I should fix it myself, but.....

[PMKS]

My H23-600 said searching for sat signal this morning, all other receivers on that dish are working ok. After some troubleshooting and wire-switching determined that I have either a bad LNB output on the SL5 LNB or a bad wire/connection between the LNB and the weatherproof junction box on the outside of my house. After switching wires the H23 got a good signal, and another receiver lost it, simple right?

I have a spool of RG6, connections, and a spare SL3 and SL5 LNB in the garage, but......

Decided to use the "awesome" expensive protection plan I pay for every month, so call DirecTV up and tell the rep I have either a bad wire or LNB. I explain that my receivers are ok and that I switched wires in the junction box, etc, etc. The rep has me do a system test on each receiver, of course one receiver says searching for signal. Rep keeps having me go back to the H23 that originally lost signal, but now has good signal, then tells me that the computer is telling her to send a receiver??? After 30 minutes of exlaining I FINALLY get a service call scheduled. The rep was driving me nuts.... :doh:....

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I dont think its the LNB, if it was all the other receivers wouldnt be working fine.

Try bringing the receiver to another location in the house thats working and hook it up there. If it works then chances are the problem is with the cable between that raceivers location and the DISH or switch. But I don't think its the LNB.

 

[KE4EST]

I bet it is a corroded connector.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Yup I would say the end at the dish corroded because it got water in it.

 

[cave1376]

Its faster to fix the problem yourself than to have a D* tech come out in a few days and fix what you could of fixed a few days ago.

How ever, it could be worth the wait if the tech fixes the problem and repeaks the dish.

 

[KE4EST]

Yes for sure, some techs will run out and go "I bet it is a connector" change them out and it works and run. Don't blame some of them with the work load they get, but ask them when they come to check the dish alignment.

 

[JerseyMatt]

Actually if it's a SWM dish with 1 cable his problem could very well be a bad LNB. SWM problems don't manifest the same way as 4-wire/legacy multiswitch problems do. It all depends on which tuner slot the receiver grabs from the LNB. I went through that after my initial install. I was chasing signal issues all over the house from one tuner to another. I thought I had bad coax or a bad splitter port. Finally thought I got rid of it by replacing a (brand new) cable run, but all that really happened was that it hid on Tuner 2 of one of the DVRs. I didn't realize it until timers started failing to record. Had Directv roll a truck, thinking one of the receivers was bad and causing problems with the rest of them, and when I explained what was happening to the tech he said straight up it's a bad LNB.

 

[PMKS]

Not a SWM dish, I should have specified. Also I no it's not the IRD, as I switched cables on the ground block in the junction box, and the original IRD got a signal, and another one didn't. This also verified no problems with the house wiring. so between the ground block and the LNB is the problem., maybe a bad connection, tech will be here tomorrow, wow.

 

[PMKS]

follow-up:
Tech showed up this afternoon, ( next day service, thats a first ) problem ended up being a bad wire, he re-ran two wires from the dish to the junction box, replaced six "non-compliant" connectors, re-aimed the dish, replaced SL5 LNB with a SL3 LNB, and replaced both B-Band convertors on my HR22.

Third service call for me in 4 years regarding wiring, the only original 1994 install wiring in my house now is a 15 ft run to a bedroom. Every service call, the tech finds "something" the previous tech did wrong, this time is was the grounding strap on the dish pole. Guess I'll keep the protection plan even though they are raising the price.

Tech let me keep the SL5 LNB, saying it is probably still good. He does service calls only, no installs, works for a contractor. He said he hasn't had a day off in 15 days, was supposed to be off tomorrow, but got called by his boss while at my house to do another service call on his way home that another tech couldn't fix, and to come to work tomorrow..... guess they are busy.....

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

Ding ding ding. I am a winner.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

 

[Jimbo]

Sounds to me like he replaced just about everything .... maybe he DIDN'T know what the trouble was ...

 

[Liquidforce88]

follow-up:
Tech showed up this afternoon, ( next day service, thats a first ) problem ended up being a bad wire, he re-ran two wires from the dish to the junction box, replaced six "non-compliant" connectors, re-aimed the dish, replaced SL5 LNB with a SL3 LNB, and replaced both B-Band convertors on my HR22.

Third service call for me in 4 years regarding wiring, the only original 1994 install wiring in my house now is a 15 ft run to a bedroom. Every service call, the tech finds "something" the previous tech did wrong, this time is was the grounding strap on the dish pole. Guess I'll keep the protection plan even though they are raising the price.

Tech let me keep the SL5 LNB, saying it is probably still good. He does service calls only, no installs, works for a contractor. He said he hasn't had a day off in 15 days, was supposed to be off tomorrow, but got called by his boss while at my house to do another service call on his way home that another tech couldn't fix, and to come to work tomorrow..... guess they are busy.....

non-compliant connectors = Directv has changed what connector they use since the last time you had work done.
The ground strap is a new thing that has only been used for about the last year.

Kind of sounds like a contractor that does not have enough techs.

 

[PMKS]

Sounds to me like he replaced just about everything .... maybe he DIDN'T know what the trouble was ...

Tech started off checking the wires coming from the dish in the Junction box, one wire showed no signal, replaced wire ends at LNB, same thing, then replaced LNB, same thing, then replaced wiring, fixed that problem.
He said he had to check every IRD as part of the service call, the HR22 had a lower HD signal on one tuner than the 2nd tuner, hence the B-Band convertor replacement which fixed that problem.

non-compliant connectors = Directv has changed what connector they use since the last time you had work done. The ground strap is a new thing that has only been used for about the last year.
Kind of sounds like a contractor that does not have enough techs.

Did not know that about the strap, every service call it seems like they are replace ends, sooner or later I'm going to run out of wire in the junction box on the outside of my house, lol....

 

[Claude Greiner]

I don't get it with approved connectors. As long as you have a compression connector and not a crimp connector you should be fine

 

[Jimbo]

I don't get it with approved connectors. As long as you have a compression connector and not a crimp connector you should be fine

Just the tech explanation would be my guess as to why he change them, of course it's a good place to start.

This , is a new one on me ....

"the HR22 had a lower HD signal on one tuner than the 2nd tuner, hence the B-Band convertor replacement which fixed that problem."

 

[Liquidforce88]

Just the tech explanation would be my guess as to why he change them, of course it's a good place to start.

This , is a new one on me ....

"the HR22 had a lower HD signal on one tuner than the 2nd tuner, hence the B-Band convertor replacement which fixed that problem."

Basically the sat companies make a deal with a new supplier ever now and again. When that happens all connection must be changed to the new APPROVED connector. Has nothing to do with if one is better or not. It is a giant waste of money, and I think Dish recently realized it. They have expended what connectors will be approved.

Directv has implemented a system called IV retest. IV = Instalation Verification. So when a tech does a new install all receivers must pass a certain level of signal to activate. On any other type of job, upgrade or service, if the customer has an HD receiver they will have to run IV retest and that receiver will have to pass a certain signal level for the tech to get a code to close the work order. Thus the tech needing to get signal levels the same on the HR22. BBC's due tend to degrade signal over time.

 

[Jimbo]

Basically the sat companies make a deal with a new supplier ever now and again. When that happens all connection must be changed to the new APPROVED connector. Has nothing to do with if one is better or not. It is a giant waste of money, and I think Dish recently realized it. They have expended what connectors will be approved.

Directv has implemented a system called IV retest. IV = Instalation Verification. So when a tech does a new install all receivers must pass a certain level of signal to activate. On any other type of job, upgrade or service, if the customer has an HD receiver they will have to run IV retest and that receiver will have to pass a certain signal level for the tech to get a code to close the work order. Thus the tech needing to get signal levels the same on the HR22. BBC's due tend to degrade signal over time.

I knew about the IV tests ....

Hadn't considered the BBC's degrading the signal ...

Thanks for the info, might have to check mine .
Does D* still send out BBC's free, or does it require a visit ?

Haven't seen you around much, glad your back

 

[PMKS]

This , is a new one on me ....

"the HR22 had a lower HD signal on one tuner than the 2nd tuner, hence the B-Band convertor replacement which fixed that problem."

New one on me as well. The tech showed the difference in the transponder signals on the 103 Sat, Tuner 1 had several transponders at a lower signal than tuner 2. I had never seen that before.

I knew about the IV tests ....

Hadn't considered the BBC's degrading the signal ...

Thanks for the info, might have to check mine .
Does D* still send out BBC's free, or does it require a visit ?

Haven't seen you around much, glad your back

This is the 2nd set of replacement BBC's for this HR22, first time they mailed them to me, not sure if they do that anymore. This tech said he had to take the old ones back with him????

 

[Jimbo]

New one on me as well. The tech showed the difference in the transponder signals on the 103 Sat, Tuner 1 had several transponders at a lower signal than tuner 2. I had never seen that before.



This is the 2nd set of replacement BBC's for this HR22, first time they mailed them to me, not sure if they do that anymore. This tech said he had to take the old ones back with him????

I hardly ever see the same signal strength on both tuners, regardless, on ANY recvrs ... I think it's just the nature of the beast seeing signals fluctuate constantly.

 

[PMKS]

I hardly ever see the same signal strength on both tuners, regardless, on ANY recvrs ... I think it's just the nature of the beast seeing signals fluctuate constantly.

some of these were way off, 90's on one tuner, same transponder 50's on the other tuner