Check Switch question

[Wjhuskey]

Hello. I recently moved and brought my Dish receiver and dish from my old house. I have a little bit of experience setting up satellites since I have took them camping with an RV before (but it's been several years). I have everything set up at my new house. I have adjusted the dish to match the azimuth, skew, and elevation for my new zip code. After the check switch test, I'm getting the warning screen that says it has found I have fewer satellites than previously detected -Selecting "Save" will result in a loss of channels.
If I press cancel, I can't proceed and there's no green on the bar on the signal strength screen. Is it ok to click Save on the Check Switch page or am I actually going to loose channels? Thanks in advance!

 

[Jim5506]

Not enough information but:

If you moved from a WA area to an EA area, you will get fewer satellites.

Otherwise, You need to confirm the satellite that the lnb on the right (looking from behind the dish) is receiving (61.5 for EA or 110 for WA) by covering the other lnb(s) and confirm you are receiveing the correct satellite on the right hand lnb.

It is fairly easy to be off by 10 degrees and to be receiving 72.7 instead of 61.5 (EA) or 119 instead of 110 (WA) on that far right lnb.

 

[Wjhuskey]

I only moved 18 miles from my previous location. Just wanted to make sure I wouldn't permanently loose any channels before selecting "Save".

 

[Jim5506]

The receiver has detected that there is at least one satellite missing from your latest check switch test.

If you save you will lose that satellite from the database on the receiver but the other satellites may still work.

If you are getting no signal you will not receive any channels.

If you save then look at your satellite reception you will then see which satellite you are missing nad that will also tell you which way to tweak the dish.

Assuming you are on WA, if you are receiving 110 and 119 only then you are too far left (east). If you are seeing only 119 and 129, then you are 8-10 degrees too far right (west).

First you must realign your dish so the right hand lnb is seeing the same satellite it saw before (61.5 or 110).

 

[Wjhuskey]

I was wanting to select save and tweak the dish, like you said...but will I be able to get those satellites back after saving or are they PERMANENTLY gone at this point? That was my question

 

[Jim5506]

Once the satellite is properly aligned, a check switch will bring back all the channels on all the satellites it "sees".

On the rare occasion that that does not work, just disconnect the sat cable from the receiver and run the check switch, then recopnnec and run it again. This is what is called clearing the matrix - since you are using the same satellites, it should not have to be done.

 

[Wjhuskey]

Thanks for the info. I'm still not getting any signal strength, even while slowly turning the dish outside. There's a complete white bar on the strength bar and there is no humming sound. I've checked all connections and they're tight.

 

[Jim5506]

Is the mast perfectly vertical?

An 18 mile move should not requitre any resetting other than the azimuth. Elevation and skew should be the same.

 

[Wjhuskey]

I can tell the mast leans out a little at the top. That's comparing it with the corner of my house since that's where it is. It was here when I moved in. The previous owners had a Direct TV dish installed on it.

 

[the mack]

Sounds like a alignment issue but also check to see if any directv switches or splitters are somewhere in the line if you are using the existing wiring.

 

[Wjhuskey]

Yes, I'm using the existing coax cable and there is a splitter near the dish.

 

[the mack]

Sounds like swm splitter. It will need to be removed.
What receiver are you using?

 

[Wjhuskey]

The receiver is a VIP211Z. The coax coming off the dish is only about 5 ft long and the splitter joins it to the coax running under the house. But yes there is also a swm splitter further down the coax towards the receiver.

 

[the mack]

You will need to replace that splitter with a barrel connector

 

[Wjhuskey]

Ok will do, thanks. I googled what a swm splitter is and it does have that type of splitter further down the side of the house from the dish. Then there's the regular style splitter closer to the dish (5 ft or so from the LNB). Where is the best place to buy a barrel connector?

 

[styxfix]

I have seen them at CVS...they bought pretty easily but I would recommend a good one for satellite coax cable

 

[Jim5506]

Won't he need a barrel connection with a blue (3000mhz) center for the sat down feed?

 

[Bobby]

Won't he need a barrel connection with a blue (3000mhz) center for the sat down feed?

Yes.

 

[Tvland1]

Where is the best place to buy a barrel connector?

My local Lowes store has them in stock

 

[Wjhuskey]

My local Lowes store has them in stock

I have an extra 4-way splitter from my old house...could it work for the job? If not, I'll go into town one day this week and get the barrel connector. I removed the swm splitter this morning (it was located about 10 ft from the dish)...nothing has changed on getting signal. This left one unused cable running down from the power line (guess this was a Direct TV thing).
I'm wondering now about the existing splitter at the dish. The coax coming off the dish is a dual line RG6 so how do I hook these 2 connectors into a splitter when there's only 1 "IN" on the splitter? This leaves one cable unhooked on the dual line at the dish and that's surely a problem on getting signal...but it was my only option, at the time, for the existing splitter at this location. I've attached a picture. It also shows the extra 4-way splitter from my old house that I wanted to use in this location but there's only 1 "IN" for the dish cable.