My signal quality issue...(no help from VOOM)

[GeneWildershair]

My signal quality issue

Well I've had voom for a few weeks now, and up until last tuesday my signal quality was in the 50's, and strength a steady 61. Now my signals vary day to day, and hour by hour. Sometimes they are in the mid 40's, they (never get any higher btw) and sometimes they dip down in the low 30's, and that's when I get pixelation issues. It is quite annoying when watching a program and having a good steady clean picture, then about half way thru it's starts to becoem a mess! I tried everything from rebooting to factory resets, and nothing helped, so I ended up calling VOOM. When I told the CSR about what was going on she had stated that my signals should not be fluctuating so much and that she would send a technician out ASAP. Well that was to be this morning, and the guy never showed. At 12:01 I got a call from my origianl installer asking me what the problem was, and when I told him he said that there was nothing he could do as I'm "within signal range that VOOM requests they get for us". He told me a 30 is fine. I informed him that I get pixelation when it dips low into the 30's, and he said he couldn't do anything more for me. He then said that he would come out still, but he knows that it won't help anything. He sounded very irritated, and it sounded as if he really wasn't going to help me. He was being kind of rude abou tthe situation too, saying that he is running way behind and it would take him awhile to get here. So I told him just to forget about it, and just decided to call VOOM again. Besides I've got to go to work and I can't wait for him all day. Well while on the phone with VOOM I asked what signal strength they ask the installers to get for us customers, and she replied "atleast 30, 30 is an acceptable range according to VOOM standards"???? I then informed her of the situation and she said that she would send a technician out, because "at 30 you shouldn't have pixelation"? Now I'm worried that I'll just get the same guy calling me again about this issue? Can I request a different technician, or company? And if 30 is acceptable by VOOM standards, that isn't very good.

 

[madpoet]

I think your title is fairly misleading.... Voom is doing their best to help you. I would have still made the tech come out.

 

[dishsystems]

Well I've had voom for a few weeks now, and up until last tuesday my signal quality was in the 50's, and strength a steady 61. Now my signals vary day to day, and hour by hour. Sometimes they are in the mid 40's, they (never get any higher btw) and sometimes they dip down in the low 30's, and that's when I get pixelation issues. It is quite annoying when watching a program and having a good steady clean picture, then about half way thru it's starts to becoem a mess! I tried everything from rebooting to factory resets, and nothing helped, so I ended up calling VOOM. When I told the CSR about what was going on she had stated that my signals should not be fluctuating so much and that she would send a technician out ASAP. Well that was to be this morning, and the guy never showed. At 12:01 I got a call from my origianl installer asking me what the problem was, and when I told him he said that there was nothing he could do as I'm "within signal range that VOOM requests they get for us". He told me a 30 is fine. I informed him that I get pixelation when it dips low into the 30's, and he said he couldn't do anything more for me. He then said that he would come out still, but he knows that it won't help anything. He sounded very irritated, and it sounded as if he really wasn't going to help me. He was being kind of rude abou tthe situation too, saying that he is running way behind and it would take him awhile to get here. So I told him just to forget about it, and just decided to call VOOM again. Besides I've got to go to work and I can't wait for him all day. Well while on the phone with VOOM I asked what signal strength they ask the installers to get for us customers, and she replied "atleast 30, 30 is an acceptable range according to VOOM standards"???? I then informed her of the situation and she said that she would send a technician out, because "at 30 you shouldn't have pixelation"? Now I'm worried that I'll just get the same guy calling me again about this issue? Can I request a different technician, or company? And if 30 is acceptable by VOOM standards, that isn't very good.

If 30 is acceptable then i would be looking at other ideas for the signal loss such as did the installer use existing pre-wire or is the system grounded,what time of the day is it when this happens,or even whats the weather like outside?Signal strength is only relative.I would start keeping a log for the tech.who will eventually be showing up.Because when he gets there the system may be running just fine....you know...kinda like car troubles.

 

[GeneWildershair]

I think your title is fairly misleading.... Voom is doing their best to help you. I would have still made the tech come out.

I guess you're right about that, I changed it. I can't believe 30 is an acceptable level. About the tech coming out, I can't wait for him I have to leave for work in half an hour.

 

[Sean Mota]

I guess you're right about that, I changed it. I can't believe 30 is an acceptable level. About the tech coming out, I can't wait for him I have to leave for work in hal an hour.

I would not take no for an answer. Signal quality of 30 does not give a lot of margin for error. I would contact Joe Harkins and see if he can do something about it. I think it is just a matter of re-aligning the dish.

 

[GeneWildershair]

If 30 is acceptable then i would be looking at other ideas for the signal loss such as did the installer use existing pre-wire or is the system grounded,what time of the day is it when this happens,or even whats the weather like outside?Signal strength is only relative.I would start keeping a log for the tech.who will eventually be showing up.Because when he gets there the system may be running just fine....you know...kinda like car troubles.

Everything the installer did looks ok, new wires, only about 30 feet long, and it's grounded well. And it doesn't matter what time of day it is, the signals fluctuate all day long, everyday. Sometimes they'll steady for an hour, then shoot back down, and start jumping up and down, and the weather here is a very sunny (no cloud in the sky) 80 degrees. I called VOOM back and they are working to get me another local install company o come take a look. Maybe it's the STB? It's just starnage how this mess started the day a lot of others had signal quality issues. The only difference in my case is that everyone elses problems went away the next day?

 

[owlbox]

You don't have any trees in the path do you?

 

[GeneWildershair]

You don't have any trees in the path do you?

nope, clear path.

 

[GeneWildershair]

I've been following my signals very closley the last couple of days, and it seems that my signals will be in the low to mid 40's, then dip down into the 30's during the day, and at night go down to the low 30's, dipping into the 20's and pixelating very badly! Should there be a difference with the quality level between night and day? This is so frustrating, as the weather has been great, the dish hasn't moved, there is nothing obstruting it's view, and the steady 50's I used to get (before last tuesday when something strange happened with VOOM) are just gone. I've got another tech coming out this week to take a look, I hope he fixes it. I miss VOOM.

 

[GeneWildershair]

ok this is odd, while seeing pixelation on screen I tuned into see my signals, and saw this (picture down below) and quickly took a picture of it. Sorry I wasn't able to set it up right and turn off the flash before I took it, but I wanted to document this signal. a few seconds after I took this it jumped back into the low 30's again, and picture stopped pixelating???

 

[JaydeeD]

Definitely time for a new box.....sorry!!!

 

[Gr8Reb8]

ok this is odd, while seeing pixelation on screen I tuned into see my signals, and saw this (picture down below) and quickly took a picture of it. Sorry I wasn't able to set it up right and turn off the flash before I took it, but I wanted to document this signal. a few seconds after I took this it jumped back into the low 30's again, and picture stopped pixelating???

When I see the type of numbers you see in the screen above, I know it is time for another reset.

I have seen that happen many times and if memory servers I can reproduce it a couple of ways:
1. Restart the box and once it is up and running, go to the dish-pointing signal strength screen (the one with sound to assist with pointing dish). Leave it there for about 10-15 minutes. Sat signal power will go to 100 and quality number will be something astronimical.
2. If the box has been running for some time (12+ hours) tune to a satellite channel. Disconnect or block the OTA antenna for several minutes. Reconnect the OTA and disconnect it a couple of times. Then tune to the sat signal power/quality screen. I will usually see those type of numbers unless the box is already locked up.

The receiver is VERY buggy. Hopefully they have fixed some of this with tonights software upgrade.

 

[JaydeeD]

Just a comment...every time someone gets this strange reading, it is always the same number...and appears to be a phone number....has anyone ever tried to call it?

Might be fun AND informative

 

[RickyMac]

Phone Number?

Disconnected or no longer in service...oh well, it was fun anyway.

I don't know what I would have said if I woke up some poor sole on Sunday morning.

 

[rollerfink]

Haahha that's pretty funny. They may have set an upper limit in the parameters and that could be the highest possible number.

My upstairs STB (for my SD TV) gets this signal quality every now and again. I have to unplug it from the wall to make it work again. That box crashes on my at least once a day.

 

[Gazho]

signal problems

Hi I recently had VOOM installed and am having signal issues as well. Good clear shot of the satellite, good signal at the dish and at the end of the cable run (according to the installer) and terrible signal through the box, generally 11 to 15. I can view perhaps 4 channels. A friend had VOOM installed a week before I did and he's having the same problem. Dunno what's going on, but a tech is supposed to call "sometime within the next week" to set up an appointment. VOOM gets one chance and then they come remove the equipment.

Dave

 

[Sean Mota]

Hi I recently had VOOM installed and am having signal issues as well. Good clear shot of the satellite, good signal at the dish and at the end of the cable run (according to the installer) and terrible signal through the box, generally 11 to 15. I can view perhaps 4 channels. A friend had VOOM installed a week before I did and he's having the same problem. Dunno what's going on, but a tech is supposed to call "sometime within the next week" to set up an appointment. VOOM gets one chance and then they come remove the equipment.

Dave

Gazho,

welcome. Trying to understand your post. Are you talking about OTA channels or Satellite channels?

 

[Gazho]

I'm talking about the satellite signal. Fine tuning the dish pointing managed to get the signal to 20, but it's since droped back into the low teens and I don't get any channels now.
I've set up DSS and Dish systems myself at my house in the past with virtually zero problems. I thought I'd try VOOM but so far I'm not impressed. This stuff should be plug and play, especially when installed professionally, very frustrating so far.

Dave

 

[Sean Mota]

I'm talking about the satellite signal. Fine tuning the dish pointing managed to get the signal to 20, but it's since droped back into the low teens and I don't get any channels now.
I've set up DSS and Dish systems myself at my house in the past with virtually zero problems. I thought I'd try VOOM but so far I'm not impressed. This stuff should be plug and play, especially when installed professionally, very frustrating so far.

Dave

Dave, it sounds like your installation was not done correctly as most people are getting the signal above 40. Send an email to "Joe Harkins" <jharkins@installs.com> at Installs Inc. Please let him know that the installer did a poor job and to send you someonew else that knows what they are doing. You are right it should be plug and play. Joe Harkins is a nice guy and he will sure take care of your problem immediately.

 

[Ken F]

Regardless of what VOOM says, I don't think you're going to get reliable service unless you've got a signal at or near 50. If your signal is varying widely, it would seem to be a problem with installation:

1. Your dish is not securely mounted or or dialed in (i.e. if mounted on pole, pole should be in a cement base);
2. There is an error or defect in the cable or one of the connectors (ex: small hole in the cable insulation, no weatherproof boots over connectors, etc);
3. You have a diplexor incorrectly installed;
4. You have an incompatible switch installed.
5. You have some obstruction in your path (leaves, etc)

Signal quality will vary significantly with weather conditions, but signal strength should not vary to the same degree. I would personally not sign off on any installation until they've got a signal strength at or near 50 and a signal quality of 40+. If you accept an installation with a signal strength of 40, you're just asking for trouble.