No signal

[james1937]

My daughter is having trouble with her dish tv. She thinks the cables or cable may have a short. She has two of the twin receivers with 4 tv's (for her boys). She switched one receiver to the tv's not working and it still does not have a signal. I don't have the rg6 cables but do have rg59. Would the rg59 be ok JUST to check to see if this is the problem?
You may comment on what other things may be the problem. Open to all suggestions.
She is a single mom with limited income and don't want to pay a service tech to come out and that is why I am trying to help.

 

[Andrewwski]

Yeah, you can try with that. If it works, then it's the cable currently being used.

Is one receiver working but the other is not?

 

[james1937]

Yes one is working and one is not. That is why she switched them to see if it was the receiver. She switched the "good one" to where the "bad one" was and it would not work. I will go down tomorrow and switch the "bad one" to the location of the "good one" to see what happens before messing with the cables.

 

[Andrewwski]

Definitely something between the LNB or switch and the receiver that isn't working.

What are the model numbers of each receiver? Also, on each receiver (working and not), go to Menu>6>1>1 (Signal Meter), then go up and run a check switch test. Post the results here - will give some information that can help give a better clue as to what the problem is.

 

[garys]

You can also switch receivers with each other to see if receiver not working as opposed to the coax runn.

 

[james1937]

Definitely something between the LNB or switch and the receiver that isn't working.

What are the model numbers of each receiver? Also, on each receiver (working and not), go to Menu>6>1>1 (Signal Meter), then go up and run a check switch test. Post the results here - will give some information that can help give a better clue as to what the problem is.

The model number on both receivers is 322 dual receivers.

She ran the switch test and it ran ok on second "Good receiver" for both sat1 and sat2
But when she ran the switch test on the "bad receiver" the test ran up to 38 on both sat1 and sat2 and came back with this message:

Warning 836 The check switch test has found you have fewer satellites than previously detected. Selecting "save" will result in a loss of channels. Press "cancel" to keep the original setting and return to the previous menu. Only select :save" if you are sure that this new setting is correct for your installation or you have (the sentence ended there).

She changed all cables at the "bad receiver" and also the one to the wall but did not help.

If she has a bad LNB who is responsible for the repair? Could it be possible that the separator or diplexer at the "bad receiver" is bad? Depending on your answer to the last question I will remove my separator and diplexer and put it on hers to see if that resolves the problem. (Just didn't want to go to the trouble of removing them unnecessarily.

 

[whatchel1]

DPP

The model number on both receivers is 322 dual receivers.

She ran the switch test and it ran ok on second "Good receiver" for both sat1 and sat2
But when she ran the switch test on the "bad receiver" the test ran up to 38 on both sat1 and sat2 and came back with this message:

Warning 836 The check switch test has found you have fewer satellites than previously detected. Selecting "save" will result in a loss of channels. Press "cancel" to keep the original setting and return to the previous menu. Only select :save" if you are sure that this new setting is correct for your installation or you have (the sentence ended there).

She changed all cables at the "bad receiver" and also the one to the wall but did not help.

If she has a bad LNB who is responsible for the repair? Could it be possible that the separator or diplexer at the "bad receiver" is bad? Depending on your answer to the last question I will remove my separator and diplexer and put it on hers to see if that resolves the problem. (Just didn't want to go to the trouble of removing them unnecessarily.

Do you have the Dish Protection Plan? If you do it will cost 15 if not somewhere near 100 to get a tech out there. I does sound like bad LNB or switch so far.

 

[scoobyxj]

First switch receivers if the problem follows the receiver then receiver is bad.
If problem is still in same location try switching the wires coming down from the dish at the ground block (Unless the coax from the dish is damaged this will determine if the LNB has a bad port.).
Then try switching each component sep for know working one DPX for known good one. You can actually remove the DPX , and connect the coax directly to the separator to test (you just wouldn't have a TV2 signal). Same deal with the outside/basement DPX just connect the coax running to the receiver to the GND block.

 

[Andrewwski]

If it runs up to 38, it didn't find any Dish Pro or Dish Pro Plus equipment, thus it is looking for legacy switches.

Since you mention separators, I'd imagine she has a Dish Pro Plus LNB (on a Dish 500) with one run from it to each receiver.

Yes, a bad separator or diplexer could cause it. That would be the first thing that I would try.

If that's not it, it's either the cable between the LNB and diplexer or the LNB itself. Switch the cables on the LNB - if the problem switches to the other room, it's the LNB. If not, have you tried a new section of cable all the way from the LNB to the diplexer (not just from a wallplate)?

 

[james1937]

I just wanted to let you know that "we" found the problem with your help and the help of my daughter. She kept saying she thought it was in the two silver shining boxes on the back of the tv. But we did not have a replacement. I tried to switch the cables at the ground block....no cigar. I checked all the runs in the attic and did not see anything that looked troublesome. I had just about given up and was getting my tools and cables up to leave and she said she had a long rg59 cable from a previous installation. I checked and it was long enough to reach from the ground block to the receiver. Well, I plugged it in and it seem to download programs but no pic. Daughter still insist it was the bright shiny boxes on the back of the receiver. So after reading the many post here she got up and took the diplexor out of the circuit and hooked it to the separator. To make a story shorter...it worked. So she immediately order a new diplexor.
Now I am the blunt of her jokes. She said she was adding Dish network Tech to her resume, Ha. She was one happy camper.
Thanks to all who responded.
James1937