Okay I moved into my house(3 years ago) and it already had a sat. on it, actually one of the big Direcway that was used for internet sat., well the other day I lose signal and direct tv(current provider) basically tells me they will have to send someone out, since it is not their sat. and I dont have a service plan it was going to cost me and arm and a leg to have one of them come out and "investigate" so I told them I would call back if thats what I needed. Anyway I narrowed it down to the sat. itself and not the connections inside, coaxle, or the recievers. I adjusted the sat. enough so that I was getting the major channels but most still would not come in. Today it has gone out again and to say the least I am pissed. My question is how precise must the adjustment of the sat. be in order to get a strong signal? Is there an easier way to do this? Has anyone ever had their sat. just stop recieving a signal before, if so what was the problem? I have an extra Direct TV Sat. in the basement, shoud I just try putting that one up, if so am I not in the same boat as far as aiming it? Thanks Guys.
Satellite Problem, help!!
- Thread starter UGA12
- Start date
- Mar 19, 2006
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if you have a standard pkg. w/them[directv] you can use the old dish..go on line and get your lat and long. ...then use the hand held and find tuning the antenna...have someone rotate the dish until you get the perfect pic and highest strength of signal showing up on the tv while in the tuning portion of menu..
don't move the braces any at all unless absolutely necessary and it shouldn't be..if you had a signal before the positioning is real close..
dish usually doesn't go bad..if ya have a spare LNB w/the old set you might try switching the two..
get my e-mail from Jack if ya get flabergasted..
they can be a real pain in the as- sometimes but not often.
good luck..
also double check the braces and lag bolts that are securing the dish mount and dish..a lot of play in the dish or mount can disrupt signal..
if you can trace you coax from dish to tv and make sure their is no nick or break..
hang in the UGA...you will figure it out..
don't move the braces any at all unless absolutely necessary and it shouldn't be..if you had a signal before the positioning is real close..
dish usually doesn't go bad..if ya have a spare LNB w/the old set you might try switching the two..
get my e-mail from Jack if ya get flabergasted..
they can be a real pain in the as- sometimes but not often.
good luck..
also double check the braces and lag bolts that are securing the dish mount and dish..a lot of play in the dish or mount can disrupt signal..
if you can trace you coax from dish to tv and make sure their is no nick or break..
hang in the UGA...you will figure it out..
- Mar 19, 2006
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http://www.copperhead.cc/aboutdpc.htm
if ya got this set up i am of no help..
but may be some help on this site..
if ya got this set up i am of no help..
but may be some help on this site..
Thanks man, a couple of questions..... Nothing was loose on the sat. so why would I have lost signal? What is the hand held you refer to? When positioning the sat. should I be looking at the screen with all the sat's or the tuning page for a specific sat. (I know the certain ones they say should be above 70%, #10 for instance)? I do not have direc way service(direct tv), but I am using a large direc way sat. that was here previous. How many coax cables usuall come from the sat. Mine literally has 4 or 5, but I think only 1 or 2 really matter:shrug: Thanks again OS
- Mar 19, 2006
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Nothing was loose on the sat. so why would I have lost signal?
normally it means a break in the coax..but w/you having a directway dish it leaves me unfamiliar w/their glitzes.
What is the hand held you refer to?
Directv hand held controller for you directv box...if you are using a HUGHES box I would think the premise would be the same...Somewhere within the tuning portion of the menu selections you should see a bar that tells you the degree of your signal strenth..so when someone is rotating the dish VERY SLOWLY you are watching the tv w/the signal strength indicator and when the dish is rotated into the highest strength it will get that should be your setting.Not being familar w/Directway method of tuning or the exact screen bar graphics they use leaves me not helping very much I'm afraid..
How many coax cables usuall come from the sat. Mine literally has 4 or 5, but I think only 1 or 2 really matter:shrug: Thanks again OS
normally it is one line per hookup to tv..there are single and double and even triple LNB's but all they do is provide additional outlets from the dish to other directv or directway boxes and from those into the tv's..
the additional lines you are seeing are probably just those additional lines into the house..for additional hookups.
you might try this..call directv back and ask to speak to a tech from the jump street..most of those guys are real cool..
If the first service rep gives that old song and dance about not having a service pact w/them tell her..[usually they are girls] the litttle ones in the house and going crazyw/out their cartoons and ya just need a tech to help you tune the dish..
consider upgrading to HD for this upcoming NFL SEASON..
NFL SUPERFAN IS AWESOME..they will do the complete install for NOTHING..
superfan is a little pricey but well worth the money..
you might do a search for free tech help also through the internet..lots of techs on these forums who like to help.
I will look around the web for ya..
sorry I haven't been much help.
no spell check..:142smilie
hell I can hardly type worth a ding dong..
- Mar 19, 2006
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First off, check to make sure that no tree branches have grown in the way. Sometimes a branch or tree that you think NO WAY could obstruct the view, does.
Secondly, take your receiver , and a a small tv to the roof, or wherever the dish is mounted, and hook the receiver directly
up
to the LNB on the dish with a new, 4' cable.
Check your signal strength with this setup. This will either condemn or eliminate all of the wiring from the dish to your living room, as the problem.
I've seen cable chewed through by squirrels, pinched in a corner, rusted out inside the F connector, and all kinds of stuff.
Next, mark the mast, and the part of the dish that slides over the mast , with a long straight line. Start the line on the dish part, and continue down the mast. This way, you can loosen the bolts on the dish, and remove it.
This will allow you to check and see if the mast is level and plum. If so, just slip the dish back on , and realign the line you drew.
Start with these ideas, then get back to us !!
Secondly, take your receiver , and a a small tv to the roof, or wherever the dish is mounted, and hook the receiver directly
up
to the LNB on the dish with a new, 4' cable.
Check your signal strength with this setup. This will either condemn or eliminate all of the wiring from the dish to your living room, as the problem.
I've seen cable chewed through by squirrels, pinched in a corner, rusted out inside the F connector, and all kinds of stuff.
Next, mark the mast, and the part of the dish that slides over the mast , with a long straight line. Start the line on the dish part, and continue down the mast. This way, you can loosen the bolts on the dish, and remove it.
This will allow you to check and see if the mast is level and plum. If so, just slip the dish back on , and realign the line you drew.
Start with these ideas, then get back to us !!
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Thanks DD I have done all the above with the exception of connecting a new wire directly into the satellite. I took a reciever and tv and plugged the exsisting wire but did not hook a new one because I couldnt tell which spot it needed to go. I have 4 or so spots and I am not sure which I need to connect to. It is not inside the house though because when I connected directly to the sat. the signal was the same. I am going to try connecting directly to it with a new wire and if that doesnt work I guess I will try putting up my DirectTv Sat. that I got with my subscribtion:shrug: Here is what my current Sat looks like.
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put up a few myself ...
very important befor you do anything is that the shaft that holds the dish is LEVEL ..
IF ITS NOT LEVEL , ITS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE to locate single .. once its level set your degrees . adjust tio largest power stength 90+
wind may have knock it off or if its been up for lond time may have woked lose ... had to move mine higher because of growth of trees ... g/l
very important befor you do anything is that the shaft that holds the dish is LEVEL ..
IF ITS NOT LEVEL , ITS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE to locate single .. once its level set your degrees . adjust tio largest power stength 90+
wind may have knock it off or if its been up for lond time may have woked lose ... had to move mine higher because of growth of trees ... g/l
Alright I am out of ideas /options. I have doen everything suggested above and more. I can get a signal in my bedroom but can only get limited channels, in the living room I dont get a thing. Is it really that hard to fine tune it:shrug: I get to the signal page where all the transponders are and I get signals on all but 1 or 2, but only about 30-60% on all of them. I really believe it is a fine tuning thing but I simply can not get it any better. Think I might just swith to Dish and get them to come put one up, dammit
No trees ?? If mast is LEVEL & PLUM, and elevation is set to zip specs on receiver, should be able to get in the 80's minimum !
Maybe the LNB is shot. I've never seen anyone use that dish for their TV.
It would only take a few minutes to replace with your subscription issued dish. Mast should be the same !!
Once you take the dish off the mast, MAKE SURE THAT IT IS EXACTLY LEVEL & PLUM !!!!! If it takes an hour to get it perfect, it saves HOURS of hasles !!
Then just set elevation on new dish, pop it on the mast, and spin til signal is strongest. Then you adjust elevation one or 2 notches to fine tune.
I've hung HUNDREDS of dishes. LEVEL & PLUM is the most important thing !
Maybe the LNB is shot. I've never seen anyone use that dish for their TV.
It would only take a few minutes to replace with your subscription issued dish. Mast should be the same !!
Once you take the dish off the mast, MAKE SURE THAT IT IS EXACTLY LEVEL & PLUM !!!!! If it takes an hour to get it perfect, it saves HOURS of hasles !!
Then just set elevation on new dish, pop it on the mast, and spin til signal is strongest. Then you adjust elevation one or 2 notches to fine tune.
I've hung HUNDREDS of dishes. LEVEL & PLUM is the most important thing !
If all else fails call them up to fix it and then when this joke of a bill comes in play dumb and tell them you never knew that there was a fee and you are piss so they might as well take the thing down. This just happen to my brother. This must be a new way to make money for DTV because they came out with a plan which you could purchase. Well they waived the fee. Poor guy put up a whole new dish and all kinds of other stuff and it was just a connection in the house.
