Missing Transponders below 10

[AlanRT]

This is a new one for us.

A new client asked us to investigate why he's not receiving transponders below 10 on his DN 211 someone else installed a few months ago.

1. Our technician connected another 211 to the satellite cable. Initially the receiver was able to detect signal on satellite transponders below 10. After performing the Switch test, the transponders below 10 disappeared. Also, the switch test resulted in no switch being detected or identified.

2. Our technician then connected a model 311 to the satellite cable. Initially this receiver was also able to detect signal on satellite transponders below 10. After performing the Switch test, the transponders below 10 again disappeared. This switch test also resulted in no switch being detected or identified.
​

The fact that three different receivers all indicate the same result confirms that the problem is not within the receiver.

All three receivers indicate good signal level in the mid 40s on the active transponders

The absence of a detected switch is unusual because the customer is in a condo complex where the signal from a single dish on the 119 satellite is shared among other residents, first via a fiber optic backbone, then converted to copper wire for the last leg into the condos.

One would assume there is some kind of switch or splitter being used. We haven't seen this type of behavior before in a multi-receiver environment but we're not familiar with fiber optic and it's not our distribution install so we didn't want to go poking around in there.

Other residents haven't reported this problem. Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Jim5506]

Is he missing any channels, that he should receive?

Which satellite(s)?

Many transponders below 17 on certain satellites are spot beams and only visable in specified areas.

 

[boba]

Is the condo complex setup on a Quam system?

 

[AlanRT]

We're in Baja California Sur, one large dish on the 119° only. In this area, we normally receive the even numbered transponders below 10, and the even and odd transponders from 10 up to 21. Other users on this same system are apparently not having the same problem.

The customer is missing 119; 110. 112 , 114, 116, 117, 118, 205, 214, and 215, which are on transponders 6 and 8.

Sorry, I don't know what a QUAM system is.

 

[RandallA]

If the problem is consistent with any receiver, check the cable that goes to the customer's condo. Lower transponders are on the highest frequencies and when you have problems with cables, connectors or even a ground block those are the first to go. Is it even possible to run another cable?

 

[AlanRT]

Interesting, tho, that all receivers were able to initially detect signal on the lower transponders "before" running Check Switch. After running Check Switch, they no longer registered, plus no switch was displayed in the Check Switch menu. Really odd for a multi user system.

 

[AlanRT]

We could run another cable but the condo management doesn't want anyone other than the original fiber optic company to touch the distribution system.

 

[AlanRT]

Should add that after Check Switch, the transponders above 10 all registered strong signal, in the mid 40s, which is good in our area.

 

[highdefjeff]

Could be LNB failure. It is typical for low transponders to go out first.

Not all customers would report the same problems because not everyone watches the same channels.

There could be some impediment in wiring.

 

[whatchel1]

This is com antenna for a condo

We could run another cable but the condo management doesn't want anyone other than the original fiber optic company to touch the distribution system.

If this is common antenna for the entire complex then it may be that it is a QAM set-up. If so then the receiver may be set wrong. I'm not an installer CATV apt type set-up so someone that works with that will have to tell you what needs to be changed to get the channels back. What receiver are you using as well may help?

 

[AlanRT]

The owner has a DN 211 HD receiver. Other users of the system are apparently not having this problem or are not savvy enough to report it.

The Fiber Optic company is maintaining there is nothing wrong with their system since they connected this customer's receiver at another owner's condo unit and the receiver behaved the same way there. Thing was the other owner's receiver displayed the same symptom; no transponders below 10.

Thanks, I'll do some reasearch on QAM systems. I'm not familiar with them.