Weak Eastern Arc Signal Strength

[120inna55]

I'm receiving the following signal strengths on the following sats/xponders. These readings remain consistent since the day of install.

61.5    x10 -      37
61.5    x14 -      59
61.5    x29 -      46
61.5    x31 -      39

72.7    x15 -      40
72.7    x17 -      41
72.7    x19 -      40
72.7    x21 -      43

77      x13 -      32
77      x16 -      23
77      x20 -      25
77      x21 -      34

I realize these are below average, and as a result, I get rain fade pretty easily. The installer admitted he'd only done 2 EA installs.

77 is obviously the weakest, but I wouldn't know it by watching TV since none of my programming is on 77....yet. Who knows what DISH will move over to it.

I'm guessing I could call DISH back out for a re-peak, but I'm wondering if I should even try this myself? Should I try to just move the elevation a tiny bit at a time to see if it makes a difference...or should I try azimuth? I don't know a thing about this, so I don't know if I should even mess with skew since I'm actually receiving a signal on all three satellites until it rains. I could mark where it currently is and could always put it back where I found it. I just need advice.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Eastern arc dishes 1000.4 are much harder to peak then western arc 1000.2 dishes. I have both dishes and have done my own installs and I recommend you let the tech do it. I worked for days to get a decent signals on my eastern arc and I ended up backing it up with a side sat for 129 just in case of rain fade.

 

[Dah-Henny]

To me, the EA is a piece of cake to fine tune. The dish has a fine tune adjustment for both AZ and EL. If your mast is plumb, you can fine tune very easily. Just need a second person to communicate the sound levels if you can't hear them yourself. For me, I used two of my telephones in intercom/speaker mode.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Well there you go. I didn't have anyone to work with me to fine tune the dish . I had to tune it and run and look inside , and then go back to the dish and adjust ,and run to the house and check the stength. Can you see why it took two days or more to fine tune it?

 

[120inna55]

I just chatted with DISH. A tech is coming out tomorrow to re-peak. (Am I using that terminology correctly?)

I guess I'll have to re-tape when he's done. See this thread for some pics of my camo'd dish.

 

[whatchel1]

Maybe not

I just chatted with DISH. A tech is coming out tomorrow to re-peak. (Am I using that terminology correctly?)

I guess I'll have to re-tape when he's done. See this thread for some pics of my camo'd dish.

The way you taped it may not have to do anything to it. I don't recall that you taped any of the areas that are used to adjust it.

 

[120inna55]

The way you taped it may not have to do anything to it. I don't recall that you taped any of the areas that are used to adjust it.

Yeah, maybe not. I taped the loops on the dish. Is there a port on the lnb that they can access without having to disconnect anything?

 

[whatchel1]

Not that I know of

Yeah, maybe not. I taped the loops on the dish. Is there a port on the lnb that they can access without having to disconnect anything?

I haven't use 1k4 but I think there are only ports on the LNBF. If they can take the screw out of the LNB holder then they will be able to access the ports to use for the signal.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Those signal strengths are very low to me. I get in the 60s on the 72.7 sat, 45- 50 on 77 sat , and anywhere from 45 - 68 on 61.5 sat. The 77 sat will be the lowest of all 3 sats . The 72.7 sat is brand new and the 61.5 sat should be much stronger on conus transponders, after the launch next Friday of the replacement sat & it is up and transmitting. Next year the replacement for 77 goes up and it will finally be stronger too.

 

[120inna55]

Those signal strengths are very low to me...

I agree. I cut down a few trees to allow for this new dish, so I was disappointed I didn't get at least as strong a signal from 61.5 as what I had previously from my roof pointing through trees.

When the installer was done with the pole mount, he said, "If you have more problems, you may need to take down that cedar there." I therefore took down the cedar yesterday and noticed no difference. That's why I hope the tech that comes out today is familiar with the 1k.4 dish.

 

[120inna55]

This morning, I checked signal strength and this is what I got. The first set of numbers are from yesterday immediately after I took down the tree. Then next set are from this morning. The only difference is the time of day. Should the signal strength vary like this with time of day despite a clear sky, or is this statistically insignificant?

61.5    x10 -      39-->40
61.5    x14 -      61-->61
61.5    x29 -      48-->50
61.5    x31 -      43-->44

72.7    x15 -      40-->41
72.7    x17 -      41-->43
72.7    x19 -      40-->42
72.7    x21 -      43-->43

77      x13 -      23-->27
77      x16 -      24-->28
77      x20 -      25-->30
77      x21 -      32-->37

 

[120inna55]

Update: The tech just left. The final numbers here are what I'm getting now. This is more in line with the average and in most cases above average (at least according to a document Scott referenced in the DISH Support site. These were averages for Waco, TX, the closest city to Athens, TX)

61.5    x10 -      39-->40-->50
61.5    x14 -      61-->61-->70
61.5    x29 -      48-->50-->58
61.5    x31 -      43-->44-->52

72.7    x15 -      40-->41-->55
72.7    x17 -      41-->43-->57
72.7    x19 -      40-->42-->55
72.7    x21 -      43-->43-->57

77      x13 -      23-->27-->34
77      x16 -      24-->28-->45
77      x20 -      25-->30-->46
77      x21 -      32-->37-->46

I can live with these numbers.

 

[rogerpl]

I guess I have to get someone to see if they can improve my signal numbers. I have 1k4 with signal on 61.5 and 72 barely touching 40 any TP. The "rain fade" isn't bad however but I maybe it can be improved.

 

[120inna55]

I guess I have to get someone to see if they can improve my signal numbers. I have 1k4 with signal on 61.5 and 72 barely touching 40 any TP. The "rain fade" isn't bad however but I maybe it can be improved.

I'll bet that can be improved upon.

The tech that came out today said his office was a test site for this area when they first launched the 1k.4 dishes. During that time he installed over 10 1k.4 dishes. He hasn't done any since then, though. But it all started coming back to him when he worked on mine. It didn't take him long to improve my numbers. He kept coming up with "0" on transponder 10 on 61.5, so he kept messing with it. I couldn't see how he could be getting good numbers on all other key transponders but zero on one, so I checked it on my receivers and it was getting 50, rock solid. He just chalked it up to his meter and tightened everything down. All my posted numbers are coming from the receiver. After all the receiver is more trustworthy as opposed to his meter at the lnb. My receivers are 130' away from the dish.

 

[MikeD-C05]

Update: The tech just left. The final numbers here are what I'm getting now. This is more in line with the average and in most cases above average (at least according to a document Scott referenced in the DISH Support site. These were averages for Waco, TX, the closest city to Athens, TX)

61.5    x10 -      39-->40-->50
61.5    x14 -      61-->61-->70
61.5    x29 -      48-->50-->58
61.5    x31 -      43-->44-->52

72.7    x15 -      40-->41-->55
72.7    x17 -      41-->43-->57
72.7    x19 -      40-->42-->55
72.7    x21 -      43-->43-->57

77      x13 -      23-->27-->34
77      x16 -      24-->28-->45
77      x20 -      25-->30-->46
77      x21 -      32-->37-->46

I can live with these numbers.

Those are much better strengths than before. :up

 

[MikeD-C05]

Here are my strengths on the 1000.4 dish in southeast Texas: Nederland 9 miles from Beaumont,Tx.

61.5 transponder 10 - 60
61.5 transponder 14 - 71
61.5 transponder 29 - 58
61.5 transponder 31 - 50

72.7 transponder 15 - 58
72.7 transponder 17 - 63
72.7 transponder 19 - 61
72.7 transponder 21 - 62

77 transponder 13 - 43
77 transponder 16 - 45
77 transponder 20 - 43
77 transponder 21 - 43

 

[120inna55]

Those are much better strengths than before. :up

Yep, rain fade should be infrequent and brief, now. I'm happy.

 

[Tomboy257]

I guess I have to get someone to see if they can improve my signal numbers. I have 1k4 with signal on 61.5 and 72 barely touching 40 any TP. The "rain fade" isn't bad however but I maybe it can be improved.

Is having a tech come out to fine tune the dish to improve the numbers a "free call"? Is it covered by that $6.00 equipment fee? Thanks

 

[120inna55]

Is having a tech come out to fine tune the dish to improve the numbers a "free call"? Is it covered by that $6.00 equipment fee? Thanks

It it happens within 60 days of the install, then it should be free.

Otherwise, if you have DHP, then I believe it'll be a $15 charge.

 

[NR2D]

I re-installed my 1K.4 system. Followed the directions and peaked the signal on 72.7. Got an indicated signal strength 0f 53, nice a steady. I reset my receiver ran a switch check without the dish connected in order to clear the switch memory. I re-ran the switch check after re-connecting the dish but the "Switch Check" matrix only show satellite 72.7. When I go to point dish it does the same thing, all I can see is 72.7. The system is not seeing 61.5 and 77.0!!

Any ideas?