HELP! 771 Error code on some channels

[adampahl]

I have a hr21-700 and a slimline dish. I am getting 771 error codes on these channels. 92, 202, 209, 242, 244, 273, 278, 282, 325, 327, 331, 504, 518, 520, 544, 607, & 612 that I know of. My install was originaly done for a 4 box system but after realizing that my dvr had an rf remote i cancelled the other 3 boxes. So I have 4 cables running from my dish into the house where my lone reciever now sits. When the 771 error message comes up and I switch from one set of cables to the other set the error goes away and everything works fine for a day or so then I have to switch back. Do I have a bad receiver? LNB? Should I disconect the other two cables at the dish? Should they be capped off? Do these channels share a sat. or have any connection to each other to explain why only these channels have this problem? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Cincyray]

I had the same problem except none of the channels worked for just 1 room. Mak sure to get rid of any extra grounding strips or what they called barrels mine had 1 to many the tech said . Been working fine since

 

[jcrandall]

Check your signal strengths for satellite 101 for the SD versions and 103 for the HD versions. Report back what kind of numbers you show. Check both tuners as well.

If you need held doing it, hold down info for 5 seconds, then select Sat, then view singal strength. Use the + & - keys to decide which satellite and tuner. You'll have up to 32 numbers for each to look at. Most above 80 are good. With your problem, I'm guessing some are 0.

 

[adampahl]

All my readings on 101 and 103 (b) are between 93 and 100 except for a very few which are 0 but I was told that is what they were supposed to be. On 103(a) I only get 4 to show anything but 0 or N/A. These are #2 (54), #3 (38), #6 (43) & #17 (97) on tuner 1. Tuner 2 picks up #4 (58) in addition to what tuner 1 gets. I know these numbers are low but just assumed they were for channels I don't get anyway or have'nt came out yet. I Got these reading while all the channels were working as well. It just seems weird that I can always get all the channels if I just swap the cables when it quits working. Does'nt this meen I am getting good signal and have some sort of a hardware issue? What sat/ transponder are the channels I lose (listed above) coming from?

 

[adampahl]

Correct install of slimline to one hddvr receiver?

Back to my original post. What would the correct way to hook a slimline dish to a single hd dvr receiver be? Would you need all 4 cables running from the dish? I think no since the slimline has some sort of a combiner at the dish to sent 4 of the same transmissions down each line. Since I already have the four lines coming into my house there isn't a way to combine 4 into 2 since that's all I need is two? Maybe this would allow me to stop having to switch back and forth between cables. I have a zinwell multi in my basement that is no longer hooked up sine I now have only one receiver. I tried running either set of cables through it to my receiver but that did'nt help my problem any.

 

[jcrandall]

Well, its not your dish's aim, your signal strengths are good. 103a is spotbeams - don't worry about those.

You should have 4 lines from the dish to a switch, then two lines from the switch to the dvr.

 

[HDinCincy]

Could this be a bad BBC?

 

[adampahl]

what's a bbc?

 

[stone phillips420]

b band converter

 

[adampahl]

I don't think It could be the bbc's beacause I think the channels on both tuners go out at the same time.

 

[adampahl]

Well, its not your dish's aim, your signal strengths are good. 103a is spotbeams - don't worry about those.

You should have 4 lines from the dish to a switch, then two lines from the switch to the dvr.

What kind of switch would I need? I have a Zinwell SAM-3402 3X4 multi-switch which is not being used but this looks like it only has 2 sat INPUTS and 4 OUTPUTS. I thought the slimline had a built in switch?

 

[HDinCincy]

DIRECTV WB68 Zinwell Wide Band 6x8 Multi-Switch

this is the one my Slimline uses. I can't say for sure that you MUST have a switch but it was free with the install and it sure makes things easier. For instance, when i added another room, I went to Costco, bought a new HD rec'vr. quickly ran another line, called D* for auth. and within literally 1/2 hour had another HD setup.

 

[adampahl]

yeah i wish i had a 6x8 switch to try, but I really think in theory I should not need this with only one dual tuner receiver. Can anyone tell me for sure what the connection at the dish looks like? Is it a multi switch up there? Is it built into the lnb unit? If originally installed for a single dual tuner receiver could have they put a different, 2 output switch, on at the dish? (vs. running 4 cables into the house)

 

[ebergg]

bad lnb?

Check your signal strengths for satellite 101 for the SD versions and 103 for the HD versions. Report back what kind of numbers you show. Check both tuners as well.

If you need held doing it, hold down info for 5 seconds, then select Sat, then view singal strength. Use the + & - keys to decide which satellite and tuner. You'll have up to 32 numbers for each to look at. Most above 80 are good. With your problem, I'm guessing some are 0.

i am having the same problem.
the lower numbered transponders show 0 signal strenth but the uppers show as high as 100 percent.
how can i set and save the transponder number on the receiver? or can i?

thanks in advance.

 

[bjdotson]

I had a similar problem. Turned out that one of the cables on the multiswitch was loose. It would go in and out. Tightened the cables down and my problem went away. Hope yours is as simple.

 

[jeffstra]

I have had the same thing happen several times with one input working and the other not. A restart always fixes it.

 

[adampahl]

a restart fixes mine to but I does'nt seem like you shold have to do this every day. How long does yours work after a reset? I am debating having dtv send me a replacment dvr but not sure if it will help.

 

[TulsaCoker]

I had a similar problem which turned out to be the box would not keep the authorization for those channels. They ended up sending a new box and have not had the problem since.

 

[adampahl]

Problem Fixed!!!!!!

So, an old coworker of mine stopped back in to work wearing a DTV shirt. After explaining my problem to him he led me to his truck and handed me a 6x8 zinwell multiswitch! This has completly solved my problems. apparently something (receiver or switch) has to be backfeeding all 4 lines to work properly. I'm still curious to know how the install would have been done if it was originaly for a 1 reciever setup. but now that my problems are fixed i dont care that bad.

 

[iwc5893]

So, an old coworker of mine stopped back in to work wearing a DTV shirt. After explaining my problem to him he led me to his truck and handed me a 6x8 zinwell multiswitch! This has completly solved my problems. apparently something (receiver or switch) has to be backfeeding all 4 lines to work properly. I'm still curious to know how the install would have been done if it was originaly for a 1 reciever setup. but now that my problems are fixed i dont care that bad.

There was a known issue with some of the older slimline dishes. The multiswitch in the LNB was defective and required a 6x8 multiswitch to be installed. It has been over a year since D* came out with a newer model slimline that fixed the problem. When was your dish installed?