Odd 771 Errors - Repeated Intermittent after Tech Visits

[Dave-]

Been with DTV since '94. I've had many issues over the years and all have been resolved with one visit. Current issue is the worst kind. Intermittent with no way to cause the failure by repeating any steps. Not sure where to turn but this seems to be the place. Haven't posted this elsewhere. I want to help the tech solve this.

Problem: Continued, repeated 771 errors for no apparent reason before and after tech repairs applied.

3 boxes are:
HR24/100
HR24/200
HR22/?

Started 8/31. Hard 771 outage until 9/6.

Tech arrived 9/6.

Replaced LNBs
Replaced spliter
Re-terminated all coax cables and replaced connectors

Worked okay until 9/14 when 771s returned. Satellite reading were all in the 90s yet 771 persisted then went away without any action on my part. System working okay.

On 9/15 system worked okay (sat readings in 90s) then 771s reappeared. Tech arrived same day and replaced all coax connectors in wall plates. Check main cable run from satellite through attic to main connector box in basement where splitter is located. Found no connecters or breaks in coax. The coax cable run from the satellite to the basement is one continous cable.

9/16 (today) system worked fine. I decided to watch a pre-recorded show. When recorded show was over at 10:15 flipped to live TV. 771s are back. Sat numbers all zeroes. Pressed red button. Got 771 when rebuilding guide. Reset didn't complete. At 10:39 live TV returned. Sat readings are all in 90s.

My conclusion: Something the tech did on the 9/6 visit "fixed" the problem in the sense the hard outage "improved" to intermittent after one week of perfect reception.

I am confused. What could cause this type of issue? Can anyone help me out here. This is unacceptable. Tech is great and customer oriented yet I'm sure not that experienced.

This is not weather related. There have been no storms or heavy rain since the issue began.

Thanks for any suggestions.
Dave-

 

[vazhog]

Have you checked all connections (rg6) at the rear of each receiver? Could be lose or since all connectors were replaced- or they could be lose as well. one center lead could be short Also may look at the PI Connection as well

 

[Dave-]

Thanks. The tech checked all the connections. When she came the second time she was here 2.5 hours replacing all the coax behind the wall plates and receivers. Not sure what PI means though.

What stumps me is that all the receivers are affected. Obviously it's a system wide issue. I could understand a loose connection for one receiver. I even asked her when the LNB was replaced if it was new one or refurbished. She said it was a new one.

 

[texasbrit]

When you had "all zeroes" was that on all the satellites or just some of them? Where's the power inserter (that's the PI the other poster mentioned)

 

[raoul5788]

to Satelliteguys Dave-!
If all of your dvrs are affected, it's something between the dish and the splitter, or as texasbrit mentioned, the power inserter. Could it possibly be on a switched power source?

 

[Dave-]

Thanks for the welcome.

When the original issue occurred sat strength was 90s on odd and zeroes on even. She replaced the LNB, replaced the splitter and re-terminated all coax and out new connectors on. Things were fine for a week. After that when the 771 pops-up the sat strength has either been in the high 90s OR zeroes. What stumps me is the high 90s at the same time I get the 771 message. Today it was all zeroes when the got the message. That is on all satellites.

Unsure where (or what) the PI is. Where is that located? If it's not that I agree it's between the dish and splitter. She climbed into the attic to check the main cable from the dish to the splitter to check for a barrel connector but said the main cable is one solid run. When the house was built the cable was pre-installed. I will say she very detailed. First trip she was here 1.5 hours. 2nd trip 2.5 hours so she wasn't in hurry to finish like some of the techs I've had.

Dave-

 

[Dave-]

I just did a search on the PI. I went and check the splitter. I see no power inserter there. All I see is a 6x8 multiswitch which is grounded on a water pipe.

 

[HoTat2]

I just did a search on the PI. I went and check the splitter. I see no power inserter there. All I see is a 6x8 multiswitch which is grounded on a water pipe.

A "6x8 multiswitch?"

Possibly a WB68?

So this is not a SWiM installation, but a legacy one?

Are there two coax lines feeding each receiver through B-Band Converters (BBCs)?

 

[raoul5788]

Fooled me, too. I assumed it was a swm setup. Now I am suspicious of the WB68, again assuming there is one!

 

[Dave-]

HoTat2, yep. 2 coax lines per box with BBCs. Installed when the house was built in 2004. Since then, of course, the DVRs and dish have been replaced for HD.

 

[raoul5788]

Could well be the switch then. If you have some barrel connectors, try bypassing the switch and use just one of the dvrs for a while. I'm surprised the tech didn't swap you over to a swm setup.

 

[Dave-]

Chip, if the WB68 is the multiswitch then that was replaced on the tech's first visit.

BTW had a brief 771 last night for about ten minutes which only appeared on one tv. Sat readings were all 90s when I saw it and message went away.

 

[Dave-]

If I use only one DVR it better be the one the wife uses,

 

[NCLiquidations]

I have actually had a ground cause that issue in he past, I had a ground connected to a water line that caused a system failure every time the hot water heater kicked on. There was a short in the hot water heater that shorted the ground and caused the system to lose signal every so often. Took me a while to find that one.......If everything else fails, disconnect the ground wire from the switch or ground block and see if it stops......you never know

 

[Dave-]

Thanks for that tip. This thing is so screwy it could be anything.

I haven't had any issues today but only one TV was on so I can't say for sure there wasn't an issue.

I do have a comment..

Originally there was a fourth DVR. Very old SD type. It wasn't be used so I had Directv unauthorize it. It's been unplugged for years. Today not being sure that it's being disconnected MIGHT have something to do with my issue I plugged it in since the system was originally set up that way. I haven't seen any issues today. Since I have a legacy setup I'm not sure if that has anything to do with my issue but mentioning it doesn't hurt. I may eventually post that I only have problems when there's a full moon.

 

[texasbrit]

The fact that this is a legacy installation and not SWM makes a big difference. But it's important to confirm your statement that "all satellites go to zero". Are you sure? You had made an earlier statement that you were getting 90s on odds and zero on evens. On a legacy system, that points to a specific cable or connector failure, but to lose all satellites you would need two failures which is less likely.

 

[raoul5788]

The fact that this is a legacy installation and not SWM makes a big difference. But it's important to confirm your statement that "all satellites go to zero". Are you sure? You had made an earlier statement that you were getting 90s on odds and zero on evens. On a legacy system, that points to a specific cable or connector failure, but to lose all satellites you would need two failures which is less likely.

Perhaps an issue with one of the lines coming in from the dish then? Dave- did say that all the connectors and the WB68 were changed.

 

[texasbrit]

If you have a bad cable/connector from the dish to the multiswitch, you will lose either odds or evens on all receivers. A very common problem with legacy systems. To lose all the transponders, you would need to have two cable/connector problems.

If you have a bad cable/connector between the multiswitch and a receiver, you would lose either odds or evens on just one receiver

 

[Dave-]

Sorry. Let me clarify with three receivers it gets a little crazy. And I'll try to be clearer next time I report the number since I'm getting a better understanding with Texbrit's explanation.

Originally before the tech arrived I was getting zeroes on all DVRs for one week. After the 1st tech visit (replacing the multiswitch, LNB, and re-terminating all coax at the dish and multiswitch I would get the 90s on odds and zeroes on evens when I got the 771 message.

After tech visit 2 (replacing all coax terminations in the wall plates) I don't get zeros at all. It's all high 90s and a few 100s. But I still get the 771 message at times with no loss of picture.

I did go about 60 hours with no issues but yesterday I got a 771 message for 1-2 minutes. Sat readings were all 90s. Picture wasn't lost. Also on one DVR last night I was recording two programs at 9pm ET. (My wife and I watch a recorded show at bedtime). One show recorded perfectly. The other recorded 22 minutes of a one hour program. That TV was not on and wasn't being watched at the time so I can't say the 771 message popped-up. I was watching TV at that time on another TV/DVR and saw no 771 messages around 9:22.

I'm really stumped. Once I've used my NFL Sunday Ticket I believe it's time for Dish.

D*'s long term vision seems to be all streaming w/o no DVRs via high speed connections from cell towers. Everything on the "cloud". No dish on my roof, no DVR, I have crappy cell service and DSL. I have NO other options for high speed connections. D* was a God-send for rural folks but seems now they want everyone watching HBO on cell phones.

 

[HoTat2]

Sorry. Let me clarify with three receivers it gets a little crazy. And I'll try to be clearer next time I report the number since I'm getting a better understanding with Texbrit's explanation.

Originally before the tech arrived I was getting zeroes on all DVRs for one week. After the 1st tech visit (replacing the multiswitch, LNB, and re-terminating all coax at the dish and multiswitch I would get the 90s on odds and zeroes on evens when I got the 771 message.

After tech visit 2 (replacing all coax terminations in the wall plates) I don't get zeros at all. It's all high 90s and a few 100s. But I still get the 771 message at times with no loss of picture.

I did go about 60 hours with no issues but yesterday I got a 771 message for 1-2 minutes. Sat readings were all 90s. Picture wasn't lost. Also on one DVR last night I was recording two programs at 9pm ET. (My wife and I watch a recorded show at bedtime). One show recorded perfectly. The other recorded 22 minutes of a one hour program. That TV was not on and wasn't being watched at the time so I can't say the 771 message popped-up. I was watching TV at that time on another TV/DVR and saw no 771 messages around 9:22.

I'm really stumped. Once I've used my NFL Sunday Ticket I believe it's time for Dish.

D*'s long term vision seems to be all streaming w/o no DVRs via high speed connections from cell towers. Everything on the "cloud". No dish on my roof, no DVR, I have crappy cell service and DSL. I have NO other options for high speed connections. D* was a God-send for rural folks but seems now they want everyone watching HBO on cell phones.

Before that you should at least give SWiM a try.

And I'm really surprised the tech. on successive vists placed so much effort and cost into troubleshooting an obsolete legacy installation this way. When the standard today is to simply upgrade to SWiM for any problematic HD legacy installation like that.