troubleshooting lightning strike

[i4tas]

I have many issues right now. I think the strike went through the BUD down the coax and through my receiver's hdmi out and to the tv. Both the HDMI out of my receiver and the hdmi port into my tv are blown.

My real problem is the coax line into the house... I can not get quality or signal between any receiver and any lnb on the line that is buried in my backyard. Funny thing is though that i can measure the voltage from the receiver at the bud and i hooked up my cable tv at the receiver end and took a tv outside and could watch my cable tv channels. It is RG6 cable. Why would it work for cable Analog/digital tv and not satellite? i am puzzled right now.

 

[Pixl]

Maybe you should try the FTA receiver at the dish. Might tell us something.
If it is the coax, the most common place for lighting damage is right at the connectors, even on buried coax. Just ask any cable tv tech.

 

[i4tas]

I can watch FTA tv at my dish. (although i think the c-band lnb is bad)... I was able to lock echo 110 and scan the TPs. Once it was working at the dish i hooked up the cable run into the house and nothing.

 

[Pixl]

Ok, that should eliminate the receiver. Are there any switches in line that might be in question.

Also unscrew the F-connectors and look for a black arc over spot.

 

[i4tas]

swithes are removed... I'll keep checking the connectors

 

[i4tas]

It was a bad connector in the line, so now i have signal to the tv in the house... but looks like both the ku and c-band lnbfs are dead.

 

[Pixl]

Glad you found your bad connector, but if your C and Ku lnbf are bad how would you get any signal into the house?

 

[i4tas]

Glad you found your bad connector, but if your C and Ku lnbf are bad how would you get any signal into the house?

I also use my BUD for my DISH sub on ciel 2 (129) with a DBS LNB. Works well for for my HD channels when it rains. So it will be parked there for a bit till I get new lnbfs.

Anyone know how to test a bad lnbf? Both give good quality readings but no signals.

 

[Pixl]

Anyone know how to test a bad lnbf? Both give good quality readings but no signals.

Without laboratory instruments the only test is direct substitution with a known good lnb.

 

[Ironsides]

ground it

If you haven't already done so maybe now is a good time to ground your dish.

Ground the coax connectors as well and both lnb's and feedhorn...

My Bud is grounded by 4 8 foot ground rods connected to the lnb's, feedhorn, and support arms, also directly grounded to to the inner part of the dish. It's also grounded at the support pole 2 times. The dish mover is also grounded at the motor and the movement arm. Total it has over 10 directly grounded points and has worked very well over the past 20 years...

 

[caddata]

Ah...To ground or not to ground, that is the question. Actually a longtime debate between amateur radio hobbyists for decades upon decades.

Argument (1): Ground it to provide a path to ground for static and lightning.

Argument (2): Ground it and you're just asking for a lightning strike that'll go to ground thru your precious equipment and not the ground rod.

You have to decide for yourself. Me, I've never grounded any of my dishes or long wire antennas and never had a strike that damaged anything. Now that I've told my secret, everything will go up in smoke.

Harold

 

[Ironsides]

I ground

i ground all my amateur radios but I have never ground a long wire to be honest about it. I have a 10~160 meter dipole set up as an inverted v and never grounded it. Now I do ground the antenna tuner that it connects too.

I've found that antenna tuners work much better with a ground than not. I've also found by grounding my radios I get better receive and drop alot of noise issues..

Personally I think grounding is safe advice even if you lost a rig or two you wouldn't necessarly have a burned down house...