Loss of signal at 45 Lat.

[Pooka]

I've had a Bell 22" dish with a 9242 receiver for 5 years plus, but last week during the playoffs I noticed the signal breaking up. I used to have readings of high 80s to mid 90s on signal strength. Now Sat 82 is showing high 50s and 91 in the high 60s. Has the foot print change effected me, I'm at 45 degrees, directly east of Minneapolis in central Wisconsin.

Would a larger dish help, what size and where would I purchase such. I've a friend that sells DISH, would one of their dishes work well? Would switching to SHAW improve my signal without buying another dish?

After taking down a 35 foot spruce, no help. I'd appreciate any suggestions. Thank you.

 

[miguelaqui]

Footprint for 82 has not changed. I tuned it in last night.

 

[Pooka]

I just finished realligning all, still a weak signal. Could the receiver be the problem, do they lose signal reception. I've never heard of this but there are other threads on a Canadian 9242 Digital site.

 

[bigrich]

I use a 1 meter dish in Indianapolis, no problems with 82 or 91.

 

[texasbrit]

You should not have any problems where you are, with the dish you have. It's very rare for the tuners in receivers to go bad, but possible.

 

[Slartibartfarst]

You say you have a friend that sells Dish? Ask him to align your Bell Dish, if he does it for a living he will have a decent Sat Meter, that should be able to give you a clue as to it being an aiming issue or a receiver issue.

If you switch to Shaw Direct you will only be able to re-use the cable and the "J" Mast. The Dish, LNBF and Receiver will all need swapping out.

 

[Pooka]

Is there a certain one meter dish that I could use with the existing LNBs. Where could it be purchased from?

Would a older "Dish" dish work? Which one ,,, Thanks

 

[miguelaqui]

You can't use the same mast on a 75e dish for Shaw. I personally think Shaw sucks overall compared to Bell. The HD looks a little better. Everything else about Shaw sucks! The PVR is not as nice and they are more expensive for lots of things.

 

[miguelaqui]

For most 1 meter dishes you will have to get an older style Directv lnb because the lnb holder actually "chokes " the neck of the lnb. You could also tear the plastic cover, the gray part, off the lnb you have because they have the basic same shape . There is a company with 100% feedback on Ebay selling those 1 meter dishes for a good price.
It could be this..Bell can change the signal meter. Dish has done this twice that I know of. They can adjust when the signal is muted. I would not know because the software updates must be on 91 because I have software from 2011 on my 9242

 

[Slartibartfarst]

Is there a certain one meter dish that I could use with the existing LNBs

Take a regular Legacy Dual LNBF and remove the plastic cowling. That will fit into the LNBF housing of the 1m Dish.

 

[bayguy]

miguel can his old mast work if he shims it? that's what we did with our old Directv mast when we got shaw.

 

[Pooka]

I've dug out my old Bell 3100 receiver and I'm wondering if I hooked up to either the 91 or 82 cable would it give me a signal strength reading? Some folks at the Canadian Digital site have discussed that my problem could be the 9242 recvr.
The 3100 is left over from the Florida connection days and has the card slot. The card I'm sure is invalid but I'm only concerned with a strength reading.

 

[Pooka]

I got off my butt and did the test myself. I tapped into the 91 satellite and the receiver showed a signal strength of 95. It couldn't tell me which satellite I was picking up, figure this is from newer system or the switches now in place. Anyway, I know my setup is good, but the receiver has a problem.

How to fix this???

 

[Pooka]

Over at the Bell Digital site for my receiver, 9242, a person posted he had the same problem. He found that a few capacitors in the receiver were swollen and that upon replacing them his problems were over. On further searching, I found another site and three capacitors were singled out as what would cause my loss of signal strength.

I open the 9242, observed the three mentioned, one was swollen/bulging on top. Took the numbers from the side of each and ordered two of each, cost with shipping $6.42 I worked the bad capacitors off the circuit board by bending them back and forth, gently. After they were out, I soldered the new capacitors in place. Not as neat, I'm no electronics guru and shaky in my old age, but they connected.

My signal strength went from mid 60s to low 90s on 91 and mid 50s to high 80s on 82.

I thank everyone that offered a solution, maybe this will help another 9242 owner here in the USA.