In the last couple of weeks, I had added 72°W C-band to the list of satellites that my (H/H motorized) perforated Birdview dish could receive. I had used Dishpointer to position this dish on my property, which on initial setup using its NPRM, had allowed me to receive satellites from 79°W to 139°W.
I also have two Primestar Ku-band dishes pointing to 72°W and 74°W (G-d rest its soul...). I had never actually tried to tune in C-band on the perforated Birdview for 72°W, assuming that a pine tree right next to the dish was blocking LOS.
One night on a whim, I called up the parms for MSNBC on 72°W, then switched the receiver LNB setup to be the perforated Birdview, instead of the Primestar dish. I kept bumping the dish to the East until the S/Q started booming in - 10 points higher Q than with the fixed Primestar dish. I did walk out to the dish to check the LOS, and the pine tree does seem to block it partially, but it still comes in stronger than the Primestar dish. I'm able to pick up the C-band programming on 72°W now, while making both of my Primestar dishes redundant.
This is OK with me, as now I have spare capacity to add a fixed dish on 30°W...
I turned on the FTA system last night to check out baseball games. The channel had been set on Reelz on 91°W the last time I watched it. The system came up with a blank screen - no signal. "Hmmm. Reelz must have changed parameters," I thought.
I tried to call up STO. My AZBox Ultra signalled the GBOX mover, and the numbers started climbing and I heard the dish moving outside. It got to where STO should have been, and I saw the "no signal" message again. I tried another channel, and had no signal. Time for some troubleshooting. So, I changed the receiver channel back to Reelz, and the dish moved back to its original position.
I went into the menus for Antenna Setup, and made sure LNB power was on for LNB #4, which is my perforated Birdview dish. I toggled it off/on again. The GBOX shutdown when I turned the LNB power off, then came back on when I toggled it back on again. That seemed fine.
I went into the spare dish entries in the antenna list. I have have a fixed-position solid Birdview dish on the switch (at LNB #1) which points to 99°W, the first Primestar dish pointing to 72°W (LNB #2), and the second Primestar dish... well, which isn't doing anything right now (on LNB #3). Switching back and forth through these dishes wouldn't bring up any signal or quality, on any of the them.
I powered the system down, grabbed my First Strike meter, then headed out to the enclosed wiring boxes on the South side of the house. I disconnected the coax cable running in from the perforated Birdview dish and connected it to the meter, punched in the parms for Reelz on the FS-1, and got a nice, strong signal reading.
So, it looks like my Digiwave 8x1 switch has probably failed. I have signal coming in from the dish, the GBOX is moving the perforated Birdview dish, and the receiver seems to be sending power for the LNB.
I've ordered a replacement Digiwave 8x1 uncommited switch, which has shipped today. I'm hoping that is the issue.
I also have two Primestar Ku-band dishes pointing to 72°W and 74°W (G-d rest its soul...). I had never actually tried to tune in C-band on the perforated Birdview for 72°W, assuming that a pine tree right next to the dish was blocking LOS.
One night on a whim, I called up the parms for MSNBC on 72°W, then switched the receiver LNB setup to be the perforated Birdview, instead of the Primestar dish. I kept bumping the dish to the East until the S/Q started booming in - 10 points higher Q than with the fixed Primestar dish. I did walk out to the dish to check the LOS, and the pine tree does seem to block it partially, but it still comes in stronger than the Primestar dish. I'm able to pick up the C-band programming on 72°W now, while making both of my Primestar dishes redundant.
This is OK with me, as now I have spare capacity to add a fixed dish on 30°W...
I turned on the FTA system last night to check out baseball games. The channel had been set on Reelz on 91°W the last time I watched it. The system came up with a blank screen - no signal. "Hmmm. Reelz must have changed parameters," I thought.
I tried to call up STO. My AZBox Ultra signalled the GBOX mover, and the numbers started climbing and I heard the dish moving outside. It got to where STO should have been, and I saw the "no signal" message again. I tried another channel, and had no signal. Time for some troubleshooting. So, I changed the receiver channel back to Reelz, and the dish moved back to its original position.
I went into the menus for Antenna Setup, and made sure LNB power was on for LNB #4, which is my perforated Birdview dish. I toggled it off/on again. The GBOX shutdown when I turned the LNB power off, then came back on when I toggled it back on again. That seemed fine.
I went into the spare dish entries in the antenna list. I have have a fixed-position solid Birdview dish on the switch (at LNB #1) which points to 99°W, the first Primestar dish pointing to 72°W (LNB #2), and the second Primestar dish... well, which isn't doing anything right now (on LNB #3). Switching back and forth through these dishes wouldn't bring up any signal or quality, on any of the them.
I powered the system down, grabbed my First Strike meter, then headed out to the enclosed wiring boxes on the South side of the house. I disconnected the coax cable running in from the perforated Birdview dish and connected it to the meter, punched in the parms for Reelz on the FS-1, and got a nice, strong signal reading.
So, it looks like my Digiwave 8x1 switch has probably failed. I have signal coming in from the dish, the GBOX is moving the perforated Birdview dish, and the receiver seems to be sending power for the LNB.
I've ordered a replacement Digiwave 8x1 uncommited switch, which has shipped today. I'm hoping that is the issue.
