VIP722 home distribution 2nd tuner no signal to tv

buckeyegrad02

Active SatelliteGuys Member
Original poster
Sep 9, 2007
24
0
Cincinnati
I am having an issue with my 2nd TV not getting a signal from my VIP722.
Problem started when I decided to try and add a coax between my remote antenna to extend the range. I also disconnected the coax from TV2 to a deplexer to shorten that cable run.

The 722 2nd tuner is still functioning because I can set, record and watch the DVR items from TV1. When I turn on my TV2 in the basement just white snow.

The original hookup utilized a diplexer between the dish and receiver. TV2 was directly hooked up to that diplexer too in the VHF/UHF connector of the diplexer. From that diplexer (in/out) it went up to deplexer 2 that fed into the separator and home distribution connection. The separator feeds into Sat1 and Sat2. All I see is white snow on TV2.

I have tried setting the modulator on air and cable to no avail.
I completely replaced the coax between the diplexer and TV2.
I removed the 2 diplexers from the system and just hooked TV2 directly to the Home distribution connection. Still white snow.

Is there any set order of tasks to set up TV2 that I am just not seeing?

Anybody have any ideas?
 
What channel is TV2 set on? Can you get it on channel 73, if not put it on channel 60 and reset the modulator. If TV2 is connected from the Home distribution port to the TV2, you should have a picture on one of those channels. Just let me know and we will go from there!
 
Dwarren is right. It's very very easy to accidentally connect the diplexer back the wrong way along with anything else. Here is the proper configuration:

Diplexer 1: behind the receiver
VHF/UHF port : cable from that port to "home distribution"
SAT port: cable from that port to seperator. Separator connected to their respective ports 1 and 2 on the receiver.
In/out port: that port connected to the cable from the wall.

Diplexer 2: somewhere in cable system, but not directly behind receiver
VHF/UHF port: cable from that port to TV2.
SAT port: cable from that port to satellite.
In/out port: cable from that port going in the direction of your receiver (tv1).

If it is not Exactly as described above, there will inevitably be no signal received on tv2.
 
The above quotes would be at the top of my suspect list.

I tried each of these separate from each other. My original task was to extend my UHF range on TV2 cause I did not like having to point my remote at a mirror and have it work some of the time. I only tried to remove the diplexer after having TV2 signal not work at all.
 
I reviewed my wiring and everything was exactly as it was installed 5 years ago. I even tried swapping in a new diplexer at both locations to see if one was bad. I did not have two to try and see if both were bad. I do have a tech scheduled to come take a look next saturday.
 
I have an unfinished basement and the actual distance between diplexers is only about 10ft. So I am certain that the wiring is as described by Somewhathelpful.
 
What channel is TV2 set on? Can you get it on channel 73, if not put it on channel 60 and reset the modulator. If TV2 is connected from the Home distribution port to the TV2, you should have a picture on one of those channels. Just let me know and we will go from there!


Maryb,

Yes, I went through this exercise with a Dish online tech last night. I went through it again this afternoon after trying to swap out the diplexers. Shouldn't TV2 work if I would just have a coax that would route directly from the home distribution connection to TV2 with out passing through diplexers? I tried this and nothing but white snow on all channels I tried with "Air" or "cable" on the modulator setup.
 
Maryb,

Yes, I went through this exercise with a Dish online tech last night. I went through it again this afternoon after trying to swap out the diplexers. Shouldn't TV2 work if I would just have a coax that would route directly from the home distribution connection to TV2 with out passing through diplexers? I tried this and nothing but white snow on all channels I tried with "Air" or "cable" on the modulator setup.

Did you try doing a channel scan on your TV? When you try to do an auto scan on the TV, what do you select cable or air? And why did you disconnect your home distribution/Dish in and outs if all you wanted to do was put a pig tail on the uhf antenna for TV2? You may have to bite the bullet and have a service tech come out and undo the mess you seem to have made.
 
Did you try doing a channel scan on your TV? When you try to do an auto scan on the TV, what do you select cable or air? And why did you disconnect your home distribution/Dish in and outs if all you wanted to do was put a pig tail on the uhf antenna for TV2? You may have to bite the bullet and have a service tech come out and undo the mess you seem to have made.

Yep, did the scan. Both with cable and air. I did not disconnect the home distribution/Dish in and outs until I had the issue with the TV2 signal. All I did initially was disconnect the antenna and run a coax from my receiver to the basement and then connect the antenna to it. Went to turn TV2 on and it never got a signal from that point forward. I only disconnected the home distribution after I read that I could hook TV2 directly up to that connection and it should work.
 
In your original post you said "I also disconnected the coax from TV2 to a deplexer to shorten that cable run." Was that the point where you lost TV2? If so, what I would do is put the original coax back in. Make sure you follow the instuctions posted by others and see if your reception returns.
 
I made a diagram of my wiring before I changed anything. As soon as my issue started with no signal to TV2, I removed the antenna and reconnected directly to the receiver. Everything is the same as it was installed and has been since I started this thread. I only made one change and TV2 went out, that was the antenna. I started messing with the other things after TV2 was already out, trying to isolate a bad diplexer or wiring that I just happened to bump during my trial with the coax on the antenna.
 
When you do get it working agin, all you really ned to do with the antenna is move it away from behind the receiver. I had the same problem with my downstairs tv. Just moved the antenna about 5 ft from the receiver and it works perfectly. Looks like you may have to put in for a servie call.
 
Ok results of the issue...

Installer show up and traced all the connections and verified that I had everything correctly returned to the pre-issue state. He then started walking through replacing diplexors and coax cable. Still no signal. He ran a direct line between the reciever and TV2, still nothing. He went through all the setup proceedures and restored to factory settings, still nothing.
Final result, new receiver. Something must have been dislodged or broken in the reciever to the 2nd tuner coax connection.

Installer gave me a new VIP722k to replace my VIP722. Pretty angry about losing my DVR recordings, but I guess that is the way it goes. Wish dish could find a way to equip their field guys with a hard drive and a process to be able to transfer DVR recordings to the new box. This in my mind would put them head over heals the competition even more. Installer also set me up with the UHF antenna where I needed it for better reception on TV2.

I did have an OTA adapter in my VIP722 and the installer did not have another one of those on him for the VIP722k. SO, he told me to call dish and ask for one. So I did, and the guy tried to make me pay $50 for something that I already paid for years ago. After a while he gave in and had his supervisor allow for the free shipment of the OTA module. Thanks Dish, you did the right thing.
 
This is a known problem with the Home Distribution output reported a long time ago on this forum AND in my personal experience: it is very easy to short out the Home Distribution connections (perhaps the modulator itself). The happens with great frequency out in the real world and has been the source of great frustration and hours of rewiring and rewiring and head scratiing for a number of posters here.

The advice is to UNPLUG the box anytime you need to mess with the connections, as one can short out ANY of the sat or other F-type connections, as well, but none more frequently or easier than the Home Distribution connection. I do believe Dish is aware of this, and the last RMA I got for this problem for my uncle, the CSR took our word from the get go that we had indeed confirmed (direct connection to a TV at the box) it was the Home Distribution short, and she promptly processed an RMA without any hesitation or questioning, and did seem to indicate she was familiar with the problem.

Tip: Always FIRST presume it is the Home Distribution that is shorted by connection directly to a TV, then go about the hard, time consuming work of one's set-up.

The external Hard Drive Archival feature is now FREE or NO EXTRA CHARGE. Go get an external powered HDD and keep it on hand should you have to RMA, again. I had a big problem with my 722K that required me to dump and reformat the HDD, but I had a spare external HDD and was able to archive ALL my recordings. How sweet that was!
 
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