Pic Goes Out Then In (HD), Alignment Is Fine

[Boondockbill]

Alignment is fine, SAT A is fine. The two HD sat's are fine but every 20 minutes, the picture will pixelate and then go dark, says trying to find signal. 10 seconds later everything is fine. This happens on ESPNHD and FOX West. On HDN it happens every 5 minutes or so. Alignment is fine, no wind, no trees. Anyideas so I don't have to get a service call for $100?

 

[charper1]

What make & model of IRD? (might be a software issue or box going bad)

PhaseIII dish? (might be an LBN issue if its an older PhaseII or LNB/built-in switch going out if PhaseIII)

Any switches? (external switch may be going bad or cables/F-connectors weak or damaged)

Ongoing problem from day one or just started?

I have 2 HD IRDs (1 LG 3200a & 1 Zenith 520) with a PhaseIII dish and no additional switches without this issue.

 

[Boondockbill]

RCA - July 2004 w/PhaseIII dish. Have had the system since Oct 2004. Problem started about a month ago. I guess start with replacing the built in switch (can I??), then the LNB's, then the box (I hope not).

 

[charper1]

I would check the RG6 cables, the connectors and the connections first. Eliminate any moisture.

Then see if you can find another PhaseIII to test on to see if that does it before you buy another. The switch and LNB are built together on a PhaseIII and in some cases buying a new complete dish can be cheaper (ebay)., but thats why I recommend testing on a friends first. You can easily carry your receiver to their home.

 

[Boondockbill]

Directv Phase III Dish new in box is $20 on Ebay.

 

[Boondockbill]

Tonight, no problems whatsoever. Will check at what hour in the morning it starts toi happen.

 

[charper1]

It knows you are talking about it! LOL

 

[boba]

If it happens only in the daytime and more so when the sun starts to heat up things you may have a temperature sensitive LNB.

 

[Boondockbill]

Yep. It's 8:30am, sunny, and it's starting to act up again. Temp sensitive LNB? What do I do now??? Are there ones that are NOT temp sensitive??? Never heard of it.

 

[qidon]

you might have bad connecters on the lnb. the dilectric can shrink and expand with temp changes.

 

[charper1]

Yep. It's 8:30am, sunny, and it's starting to act up again. Temp sensitive LNB? What do I do now??? Are there ones that are NOT temp sensitive??? Never heard of it.

Well in the PHX area it is consistently over 80 at night and 110+ in the day, but what we do not have that most do is the incessant moisture. I have had the typical PhaseIII in direct sunlight (like there is any other here) since they came out, and it replaced a PhaseII and I have never had any heat (or cold) related issues. I did make sure to coat my connectors with a moisture repellant and installed weather boots (aka jackets).

 

[fleetmack]

i have the exact same problem, except sometimes my hd channels dont return for a long time (hours) ... this is only with the satellite ESPNHD and DISCHD are on (not sure of the #) ... I have about 85% signal strenght on all transponders and they just go to 0 then go back to 85% without any movement of the dish, no trees, and a clear view of the sky. stumped. i've tried 3 different triple-lnb's on the dish too.

 

[Boondockbill]

i have the exact same problem, except sometimes my hd channels dont return for a long time (hours) ... this is only with the satellite ESPNHD and DISCHD are on (not sure of the #) ... I have about 85% signal strenght on all transponders and they just go to 0 then go back to 85% without any movement of the dish, no trees, and a clear view of the sky. stumped. i've tried 3 different triple-lnb's on the dish too.

Tech support told me it is a known "sunfade" issue. Will have to change dish location.

 

[charper1]

That is so funny to me; really. So when you move that dish mount to a new location (any location), you will still be pointing it at the same azimuth.

As a long time DirecTV user here in Phoenix, AZ I would love to hear what the tech's definition or explanation of "sunfade" was?

 

[Boondockbill]

That is so funny to me; really. So when you move that dish mount to a new location (any location), you will still be pointing it at the same azimuth.

As a long time DirecTV user here in Phoenix, AZ I would love to hear what the tech's definition or explanation of "sunfade" was?

call them up and let us know!

 

[charper1]

So do I assume that you didn't ask them and they didn't tell you? I have no need to call them, as your current issue doesn't happen to me and I know what "sunfade" is already. That particular tech gave a generalized BS answer to your issue with absolutely no explanation of the meaning or resolution?

I really hope that this person wasn't trying to say you were experiencing one of the seasonal equinoxs, because it is not that time of the year for the fall one (the other occurs in the spring) nor will moving the dish help. Because "sunfade" (aka sun outage) is really known as "sun transit fade" and is refereing to the seasonal equinoxs and they will effect everything NOT just your HD.

 

[charper1]

Predicted Sun Fade Dates and Times (EST)

DirecTV 101 in Central US

Predicted Fade | Start | End | Duration | Start | End
Date | GMT | GMT | | EST | EST
mm/dd/yyyy | hh:mm:ss | hh:mm:ss | mm:ss | hh:mm:ss | hh:mm:ss
-----------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|---------
10/02/2005 | 18:29:54 | 18:40:34 | 10:40 | 13:29:54 | 13:40:34
10/03/2005 | 18:27:52 | 18:41:57 | 14:05 | 13:27:52 | 13:41:57
10/04/2005 | 18:26:31 | 18:42:41 | 16:10 | 13:26:31 | 13:42:41
10/05/2005 | 18:25:28 | 18:43:03 | 17:35 | 13:25:28 | 13:43:03
10/06/2005 | 18:24:51 | 18:43:06 | 18:15 | 13:24:51 | 13:43:06
10/07/2005 | 18:24:28 | 18:42:58 | 18:30 | 13:24:28 | 13:42:58
10/08/2005 | 18:24:18 | 18:42:33 | 18:15 | 13:24:18 | 13:42:33
10/09/2005 | 18:24:28 | 18:41:48 | 17:20 | 13:24:28 | 13:41:48
10/10/2005 | 18:24:53 | 18:40:53 | 16:00 | 13:24:53 | 13:40:53
10/11/2005 | 18:25:44 | 18:39:29 | 13:45 | 13:25:44 | 13:39:29
10/12/2005 | 18:27:15 | 18:37:30 | 10:15 | 13:27:15 | 13:37:30


DirecTV 110

Predicted Fade | Start | End | Duration | Start | End
Date | GMT | GMT | | EST | EST
mm/dd/yyyy | hh:mm:ss | hh:mm:ss | mm:ss | hh:mm:ss | hh:mm:ss
-----------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|---------
10/02/2005 | 19:10:41 | 19:21:41 | 11:00 | 14:10:41 | 14:21:41
10/03/2005 | 19:08:45 | 19:23:00 | 14:15 | 14:08:45 | 14:23:00
10/04/2005 | 19:07:24 | 19:23:44 | 16:20 | 14:07:24 | 14:23:44
10/05/2005 | 19:06:27 | 19:24:02 | 17:35 | 14:06:27 | 14:24:02
10/06/2005 | 19:05:49 | 19:24:09 | 18:20 | 14:05:49 | 14:24:09
10/07/2005 | 19:05:27 | 19:23:57 | 18:30 | 14:05:27 | 14:23:57
10/08/2005 | 19:05:16 | 19:23:26 | 18:10 | 14:05:16 | 14:23:26
10/09/2005 | 19:05:26 | 19:22:46 | 17:20 | 14:05:26 | 14:22:46
10/10/2005 | 19:05:57 | 19:21:47 | 15:50 | 14:05:57 | 14:21:47
10/11/2005 | 19:06:53 | 19:20:18 | 13:25 | 14:06:53 | 14:20:18
10/12/2005 | 19:08:23 | 19:18:13 | 09:50 | 14:08:23 | 14:18:13

DirecTV 119

Predicted Fade | Start | End | Duration | Start | End
Date | GMT | GMT | | EST | EST
mm/dd/yyyy | hh:mm:ss | hh:mm:ss | mm:ss | hh:mm:ss | hh:mm:ss
-----------------|----------|----------|----------|----------|---------
10/02/2005 | 19:51:07 | 20:02:42 | 11:35 | 14:51:07 | 15:02:42
10/03/2005 | 19:49:14 | 20:03:54 | 14:40 | 14:49:14 | 15:03:54
10/04/2005 | 19:47:58 | 20:04:33 | 16:35 | 14:47:58 | 15:04:33
10/05/2005 | 19:47:05 | 20:04:50 | 17:45 | 14:47:05 | 15:04:50
10/06/2005 | 19:46:27 | 20:04:52 | 18:25 | 14:46:27 | 15:04:52
10/07/2005 | 19:46:10 | 20:04:35 | 18:25 | 14:46:10 | 15:04:35
10/08/2005 | 19:46:04 | 20:04:09 | 18:05 | 14:46:04 | 15:04:09
10/09/2005 | 19:46:15 | 20:03:25 | 17:10 | 14:46:15 | 15:03:25
10/10/2005 | 19:46:45 | 20:02:20 | 15:35 | 14:46:45 | 15:02:20
10/11/2005 | 19:47:46 | 20:00:51 | 13:05 | 14:47:46 | 15:00:51
10/12/2005 | 19:49:32 | 19:58:37 | 09:05 | 14:49:32 | 14:58:37

I can post specific locations if needed, but the dates will be the same, only times will change.

 

[Boondockbill]

Didn't mean to rattle you, I just thought it's be fun to see how many diff definitions we'd get with diff TS's. Sunfade, as I know it, happens here on the WC in May and Sept-Oct for a week or two. It's when the sat is directly beween a dish and the sun. used to happen at alot of diff hours with my C Band.
Which makes it rather funny that a TS rep would use that excuse, seeing how the sun is in a direct overhead arc this time of summer!

 

[charper1]

You didn't rattle me, I was just asking what or how you responded to that because that is not your problem. If anything can be heat related, it might be the heat irritating a semi-defective part outside such as a connector or maybe even a cable with a cut in it or something.

 

[charper1]

EDIT/ADD - See This Post

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?p=566078#post566078

Maybe this is what the tech was trying to tell you?