picture freezing

[Broe67]

unfortunately that is about the only place the dish can go because of apartment restrictions. So the only way to tell is to have a tech come out again?

If you have a iPhone, iPad, or Android phone or Android tablet with a camera in it, you can use SAToolz DTV, which will show you what birds are in your LOS (Line Of Site), where the dish sits.

A good LOS should look something like this, if you use the app that I posted about should show as the picture below shows.

 

[raoul5788]

Many of the reviews for that app aren't very favorable, and it costs $4.99. Satellite AR works well and it's free.

 

[Broe67]

Many of the reviews for that app aren't very favorable, and it costs $4.99. Satellite AR works well and it's free.

I have had no problems with the app, nor disagree with the $5.00 charge for the app. As for Satellite AR, it has a learning curve, that the mass majority is not going to spend the time trying to figure out. Most people want a point and see, for the use that they need it for.

Satellite AR, is used to show you the sky position of any satellite that may be up in the sky at any given time, not just the location of those for what you need it for, such as what SAToolz is for. Satellite AR is more of a hobbyist toy app then anything. As for bad reviews, I have come across none for SAToolz, regarding it or how to use. I do find that most bad reviews, are either those that are competitors of the product, or those who are bored, and all they do is go out on the Internet and just slander a product, without even using it.

 

[raoul5788]

I saw many that said it was off by 18°. As far as Satellite AR, I have found it easy to use, simply select the category (Directv, Dish, etc) and point.

 

[Broe67]

I saw many that said it was off by 18°. As far as Satellite AR, I have found it easy to use, simply select the category (Directv, Dish, etc) and point.

You have to go by the fact that you are talking about people most likely not using True North, but Magnetic North, or having magnetic interference which can throw off the compass in the device, along with just having a bad device all together.

Before I did mine, I did a compass calibration on my iPhone 5, and it is right on target where it should be. Compared it with what the tech showed on their tool, and both had the same direction reading for 101. Personally I hate the fact that too many of the reviews you see online are 90% false, 5% not knowing how to use the software, the other 5% that knows how to use it, but are buried in the reviews, or never report reviews, due to they see no reason to do so.

I rarely review software online, because I know there is always going to be someone out there that will come back with a negative opinion about it, or state that my review is made up, even though it is unbiased.

That is why I suggested to use the tool as a point of reference, of seeing how clear the OP LOS is, not to use it as a way of setting up their dish. SAToolz like any other app, is just for reference, not to be used as something to be written in stone as what your outcome will be, due to there are too many variables out there.

 

[mikedz4]

if it happens again I will call directv and have them come out and check the genie. I have the older genie with the genie minis

 

[Hutch1814]

if it happens again I will call directv and have them come out and check the genie. I have the older genie with the genie minis

You say you're in an apartment? How exactly is this cable run coming in to the apartment? Flat cable I assume? The local problem is a known problem and is several markets with clear sunny days and the locals freeze up and pixilate to the point they can't be watched. The down pours and losing signals, welcome to satellite tv, I'm assuming when you had satellite before it wasn't HD? HD signals will go out before anything but I've had several times this year I've lost complete signal on all birds due to weather.

 

[mikedz4]

yes it is flat cable because the landlord doesn't want any holes drilled. I don't understand why local channels are more succeptible to tiling than cable channels. Will this ever get fixed? It stinks when I can't watch the news or a football game because the picture is unusable.

 

[Hutch1814]

yes it is flat cable because the landlord doesn't want any holes drilled. I don't understand why local channels are more succeptible to tiling than cable channels. Will this ever get fixed? It stinks when I can't watch the news or a football game because the picture is unusable.

I would question the flat cable for starters. That stuff isn't the most forgiving in the world but given the situation it has to be used. I try to do my best to not use it if I can find a way to back feed a line to where the cables connect and just use the wall plates. As for the locals, they've had the issue for ever it seems like. We're told it's fixed then a week later the problem rears its head again. I'm from the Indi market and Andrew lucks first game as a colt was completely unwatchable. For me it wasn't a big deal as I'm not a big colts fan but yeah, it happens at the worst time then stops for a few months then comes back again. It's a vicious cycle

 

[raoul5788]

The flat cable could be the issue. Also, you didn't post your signal strengths for 99s, which is where your locals come from. Check 99s t4. What are the signal strengths there? If/when the tiling happens again, check and see if they have changed.

 

[raoul5788]

Also, if you have the flat cable going under a window sash, you can drill a hole in a 2x4 and run a regular cable through it with the 2x4 on the window sill. Seal around it with foam, and don't forget the mating seal between the two sashes.

 

[Hutch1814]

The flat cable could be the issue. Also, you didn't post your signal strengths for 99s, which is where your locals come from. Check 99s t4. What are the signal strengths there? If/when the tiling happens again, check and see if they have changed.

The transponder won't change. It's a broadcast issue. The real problem lies on that flat cable, I'm not a fan. I see them weekly being bad and needing replaced. Just too much traveling through that thing. They really wasn't made for SWM I don't think and it seems like all we install today is SWM

 

[raoul5788]

So you are saying the freezing and tiling has nothing to do with the customer equipment, but it's on the broadcast side? I haven't heard that before.

 

[Hutch1814]

Yes Chip, for some reason not all markets are affected but I happen to be in a market with issues. Case management won't set up service call for it in some markets cause it being a broadcast issue. It sucks trying to explain to a customer what's going on and not being able to tell them when it'll be fixed


Posted Via The SatelliteGuys Reader App!

 

[stardust3]

In addition to signal strength, I wish receivers would show signal quality as well. It would help us all.

 

[Hutch1814]

In addition to signal strength, I wish receivers would show signal quality as well. It would help us all.

I wish they'd show the actual power level in db's. That's make forums and techs jobs so much easier!

 

[ejb1980]

My bet is that it has nothing to do with the dish seeing a satellite. It's probably the Genie, since you said you have the older one. My HR24 never froze, but my HR34 old Genie does all the time. It's the nature of the beast. They will not upgrade me, either, since they are convinced the HR34 and HR44 are functionally the same. BS.

 

[qcjoe]

If you are using HDMI it may be a hand shake issue. Go to menu/settings/display/tv resolutions and untick all options and just leave 1080p

 

[Broe67]

If you are using HDMI it may be a hand shake issue. Go to menu/settings/display/tv resolutions and untick all options and just leave 1080p

Just leaving in 1080p will do nothing for the OP. If it was a HDMI handshake issue, they would either get a black screen or Green Screen, not tiling as they are getting with particular channels.

 

[qcjoe]

Just leaving in 1080p will do nothing for the OP. If it was a HDMI handshake issue, they would either get a black screen or Green Screen, not tiling as they are getting with particular channels.

I had the same issue and it worked for me.