DishPro and 301 receiver

coolsat22

Member
Original poster
Jun 4, 2009
6
0
SE Ohio
Hello. I have been a satisfied Dish Network user with the above equipment for about 10 years. The last week some crazy things have started. Sometimes after watching for an hour or so the screen will begin flopping back and forth between the program and searching for satellite every second or so. This occurs when it is perfectly calm. We have never had a strong signal on either 110 or 119 due to heavily wooded area I have presumed. Usually 50-70 but this has been fine for years. When I check the signal strength at times the meter rapidly fluctuates from 0 to 125 and all points between. I was watching the golf channel which I believe is broadcast on 110 and I checked the signal and it said that there was no signal although picture and sound were coming in fine. Have tried tweaking the dish but no real improvement. I am not real knowledgeable about all of the equipment but trying to learn. Thanks for any input on the problem.
 
That's a rather difficult collection of symptoms! It's always possible that the LNB is failing, or the cabling is falling off the F connectors and making an intermittent connection. Often trees grow into the line of sight and the winds aloft cause the satellite to be eclipsed by a branch. (This can happen even if it seems calm on the ground.)

I haven't heard of a rapid fluctuation between 0 and 125. Is this using the 301's Point Dish screen? If you're watching a program uneventully, and then go to the Point Dish screen, it should already be set to the satellite and transponder that are in use for that channel. I would not expect that to read 0 if you can see the program OK. That sounds like the receiver's satellite tuner is going "south".
 
Yes the fluctuation is with the Point Dish Screen. I checked all the connections and tightened. Tweaked the dish and got a 74 and 75 signal strength on 119 and 110. All was well for a couple days and now it can't find a satellite. Signal strength is running from 30 to 65 with no wind at all. Beginning to think the receiver may be going bad. A couple times lately it will not power off or on with the remote or with the panel power button. Thanks for your response.
 
Unplug receiver from AC power for a couple hours or overnight and let it cool off. Plug it back in and see if it becomes flaky as it warms up. Sign up for DHPP and get it replaced FREE.
 
Our house is solar powered so the receiver is always powered off at night and is frequently powered on and off completely several times each day. Could not get past the aquiring satellite screen this morning. It cycled thru 110 and 119 and all transponders. Signal strength on 119 was varying from 0 to 125 and would occasionally lock for 1 second before unlocking and swinging wildly. Tried bypassing the ground block with no success. Tried the remove feed, power off, check switch routine to no avail. Check switch failed with conn conn X X twin twin. Check switch would set for 15 minutes on 2 of 2. Finally completed a check with 119 and polarity all and 110 polarity odd. Powered everything off for an hour and turned back on and channels were back. Check switch still shows odd only for 110. Signal strength is 75-73 on 119 and 110 respectively. Does any of this point to LNB or receiver failure or both? I guess a next step would be to check the voltage at the LNB. Is 13 -18 the correct voltage? Another question, when I check signal strength with various transponders and leave the screen, coming back later it is always on a different transponder than where I had left it. Is this normal? Thanks for all helpful replies.
 
Order DHPP for $5.99/mo. schedule a service call for $29.99 and get the system repaired after problem is cured cancel DHPP and enjoy another 10 years of DISH.
 
Boba, that is an option. We are in a very rural location. Getting someone here is always a pain. Would like to get a handle on it even if it involves getting a backup LNB and receiver for troubleshooting.
 
well is there any new trees or power lines any thing new in site of dish lnb ?? its also possible wire going bad.. personaly if you had it for 10yrs u have old lnb id get a dpp twin and 500 dish so u be more up 2 date.. u could look into ebay i saw prepay recivers for like 50 shiped or call dish they may send u newer reciver sence u so long with them.. i think its bad wire my guess would be when u took ends off did they look like water could of got inside.. clean threads up well try another wire if possible.. another sugestion can u try another reciver it dont need be subsribed just 2 look at signal stregeth
 
yoou did say u live in hevy wooded area maybe tree or branch in way.. tree could got higher bigger
 
j8. I have the DishPro Twin and 500 system. Went thru another week with no problems then it started again. Don't think it is a line of sight issue as we had wind last week with no loss of signal. Thinking of getting a new LNB. Can only find the DishPro Plus LNB. Can I replace the twin with the Plus?
 
Problem solved

Just wanted to report that replacing the receiver solved all of the problems That I was having. Thanks for all of the help and suggestions.
 

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