New Directv customer as of 02-17-11 with a question about signal levels.

[98Civic]

Hi ya'll, I'm a new DIRECTV customer as of yesturday and just am curious and wondering how my signal levels are to you guys/gals?

1-8: 99 96 98 74 98 100 99 100
9-16: 98 99 100 60 100 100 99 100
17-24: 98 88 100 76 100 100 100 100
25-32: 99 42 99 99 100 100 99 100

Also, when I click on "signal meters", it shows 99% signal. My question is, what satellites do I change too and transponders do I change too inorder to see if my signal levels are good and I'm getting good signal. Sorry for all this. I'm new to satellite and don't much about how to check for signal levels. Thanks and look forward to hearing back from ya'll soon!!

 

[jdspencer]

Those strengths look very good for the 101 satellite. A few of the low ones are the spot beams on that satellite which don't service your area. What are your strengths on the other satellites? I'm assuming you have a multi-sat dish.

When you click on signal meters, it shows just the level for one transponder. You can cycle through all of them on that screen.

BTW, what receivers do you have and what dish?

 

[kjlued]

If you have something other then a standard def 18" dish you can check other satellites with the +/-

However, that being said, I can say without looking at them your signal levels will be fine as with installation verifications the receivers will not activate unless everything is darn near perfect.

If the install was done properly then it should be fine for a long time unless there is equipment failure.

 

[Mr Tony]

looks like the numbers mine show on 101 except I have some 0's in the bunch....outside of spotbeams

 

[jdspencer]

FYI, the spot beams on 101 are 4, 12, 18, 20, 26, & 28.

 

[nick9]

Looks like my numbers with the exception of a few zeros too.

 

[98Civic]

I have 2 H24-200 HD Standard Receivers with a Slimline Dish...So by reading what ya'll are saying my signal levels look good and I should have no problems unless my equipment goes bad, is that correct? Also JDSPENCER, what satellites/transponders should I cycle through and look at that matters the most for my signal levels if you know? Because the few low numbers ya'll have been saying are spot beams and don't matter in my area inwhich I don't need to worry about. I'm just curious! Thanks for ya'lls help and fast responses!! So far I'm loving my new DIRECTV service and plan to stay with them for many years to come!!

 

[98Civic]

So any info what to do ya'll about what I said above about the satellites and transponders? Please let me know. Thanks!!

 

[jdspencer]

For HD you need good signals on the 99c and 103c satellites.
Not all transponders on those sats will have values. They should also be 85+.

 

[kjlued]

Like I said before, with a new install there is little to worry about with Dish pointing as we have a system in place called "Installation Verification" where they during activation the receiver runs a test and if everything is not good it will not complete the activation.

However, if you want to check, go back in your signal strength and where you see the +/- for satellites, you can check the different satellites.

You will multiple different satellites.
Pay attention to the 99c and 103c (103c may be listed as ca and cb)
ignore the 99s and 103 s

Most #'s on the 99/103/c/ca/cb should be in the 90's
Don't worry if a couple are lower.

 

[scoop8]

Like I said before, with a new install there is little to worry about with Dish pointing as we have a system in place called "Installation Verification" where they during activation the receiver runs a test and if everything is not good it will not complete the activation.

However, if you want to check, go back in your signal strength and where you see the +/- for satellites, you can check the different satellites.

You will multiple different satellites.
Pay attention to the 99c and 103c (103c may be listed as ca and cb)
ignore the 99s and 103 s

Most #'s on the 99/103/c/ca/cb should be in the 90's
Don't worry if a couple are lower.

My #'s on the 99s and 103a/b are around the mid to high 80's with a couple of transponder #'s in the low 80's and a couple in the low 90's. I have no real problems except that I probably would have less rain fade duration during these Texas storms.

I wish I could get you to come down to Dallas and realign my dish. (SL5). I had a tech come out after I had to get my roof re-shingled and he did a good job but at that time I wasn't sure of where the 99 & 103 #'s should be (ie, what's a perfect alignment vs a good one).

 

[kjlued]

My #'s on the 99s and 103a/b are around the mid to high 80's with a couple of transponder #'s in the low 80's and a couple in the low 90's. I have no real problems except that I probably would have less rain fade duration during these Texas storms.

I wish I could get you to come down to Dallas and realign my dish. (SL5). I had a tech come out after I had to get my roof re-shingled and he did a good job but at that time I wasn't sure of where the 99 & 103 #'s should be (ie, what's a perfect alignment vs a good one).

Be happy to if you want to buy a plain ticket. lol

Seriously the numbers are not horrible and yes, you are right, if it was fine tuned you would experience a little less rain fade.
Great thing is with satellite, you either have it or you don't so the rest of the time you picture quality does not suffer.

That all being said, with IV retest no in effect, all service calls and most upgrades are supposed to go through an Installation Verification retest before a tech can close the job. I know this does not help you, but it does however, help the next guy who has a dish remounted after roofing.

You could offer to pay D* for a service call to tweak the numbers and with IV retest it will be right.
May be worth the $50 (I think is the price).

 

[scoop8]

Be happy to if you want to buy a plain ticket. lol

Seriously the numbers are not horrible and yes, you are right, if it was fine tuned you would experience a little less rain fade.
Great thing is with satellite, you either have it or you don't so the rest of the time you picture quality does not suffer.

That all being said, with IV retest no in effect, all service calls and most upgrades are supposed to go through an Installation Verification retest before a tech can close the job. I know this does not help you, but it does however, help the next guy who has a dish remounted after roofing.

You could offer to pay D* for a service call to tweak the numbers and with IV retest it will be right.
May be worth the $50 (I think is the price).

Thanks for the info. Just so I have this right before I call (if I decide that it's worth the $50), when I call, I call the main DTV # and do I mention "IV retest"? That's the part I'm not understanding yet. Or is that a parameter that DTV will look at when they see that I had a prior call to realign the dish and that will let them know that the previous alignment was good but not the best #'s (for the 99 & 103))?

 

[kjlued]

You know, i do not know for sure how you could ensure that they put it in the work order to be done.
It is supposed to be automatic for any service call and some other types of jobs but I have had a lot of jobs that should have it and do not.
Maybe mentioning it will help but I can not say as that is not my area of expertise.
That part of the question would be more of Stonecolds area.

 

[98Civic]

Thank's ya'll for the helpful info and fast responses!! Ya'll are the BEST!! Last thing, here are the results of my transponders/signal readings I looked at and was wantin to know if they are good/what your opinions on them are or if I need to worry. Thanks!!

SMW: 1-8: 100 100 99 98 98 98 98 98
9-16: 98 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

103cb: 1-8: 98 98 95 96 96 97 95 96
9-16: 96 96 96 97 97 97 N/A N/A

103ca: 1-8: N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
9-16: 98 97 97 97 97 96 96 97
17-24: 97 97 97 98 97 97 99 100
25-32: N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

99c: 1-8: 96 96 95 96 96 95 95 96
9-16: 96 96 96 96 98 98 N/A N/A

By the way, what is SWM and does the signal levels for it matter any?

Sincerely,
98Civic

 

[kjlued]

Signal levels are as good as they get.

 

[scoop8]

Wow, they sure are Want to trade "signals" on your 99 & 103? kidding....

Whoever aligned your dish gets an A+ imo. That does tell me that it's possibe to get those #'s.

I might make that phone call after all.

 

[Mr Tony]

By the way, what is SWM and does the signal levels for it matter any?

Sincerely,
98Civic

I asked the same thing after I got HD
http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv-forum/237441-swm-readings-what-they.html

Those are the SWM "channels" - iirc a SWM 8 allocates 8 channels for programming, and there is an additional channel for the guide data that all the receivers get.

 

[Joe Diamond]

Just because it ain't broke is no excuse for not fixing it.

If you call to get those signals fixed there is a good chance Directv will try to back charge the tech for doing a perfect job.

Use your system for a while and observe those numbers as the weather changes. It should work in rain but the numbers will go down some.
You will loose HD signal first and then SD. This is normal but rare...one or two times a year,,,and even then Directv will not roll a truck until the conditions improve.

They could charge you fifty bucks for shouting "Wolf, Wolf!" when there is no wolf, but that is another story. Stand away from your phone. Check the light in the icebox...are you sure it goes out EVERY time?

Joe.....stay away from the phone........back..........watch TV

 

[98Civic]

Being a new Directv customer, I have another question. After posting my signal/transponder signal levels for ya'll too see and ya'll telling me that my signal levels are as good as it can get and are very, very good....I'm just curious and wondering that in cloudy, raining, thunderstorms, sleet and snow since my signal levels are as good as can get and are very, very good if I will lose any signal on those types of weather, or will it be hard and rare for me too lose signal in that type of weather being my signal levels are very, very good? Thanks!!