Random signal loss

[Hi Ho]

I've had my VIP722 DVR for about three weeks now. I am new to satellite. I have been very happy so far but for one slightly annoying issue. I get random signal breakup on HD channels. It is very annoying when I'm watching a show recorded from National Geographic or History Channel and they're talking about some interesting subject and the message, "Recording interrupted due to signal loss" pops up on the screen. The most I've lost was maybe 20 seconds but it's still quite aggrivating as it sometimes happens several times during a show. The problem happens when it's not raining and the skies are clear. The strange thing is that I went through a major storm that included very heavy snow and extremely heavy rain last weekend without losing signal once (except when I had to brush snow off the dish). Any suggestions?

 

[MikeD-C05]

If you are watching the 129 sat you will see lots of interrupted signals. The only answer is a bigger side sat dish either 24" or 30" to look at 129 or switch to 61.5 sat. Until they replace the 129 sat at the end of 2008 this will be a problem.

 

[highdefjeff]

Sounds like a simple dish re-point to me.

 

[Liquidforce88]

Goto the channel you are having problems on. Hit Menu 6-1-1 report back what signal strength reading you get.

 

[dsmithpdx]

I've been having trouble with 129 as well. I am currently showing a signal strength of 29...

Doug

 

[Hi Ho]

Here in the northwest I think 129 is my only choice. I'm getting a signal strength of 49 right now with overcast skies.

 

[Jim5506]

In the northwest Dish often installs a seperate 24" dish for 129.

 

[Hi Ho]

I have a separate 24" dish for sat 129.

 

[bbtkd]

Any other receivers?

Is the 722 your only receiver? If not, try disconnecting the other one(s) from the switch for a short time. I recently started having a similar problem, then after a few weeks my son commented that his receiver was not working correctly. I swapped another in, and now the dropouts on the other receivers have cleared up. We had a bad receiver (301) that was taking the switch down periodically.

 

[Hi Ho]

The 722 is the only receiver I have.

 

[Jaysin]

I'm a DNS installer for Lacey Washington and the 129 has major issues in our area. I'm a remote tech in Ocean Shores WA and we try to cancel all HD installs and upgrades until Dish does something different. We had been using the 61.5 but since they added Fox NW in HD it only carries on the 129 so we had to scratch the 61.5

We use the 24' dish on all HD installs but the further west you go the worst it is. The signal goes from 90's to 0 (60's - 0 on new software) and back up and some areas it cuts out every 12 min or so. At first I would let a customer know about the issue and do the install but they would call in to complain of the signal loss and the CSR would keep setting up 12 days saying it is an installation issue not sat.

Finally after canceling so many of the HD jobs somebody started to finally ask questions and had 2 of our FSM's go to the beach with 3 211's a dish 1000, 500+ and a 24' dish and sit all day on the beach and document all the results. All 3 dishes had the same results and the signal would drop to 0%. I really hope with corp having this data something will change.

DNS FSS3
Jason

 

[awcdish]

I'm in Northern California and I just noticed yesterday on my system info screen that 129 had a red box with a white X. Says I have signal loss. I checked all of the channels that are on the 129 and they come in. I checked the signal and they are in the 20-30 range on my 722. Not sure if they still come in ok and the red box only shows up because the range is low. I ran a check switch and they all come in green and ok.

 

[levibluewa]

Hey Hi Ho...

your only choice is NOT just the 129...just take the advice my DISH installer gave me...move to Directv. Made the move on Nov. 24th...no signal loss for the 1st time since the HD upgrade with DISH in June 2006. What a relief. Also, USAHD, FXHD, SPIKEHD, SMITHSONIANHD, among others !!!, as well as, KCPQ13HD.

DISH should not be promoting HD service in areas where they know that hunk-of-junk-129 can't provide a signal.