LNB Problem?

[grc]

We travel in our RV and I have a 2 LNB eastern arc (61.5 and 72.7) that I swap out with the western arc LNB's as we change areas. I have done this many times so I think I know what I am doing.

Yesterday, though, I couldn't get both 61.5 and 72.7 at the same time. When aimed correctly, I got a strong 61.5 signal but the 72.7 LNB just reports the same signal and wrong satellite. After running check switch several times, the result is that the 72.7 is CONN but no satellite.

I then intentionally aimed the 61.5 LNB at 72.7 and it locked and received the channels. Of course, with no 61.5. It did, though, confirm that nothing was blocking my view of 72.7.

From what I can tell only 61.5 is being powered.

So, is this an indication that the 72.7 LNB is dead? Or is there a problem with my 722K receiver?

Thanks in advance for any helpful replies.

 

[NYDutch]

Assuming you have the skew set correctly, that does seem to indicate a faulty LNB. At least with most of the "good stuff" on 61.5 now, you won't be missing too much while you source a replacement.

 

[grc]

Thanks for the reply. I'm pretty sure the skew is good - but I actually tried the full range just to be sure. And, yes, 61.5 has most everything - except for one thing: the program guide download is on 72.7 - I have a couple of days and then nothing. I also have several over the air channels, but no program guide for any of them. But, if I can get a replacement ordered that should all be fixed in a few days - that is unless I am missing something on my setup. Thanks again.

 

[NYDutch]

If it'll help, I like American TV Listings - TVTV.us for online listings.

 

[Claude Greiner]

Likely a line of site issue or your pointing the dish towards the wrong satellite such as getting 72.5 on the 61.5 lnb.

It happens, especially if your not level

 

[grc]

Likely a line of site issue or your pointing the dish towards the wrong satellite such as getting 72.5 on the 61.5 lnb.

It happens, especially if your not level

Thanks - but it's level - I set a dish up every week or two, I know how to do it. I've sometimes managed to aim at the wrong satellite, so I know about that problem, but I'm quite sure that that isn't what is happening now. 61.5 is dead solid. I wanted to see if any of the more knowledgeable folks here had any ideas I haven't already tried, but I think it is narrowed down to that LNB. A replacement has been ordered.

 

[reubenray]

Assuming you have the skew set correctly, that does seem to indicate a faulty LNB. At least with most of the "good stuff" on 61.5 now, you won't be missing too much while you source a replacement.

I am glad this info was posted. I am in a campground where I was easily able to get 61.5 on my tripod. I aimed intentionally just to get the 61.5 sat. I was debating on working to get the 72 sat also, but I did not know if it was worth the trouble. I will be here for 4 more nights.

 

[grc]

I am glad this info was posted. I am in a campground where I was easily able to get 61.5 on my tripod. I aimed intentionally just to get the 61.5 sat. I was debating on working to get the 72 sat also, but I did not know if it was worth the trouble. I will be here for 4 more nights.

61.5 does have most of the programming. Last summer, though, I had the opposite situation. We were in a very treed campground. No one had satellite in our whole area. I wanted to watch the Astros games. Finally, I found a hole through the trees that gave me 72.7 - the one that carries the MLB games. We didn't have many channels, but we got our ball games. All the time we were there people looked at my dish and asked me if I was actually getting satellite.

 

[NYDutch]

61.5 does have most of the programming. Last summer, though, I had the opposite situation. We were in a very treed campground. No one had satellite in our whole area. I wanted to watch the Astros games. Finally, I found a hole through the trees that gave me 72.7 - the one that carries the MLB games. We didn't have many channels, but we got our ball games. All the time we were there people looked at my dish and asked me if I was actually getting satellite.

Yep, we did that for an NHL hockey game one time through a tiny hole in the branches. We've been on a number of sites where neighbors couldn't believe we were really getting satellite service. The photo below is from one park where a neighbor swore there was no possible way it could be working until I showed him our TV picture. We did get some wind caused interference once in awhile. Between using the eastern arc that many RV'ers are not equipped for or even know about, and the offset dish actual sight line compared to the apparent sight line that many don't seem to understand, it's not surprising they question us sometimes I guess.

 

[grc]

Yep, we did that for an NHL hockey game one time through a tiny hole in the branches. We've been on a number of sites where neighbors couldn't believe we were really getting satellite service. The photo below is from one park where a neighbor swore there was no possible way it could be working until I showed him our TV picture. We did get some wind caused interference once in awhile. Between using the eastern arc that many RV'ers are not equipped for or even know about, and the offset dish actual sight line compared to the apparent sight line that many don't seem to understand, it's not surprising they question us sometimes I guess.

View attachment 141008

Great photo - I have one from Maine like that. A couple of years ago in South Dakota I ended up with the tripod right behind a tree. If I moved it a foot to the left I had 61.5. If I moved it a foot to the right I had 72.7. As I recall I picked the 72.7, again, for MLB network. Anyone looking at my dish would have been sure I was aiming it right into a big tree trunk.

 

[NYDutch]

Great photo - I have one from Maine like that. A couple of years ago in South Dakota I ended up with the tripod right behind a tree. If I moved it a foot to the left I had 61.5. If I moved it a foot to the right I had 72.7. As I recall I picked the 72.7, again, for MLB network. Anyone looking at my dish would have been sure I was aiming it right into a big tree trunk.

Yep, I once split a tree that was a little way off, hitting 61.5 on one side of it and 72.7 on the other. This photo shows how the dish from the first picture looked to the neighbors.

 

[HipKat]

Yep, we did that for an NHL hockey game one time through a tiny hole in the branches. We've been on a number of sites where neighbors couldn't believe we were really getting satellite service. The photo below is from one park where a neighbor swore there was no possible way it could be working until I showed him our TV picture. We did get some wind caused interference once in awhile. Between using the eastern arc that many RV'ers are not equipped for or even know about, and the offset dish actual sight line compared to the apparent sight line that many don't seem to understand, it's not surprising they question us sometimes I guess.

View attachment 141008

Those leaves are sparse enough that enough signal gets through to let you watch TV, I'd assume

 

[NYDutch]

Those leaves are sparse enough that enough signal gets through to let you watch TV, I'd assume

Yes, with just a little pixelization when the wind blew. Signal levels kept varying between yellow and green. Sometimes it switched from HD on 61.5 to SD on 77. We were only on that site for 3 nights, so it wasn't much of a problem.

I don't fuss that much now when we have decent cell service for our hotspots. I just switch to streaming...

 

[HipKat]

Yes, with just a little pixelization when the wind blew. Signal levels kept varying between yellow and green. Sometimes it switched from HD on 61.5 to SD on 77. We were only on that site for 3 nights, so it wasn't much of a problem.

I don't fuss that much now when we have decent cell service for our hotspots. I just switch to streaming...

Hey, when you're camping, who cares, right? Take what you can get and not stress over it because.... you're camping!!

 

[Bobby]

I think they are doing more than just camping. These are full time RVers. They take their house with them when they travel. Everyone wants the comforts of home in their house. Weekenders might be a different story.

 

[NYDutch]

Hey, when you're camping, who cares, right? Take what you can get and not stress over it because.... you're camping!!

Well, we don't really "camp" in the traditional sense since our motorhome is our fulltime home for as long as our health lets us keep going. That does mean we appreciate having all the comforts of home as well, with good TV service and solid Internet service pretty much everywhere we go. Streaming has made life a bit easier since I no longer bother setting up our portable dish for overnight enroute stops as long as we have a decent cell signal from one of our two carriers. Cell service isn't bullet proof though, so we still keep Dish instead of going 100% streaming.

 

[grc]

We are stationary only during the winter months, otherwise we move on the average of every week and a half. Over the last two years I haven't been without a satellite TV signal anywhere. This stay almost got me - and this time with a clear view of the eastern arc satellites. Thus this thread. I will get the new LNB's tomorrow - so I'll know if I wasted my money or not by tomorrow afternoon.

 

[grc]

Well, let me wrap it up. I got the new LNBs put them on, but still no joy. I disconnected the dish and ran another check switch to be sure all previous results were removed, then ran it again with the dish connected, still no joy. I re-aimed the dish to 72.7 (as previously described, if I could only see on satellite I wanted it to be 61.5) and the dish found it as before, but nothing on 61.5. I fooled with the skew just to be sure, still no joy. Then, with the dish aimed according to the numbers, I ran check switch yet again and there it was. Both satellites reading just fine. I put the old LNB on and it saw both satellites as it should.

I bet I ran check switch 10 times trying to be sure both LNBs were being seen. For some reason, the last time was the one that worked.

No doubt, there is operator error in this somewhere, but I'm not sure what it was. Thanks again for all the helpful replies.

 

[NYDutch]

At least now you have spares in case something does go wrong. A couple of years ago, I had a wind blown tree branch hit my EA LNB and crack two of the three covers. It still worked ok, but the signal levels on those two sats dropped noticeably. I just pulled out my spare and all was good again a few minutes later. I didn't even have to tweak up the aiming...

 

[grc]

I thought the issue was resolved but now I'm not sure. Today I needed to swap back to the western arc. I have a similar problem to what I described in the original post. I have have solid signals on 129 and 119 - but 110 reports "wrong satellite - 129." I have a clear view of the sky with all 3 satellites.

At first all three LNB's reported 129. I realized that I had set the skew wrong, fixed it, and 119 came in properly.

Another oddity: If I put my hand over the 119 LNB, the 110 LNB stops reporting "wrong satellite" and goes to no signal.

So here is what I have: 129 solid, 119 solid, 110 saying it is seeing 129. Again skew is good, clear sky, mast level.

Anyone have any idea of what is going on?