Signal Strength on 129 (Dish 1000 and Dish 1000.2 only)

[MikeD-C05]

Even though the numbers on my dish 1000.2 install were good at the time of the install, I had audio problems on anything recorded from it on 129 sat.

For instance I was watching a recording of Evolution on STarz hd on the 129 sat. During the show I had audio drop outs or reverbing during some of the show. I saw this again on other movies recorded from 129 . I didn't see much video problems just audio reverbs and drop outs.

I have since went back to using the 61.5 sat dish I had installed with my dish 1000.2 ,for my hd shows. I get in the 100s with the 61.5 sat and no audio or video problems. I had to run a check switch with the 129 lnb covered with aluminum foil to get it out of the check switch and then the receiver would default to the 61.5 sat.

When they ever get a stable satellite up there in place of the wobbly one at 129 , I will go back to using the 129 sat again. Till then it will be 61.5 for me.

 

[RoyW]

Even though the numbers on my dish 1000.2 install were good at the time of the install, I had audio problems on anything recorded from it on 129 sat.

For instance I was watching a recording of Evolution on STarz hd on the 129 sat. During the show I had audio drop outs or reverbing during some of the show. I saw this again on other movies recorded from 129 . I didn't see much video problems just audio reverbs and drop outs.

I have since went back to using the 61.5 sat dish I had installed with my dish 1000.2 ,for my hd shows. I get in the 100s with the 61.5 sat and no audio or video problems. I had to run a check switch with the 129 lnb covered with aluminum foil to get it out of the check switch and then the receiver would default to the 61.5 sat.

When they ever get a stable satellite up there in place of the wobbly one at 129 , I will go back to using the 129 sat again. Till then it will be 61.5 for me.

Unfortunately although I started out back in 98 with a dish pointing at 61.5 my neighbors trees have long since did away with that option. The elevation down here is 20 which almost looks straight out and as you move further north its lower so 61.5 really isn't a fall back for most of the west coast, and just about none of the pacific north west.

 

[RandallA]

61.5 is not option for me either, I got big trees in the way.

Abricko, I would think that you can "squeeze" a few more points out it but like Roy said his readings are very similar to yours.

 

[RoyW]

"I don't understand how some of those TPs can be so low while others are great (30 & 31) I'm beginning to wonder if I should get E* out here to try and fix those low TPs."

Some TPs are running at full power, others at reduced power to conserve power. E5 is in such bad shape that they can't run all TPs at full power.

This morning 3/18/07 at 5:35AM I took a look at all the transponders off 129 yet again to see just which ones are putting out acceptable signal strength and granted a big percentage are transmitting local programming vice Voom HD. There are however a fair number transmitting with enough power that even in my area I get a reasonable signal strength.
TP 4 88
TP 5 74
TP 8 82
TP 9 83
TP 10 81
TP 12 85
TP 13 84
TP 16 75
TP 17 75
TP 19 84
TP 21 72
TP 30 85
TP 31 89
TP 32 74

 

[bill_k]

I installed a dish 1000.2 yesterday. These are the satellite locations and transponder signal levels recorded for Morgan Hill, Califorinia. I wonder if the low signal levels on 129 are going to make me regret paying for something that works some of the time.

Tp Satellite
110 119 129

1 77 0 52
2 75 92 56
3 53 0
4 0 90 62
5 70 125 63
6 75 90 52
7 61 97 57
8 76 92 59
9 77 0 62
10 57 92 78
11 74 93 56
12 0 93 62
13 61 91 64
14 73 91
15 70 90
16 78 94 62
17 63 89 62
18 0 93
19 76 90 82
20 75 92
21 76 91 60
22 78 56
23 83 58
24 79
25 93
26 85
27 0 56
28
29 0
30 79
31 77 85
32 84

 

[RandallA]

Hey Bill,

I'm in South San Francisco so your readings should be close to mine. I will post them later when I get home. Your readings seem low on 110, 129 looks about the same as mine.

Try raising your elevation to 46 and see if that helps. I know the manual says 45 for us. I also have the skew set to 86, the manual says 87.

What receiver are you using?

Edit: Here are my latest readings for the D1000.2 on a 622 receiver.

 

[bill_k]

Hey Randall! Thanks. My elevation is set for 46 and skew set at 86....so we are in agreement here....even adjusted the skew, but found it made no difference. I'm using a model 625 dvr for the time being. My plan is to upgrade all my receivers (1000, 5000, and 625) to HD when I feel the time is 'right'.

 

[RoyW]

Hey Randall! Thanks. My elevation is set for 46 and skew set at 86....so we are in agreement here....even adjusted the skew, but found it made no difference. I'm using a model 625 dvr for the time being. My plan is to upgrade all my receivers (1000, 5000, and 625) to HD when I feel the time is 'right'.

Bill if you go back a little in this thread you'll notice my readings off 129 that actually contain the Voom channels within the HD premium package. Like you I've purchased and installed the dish 1000.2 with the intention of upgrading to a VIP622 but took the readings with a 625. The transponders you need to be concerned with are 6, 11, 17(Dish 1000 screen only) 19, 22, 23, 27, 30, and 31. Out of those as a rule 6 is your lowest signal reading but there are a couple others that are troublesome also. 30 and 31 should be your highest.

 

[bill_k]

Randall,

Thanks for data....I'm impressed! I've never been able to achieve anything close to your 110 numbers...great job. In fact all your numbers are great. However, there must be other variables not taken into account. For example, your tp 30 is 87 - mine 85, your tp 5 is 64 - mine 63, however your tp 13 is 80 - mine 64....close and not so close.

Will you tell me how you adjusted your dish? I simply used the 625 receiver's tuning meter for optimum signal on 119.

 

[RandallA]

First I peaked the dish using 119 and TP11. I got 102-103 on that one. Then I adjusted the elevation. I went from 45 to 46 and checked readings on 110 and 129. Then I tried 47 degrees and checked again, they were lower so I went back to 46 degrees. Here is the deal for us, 129 is at 46 degrees and 110 is at 45 degrees so go higher in the elevation for 129 but you may need to adjust the skew for 110.

Next while it's not recommended to change the skew, I did. I changed it from 87 to 86 and checked readings. I changed it to 85 and checked again, 110 readings were lower so I went back to 86. The TPs I used to check were TP 11 for 110 and TP 31 for 129.

Adjust one thing at a time and of course make sure the mast it's leveled. I used the 622 receiver's Point Dish screen to do it too.

Edit: BTW Bill, 129 SS varies. On TP31 I sometimes I get 94 and sometimes I see 88, for the most part it stays at 91-92.

 

[bill_k]

Randall, Thank you for the dish adjustment details. I'll give it a second attempt next weekend.

 

[RandallA]

I got the new L4.01 software update last night and of course I had to check my readings on 129. Guess what, the readings went up on the TPs that we've been reporting here that are low. I haven't adjusted the dish, haven't changed anything in my setup but those TPs went up. This is an observation and need others to confirm it. Maybe I'm just losing it. !sadroll

So up I go to the bedroom to check the readings on the 211, they are still the same as they were before, no changes. So E* hasn't changed the power level on these TPs and I haven't changed anything in my setup.

Then the software update changed the algorithm to calculate the SS in a different way, right? Wrong because the TPs that were reading high, are still at the same level. So I think, with the new software update they did change the algorithm to pad the numbers so they don't show so low.

I got another favor to ask, for those who reported their readings earlier and now have L4.01. Or anybody that knew what you were getting before on 129 and have L4.01. Could you report your readings on the following TPs?

TP 1, 2, 6, 7, 11, 18, 21, 22, 23.

Here are my readings in a PDF file. The OLD column are the ones I was getting before and they're pretty much the same that my 211 is getting now. The new ones are after L4.01. Also notice that I got these readings when even the higher ones were reading lower than before.

 

[long_time_DNC]

Randall,

Are your new readings ones done through an oscillation cycle of 129? If I watch a TP on 129 for about 20 minutes, it'll swing from upper 30's to up 60's on my D1000. Some TPs don't swing quite that much, but most go through about a 30-point swing in a 20-minute period. On the bottom end of every TP that's got something on it, I'll lose signal everytime. Has your D1000.2 done anything to help with signal loss on 129 in your location? Thanks!

 

[RandallA]

Yes, the readings go up and down but only a few pts. For example, TP2 would give me something from 58 to 62 but this morning after L4.01 it was giving me 70. That's when I started checking.

 

[NightRyder]

The farther North you go the worse the swings get. I was also seeing close to 30 point swings and frequent dropouts on my dedicated D500. I haven't seen a dropout since I put up my 30", the swings are still there but now they go from 90 to 62.

NightRyder

 

[RandallA]

The farther North you go the worse the swings get. I was also seeing close to 30 point swings and frequent dropouts on my dedicated D500. I haven't seen a dropout since I put up my 30", the swings are still there but now they go from 90 to 62.

NightRyder

Yeah, I was gonna say that. You guys up there can see those big swings, we don't. Our swings are a few pts. only.

 

[BremenHusker]

These are mine with L3.66 and I will post them after L4.01 arrives tomorrow, RandallA

Dish type: 1000
Receiver: ViP 622
Location: Bremen, GA
6-59
11-62
19-88
22-62
23-79
27-78
30-86
31-93
11 is 96 on 110 and 113 on 119

 

[mdonnelly]

Dish Type: Dish 1000
Receiver: Vip211
Switch: DP34
Location: Oklahoma City, OK

129
6-44
11-51
19-63
22-46
23-51
27-50
30-58
31-78

Looks like it might be time to re-peak the dish, with those numbers and Spring storms coming.
110
11-83

119
11-82

 

[BremenHusker]

RandallA,
Checked signal strenght after getting L4.01 last night. The only significant changes are transponer 6 from 59 to 75, 11 from 62 to 76 and 22 from 62 to 75. Skys were clear yesterday and today.

 

[RandallA]

RandallA,
Checked signal strenght after getting L4.01 last night. The only significant changes are transponer 6 from 59 to 75, 11 from 62 to 76 and 22 from 62 to 75. Skys were clear yesterday and today.

Yep, those are the transponders where I see the increase. So I'm not going nuts then. :up Thanks for checking.

BTW, my 211 shows the original low readings on those TPs. I foresee a software update on the 211 very soon. It could be that they just changed the way SS is calculated but why only on the low transponders. Things that make you go hmmm.