DISH problems

murphey

murphey

Touchdown! Greaser!
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murphey
I've had DISH for a number of years. All of a sudden, this past
weekend, a very few of the channels are coming in. Tech Support
(who can only read the cookbook and are unable to tell me
why this is happening) claims the receiver needs to be
replaced.

I have problems believing this because there are still viewable
channels. And the viewable channels are all over the place, not
in close proximity (number-wise).

Is this reasonble, that I need a new receiver?
 
murphey said:
I've had DISH for a number of years. All of a sudden, this past
weekend, a very few of the channels are coming in. Tech Support
(who can only read the cookbook and are unable to tell me
why this is happening) claims the receiver needs to be
replaced.

I have problems believing this because there are still viewable
channels. And the viewable channels are all over the place, not
in close proximity (number-wise).

Is this reasonble, that I need a new receiver?
Click to expand...

It could be possible. More likely though is the dish is a little out of alignment and needs to be tweaked a little. Don't know what your dish is attached to so it's hard to say what might have happened. Good luck.
 
IIRC from when I had DISH, there was a menu option (under Setup or something like that) that could tell you signal strength. If your dish alignment got out of whack, you might see a lower level here and it could help you get it back into position.

It is possible your receiver, or even the LNA up at the focal point of the dish, has gone bad. A damaged cable is possible also. Channel number has nothing to do with which transponder it is being broadcast on.
 
Many Dish receivers have a two-satellite receiver, and you can have it where some transponders are being received, and others are not.

Hot news flash: (1) Call up DirecTV, and they'll likely give you a promotional package, free equipment, free install, cheap programming, etc.; and (2) Call Dish to cancel, and when they ask you why, you tell them (a) your Dish service became unreliable, and (b) you're switching to DirecTV - they'll likeley drop trou for you as well with free upgrade, equipment and lower rates.
 
I had this problem and it simply was the over the years water had gotten into a few of the coax connectors and cause them to corrode. This introduces losses into the signal path that were enough to make certain channels blank out. The tech replaced two connectors and viola, it all worked again.
 
ScottM said:
I had this problem and it simply was the over the years water had gotten into a few of the coax connectors and cause them to corrode. This introduces losses into the signal path that were enough to make certain channels blank out. The tech replaced two connectors and viola, it all worked again.
Click to expand...

That's actually my bet, as well. RF is a funny thing.

-Rich
 
SCCutler said:
Many Dish receivers have a two-satellite receiver, and you can have it where some transponders are being received, and others are not.

Hot news flash: (1) Call up DirecTV, and they'll likely give you a promotional package, free equipment, free install, cheap programming, etc.; and (2) Call Dish to cancel, and when they ask you why, you tell them (a) your Dish service became unreliable, and (b) you're switching to DirecTV - they'll likeley drop trou for you as well with free upgrade, equipment and lower rates.
Click to expand...

Just, whatever you do, for all that is holy, DO NOT ACTUALLY ORDER DIRECTV!
 
ScottM said:
I had this problem and it simply was the over the years water had gotten into a few of the coax connectors and cause them to corrode. This introduces losses into the signal path that were enough to make certain channels blank out. The tech replaced two connectors and viola, it all worked again.
Click to expand...

Yep, it's most likely this. I put high quality outdoor cable underground, in a PVC pipe and it still degraded enough to kill certain channels on DISH.

Run a new test cable from the dish to your receiver. I'll bet the problem goes away.
 
The same thing happened to me. They even SENT me a new DVR which they then charged me 200 bucks for... I farted around and didn't change it out for months (most channels worked, not all).

Long and short, it was the dish itself - they finally sent a technician out who checked the dish and fixed it (some "teeth" had broken off, wasn't getting all the signal) and voila.

Because I dithered so long and didn't complain about the new receiver, I wasn't able to return it. I did however dump them the minute FIOS became available and I told them why, too.

At any rate, don't get a new receiver, make them come out and fix your dish.
 
ScottM said:
I had this problem and it simply was the over the years water had gotten into a few of the coax connectors and cause them to corrode. This introduces losses into the signal path that were enough to make certain channels blank out. The tech replaced two connectors and viola, it all worked again.
Click to expand...

This seems to be the first option. Hit the connectors with electrical connection spray to clean everything off. If that doesn't work, I can probably replace the connectors.

thanks!
 
Jack Spectre said:
Yep, it's most likely this. I put high quality outdoor cable underground, in a PVC pipe and it still degraded enough to kill certain channels on DISH.

Run a new test cable from the dish to your receiver. I'll bet the problem goes away.
Click to expand...

I ran the cable underground also, in the PVC pipe. But after more than 10 years, I'm not surprised there's problems.
 
murphey said:
This seems to be the first option. Hit the connectors with electrical connection spray to clean everything off. If that doesn't work, I can probably replace the connectors.

thanks!
Click to expand...

I'd say probably eight of ten cases where an RF cable loses only some frequencies are due to corrosion.

Replace them, and cut back the wire a bit before installing the new ones so you get fresh metal. Spraying with a cleaner probably won't be enough.

-Rich
 
RJM62 said:
I'd say probably eight of ten cases where an RF cable loses only some frequencies are due to corrosion.

Replace them, and cut back the wire a bit before installing the new ones so you get fresh metal. Spraying with a cleaner probably won't be enough.

-Rich
Click to expand...

The way Dish operates, sequential channels may be on different satellites.

This is a list that shows which channel is on which transponder & satellite: http://www.satelliteguys.us/thelist/index.php?search=dnall&sub=true

First thing I'd probably do is to scroll through the channels and determine which channels work, and map them to a satellite. If all the missing channels are on one satellite, that indicates an issue with a) an obstruction (tree, building, etc) in the direction of that bird, b) a problem with that LNB, or c) a problem with the switch (including insufficient power to make the switch work due to a bad cable). If, on the other hand, the missing channels are spread across both satellites, but are only the higher transponders, then I'd be looking at the cable, the connectors, or the receiver. If the low transponders are missing, better chance that it's the receiver.
 
Latest diagnosis....

Single LNB unit.
Verified geometry (azimuth & elevation) with my trusty grade school protractor and a level. Rats, I can only verify elevation - the compass is out at the hangar (no azimuth....) But elevation is correct (42).

But I discovered that 10 years ago, when the dish was installed (in a 8 in square beam of wood across two 8 x 4 beams) that the installer only screwed in the top 2 holes bolted into the wood, leaving the bottom 2 holes empty. If he had raised the attachment 1 in, all 4 would have been bolted in. With 10 years of exposure to rain & snow, the top bolts are now loose and coming out. And no way to move the unit or re-attach about 2 in back because there's not enough slack in the wiring. So, I'm off to the hardware store to buy a few feet of metal strapping (or something) that will snug the unit back to the beam.

Side note:
I just mapped the 20 most frequent channels I watch (channel/sat/transponder) and guess what - the dead channels are all are on the same transponder number BUT the description is not transponder but spotbeam.
 
And the final solution! 3 of the really heavy-duty tie-wraps used in commercial outdoor wiring (antennas, power lines, etc) that make sure the attachment plate is snug against the wood beam.

Everything works great, only cost $8, and I don't have to deal with DISH customer dis-service again.
 
murphey said:
And the final solution! 3 of the really heavy-duty tie-wraps used in commercial outdoor wiring (antennas, power lines, etc) that make sure the attachment plate is snug against the wood beam.

Everything works great, only cost $8, and I don't have to deal with DISH customer dis-service again.
Click to expand...

It could be possible. More likely though is the dish is a little out of alignment and needs to be tweaked a little. Don't know what your dish is attached to so it's hard to say what might have happened. Good luck.
Click to expand...

We have a winner!! B)
 
What? No duct tape was used in this MacGyver solution? Sad...

:goofy:
 
ScottM said:
Why mike? I switched from Dish to DirectTV a couple of years ago and have been quite happy. But if I go HD later this year I will go ATT uVerse.
Click to expand...

I was DirecTV subscriber for over 10 years.

Other than charging me $150 for terminating a commitment they swore I wouldn't have after I activated a DVR I OWNED? "We always make you commit. We always have the language in the contarct you signed no matter what you were told." Sucka

http://consumerist.com/2010/06/dire...termination-fee-then-guess-what-happened.html

If you sign up with DirecTV for anything, you will be subject to a $480.00 early termination fee the next day. Ya think they would need to that if the product they sell was worth having?
 
mikea said:
I was DirecTV subscriber for over 10 years.

Other than charging me $150 for terminating a commitment they swore I wouldn't have after I activated a DVR I OWNED? "We always make you commit. We always have the language in the contarct you signed no matter what you were told." Sucka

http://consumerist.com/2010/06/dire...termination-fee-then-guess-what-happened.html

If you sign up with DirecTV for anything, you will be subject to a $480.00 early termination fee the next day. Ya think they would need to that if the product they sell was worth having?
Click to expand...

I usually cross that language out, and then tell the vendor to take it or leave it. Most (but not all) of them will still do the deal.

-Rich
 
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