Intermittant Hopper/Single-node/1000.2 issue

[jpmarto]

I'm reaching out for advice here. Recently I have been taking my Hopper, Single Node, and 1000.2 antenna with my camping trailer with inconstant results - mostly bad. Sometimes it works, more often I spend 3 hours with no joy or maybe one satellite. Usually after a check switch the results change of satellites seen from the time before. Here's my latest experience: Yesterday I pointed to a completely clear LOS to 119, with foil over the 110 and 129 LNBs. Two minutes of aiming and it locks and identifies 119 60-70 on point dish screen. Removed the foil, did a check switch, and it sees 129 only. The antenna was anchored securely to a park bench and didn't move. I would appreciate advice as to whether I should try replacing the node or the LNB first. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[oldhickory]

Why are you putting foil on the two outer LNBF's? I have seen it before register that it is seeing 119 but it end up being the 110. Usually when I see that one of the pointing angles (normally skew) is off. Granted this is pointing with a meter and not using the hopper. Which transponder are you using to verify signal strength?

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[jpmarto]

I mount the 1000.2 on a picnic table, and put the Hopper and 22" LCD TV right next to it. I point with a $10 analog meter in series with the 119 LNB output and watch the Dish diagnostic TV screen. As I wrote: "it locks and identifies 119 60-70 on point dish screen". I forget the exact wording (the dish stuff is packed away now), but it was clearly locked on sat 119, TP 19 was the one I was using to aim. I had the outer two LNBs covered so I would know 119 was being received by the proper (center) LNB. My point was, when I removed the foil and did another check switch with all 3 LNBs uncovered, either the Solo node or LNB assembly could no longer see 119 but did see 129 which was previously blocked. I was hoping for advice for which one is the likely cause of the problem - I'm relatively clueless how the LNB switches work vs how the node works. I could shotgun the problem and replace both, but I like to learn and there's a lot of tech gurus on this forum.

 

[JR_Baas]

Try running a check switch with nothing connected first to clear out the switch matrix.

 

[Brussam]

There is a multi-switch in the DPP 1000.2 head and any LNBF can be electronically connected to any of the output coax cables. It seems the default connection is the 110 LNBF. So putting foil over the 110 and 129 LNBFs means your are blocking the one LNBF you are connected to. The aluminum foil trick is a leftover form the days of DP 500 and is basically useless for aiming and DPP dish.

You have to make sure the mast is vertical and then set the Skew first.

The key is to get the coax you have the meter on electronically connected to the 119 LNBF. The cheap meter can't help you at that. You have to make sure that in the Dish Pointing screen and set satellite to 119 and pick a transponder of 11 or higher. That should cause the 119 LNBF be electronically connected to the cable with the meter. However, if you are running two cables from the DPP 1000.2 to the Solo, then you could be on the other cable from what the Point Dish page is selecting. This is where a Hopper gives you less control than an older receiver.

Life is a whole lot easier if you have a meter that generates a 22 KHz tone on the cable to the dish like the Accutrac 22 Pro. The 22 KHz tone selects the 119 LNBF. With such a meter, you don't have to care what the receiver is selecting. Yes a good meter can cost $90+ but it will pay for itself quickly in terms of aiming frustration.

 

[Miner]

There is a multi-switch in the DPP 1000.2 head and any LNBF can be electronically connected to any of the output coax cables. It seems the default connection is the 110 LNBF. So putting foil over the 110 and 129 LNBFs means your are blocking the one LNBF you are connected to. The aluminum foil trick is a leftover form the days of DP 500 and is basically useless for aiming and DPP dish.

You have to make sure the mast is vertical and then set the Skew first.

The key is to get the coax you have the meter on electronically connected to the 119 LNBF. The cheap meter can't help you at that. You have to make sure that in the Dish Pointing screen and set satellite to 119 and pick a transponder of 11 or higher. That should cause the 119 LNBF be electronically connected to the cable with the meter. However, if you are running two cables from the DPP 1000.2 to the Solo, then you could be on the other cable from what the Point Dish page is selecting. This is where a Hopper gives you less control than an older receiver.

Life is a whole lot easier if you have a meter that generates a 22 KHz tone on the cable to the dish like the Accutrac 22 Pro. The 22 KHz tone selects the 119 LNBF. With such a meter, you don't have to care what the receiver is selecting. Yes a good meter can cost $90+ but it will pay for itself quickly in terms of aiming frustration.

22khz tone? I thought that is purely a signal from the old Directv legacy days.



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[jpmarto]

Thanks for the responses. JR: I will try your suggestion next time. Brussam, I may be getting a meter from someone tomorrow. My mast was perfectly level, hence only two minutes to find 119. However, in the situation I described, the center LNB had a booming signal on 119, the others were covered. I don't see how the next check switch would result in not getting 119 anymore. It just seems something is working some times, and not working at others. Either the switches don't work, or the node doesn't send one or more of the 3 signals down the coax consistently. I've told the wife "one more try, then we just use the hopper with DVR".

 

[TechWriter]

Either the switches don't work, or the node doesn't send one or more of the 3 signals down the coax consistently.

If you have the Single Node at your 1000.2, then the RG6 coax that connects the Single Node to your Hopper must be rated at 3 GHz.

 

[jpmarto]

Hi TW,

The node was 3' from the LNBs, and the coax was 50' Monoprice cable with added crimp-on connectors. NOT rated at 3 GHz. I'll order some first-rate cable before I try again. Perhaps 119 output was being sent on the highest frequency, which the cable couldn't handle. Thanks!