GIVEN ON EVERY SITE

The elevation they have on DishNetwork site and other sites is NOT correct.
for my zip code 30044 , it is 39 . But 52 works fine. try more than 50 degrees.
Azimuth is always correct.
1. Find the azimuth for your zip code. 2. play with elevation. Skew is not right on web sites. best bet is Check a friend's insatalltion in the same zip code. You can go crazy. I got 110 and 119 signal quickly. 61.5 signal I can get even if use the identical Azimuth, ELEVATION AND sKew.

 

[SmityWhity]

The elevation they have on DishNetwork site and other sites is NOT correct.
for my zip code 30044 , it is 39 . But 52 works fine. try more than 50 degrees.
Azimuth is always correct.
1. Find the azimuth for your zip code. 2. play with elevation. Skew is not right on web sites. best bet is Check a friend's insatalltion in the same zip code. You can go crazy. I got 110 and 119 signal quickly.

I've always found the SKEW (rotation) and the ELEVATION (UP/DOWN or IN/OUT) to be pretty accurate when you use the Dish receivers. The AZIMUTH (LEFT/RIGHT) never mattered since I did not have anything accurate other than a compass, and not knowing if Dish regularly updated the program to compensate for magnetic deviation. So I would just look at the sun, or maybe the stars at night, point and then adjust, less than a 5 minute job.

Web sites... Yes, non-dish web sites will be incorrect for a Dish 500, but you should be able to use them, but you need to remember that 0 degrees SKEW on a Dish 500 is located at the 90 mark, so a SKEW of 15 would be 105 on the Dish 500.

I looked at your Zip Code on a Dish receiver and a web site. I believe you have 1 of 2 issues or maybe both:
...(a) Your mast is not plumb, and/or
...(b) You are looking at the wrong satellite. In fact, I think you may have a Dish 500 pointed at Nimiq 1 and Nimiq 3, or whatever they are at 82 and 91 degrees.

61.5 signal I can get even if use the identical Azimuth, ELEVATION AND sKew.

Are you saying you are using the same settings for 61.5 as for 119/110?

 

[lakebum431]

The elevation they have on DishNetwork site and other sites is NOT correct.

I disagree 100%. The numbers are very very close (within 1 digit). I think that you were probably aiming with a mast that was way off from level. So before you go spouting off at the mouth giving incorrect information, maybe you should know what you are talking about.

 

[HDTVFanAtic]

Most sites will give you the location (elevation) of the satellite. However, Dish and Directv use a 22.5 degree offset which most people forget to compensate for when using these other sites.