How long does an LNB last?

[Doomster]

I have a DirecTV 18"" satellite with a dual LNB. Well, in the last two days, I had problems picking up signals from "Satellite 1". All the even numbered transponders were showing no input strength.

I poked around, trouble-shooted, tested the cables from the satellite to the Terk switch. Ran the cable directly from the satellite to a DirecTivo box and I still had problems.

So I went down to the local Radio Shack and bought a new dual LNB. After I replaced it, the problem was fixed.

But my LNB is about 5+ years old. Shouldn't it last a little longer than that? I got the LNB that came with the DTV package. But at the same time, I've been having a lot of rain in the Bay Area and I'm wondering if some moisture got into the LNB a few years ago and rusted something.

How long should an LNB last (ie Mean time failure interval)?

Doomster

 

[dragon002]

doomster,

it is a piece of electronic equipment, it can be bad out of the box. hell ive replaced ones 1 week after install and i have taken out old round arm white sony dishes that are from 1995 and still working.

 

[dragon002]

btw, you are going to have problems again, it was not the lnb.

 

[Jimbo]

btw, you are going to have problems again, it was not the lnb.

So Dragon,
You gonna give him any more advice ?
Or just let him guess at what the real problem might be ?

few more crumbs might be nice ......

Jimbo

Go Steelers, 2006 Super Bowl Champs !!!!!

 

[dragon002]

ok jim, just for a steeler fan.

what dvr?? r-10 or the newer r-15?? im guessing the r-10 (and i have both) i had the same problem.

 

[Jimbo]

ok jim, just for a steeler fan.

what dvr?? r-10 or the newer r-15?? im guessing the r-10 (and i have both) i had the same problem.

Ya , he never did say what receivers he was using ... Kinda hard to isolate.

I've seen LNB's go bad , just like you have, but I also have some very old ones that still work perfectly.

Also noticed he didn't pop back in to give any more info ...yet.

Ya , I go way back as a Steelers Fan, I was one of the few in the thread earlier that have seen ALL the Steelers Super Bowls !!!

btw, I was just giving you a hard time earlier...

Jimbo

 

[dragon002]

i know jim, no problem.

 

[Mr Tony]

btw, you are going to have problems again, it was not the lnb.

help me understand why it wasnt the LNB...do you think the receiver is bad?

It sounds like water got in the LNB...I've had LNB's blow up because of moisture (snow) in them

 

[dragon002]

berg, if its a ....never mind im going to pm you.

 

[Mr Tony]

ok...PM away

 

[sksatellite]

Compare the price on the LNBF and you can guess then and now. You get what you pay for. I believed the LNBF made at few years ago are far better quality then those make at present time. I still have customers using the LNBF which was I installed at 1995.

 

[charper1]

I also have an original circa 95/96 Sony dish feeding a lowly A2 for my garage. I wanted it kept seperate from my PhaseIII multi-room install when it came out, but they (Sonys) are both running like a charm 10 years.

 

[boba]

The "satellite 1" is my guess if it was the LNB both 1 &2 would have been bad.

 

[dragon002]

again, was it a r-10??

 

[rockaway1836]

I also, still have an old Sony dish. In fact I had 3 at one time. I loved the built in signal feature that they had. It's a shame that no others ( That I know) ever folowed suit.

 

[Doomster]

I have two DirecTivo receivers. A Hughes HDVR-2 and a Hughes SD-DVR40.

It's not the receiver. It was the LNB. I think it just went bad (on one receiver -- I still got signal from "satellite 2".

What should I be worried about Dragon2002?

 

[dragon002]

doomster,

sorry for the wait, Ive got relatives in from AZ.

both of your units are tivo. i wanted to hear what you said first. my R-10 tivo does that quirky " no signal on sat 1" BS from time to time, but hell I'm watching LIVE TV....and that is sat 1...this is making NO sense!!

i go down downstairs to the multi switch, check the power, it is plugged in, light is on, it is warm. fine.

pull the line 1 off the M/S to check it , it is fine, screw it back in, my boy yells, dad it is OK now.

a week later same thing on sat 2, I'm thinking this tivo is frying, god i hope not! the kids (8&11) have the r-15, no problems yet at all, i just don't want to learn it yet. plus the kids will be using the r-15 on the main set, my brain can only handle so many cartoons and high school musicals.

I'm sitting there thinking, signal problems. AND guys, some are gonna flame me over the rain fade thing . i get the ladder out, go up and pull the barrel apart and check the signal on my 30" Winegrad dish, 85-97 on all usable TSPs. my oldest yells dad it is back on!

WTF

i went in and did a hard reset, 30minutes, plugged it back in, welcome screen came up and did the 02468 thing, no problems at all.

it isn't the lnb, each time i broke the coax connection as you did , replacing the lnb, mine worked fine for a while, like 4 days.

and PLEASE, if there ever was a grounded system, it is mine.

BTW, the r-15 has never had this problem at all.