Bonnie,
I agree with your assumption about a possible fluke. Each time you unplug your receiver for awhile and then plug it back in, and possibly at different geographical locations, you may need to download a new program guide.
You may be able to just do a check switch after re-installing it each time and hopefully the receiver will go and download the new program guide. If not, you can set the time for sometime in a couple of minutes, then turn off the receiver and it will download in a few minutes. Then you'll be ready to go.
Glad you got it working.
Spawnreborn,
I agree it's an aiming issue. The Dish 500 was designed to pick up 2 birds 9 degrees apart, at 110 and 119. However, 119 and 129 are 10 degrees apart, but it is close enough that you could generally pick them both up, but probably 119/129 signals would not be as strong as the 110/119 signals.
How close? The width of a single Dual LNBF, or half of a Twin LNBF.
In other words, the 119 LNBF is receiving the 129 signal, while the 110 LNBF is receiving the 119 signal.
Therefore, you need to move it just enough to the east so that the 119 LNBF (westside) picks up the 119 sat instead of the 129 sat. This is done easiest by placing foil over the 110 LNBF so that your receiver only picks up signals (right or wrong) using the 119 LNBF.
Although you are slightly off on the azimuth (side to side), you are probably a little off on the elevation and skew.
I would do the following for Ashland, ME, zip code 04732:
Dish 500 for 119 and 110 Satellites:
...(1) Ensure mast is plumb in all directions.
...(2) Set skew to 124.
...(3) Set elevation to 20.
...(4) Set azimuth to 255M +/-.
With the 110 covered, you should be able to pick up at least a weak signal on 119.
If not, adjust the elevation slightly and try the azimuth again.
If still nothing, try the elevation slightly in the opposite direction, and then try azimuth again.
Back to how close? If I was up there and wanted to try to use a Dish 500 to receive 119 and 129, here are the estimates I would use, but again, the signals would not be the best.
Dish 500 for 129 and 119
Skew = 127.7 (or 128)
Elevation = 14.5
Azimuth = 263
Now if you are using a separate dish for each Satellite at 119 and 110, then the following settings would be correct.
119
Skew = Dish 300 = N/A; Dish 500 = 90 (which is 0 degrees)
Elevation = 17
Azimuth = 259
110
Skew = Dish 300 = N/A; Dish 500 = 90 (which is 0 degrees)
Elevation = 23
Azimuth = 251
EDIT: On the last two settings, if using a Dish 500 with the I-Bracket, the azimuth would be close, but if using the standard Y-Bracket you need to adjust the azimuth by another 4 1/2 degrees one way or the other to compensate for the offset.