Snowy Screen With New 381 Receiver

[Wylie.fan]

I had two 311 receivers (Sats 110 and 119) feeding two TVs. On a very windy day following a heavy snow, my 311 receiver using Sat 119 lost signal. A switch check told me that the check " had detected fewer satellites".

Dish reps came out and replaced the "Y-something" on the dish and asked me to perform a switch check again--same result ("fewer satellites"). They told me that my 311 receiver was bad and gave me a new 381 (new name for 811?) to replace the 311. The Dish rep AND the 381 manual stated that I should be able to connect the RCA (yellow/white/red) from the receiver output to the TV and receive a picture (this is without connecting the Dish cable). I did this--no picture (all snow). I then connected the Dish cable--same result (snowy screen). Since, I have tried connecting the receiver to the TV via S-Video, then Component Cables (red/blue/green), both with and without the Dish cable connected, and still get the same result. The receiver and the TV are getting power and during each of these configurations and I was able to switch the TV between channels 3 and 4.

Obviously the receiver and TV are not communicating. Am I missing some ridiculously simple step--this operation just can't be that complicated. <sigh>

 

[garys]

You need to coax line from dish to be connected and run a check switch. There should be no way you are getting snow on composite, s-video or component (snow is only on rf input to the tv). What are you getting for signal strengths when the dish is connected?

 

[Pepper]

...and I was able to switch the TV between channels 3 and 4.

Obviously the receiver and TV are not communicating. Am I missing some ridiculously simple step--this operation just can't be that complicated. <sigh>

Yes, it is ridiculously simple. If you're using an input other than the RF antenna input on the TV, you need to switch the TV to use that input.

 

[chainblu]

Just to add: the 381 does not have a chan. 3/4 output. You need to change to the correct input on the TV.

 

[boba]

What ever happened to customers that knew how to operate the equipment they bought?

 

[Awohar]

get out your tv remote and find the input, av, source, etc button, you won't have a picture on 3/4 on a 381 unless you're using something like a vcr or an rf modulator.

 

[Awohar]

You need to coax line from dish to be connected and run a check switch. There should be no way you are getting snow on composite, s-video or component (snow is only on rf input to the tv). What are you getting for signal strengths when the dish is connected?

what does snow and satellite signal strength have to do with each other?

 

[garys]

what does snow and satellite signal strength have to do with each other?

Snow shows OP is on wrong input/channel. Signal strength to see if he has coax from dish connected correctly.

 

[Pepper]

We have to solve the issue of him having no picture at all, before signal strength will be relevant.

 

[Wylie.fan]

We have to solve the issue of him having no picture at all, before signal strength will be relevant.

Thanks guys! Man, you guys "know your stuff"! Pepper, I agree...first the picture, then the signal strength.

The first step in the receiver manual tells me to connect the RCA cables from the receiver "out" ports to the TV, just to verify that I can get a good picture. That's when I get the snow--actually, I get the identical snow if I totally disconnect the receiver and turn on just the TV. I'm assuming that the RCA ports on the TV are "in" ports (receiver "out" ports to TV "in" ports), because there is only one set and they are not labeled "in" or "out". I attempted using the S-Video, then the Component cables, just to ensure that I didn't have a bad video port in the television. I even attempted connecting the receiver "in" ports to the TV, in case they had been internally wired incorrectly.

I can get a "snowy" menu on the TV and tried to change the mode back and forth between "antenna" and "cable" to no avail. Since I can't get a picture, I can't make any receiver changes. I'm going to keep trying different options (actually, I've tried everything I can think of), since I think the odds of Dish Network giving me a bad receiver are probably astronomical (same for my TV suddenly going on the blink)! Connecting my 311 receiver was a piece of cake, even including VDR and DVD connections--this 381 is kicking my b---!

Thanks again to all of you who REPLY'd.

I must be

 

[chainblu]

One thing I can't figure out... You say "Dish reps" came out and changed something on the dish (probably the LNB) and swapped your 311 for a 381. Why didn't THEY hook up the 381?

 

[Jim5506]

When using the RCA cables you MUST set the TV to auxillary input (sometimes called video or video1 input), you are still using the TV's tuner.

The auxillary input bypasses the tuner and injects the video and audio signal right into the TV.

 

[Wylie.fan]

Bingo chainblu! I was wondering when someone would ask me that question! I wasn't going to address the topic, however, unless someone brought it up.

Actually, the Dish Techs wanted to set the receiver up, but I wouldn't allow them to come inside. As the result of a divorce (ex got the house) and being laid off 3 years ago (Senior Test Engineer with Raytheon), I was forced to move into a mobile home. I have so much stuff/junk packed into the mobile home that I can hardly move around--I'm embarrassed to allow ANYONE into my home! The Dish guys asked me three or four times to allow them in, saying they "had seen it all". In addition, one of them called me 8 hours later, to see how I was doing.

Bottom line...this problem was totally my "own doing".

 

[garys]

We have to solve the issue of him having no picture at all, before signal strength will be relevant.

Just my way of testing that OP has correct lines connected to the proper inputs.

 

[Wylie.fan]

Uh-oh...I'm afraid my "quick reply" to chainblu is public, as opposed to just a private REPLY--how embarrassing...I apologize for that...

FIXED!! Thank you all for your inputs! After all your REPLYs, I KNEW my different cabling configurations were not the problem--I needed to tell the TV to expect a different input (although I didn't know why, as it worked fine on the 311 receiver). I had been searching for an "input" of some kind by selecting "menu" with my remote, but could only find "Mode: TV or Cable". I have no idea why, but I finally started fiddling with physical buttons on the front of the TV. I found a button labeled "TV/Video" and began pushing it. When "Input=Video2" appeared, I suddenly had a clear picture! This morning, I read the REPLY from Jim5506, which was in total alignment with the rest of your inputs. As I said before, you guys really know your stuff. Thank you all again!

 

[teqhead]

that 381 is a piece of junk.

 

[sca]

381's work fine. the only problem with them is they dont output on 3 or 4, which seems to confuse a HUGE percentage of the tv viewing population.
even dish network csr's will tell a customer right off to make sure the tv is on channel 3 or 4, effectively helping the customer to lose the picture and screw up the troubleshooting process.
the reason those techs asked you 4 times to come in and hook it up, is because they will get in trouble and possibly be charged money if you cant figure out how to hook it up yourself, and call dish for help. when you call dish for an appointment you should be prepared to let them in your house.
glad to hear you got it solved though.
at least the picture part, now you will have to performn a checkswitch, call dish for activation, and download.

 

[garys]

that 381 is a piece of junk.

Don't know where this comment comes from (many subscribers would certainly have a use for it). And it is a lot better than most of the older receivers that are still in use.