Weird trouble with reciever

[mrsfarmer]

First time posting.
We have had our 322 dual reciever over 3 years. Since November, it has been acting up. We first thought it was the remote but got a new one and still having problems.
What is happening is we can't change channels, the guide won't come up and we can't use the arrow keys. Sometimes it will work fine, a few minutes later it quits working. Then it will work fine again for a few weeks.
We are kindof dense with electronics, so we don't know what to do. Maybe we need to upgrade?
We have Digital Home Advantage with America's Top 250 w/Dish Home Protection Plan all for $63.98.
I don't know what this Dish Home Protection Plan for $5.99 is.
We don't have a HD tv yet, but possibly getting one this spring. We also don't have the DVR reciever.
I bought a new DVD/VCR player/recorder when we got the Dish, but found out we couldn't record from Dish to it unless the Dish was on the channel.
Sorry got long, such a beginner at all of this.

 

[mrsfarmer]

I forgot to add. This is only happening on TV1, not TV2.
One store told me to put a cable in between the reciever and antenna, to raise the antenna, this made it worse and then TV2 didn't work.
The reciever is in the basement, both TV's are on main level of house.

 

[Fredinva]

I forgot to add. This is only happening on TV1, not TV2.
One store told me to put a cable in between the reciever and antenna, to raise the antenna, this made it worse and then TV2 didn't work.
The reciever is in the basement, both TV's are on main level of house.

TV1 remote is IR - needs to be pointed at receiver!!!!
If you have a UHF upgrade kit, and tv1 remote now has 'UHF' on it, you need to adjust 'lil antenna until you get it right.

fred

 

[vegassatellite]

On the front of the receiver is some little round circles. This is where the remote's signals are picked up. If you don't have a clear line of sight from the remote to this point, you will have trouble.

You can also change the remote code and that might help. Just go to the SYSTEM INFO screen by going to MENU 6,1,3. Then, hold down the clear SAT button on your remote for several seconds until all the lights light up. Then press a number like 5 or 6 and then the # key. After you get a confirmation of three blinking lights, press record on your remote. The screen should now show a new remote code number that matches the one you just entered.

Also, for recording on your VCR, I believe DISH has a feature where you can enter your VCR remote code number from the DISH manual into the receiver and the receiver itself will then send out an IR blast from the front of the box and that will bounce back off a nearby wall, etc. and turn on the VCR and make it record when a program starts.

 

[mrsfarmer]

update on our problem. Got a replacemnt 322 last week, tried to set it up, but could not get it to work. Could not get it to Check Switch on TV1. Called Dish and we could get TV2 to work but not TV1.
They were going to have a tech come out on Monday. Next day (last Thursday) I decided to update to the DVR as long as the tech was coming out. Called Dish again, got it set up, also asked about the 1cent Cinamax, set that up too.
Monday - tech came out, set up new DVR reciever, model 522. I asked about the 625, he said thats what the order was.
Anyway got it all set up, changed the dish. Tried TV1, SAME problem as before with the 322. Guide or channel up & down would not work. DVR buttons would not work. After alot of manuvering of the antenna in the basement, the tech decided to set up the reciever in the living room where TV1 is. He was there way over his allotted time. We must have been the installation from he$$. The phone line is not hooked up, we will have to string phone cable over for that.
But now TV2 remote Guide or channel up/down sporadically works, just like TV1 did before.
What is going on???? Nothing has changed in our house since we started having all these problems in November. There HAS to be some interference somewhere. But what could it be???
Now hubby says the living room TV has a bulls eye color scheme. Green in middle, then blue etc. It was fine last night!

sorry this is long but it's SO frustrating that our problems haven't been solved with the new reciever! Oh, he also installed the model 625 when moving it up to the main floor.
I've been trying to read thru all of the threads here, but I don't get all of the techy stuff.

 

[WiCkeDuDe]

On the front of the receiver is some little round circles. This is where the remote's signals are picked up. If you don't have a clear line of sight from the remote to this point, you will have trouble.

You can also change the remote code and that might help. Just go to the SYSTEM INFO screen by going to MENU 6,1,3. Then, hold down the clear SAT button on your remote for several seconds until all the lights light up. Then press a number like 5 or 6 and then the # key. After you get a confirmation of three blinking lights, press record on your remote. The screen should now show a new remote code number that matches the one you just entered.

Make sure the tv1 and tv2 are using seperate addresses. Use the above info and set each to a different address. Tv1 will be IR and tv2 will be UHF. If this still does not work you may need to extend the UHF tv2 antenna. Try the remotes first.

 

[mrsfarmer]

I'm going to double check the remotes at noon when I get home for lunch. I think the installer was in a hurry to leave and must not have rechecked everything before leaving. He came at 8:30 am and didn't finish until after 2pm. He was VERY frustrated when the remotes weren't working - like our problem was before.

It's not like our house is huge. The kitchen, dining room and living room are all in a row. So between the TV1 - living room and TV2 - kitchen is only about 30feet. Even when the reciever was in the basement, there still wasn't alot of distance.

 

[vegassatellite]

So, to make sure I understand the receiver is not right there beside TV 1, it's elsewhere in the home?

 

[vegassatellite]

Ok, after re-reading this thread and seeing that the receiver is in the basement, we need to make sure you have the TV 1 remote set up for UHF. The regular #1 remote for the 522/625 is IR only and must point at the receiver. So, if the receiver is in the basement, it won't work unless we go UHF. To do that, you have to replace that original #1 remote since it is IR only. You will need a UHF remote from DISH, call and order it. If you have one, or when you get this one, make sure the green chip says #1 UHF PRO or if not, flip it over and see if it has a black UHF PRO mark on the other side. Slide it in with that side up. Go to Menu 6,1,3 and press Record. You'll want to make sure this UHF remote address is different than any other in your home.

If none of the above works, then you need to get that little antenna on the back of the receiver into a place in the home where both remote 1 and 2 can get a signal to it. Ideally, that would be mid-way between TV 1 and TV 2. So, in that case, run a coax or find an existing coax in the home that can be connected to the UHF REMOTE INPUT on the box and connect the little antenna to the other end.

 

[WiCkeDuDe]

sorry this is long but it's SO frustrating that our problems haven't been solved with the new reciever! Oh, he also installed the model 625 when moving it up to the main floor.
I've been trying to read thru all of the threads here, but I don't get all of the techy stuff.

As I understood it the 625 was upstairs by TV1 now. TV1 will not work for UHF. You need another TV2 UHF remote or 6.x with changable keys to work TV1 in UHF mode. Was the prior remote IR?

 

[mrsfarmer]

The 625 reciever is set up by TV1 in the living room. That remote is working for now, but it is 5.0 IR. The installer first gave us a UHF remote, but now I see it was changed.
The remote for TV2 is a 6.0 UHF Pro which is for the kitchen tv/bedroom. That remote is giving us grief now. Sometimes the remote won't work unless pointing at the reciever. If it's UHF it shouldn't have to do that.
I still think we must have some interference in the house.
The installer did not hook our tv in the basement back up to sat. He left a mess of wires old & new hanging. It looks like we need to find a place to hook that tv up.
But then we need to have a UHF remote for TV1, which I don't have.

 

[WiCkeDuDe]

If the 625 is next to tv1 then you dont need the UHF remote. Try changing the addresses on the remotes first. See if it is any better and if not we can give you some tips on extending the antenna.