question on installing at9?

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dbthurman

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Jan 26, 2006
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I just finished installing at9 dish, followed directions closely and when i confirmed setup sat 99 (network 10) failed. Does anyone know why it would do that and what i need to do?
 
Hi all... A little help on the AT9 if you can... I installed it, have 80-100 on most 101 transponders 50's and 60's on 119 and 0 on 110 and 99.... I am receiving DiscoveryHD and esp2HD but not the other several 70 range channels say searching for satellite... so I'm assuming that some of the signals must be coming from satellites I've not got dialed in yet? Having gotten this far with a couple working... can someone suggest what I'd try next to dial in the needed signals to pick up the rest?

Thanks
 
Its very odd that you have a good signal on 101, and ok on 119, but zero on 110. If the AT9 is lined up on 101 and 119, the others 'have' to be as well. There are only 3 active transponders on 110, and I think they are all used for HD. It sounds like you have a bad LNB on the new dish, or one of the jumpers that runs from the small LNB to the main LNB is not attached correctly. Do you have a multiswitch in your setup? That could cause this problem as well. Also, the 99 sat is not live yet, so you should get zero on that one.

What receiver are you using? You should be able to get a better signal on 119, mine are in the 70's on my H20, with 80's on 101 and 110. My local HD spot beam from 103 is in the low 90's.
 
Hi... I"m using the H20...So if I have 101 great and 119 average then 110 should be received by default? That explains why there was not any info on aiming/fine tuning any further than the first two...so that does seem weird.... I'm not sure where to go from here but I'm gonna go check the two black jumpers....the other thing I wondered was zone for me... the map is not detailed enough and I"m under the line... I live on the ridge above south prairie washington about halfway between bonney lake and buckley...
 
since I'm using the signal meters on the tv instead of a handheld inline meter.... when I'm told to adjust till the signal is peaked... can anyone tell me which transponder I should use as a guage?
 
ok...I think I answered that last question myself... any odd numbered on the 101 will do...same with 119.... Since I don't see anything that directly brings in the other satellites I"m assuming that it is the process of fine tuning and peaking the combo of 101 and 119 and voila...the others are good to go? If I"m wrong somebody stop me...
 
Hey Dad,
What brand is the antenna? It should say on the back of the dish or LNB. The 119 levels sound a little low and since 110 lives between 101 and 119, it’s hard to screw it up even with the levels you have. You mentioned in another post that the cables seem ok between the main LNB and the 110/119 but these connections or cables are a prime suspect for what you are describing.
Bob
DadGuy said:
Hi all... A little help on the AT9 if you can... I installed it, have 80-100 on most 101 transponders 50's and 60's on 119 and 0 on 110 and 99.... I am receiving DiscoveryHD and esp2HD but not the other several 70 range channels say searching for satellite... so I'm assuming that some of the signals must be coming from satellites I've not got dialed in yet? Having gotten this far with a couple working... can someone suggest what I'd try next to dial in the needed signals to pick up the rest?

Thanks
 
Hi Little Dish Guy,

The Brand name is "WNC" ... The two black wires connecting the two LNB units are firmly connected top wire to top input, bottow wire to bottom input...

I haven't gone through the fine tuning steps as I don't have anyone handy to help me by watching the tv... is that possibly the reason or should I have something registering on 110 now since 101 and 119 are showing on the signal strength meter... I get everything I'm supposed to except the HD channels other than disovery and esp2....
 
Dad,
On the WNC, unplug the little LNB jumper cables and check for tiny black “O” rings at the base of the fixed connectors on the LNBs. If the O rings are there remove them and reconnect the jumpers in the correct order. The connectors should have a small but distinct snap when they seat and in some cases the O ring can keep the connector from seating. If this is or was the problem then put a bead of silicone sealant around the connector to LNB junction. If this is not the problem you may have an LNB that’s out to lunch. You also need to go through the fine tuning steps. Take the receiver and TV on the roof if you have to. The person tweaking the dish really needs to have instant feedback on signal strength changes.
Bob
 
Ok little dish...I'll do those things in the morning... one question I still wish I could get a definitive answer on from someone is... what zone am I in? Will it matter if I'm in zone 2 but set on Zone 1? On the map it looks like I'm underneath the dividing line... I'm set at zone 1.... should changing that be part of my last attempts before getting the lnb exchanged or is it not that big of a deal?
 
Dad,
If your right on the line pick either zone, it doesn’t matter much. You will have a problem if for example you need zone 1 and choose zone 3 but it will affect both 110 and 119. You can certainly try zone 2 to rule things out but if you want to know what really fixes the problem check the results before changing something else. I really hope you get the dish working and are able to get the new programming but I see this as another example to leave this new dish to professional installation. Few homeowners have the tools, equipment or training to properly install it or diagnose potential problems. If you decide the LNB or something else is bad and you return something, it could actually be good and lots of time and effort has been wasted for you and the dealer. If an installer does it, they should have spare parts on the truck and if it takes them a second trip its their problem not yours.
Bob
 
point well taken Bob, And I agree with it completely... If I had been on a time line or had a deadline I would not have risked the schedule with my lack of ability, knowledge or tools... In this case...I had no time pressure... have the time...and enjoy the sense of accomplishment of figuring it out and seeing it happen as a result of my own effort... I'm not so determined as to hang on to the bitter end...and will most likely call an installer before assume its a bad lnb and involve a supplier... I like to know things...and I really have learned a ton through this process so far...and discover HD is AMAZING!!!! lol... my whole family thinks I'm a hero just for that... well I'm off to see the superbowl at a friends house (8' HD projection, D* and OTA theater seats way too many speakers in dolby now if the seahawks can just make it happen....
 
DadGuy said:
point well taken Bob, And I agree with it completely... If I had been on a time line or had a deadline I would not have risked the schedule with my lack of ability, knowledge or tools... In this case...I had no time pressure... have the time...and enjoy the sense of accomplishment of figuring it out and seeing it happen as a result of my own effort... I'm not so determined as to hang on to the bitter end...and will most likely call an installer before assume its a bad lnb and involve a supplier... I like to know things...and I really have learned a ton through this process so far...and discover HD is AMAZING!!!! lol... my whole family thinks I'm a hero just for that... well I'm off to see the superbowl at a friends house (8' HD projection, D* and OTA theater seats way too many speakers in dolby now if the seahawks can just make it happen....

solidsignal.com has a video showing you exactly how to install the dish, its the same video the installers watched.
 
The install video that is being passed around is a great piece of work but it’s intended for experienced installers to see with experienced trainers there to answer questions and fill in missing info. I’m all for do-it yourself endeavors but I would never tear into my cars automatic transmission just because I watched a video and have some tools...
Otherwise we hope to hear that Dad found the problem and has everything dialed in.
Bob
 
ok... I've watched the video twice....followed all the fine tuning steps... removed the rubber o-rings on the lnb connectors and made sure I heard/felt the little click when I pushed the connectors back on.... 101 is between 75 and 100 on various transponders 119 is between 60 and 80 on various transponders.... and 110 remains 0 on all three available transponders.... Does this indicate a problem with the LNB? or is there a logic that I"m missing that would allow for a decent signal on 101 and 119 and a goose egg on 110... the numbers make me assume that 110 would be located between 101 119 tho at a different elevation possibly... but I'm leaning toward the 110 lnb being the culprit now unless someone can think of something I'm missing here? All thoughts welcome... comments about my heritage tho.... *smirk*
 
Dad,
You may have tried this but take off both jumpers and swap them. If you have a bad jumper then 110 would light up and 119 would go away. Inspect the insides of the little connectors to make sure nothing is broken inside, the pins are really small on these. Otherwise with what you have described and the levels you have I would be looking for a 110/119 LNB to swap. If you were near Bakersfield CA, I would be happy to loan you one for a test. Maybe someone else has suggestions??
Bob
 
ok... I took both jumpers off and switched.... 110 stayed at 0 signal strength...and 199 went down to 0 signal strength on all transponders.... pins look in good shape... not sure what both going dark on the swap means... also can anyone tell me whether halfway between bonney lake and buckley 98391/98321 zip should be zone 1 or zone 2 or does it matter?

Thanks for any further ideas / troubleshooting....

DG
 
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