Dual Hopper 3 installation

dweber

SatelliteGuys Pro
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Pub Member / Supporter
Jul 29, 2005
1,774
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Plain City, OH
Digital Dish showed up at 9 AM this morning to relocate my Western Arc Dish and replace my one Hopper 3 receiver that was constantly rebooting. The technician placed the Western Arc Dish on a metal platform in my back yard. He first attempted to use my existing Western Arc Dish but could not get high readings on all 3 satellites (110,119, and 129). He concluded that my Dish was deformed. He replaced it with a new Dish and was able to get high readings on all 3 satellites.

He decided to eliminate the DPH42 switch and use DPH LNB’s connecting 2 coax cables to both ends of my Duo node. Of coarse this did not work since only one connection is active when connected to a Hopper 3.

He then reconnected the DPH42 switch an the Duo node just like it was originally. A check switch only found satellite 110. He then tried replacing the Duo node with a Single node. We still only had satellite 110.

We then tested the signal and found no signal feeding the DPH42 switch. He had installed a ground block on the 119 and 129 cables. The ground block was defective and was not passing the signal. He is now using barrel connectors on all 3 cables coming into the basement.

We have not connected 61.5 to the DPH42 switch. 119 is connected to Port 1, 110 is connected to Port 2, and 129 is connected to Port 3. Port 4 is not being used.

The appointment took 4.5 hours. He had to leave before he finished mounting everything because I had a 2 PM physical therapy appointment. Next Thursday Dish will return to replace the Skid mount with a pole mount, bury the cable (OOPS will need to mark all underground connections), replace the barrel connectors with a non defective ground block, and mound everything in the basement that is just hanging loose.

The good news is that I have good signal strength. 129 Spot Beam 2 is now 44. It used to be 12-15. 110 transponder 2 is 83. 119 transponder 15 is 75.

He replaced the family room Hopper3 that was in constant reboot mode with a new Hopper3.
Everything seems to be working.
 
So a Dish tech only had 1 ground block with him?

And I have seen defective ground blocks before. I think a whole batch of them must have gone out
 
My thoughts exactly, metal siding, undoubtedly aluminum, used as a ground. Really!!!

It’s an old trailer home. The siding was grounded along with the breaker box when our house was moved to our current location. It might be more for if lightning struck our metal roof, but it was tested to work as ground when my service was installed.
 
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