DouNodes are a doozy!

[cjlee89]

Hello! First post here, excited to learn the world of satellites.

We have decided to go to the Hopper system with 2 Hoppers and 3 Joeys. Great, right? Not so fast!

We have had two, 4.5 hour onsite visits to try and get this working. First onsite was a single senior tech; second onsite was a supervisor and another senior tech. Still no dice on a fully working system.

They have checked the signal straight off the satellite and it is perfect. Once he hooks up a duonode, the signal is lost on 1 or 2 satellites. This would be the 3rd duonode we have had installed. Is it possible for a bad batch duonodes? The reason we have started to troublshoot is because we have had several components just sit at the downloading software screen (step 3 of 5) and not continue. We found out the components could not lock onto a satellite; hook a single node up and the system works perfect. We are just using a hopper and 2 joeys for now until we get it working.

 

[rdinkel]

Really doubt it. They are doing something wrong. Bad cables or connectors?

 

[stimpson]

Tells us more about your set up. Dish type, cable type, that kind of stuff. Pretty much give us the specifics all the way from your dish to the receivers, and in between.

Sent from my iPad using SatelliteGuys

 

[sparc]

have they looked at replacing the lnb and/or verifying the cables/connectors? is there some sort of switch involved between the dish and node?

(of course answer stimpson's questions first)

 

[cjlee89]

I will draw up a wiring diagram when i get home. As far as switches between the dish and node, no. The dish is wired straight into the node. Will get more details soon.

 

[sparc]

i'd be looking at the dish... bad lnb, disconnected line, bad connector, etc

it's not likely to be something due to the duo node unless it's wired incorrectly.

 

[ScottSpillers]

Hello! First post here, excited to learn the world of satellites.

We have decided to go to the Hopper system with 2 Hoppers and 3 Joeys. Great, right? Not so fast!

We have had two, 4.5 hour on-site visits to try and get this working. First onsite was a single senior tech; second onsite was a supervisor and another senior tech. Still no dice on a fully working system.

They have checked the signal straight off the satellite and it is perfect. Once he hooks up a duonode, the signal is lost on 1 or 2 satellites. This would be the 3rd duonode we have had installed. Is it possible for a bad batch duonodes? The reason we have started to troublshoot is because we have had several components just sit at the downloading software screen (step 3 of 5) and not continue. We found out the components could not lock onto a satellite; hook a single node up and the system works perfect. We are just using a hopper and 2 joeys for now until we get it working.

This is going to sound really weird, but try disconnecting the ground wire from the DuoNode as a test (the one between the ground and the node). We had a very similar issue with my installation. The signal strength was taking a severe hit when the dish was connected to the grounded DuoNode. As soon as the ground was disconnected, the problems disappeared. It's probably not a good idea to leave it perminently floating. I will be driving a dedicated grounding rod for my system.

 

[cjlee89]

Any good program to make a wiring schematic?

i'd be looking at the dish... bad lnb, disconnected line, bad connector, etc

it's not likely to be something due to the duo node unless it's wired incorrectly.

How does this coincide with perfect signal from the dish?

 

[gdarwin]

Did they put the terminator resistors on the client connections while trying to get the Hoppers going?

 

[drwatson618]

Did they do a factory reset on each Hopper before trying to download the software?

 

[cjlee89]

Did they put the terminator resistors on the client connections while trying to get the Hoppers going?

I don't remember any speak about those.

Did they do a factory reset on each Hopper before trying to download the software?

Several times.

I am working in Visio now for a diagram.

 

[sparc]

How does this coincide with perfect signal from the dish?

maybe i'm misunderstanding, but i was getting the impression that your situation was similar to this one....

http://www.satelliteguys.us/hopper-zone/280054-2-hoppers-4-joeys-2-tech.html

either way there's some troubleshooting posts in that topic that might help. Worth at least a read to see if anything helps. i'm not a tech so really just trying to give you some ideas on where to at least doublecheck....

One thing i'll say is pretty reasonable to assume at this point is that you probably didn't have three bad duo nodes. The odds for that would be ridiculously low.

 

[cjlee89]

maybe i'm misunderstanding, but i was getting the impression that your situation was similar to this one....

http://www.satelliteguys.us/hopper-zone/280054-2-hoppers-4-joeys-2-tech.html

either way there's some troubleshooting posts in that topic that might help. Worth at least a read to see if anything helps. i'm not a tech so really just trying to give you some ideas on where to at least doublecheck....

One thing i'll say is pretty reasonable to assume at this point is that you probably didn't have three bad duo nodes. The odds for that would be ridiculously low.

Im pretty sure he checked the LNB connections on the dish. Ill be ticked if they didn't do a complete dish to node to hoppers walk through. Also, cabling is new from dish to node.

Almost done with the diagram.

 

[cjlee89]

Diagram!!

 

[gdarwin]

Put the Hoppers on the host connections and the Joeys on the client connections with splitters.

 

[cjlee89]

Put the Hoppers on the host connections and the Joeys on the client connections with splitters.

So the hoppers need to be directly connected to host connections?

 

[gdarwin]

Yes.

 

[lownote2]

We had a batch of duo nodes that were mislabeled. Host was labeled client and client labeled host. Bad sticker. Check that.

otherwise I'd have to guess there's something in the host line. Check it, check it again, make them run a new line even if it's temporary and strung across your house just to verify

 

[cjlee89]

I will keep that in mind when we have them out next, unfortunately it wont be until next week because we are busy.

I will make them run all new wire and make sure hoppers are to the host ports with no splitters. Therefore we should only need one splitter for the Joey's on the same side of the house.

 

[gdarwin]

Host are the outside. Client the inside.