Help! No Sat B (119 Degree)

[bucsfan]

I just installed a new triple LNB with built in multi-switch dish on my house. I do have a few trees in the backyard, but I belive they are all below my horizon line. I have tried several (like 10) different mounting locations, all with the same result. Sat A (101) is 96-99 signal strenght, Sat C (110) is 95-97 signal strenght, but I cannot get ANYTHING for Sat B (119). I have a few questions to help me trouble shoot the problem. When looking in the direction of the satillites, do the ascend from right to left or left to right? Basically, by my logic, 101 will be at my right, 110 to the left of that and 119 to my far left. Is this correct or am I backwards? I also did the tinfoil test and found the sinals coming into the LNBs as follows. If you are looking at the back of the dish, and the front of the LNBs, 101 is the one on the right, and 110 is the middle. Covering the one on the right affects neither 101 or 110 so I am assuming that is 119.

What am I doing wrong? Again, I am not ruling out a tree in the way, but based on where the trees are I cannot see 101 and 110 being so strong and 119 being nothing.

BTW, my ZIP is 32810 and my dish is set at 233 Azimuth, 44 Elevation and 49 Tilt. I tried upping the elevation a bit to no avail.

Could my LNB's be a problem (one defective)?

I apologize for the long post and any insight would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Josh

 

[sheed]

your zip is 32810? orlando?

 

[bucsfan]

your zip is 32810? orlando?

That's me, right where Orlando meets Altamonte Springs.

Josh

 

[minorthr]

I just had to resolve the same problem at my parents house. It turned out to be a bad LNB. The D* protection plan replaced the dish and they are good to go .

 

[khanh]

I have the same problem as you ...

I currently have the same problem as you are. My installer won't be out until the end of this week. I hope it's a bad LNB and not obstruction.

Khanh

 

[bucsfan]

I just had to resolve the same problem at my parents house. It turned out to be a bad LNB. The D* protection plan replaced the dish and they are good to go .

Thats what I was thinking, I've got the service plan from Circuit City, so I think I am going to try that, although any other opinions from others are still welcome.

Josh

 

[SkyOnion]

You've probably already checked but make sure the mast is perfectly plumb/level from the mounting location, also, make sure there are no dents or dings in the dish itself. I had a very small crease in the top rim of a triple sat dish I was installing and it would not bring in 119 even in a clearly unobstructed sky.

In this area we are shooting 237 @ 34 degree elevation, 56 degree twist. In our case check the azimuth at 230 and the elevation at 28 degrees. Obstructions in that area will diminish or block signal from 119.

In your case, you may check for an obstruction in that area. Also depending on the manufacturer of the dish you may find discrepancies in the pointing. We use a lot of WNC and KTI dishes, the KTIs and KTI DXs shoot a bit higher than the WNCs.

For you to be signal strengths on 101 and 110 like that I think you have an obstruction. But without seeing it I couldn't say for certain.

 

[dishjockey]

Sounds like a bad lnb.

 

[bucsfan]

Sounds like a bad lnb.

UPDATE

That was my original thought, but I swapped dishes out last night and still have a problem. I am now leaning towards a tree obstuction. Can anyone answer the question about the orientation of the satellites? I want to make sure I am removing the correct trees. By my logic, as I look at the satellites, 101 is on the right, 110 in the middle and 119 to the left. Is this correct?

Josh

 

[SkyOnion]

looking at your dish from the rear the LNB on the left side of the dish is for 119, 110 is the center and 101 is on the right.

Face on as in the diagram in this link:

Its on the right.

As far as actuall satellite placement in the sky it looks like this:

Does this help?

 

[bucsfan]

Does this help?

Yeah, but from the looks of it, I am looking at the satellites backwards.

If I am looking at the second picture correctly, The 119 satellite I am looking for will be to the far right if I am looking into the sky. Do the satellite signals cross over each other after they hit the dish. Thats what they appear to be doing.

If this is the case, I may be sunk as it would be the neighbors pine tree it the way, and we aren't exactly on the best of terms.

Thanks again for all the help

Josh

 

[SkyOnion]

You are correct. 119 is on the right when looking into the sky, as I understand the process the dish is "bouncing" the signal into the left LNB of the phase III. In a sense then, if that is correct, the signals do cross and bounce.

If your azimuth is set for that zip at 233, if you take yer compass/sighttool and look approx at 226 SW at about 40 elevation that should be your vector for 119.

Hope it aint yer neighbors tree but it certainly sounds like it.

 

[bucsfan]

You are correct. 119 is on the right when looking into the sky, as I understand the process the dish is "bouncing" the signal into the left LNB of the phase III. In a sense then, if that is correct, the signals do cross and bounce.

If your azimuth is set for that zip at 233, if you take yer compass/sighttool and look approx at 226 SW at about 40 elevation that should be your vector for 119.

Hope it aint yer neighbors tree but it certainly sounds like it.

Yeah, looks like its the neighbors pine tree, but I called DirecTV last night and got some wonderful news. Since all Sat B broadcasts is HDTV, Spanish and Oriental programming (all of which i don't need) I can worry about it later. With my 99 signal strenght on Sats A and C I got up and running with my direcTV last night. Then watched 2 hours straight of the NFL Network, which made it all worth while.

Thansk for everyones help. I guess I should have just called DirecTV to start with.

Josh

 

[dmcclure]

Can't receive 119 Satellite

Actually, I had the same problem last night. Called D* tech support, and they told me that without a receiver for HDTV or the Japanese language broadcasts, you can't tune in the 119. . .my receiver is not set to receive those signals. Makes sense. . .anyone have differing information?

Dave McClure

 

[colofan]

Not true my TIVO has all the satellites even though it isn't HDTV.

 

[silversurfer]

Definitley not true. You can pick up 119 as long as you have a multi-satellite capable receiver...

 

[cmarcum]

I'm sorry this guy is having this problem, but damn I'm glad I'm not the only one with it! I've had my triple LNB dish up for 2 weeks now and can't get all 3 sat's in to save my life. My zipcode is 27612 and the settings I'm given are 235 az., 37 elev and 55 tilt. The ONLY 2 I get at that setting is sat A & C. I found that if I put the tilt a 90 and the elevation somewhere around 50, damned if I don't get a strong sat B signal. Of course, nothing on A & C. I've tried getting A & C and what amouts to micro adjustments to get B, but nothing. I've tried tuning in B and then micro adjusting to get A & C...nothing. I've called a pro installer a couple times but we've played phone tag so far.

 

[cmarcum]

As sort of a follow-up, I fianlly got my dish to recieve all 3 sat's - A,B,C at the same time, which is what I was having trouble with from the get-go. I called a pro to come do it! I had placed my triple LNB dish in the exact same spot as my old single LNB dish thinking it'd work there. Nope. So he relocated it after using some equipment to locate the signals and now it works just great. I guess it's like any other job you do, if you have the proper tools, it goes a whole hell of a lot easier.

 

[oldandmoldy]

Similar problem, but is DTV responsible

I also had the new dish installed for local programs. I made the arrangements thru DTV and they sent their installer for our area out. He fiddled around for 3 hours and finally decided that maybe on top of our roof he could get 119. So he set the dish there. But A and C are great, but no signal from B. He said maybe someone should put up a pole or something. I understand the tree issue, but I thought DTV was responsible for seeing the dish got placed where it needed to be. My son installs for DTV, but not this local area, and he was shocked the guy left it where he did, without trying some alternate sights, or putting it on a pole. Am I now responsible for having the dish set up correctly? Is DTV going to charge me thru the nose for this? Thanks for anyone's input.