Dish 500, 2 LNBs Both See Same Sat

[dagger5]

I have a Dish 500 system in my RV, a single antenna normally provides my DVR with inputs from 110 and 119. After moving to a new location, I'm suddenly having a lot of trouble getting the antenna aimed correctly. I set the elevation and skew according to the numbers in the receiver "point dish" selection, and my sat finder shows lots of signal.

However, as I adjust the dish here and there, I get the same satellite and signal strength on each input - both LNBs see 110 or 119. Except, of course, when them see nothing at all.

Is my problem just that I don't have a precise enough hand and can't find the aiming point between the two? Or is there something more sinister?

This system worked properly at my last stop, and has worked properly in this location in the past few months. Now, however, I can't get it pointed.

Does this ring any bells with anyone?

Thanks.

 

[SmityWhity]

Probably operator error.

Try putting foil or a heavy cloth over the eye of the 110 LNBF. With your mast plumb in all directions, set your skew, then set your elevation, then look for 119. When you find it, peak the azimuth (east/west) and the elevation (up/down). DO NOT PEAK THE SKEW.

If you receive 119: remove the foil/cloth, run a check switch and you should have both. If 110 is weak, then maybe peak it; but don't move it too much without taking a signal strength on back and forth between 119 & 110.

If you receive 110: your dish is pointed to much to the east by about 1/16" - 1/8", so you will need to twist the dish on the mast about 1/16" to the west until you pick up 119 on the 119 LNBF. In this scenario, you are pointed 1/2 between satellites 101 & 110 instead of 110 & 119.

However, maybe something else is wrong....

Some Questions:
- What is the model number of your DVR receiver?
- Is the LNBF a DP Twin or DP Plus Twin, of maybe 2 single duals"
- Are you using 2 cables to the receiver, or one?
- Are you using a separator?
- Any switches (besides inside the LNBF)?

 

[Fredinva]

NEVER used foil!!

I've been installing Dish for five years and never ever used foil - not needed.
I only test/adjust azimuth signal on the left port, 119, and adjust to highest signal level.
If your mast is plumb, elevation and skew are correct, you'll get signal on 110


fred

 

[Jim5506]

Perhaps your dish got bent, or the switch in the dish has failed and will send you signal from only one lnb. Try blocking lnb's alternately as suggested above.

Just throwing things on the wall to see if anything sticks.

 

[dagger5]

Probably operator error.

When I'm the operator, operator error is always a safe guess

It's a DP Plus (so it says on the cover over the LNBs) feeding a DVR 625. There's a single RG6 cable between the antenna and a Dish-labeled splitter that breaks out to two separate feeds into the receiver.

I took everything apart, ran check switch with nothing attached (all 38 tests) and respotted the tripod. My bubble level claims the mast is vertical. I set the dish to 120 degrees skew and 49 degrees elevation (what the receiver said to use) and turned it to 210 degrees azimuth until my meter showed a nice signal. I ran check switch again, and was seeing 119 and 129. I added a couple of degrees elevation, repointed, and repeated until the disk claimed it was looking at 57 degrees up and the receiver could see 110 and 119. The bubble level still claims the mast is vertical.

The whole assembly got knocked over right before I started trying to set it up. I inspected it as closely as I could, and there's no apparent damage, but I'm going to guess there was error introduced into the adjustment, since I'm pretty sure they didn't raise the satellited.

I need to replace this dish setup with something more portable, anyway. This one is the standard residential version that's intended to be installed exactly once in its lifetime. What's a nice, portable, easy to install dish and mast combination/equivalent?

Thanks.

 

[tnsprin]

When I'm the operator, operator error is always a safe guess

It's a DP Plus (so it says on the cover over the LNBs) feeding a DVR 625. There's a single RG6 cable between the antenna and a Dish-labeled splitter that breaks out to two separate feeds into the receiver.

I took everything apart, ran check switch with nothing attached (all 38 tests) and respotted the tripod. My bubble level claims the mast is vertical. I set the dish to 120 degrees skew and 49 degrees elevation (what the receiver said to use) and turned it to 210 degrees azimuth until my meter showed a nice signal. I ran check switch again, and was seeing 119 and 129. I added a couple of degrees elevation, repointed, and repeated until the disk claimed it was looking at 57 degrees up and the receiver could see 110 and 119. The bubble level still claims the mast is vertical.

The whole assembly got knocked over right before I started trying to set it up. I inspected it as closely as I could, and there's no apparent damage, but I'm going to guess there was error introduced into the adjustment, since I'm pretty sure they didn't raise the satellited.

I need to replace this dish setup with something more portable, anyway. This one is the standard residential version that's intended to be installed exactly once in its lifetime. What's a nice, portable, easy to install dish and mast combination/equivalent?

Thanks.

Problem is most likely related to the switch. At least a couple similar reports in the past. In one case it was reported that clearing the switch matrix and then doing a check switch fixed it.

 

[Andrewwski]

The switch/LNB or receiver is the issue. It should only do 4 tests for DP/DPP...38 tests are for legacy.

Try unplugging the receiver from the LNB, run check switch, plug it back in, and run it again.

 

[Jared Twomey]

The switch/LNB or receiver is the issue. It should only do 4 tests for DP/DPP...38 tests are for legacy.

Try unplugging the receiver from the LNB, run check switch, plug it back in, and run it again.

he ran the test without the dish hooked up... so it would run all 38 tests

 

[Andrewwski]

Whoops...my bad for not reading.