Scheduled recordings lost due to "No signal" OR funny tech story

[0010]

Greetings oh geniuses of the Dish Network Technical Forum
I have been having some minor but annoying issues with signal loss that I was hoping to get some help with.

Let me first let you know what my setup is:

622 in the basement hooked up Component to the TV there. Then I have the TV1 mirrored HDMI to a TV upstairs. We don’t normally watch TV both upstairs and downstairs at the same time, so it is nice to have the same DVR’ed shows available in HD in both spots.

Anyhoo, in the past couple of months or so we have been noticing a few scheduled shows not recording. When I look to see what happened it will say Skipped and No Signal for the reason. Also many times when we tune to an HD channel (most frequently HD locals, HGTV HD, and TLC HD) it will not come up and then after a few seconds it will go to the searching for satellite. Sometimes that comes back but more often when it does that it will go to the message that tells you to change the channel and it won’t come back for a good while. Pretty annoying.

So Friday, I called Dish when it was doing this and they had me do a Check Switch and it came back with the warning screen where it says something like you have less satellites than before, do you want to continue. (I have done check switches before when I have the issue and it is normally fine) They suggested that I might have an issue with cabling and wanted to send a tech out.

Ok, so the tech came out and he could not get past my setup of the 2 HD TVs mirrored on TV1. NO matter what I said he just did not understand the issue I was having. He kept thinking that my upstairs TV was hooked on TV2 and that was why I was having issues getting HD channels… I said, but I have one TV hooked up HDMI and one hooked up component, how could that be on TV2? And he says, no that is not how it is hooked up… But I am getting most channels, just not all of them...

Argh. He was a super nice guy, so then I gave up on him and we just chatted while he did the paperwork and I mentioned the 922. He had not heard of it. Strange that I know what is coming up before the tech does…

So after all that I am back where I started. My questions for you guys are:



Any idea what could be the issue?
What signal strengths are good to best on each satellite? The tech on the phone mentioned something about low signal on only some transponders. How can I find out if that is the case and how can I make that better?

 

[wilme2]

I have 2 HDs the same way... No problem with that.

Sounds like a problem with either signal strength or the switch. Post some mid-range transponder numbers (12/14?) from all the satellites you are pointed to on BOTH tuners...

 

[0010]

I have 2 HDs the same way... No problem with that.

Sounds like a problem with either signal strength or the switch. Post some mid-range transponder numbers (12/14?) from all the satellites you are pointed to on BOTH tuners...

Good to see someone else with the same setup I will post some numbers tonight when I get home. Thanks!

 

[whatchel1]

Which sat did the chk switch show as missing. It sounds like 1 of the following Bad LNB, bad switch, bad cable from LNB to switch, or bad seperator.

 

[beercan]

Same here with no signal

My 622 hooked up to Sony by HDMI, was dropping the sat signal whenever the channel was changed, most notably OTA to Sat. I could have sworn it was L617 firmware as I did not have the problem previous to that revision. Any way, called Dish, they sent a tech out, and he did not know about the problems with L617 nor did he know about the new 722K, oh well. So now he hooks up his meter to check my cabling, and reports the signal is OK, (usually around 55-60 which seems a lot lower than it used to be) So he calls Dish Hdqtrs and stipulates my 622 is bad, "heat problems". OK. Dish sends a refurbished replacement, I plug it all in, but in a different spot in the entertainment center, see if it would run cooler there. The next night this replacement unit performs the same "lost signal" garbage that my original unit did. Did you notice I said last "night"? The wife and I did notice that during the daylight hours both units seem to work just fine. It is only during the evening hours does the "lost sat signal" error appear. So this weekend I am going up on the roof to try and peak my 1.2k dish. Maybe Hurrican IKE bent it a little.? I really like my VIP622, just wish it recieve SPEED HD!!!!!

 

[0010]

The check switch showed 129 as missing. And that looks like that is the one that is my problem. Here are some of my readings from a few transponders last night:

Sat 129 TP 11 Reading: 18
Sat 129 TP 30 Reading: 55
Sat 129 TP 19 Reading: 0

Sat 110 TP 11 Reading: 80

Sat 119 TP 6 Reading: 72
Sat 119 TP 11 Reading: 71

And then this morning I rechecked 129:
Sat 129 TP 11 Reading: 22
Sat 129 TP 30 Reading: 58
Sat 129 TP 19 Reading: 59

What can I do here? Looks like I need to boost the 129 readings, but how?

 

[Dirtydan]

I'm thinking that you don't need to re-aim for 129, that 0-59 swing on tp 19looks like it could be a cabling problem. Can you connect that tp to a channel that your having probs. with?
Dan

 

[0010]

I'm thinking that you don't need to re-aim for 129, that 0-59 swing on tp 19looks like it could be a cabling problem. Can you connect that tp to a channel that your having probs. with?
Dan

Yes sir I can.

The wife thinks the DVR is discriminating against her shows, because it tends to skip shows on TLC and HGTV which are on 129 TP 19 and 129 TP 30 according to the Echostar Knowledgebase.

So you would say that because when it is working I get readings in the 50s that it could be a cabling issue and not a sat pointing issue? I guess since I was getting higher readings on the other sats I figured that 50s was not a great signal. Is that not the case?

Either way, I will visually check the cables tonight for any obvious damage or kinks. Any particular one I should check, what I mean is there a way to discover if there is a particular cable that would just apply to the 129 sat only and not the 110 & 119? Should I invest the $15 on a coax cable continuity tester? Anything else to look for?

Thanks again! :up

 

[Dirtydan]

Nothing wrong with a signal strength of 50, but 0 won't get er done. When checking cables you should disconnect them and check for loose fittings and extra long or short wire ends sticking out of the fitting, most bad cables are not the cable, but are the fittings.
Dan

 

[tjbullock]

As crazy is this sounds, I come across similiar problems with intermitten signal loss that's not caused by the LNB, cable/connections, or receiver. If either of the TV's that you're hooked to are backfeeding any kind of voltage to the receiver it will cause intermitten signal loss. It's famous for causing intemittent check switch results. Get a volt meter and test both the HDMI and Component outputs on both TV's to make sure there's no voltage output.

 

[Dirtydan]

Don't you mean to say (TV inputs)?

 

[0010]

Nothing wrong with a signal strength of 50, but 0 won't get er done. When checking cables you should disconnect them and check for loose fittings and extra long or short wire ends sticking out of the fitting, most bad cables are not the cable, but are the fittings.
Dan

Thanks for the tip. I am wondering if where the cables go into the box is all smashed up and maybe dislodged a fitting because there is not a lot of room back there in the TV cabinet.

As crazy is this sounds, I come across similiar problems with intermitten signal loss that's not caused by the LNB, cable/connections, or receiver. If either of the TV's that you're hooked to are backfeeding any kind of voltage to the receiver it will cause intermitten signal loss. It's famous for causing intemittent check switch results. Get a volt meter and test both the HDMI and Component outputs on both TV's to make sure there's no voltage output.

Do you mean to actually unplug the HDMI and Component cables from the TVs and put the volt meter onto the TVs inputs? Interesting thought... If stray voltage can cause the check switch, I wonder if it could have anything to do with my HDMI cable being to close to an iron pipe in the house and maybe there is sometimes a stray volt or two coming across there? Or maybe thats just crazy talk

 

[bamatt]

I too am having problems similar to the OP. Mine occurs only on HD locals & it happens more on FOX than any other local although it is occurring more frequently on ABC, NBC, & CBS lately. I paid $30 for a tech to come out last weekend & say "This is happening all over the place in our local area. We have no idea what is going on". Sure do wish Dish had told me that over the phone instead of sending a tech & charging me money to do nothing but say that

I called Dish support after the tech visit & got an American (thank you Lord ) & was told they were aware of problems on local FOX but not the other networks. I mean if the local tech tells me that this is happening to everyone in my area & they are going on massive amounts of service calls for the same problem... why the hell doesn't Dish know about this?

It occurs day & night during both clear & cloudy skies. If I am watching the show live there will be massive pixelation with intermittent sound loss. Sometimes the screen will go black for awhile & I will have sound. If I go back & watch the DVR recording of that same show I watched live... the recording will freeze (not allowing me to FF or do anything) at the moment the pixelation became pretty major, I will get the "lost signal" error message displayed over the frozen image, & usually the recording will skip to the end of the show. The show is totally lost & unviewable.

I have 2 HDTV's hooked up on 2 sep HD 722 DVRs & this is occurring on both. I have been forced to switch all my DVR timers to the standard def channels because I would actually like to be able to see my TV shows. I am also loving that I paid for 2 HDTV DVRs, love paying $125/mo to watch standard def 90% of the time on my 2 HDTVs & love that I am under contract with Dish for 19 more months of this crapola...

 

[tjbullock]

Yes, I did. Inputs. =)

 

[tjbullock]

Stray voltage or high EMF will cause the electrons that are wrapping around the center conductor to unalign causing all sorts of problems. You're definately not crazy. I've seen it in the field. It doesn't happen often, but it has caused problems.

 

[tjbullock]

"This is happening all over the place in our local area. We have no idea what is going on". Sure do wish Dish had told me that over the phone instead of sending a tech & charging me money to do nothing but say that

I called Dish support after the tech visit & got an American (thank you Lord ) & was told they were aware of problems on local FOX but not the other networks. I mean if the local tech tells me that this is happening to everyone in my area & they are going on massive amounts of service calls for the same problem... why the hell doesn't Dish know about this?


There are known problems with Fox, but not the other networks. The technician just didn't want to troubleshoot your problem because it's intermittent and could be so many things and could take so much time. I'd call Dish and tell them it's still not working. The RSP/Contractor get's backcharged 175.00 everytime a trouble call is made within 12 days of the service complete (work order closed.) After so many calls, they'll send someone out who will resolve your problem. That 175.00 a pop can get really expensive quick.

I know it doesn't help, but you shouldn't have to change your DVR times etc to SD channels. I can guarantee if the job is done correctly, all works great.

 

[sca]

50's are not bad...cable may be an issue
is it rg-6?
i suspect the cable from the ground to your receiver.
of course if all these channels are on the same transponder , the dish may need to be slightly aligned to favor that transponder. if you go to the point dish screen from each of the trouble channels, it will be on the sat and transponder the channel is broadcast on. if these channels are on the same transponder, it may need to be tweaked. if, however the signal is good, cable could well be the issue, as cable that is crimped, smashed, or low mhz rated will drop signal in and out intermittently, usally on specific channels.

 

[rich88]

Ok, so the tech came out and he could not get past my setup of the 2 HD TVs mirrored on TV1. NO matter what I said he just did not understand the issue I was having. He kept thinking that my upstairs TV was hooked on TV2 and that was why I was having issues getting HD channels… I said, but I have one TV hooked up HDMI and one hooked up component, how could that be on TV2? And he says, no that is not how it is hooked up… But I am getting most channels, just not all of them...

If you run into this again, turn the channel and show the tech that you have "green tv1" in the left side of the banner. There's your rock-solid proof to show him that it is TV1 and not TV2.

 

[secretservices]

Cant be the cables!

I have been having the exact issues here in Southern California for the last few weeks. Last night my recording of American Idol recorded in SD from tuner 2, not in HD like it normally does. Found out that it would only record in HD from tuner 1. I have made no changes...have no obstructions, etc. Its obvious that it is a Dish problem. I just noticed that I got 618 on my 722 this morning. I will see if it makes any difference this night on my recordings. So stop checking your cables!

 

[dishcomm]

Greetings oh geniuses of the Dish Network Technical Forum
I have been having some minor but annoying issues with signal loss that I was hoping to get some help with.

Let me first let you know what my setup is:

622 in the basement hooked up Component to the TV there. Then I have the TV1 mirrored HDMI to a TV upstairs. We don’t normally watch TV both upstairs and downstairs at the same time, so it is nice to have the same DVR’ed shows available in HD in both spots.

Anyhoo, in the past couple of months or so we have been noticing a few scheduled shows not recording. When I look to see what happened it will say Skipped and No Signal for the reason. Also many times when we tune to an HD channel (most frequently HD locals, HGTV HD, and TLC HD) it will not come up and then after a few seconds it will go to the searching for satellite. Sometimes that comes back but more often when it does that it will go to the message that tells you to change the channel and it won’t come back for a good while. Pretty annoying.

So Friday, I called Dish when it was doing this and they had me do a Check Switch and it came back with the warning screen where it says something like you have less satellites than before, do you want to continue. (I have done check switches before when I have the issue and it is normally fine) They suggested that I might have an issue with cabling and wanted to send a tech out.

Ok, so the tech came out and he could not get past my setup of the 2 HD TVs mirrored on TV1. NO matter what I said he just did not understand the issue I was having. He kept thinking that my upstairs TV was hooked on TV2 and that was why I was having issues getting HD channels… I said, but I have one TV hooked up HDMI and one hooked up component, how could that be on TV2? And he says, no that is not how it is hooked up… But I am getting most channels, just not all of them...

Argh. He was a super nice guy, so then I gave up on him and we just chatted while he did the paperwork and I mentioned the 922. He had not heard of it. Strange that I know what is coming up before the tech does…

So after all that I am back where I started. My questions for you guys are:



Any idea what could be the issue?
What signal strengths are good to best on each satellite? The tech on the phone mentioned something about low signal on only some transponders. How can I find out if that is the case and how can I make that better?

Ok lets toss aside the connection from your receiver to the tv. That's not a signal issue.
So moving along.
It is an isue either with the LNB switch or reciver. Intermitted signal loss is a bear.
So what I do first is look at the STB health lite screen
Go to menu 6-1-3. allow the check to run..See if there is a "warning check details"
See if there is an indication of "LNB Drift". If so. Disconnect the satellite in and run check switch. This clears the matrix. Then reconnect and run Check switch again. Go back to menu 6-1-3 and check it agian. If the LNB drift reamins, that is the problem You'll need a new LNB...

Then hilite "details". Scoll down to STB health screen.
Look at the values.
The only ones that matter are
0) if this value is above 2 the hardrive is malfunctioning
1) above 10 hardware failure
2) above zero potential hardware issues
4) above 200 the hard drive is locking up

If these values are within tolernaces, disregard.
Another thing. I have found that using surge protectors can at times adversely effect the performance of dvr's. If you can ,use a meter to check for voltage fluctuations.
Also a poor ground can effect performance. Check the house ground and the grounding of the electrical outlet.
Try another outlet. See what happens.
It may be possible that the LNB has gone bad and needs to be replaced.
PLease post back and let us know how you make out.



there is little that can be done wihtout replacement equipment on site.
This is for your info so that the next time a tech is required you can have him focus on the