Check Switch VIP722 Setup Problem in my RV

[rick3101]

Hello Everyone,

This is my first post on your forum although I have lurked here for quite some time. This is a great site and I thank all responsible parties. Sorry in advance for the long post.

I am trying to resolve a problem with my VIP722 in my RV. As to my setup, I have a Winegard Roadtrip Digital Satellite Dome Antenna/Dish with automatic satellite seeking and alignment. Inside the RV I also have the Winegard Satellite Interface attached to the Number 1 Satellite input on the VIP722. The Number 2 Satellite input on the 722 is attached to a second coax cable from the dome on the roof. This setup has worked perfectly in the past but now it does not. The Winegard setup instructions require that after performing the check switch test you must end up with SW42 installed for both inputs in order for the receiver to function correctly. I have run this test about 30 times and have ended up with very mixed results but not the required SW42 on both inputs. Also, the number of satellites changes for no apparent reason. Sometimes I will get 3 sats on input 1 and 2 sats on input 2 OR 2 on 1and 1 on 2, etc. On my most recent attempt I tried to start from scratch and powered down the satellite interface and disconnected the coax cable to both inputs on the 722. I then unplugged the 722 and waited a minute or so, plugged it back in, ran the check switch, got the expected response (no satellites/no switch installed) on the check switch screen. I then attached the coax cables to both inputs on the 722 and powered up the satellite interface and let it run through its power up routine and locate the satellites. I then ran the check switch test and got the following result: Sat input 1 = 119 – 110 – 129 all green and SW64, Sat input 2 = 110 – 129 both green and SW42. I can’t seem to figure out how to get SW42 on both inputs and how to get the correct number of satellites on each input. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jklein4663]

I have the same setup on my RV, and I'm having the same problem. The desired result is SW64 on both tuners. (If I remember correctly, the SW42 setting is correct for the dome without the HD interface, and access to only two birds, 110 and 119.) The problems happen any time the two tuners don't run the tests at the same time. Tuner 1 controls which satellite is selected. It switches satellites on test 13; if tuner 2 isn't also on test 13 at that moment, it will flunk whatever test it's on. There's another satellite change a few steps later, (I can't remember exactly when), but the same thing will happen if the tuners are out of sync. If you remove the cable from the tuner 2 input and run the check you can at least use the system with only one active tuner. Seems to me it would be a simple programming change for Dish Network to require completion of any given test on both tuners before either tuner steps to the next test. It used to take two or three tries on my system to get the sequence to complete properly, but something has changed. Now one tuner will usually get two or three steps ahead of the other, and sometimes they get as far as ten or twelve steps out of sync.

I hope somebody out there has an answer, 'cause my wife is pressing for a $1500 fix - replace the dome with the Trav'ler dish with all three LNBs, just like the dish on your house.

 

[MattG@DISH]

I know some RV dishes (winegard, kingdome etc) do not support DishPro Plus separators. I understand you have 2 separate coax's run from the Winegard to the receiver, but unfortunately, I'm not familiar enough with RV dishes to give a definite answer.

 

[jklein4663]

Speedy - You're correct, we're both using two separate cables from the LNB to the receiver, so the separator is not an issue. The problem is in the receiver; something in the software has changed that allows the tests to proceed at totally different rates on the two tuners. About a year ago, they would almost never get more than one step apart, and would complete all thirty eight steps together after only a couple of tries. Now, like I said in my first post, they frequently get ten or twelve steps apart, and when they do, tuner two will come up with the wrong logical switch and miss one or two satellites.

 

[MattG@DISH]

Every time that I've personally seen signal issues on one sat tuner, the signal is completely out versus getting partial signal. Are you using the same grade of cable for both runs?

 

[jklein4663]

I don't know about rick, but I am using rg-6 cable on both inputs. The problem is not signal strength; it's which satellite the dish is pointed at during a particular test. If tuner one is doing a test that requires the 110 bird, the dome will move the dish to that satellite. If tuner two is working on a test that requires the 119 or 129 satellite, it won't have the right signal and will fail that test. I don't know if all the tests require a particular satellite, but at least some of them do since the dish will always toggle to all three birds during the sequence. On my system, tuner one always comes up with the correct SW64 setting and access to both odd and even polarity on all three satellites. Tuner two, however, shows a different switch configuration and one or two missing satellites. Sometimes the software will let me accept the mismatch, but other times won't give me any option other than restarting the test sequence.

 

[MattG@DISH]

Once again, since it's not our equipment, there's limited things I know about it. This is a bizarre issue, but I have a hard time thinking it's receiver software that's the problem, but I will remain open to the idea. When a check switch test fails (finds fewer satellites then previously detected), it will pop up the 836 warning. The 836 message allows you to retest, cancel and go back to old results, or save the new results regardless of what they are. When the test picks up more satellites, it goes directly to the install summary screen with the results. Does the receiver work normally when you're hooked up to a regular dish?

 

[gatedude1]

Hi
new here and have a wineguard traveler which I installed.I also have the vip 722. I called wineguard support and they told me that in the event that I couldn't get the switch installed to disconnect both inputs on the back of the receiver and do a check switch again. They said by doing this it would clean out all the satellite info that was in there previously. Then go ahead and connect the cables back up to the receiver and do another check switch and that should take care of the problem. I did that and everything worked and had the correct swiitch installed and I had 110-119-129 satalites. I don't know if this will help or not but it worked for me.

 

[jklein4663]

My receiver works correctly when connected to a Dish 1000, triple LNB dish. It finishes Check Switch after only 4 or 5 tests (I don't remember which), and both switches show something like "DPP 1.k2".

The 836 warning doesn't always come up. I just ran the tests again, starting with the dish pointed at the 119 satellite. The tuners stayed together up to test number 3. Then Tuner 2 started stepping up much faster than tuner 1. It quickly got 6 steps ahead of tuner one, and then stayed 6 steps ahead until the end of the sequence, with the dish pointed at the 129 satellite. The Install Summary screen then came up, showing all 3 satellites on tuner 1 with SW64, and 119 and 110 satellites on tuner 2, ports 1 and 2, respectively. The switch on tuner 2 showed "Quad". The "Done" button was greyed out. Error Message 836 did not come up. I pressed "View TV" on the remote, and Error Message 502 came up, essentially saying "Fix the problem and retest". I started the test again, with the dish now pointed at 129. The tuners again got to test 3 at the same time, but tuner 1 got to test 5 before tuner 2 finished test 3. They stayed two steps apart until the end. The dish toggled to 119 at test 13 (on tuner 1), to 110 at test 15, and back to 129 at test 17. This time the Install summary screen again showed the correct configuration for tuner 1, but tuner 2 showed satellites 129 and 119 on ports 1 and 2, with SW21. The "Done" button was again greyed out, and pressing "Cancel" on the remote had no effect. "View TV" again brought up Error 502. I ran the test again, and this time, tuner 1 got to test 6 while tuner 2 was on test 3, and they stayed 3 apart until the end. The Install Summary screen was the same as the previous test. I then unplugged the cable from tuner 2 and ran the test 1 more time. The Install Summary screen showed tuner 1 correctly (like always) and no connection on tuner 2. "Done" was now an available option, and selecting it brought up Error 836. I saved the configuration, and I'm back to a single tuner, 3 satellite setup.

From past experience, I'm absolutely certain that both tuners will show the correct configuration if they both run each and every test at the same time. The trick is getting them to stay in sync for all 38 tests.

 

[jklein4663]

Thanks for the suggestion, gatedude. I've previously done the tests with both tuners disconnected like you and Winegard suggest, but it doesn't make any difference. If the tuners get out of sync, tuner 2 comes up with the wrong configuration. The Trav'ler has a Dish Network dish and LNB setup on a Winegard mount, so it looks to the receiver just like the dish on your house. All the Winegard mount does is initially align the dish; after that it doesn't have to do anything. The Road Trip has to physically move the dish anytime a different satellite is required.