OTA module and Violent Storms

[dominicmanzer]

I have a VIP222K with the over the air (OTA) module. When thunderstorms hit the area the satellite signal is lost, "Error 015" is displayed and the OTA module is disabled as well. This is a safety concern as the Washington DC area dose have violent storms and tornados. Being able to rapidly tune to a local station for real time wether radar is a necessity. When the sat receiver is in the error 015, loss of sat signal mode it will not permit using the OTA module to tune to a local station to receive information about the storm.

Dish TV has not be helpful with this problem, only suggesting to reconnect the OTA antenna directly two the TV. This is not a realistic solution to the time critical situation. I found a procedure that will re-enable the receiver to use the OTA module.

Using the remote, go to the dish pointing page of the menus then return to live TV and enter a local channel number.

Push "MENU" 6 1 1

Push "View LIVE TV" 6 6

The OTA will tune to channel 66 or the highest channel below it in the channel list. Then any local channel can be selected in the normal manor.

Their appears to be a window of 10 seconds to enter the local TV channel number, before the receiver decides the sat signal is not available and locks itself form taking new commands. If the receiver returns to the error 015 mode, repeat the procedure. This can be done to both sides of the receiver to enable both TV's to view the local channels.

I believe this procedure will work even if there is not a valid subscription to Dish TV as the receiver has to be able to enter the point dish mode before subscription information can be downloaded to it. This procedure should work with other receiver models by changing the numbers after pressing menu to get to the point dish page.

If you want to test the procedure for yourself, disconnect the cable from the dish to the connectors on the sat receiver box. This simulates the loss of signal condition from storms or a miss pointed dish.

 

[dwarren2]

Why not just put in a splitter on your ota line and run 1 to the 222 and the other to the coax input of the TV. Then all you have to do is switch to coax input.

 

[Mr Tony]

I think if you hit "guide" that will allow you to tune to a OTA channel

 

[MattG@DISH]

You should be able to get to the guide by pressing menu-1 also

 

[Jimmerinwi]

You need to hit "menu" and then "1" for program guide. This enables you to tune to OTA channels.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

 

[3HaloODST]

I think it's pretty stupid that the "Complete Signal Loss" screen "disables" the guide in the first place. Not only would people want to tune OTA, but half of the time the receiver can't tell the difference between "Complete Signal Loss" and "Partial Signal Loss," usually defaulting to "Complete Signal Loss" regardless of whether or not other sats are available, thus it "disables" the ability to tune in to a channel on a sat you are actually currently able to pick up.

Also stupid that it disables "recall" because say you're tuned into a channel that actually works, and just want to check if the other sat is back, well if you tune to the channel and the sat is still out, there is a high probability that it will default to "Complete Signal Loss" and disable your "recall" button, therefore making you "unable" to tune back to the working channel. Annoying.

 

[3HaloODST]

Another major flaw is say you lose signal to all sats and your power goes out. Well, chances are if your power comes back on and you still have no satellite reception, now your guide is wiped and cant be re-downloaded, so if you weren't already on an OTA channel, no OTA for you as there is no way to change channels and now the guide is disabled with no workarounds.

Also, even if you can pick up a sat, well if it's not a sat with the guide on it, better hope you're already on a channel that works, so that you can type in channels manually, and you better hope that you don't choose a channel with no reception, because you will then encounter the "Complete Signal Loss" screen with no "recall" functionality, and a non-functional guide, AKA a useless receiver that won't tune into anything at all.

Good thing I have the Internet on the Laptop, and if that goes out, a NOAA weather radio as a backup.

 

[Tampa8]

Just a note, this does not happen on the VIP612.
If the SAT signal is lost I do not even know it if I am watching OTA. However, it does happen in reverse. If I am watching a SAT channel, and my second tuner is on an OTA channel, or I believe an OTA channel was watched prior to going to a SAT channel, the receiver thinks the SAT lost it's signal, and then I just go to the guide to get the SAT channel back, or, go to another SAT channel, then back to the SAT channel I was on it does not happen again.

As a backup, I did what dwarren2 suggested. I have a coax going directly to my TV also.