Direct TV problems

Trek-Cyclist · 05-07-2007, 04:51 PM

I have Direct TV and used it last night worked fine! Today when we got to our new CG I could ONLY get half of the sat channels all the even ones showed 88% to 94%. No odd channels at all!

Called DTV and they told me to check the conections. Did that and I have 15 plus volts on the coax to the dish. The trouble shooting guide says to replace the LNB, If not then the reciever could be bad... Has anyone had this problem? If so what was the outcome?

Trek-Cyclist · 05-07-2007, 04:51 PM

I have Direct TV and used it last night worked fine! Today when we got to our new CG I could ONLY get half of the sat channels all the even ones showed 88% to 94%. No odd channels at all!

Called DTV and they told me to check the conections. Did that and I have 15 plus volts on the coax to the dish. The trouble shooting guide says to replace the LNB, If not then the reciever could be bad... Has anyone had this problem? If so what was the outcome?

tomsm · 05-07-2007, 05:26 PM

Ed,

Haven't had the problem, but I can provide a little background. The satellite transponders transmit in either left hand circular polarization (LHCP) or right hand circular polarization (RHCP). Odds use one and evens use the other - can't remember which is which. The LNB can only pass one or the other to the receiver at a time (LH or RH). The receiver signals which it wants by changing the voltage on the coax to the LNB.

If you change back and forth between even and odd channels and you see the voltage change on the coax, then the rx is doing it's part and the LNB is probably bad. If you have a dual LNB, just move the cable over the the other LNB. If the voltage doesn't change, you're probably going to need a new rx.

I'm not a satellite engineer, but I this is right...

jimandsue60 · 05-07-2007, 05:29 PM

Are you sure you have a clear view of the sky? Sometimes if there is some tree overhand that will cause some of the transponders not to come in.

Jim

tomsm · 05-07-2007, 05:39 PM

Just remembered - someone told me they accidentally pointed their dish at the wrong satellite and only got signal strength on half the channels. They didn't try to watch it, but just noticed what you saw - signal on only half the channels. If yours is a manual dish, check around for a nearby satellite.

Ron and Patti · 05-07-2007, 05:50 PM

I dont know if this will help you out or what kind of box you have. But in the past I have had the same problem you are having.If you have a older samsung box. You can try resetting the box.What I do is unplug the box and take out the sim card wait about 5 min plug the box in and re-install the sim card when driving and hitting potholes and ever day road work I think the sim card gets loose in the box and starts throwing out a bad single like I said its worked for and I have an in motion sat hope this helps you out. Ron

John_Canfield · 05-08-2007, 04:55 AM

Tom's explanation is what I have been told and read about; the sat receiver will change polarity at the LNB to change between even/odd transponders. It sends the DC current up to the LNB through the coax.

Before you jump to conclusions, see what happens when you change locations. If you are still having problems, then you might have a hardware issue. Try another sat receiver and see if you get the same results; if you do, then you might have a bad LNB. If you have a multiswitch inline, it could also be bad.

We fought a months-long problem of dropping a set of transponders with our King Dome; the resolution consisted of King Controls replacing the entire dome.

On our way to and from Alaska last year, I found that when we were in the fringe DirecTV satellite footprint in Canada, some transponders didn't come in at all and we would miss some channels.

Savannah · 05-08-2007, 05:41 AM

We had this happen when we changed spaces and direction in Key West this winter. I did all the "fix" stuff and still no help so called DirecTV and made an appointment for a repair guy to come out. This was on a Friday and he would be coming on Monday. Sunday night turned on the TV "just in case" and WOW it worked fine. Repair guy said after checking everything on Monday that sometimes it just takes awhile for everything to get lined up after changing directions. Could be since all has been fine from then on. We have an in motion set up.

Outbumn · 05-08-2007, 01:39 PM

Had a simular problem with one of our home receivers a few months ago From the DirecTV forum, I found the problem to be in the receiver. As I am told, the receiver has 2 power supplies, one for the odd channels and one for the even channels. That is transponder channels. Only thing we could do is get a new receiver. But, being 7 years old, I think we got our money's worth out of it.

Thudman · 05-08-2007, 02:37 PM

Unplug the receiver for about 30 seconds. Plug it in. This resets it. If still no reception, call DirecTV & ask them which is the preferred transponder for your location. Set that transponder in your system.

Hope this helps. G'luck. I recently had the same problem & this fixed it. (Movin' View MV3500A).

Thudman

John_Canfield · 05-08-2007, 03:12 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Thudman:
Unplug the receiver for about 30 seconds. Plug it in. This resets it. If still no reception, call DirecTV & ask them which is the preferred transponder for your location. Set that transponder in your system.

Hope this helps. G'luck. I recently had the same problem & this fixed it. (Movin' View MV3500A).

Thudman </div></BLOCKQUOTE>The way I understand it, some channels are on even transponders, some are on the odd ones. Some transponders are "spot beamed" to a 100 or 200 mile diameter for local channels. As far as I know, there is no decision-making as to what transponders you receive - all that logic is up to the receiver.

Trek-Cyclist · 05-09-2007, 06:35 AM

Well first of all thanks to all of you for your replies...
When we got here I did what I always do. Set-up the dish. I power on and set it up. I use the zip code for the lacation. Here it's 84532. It came back and told me it was 152 degrees and 42 degree tilt! With those it set me on another Sat. ONLY receiving half the transponders(all even)... my on screen display never told me I was on the wrong Sat like it did once in the past, piece of crap!
After several calls to Direct TV Tech service??? Not!I posted here then, I read all the replies. I started by suggesting to my wife moving the rig, that went over like passing gas in church, but it was under consideration! LOL... After checking all the connections and reading current from the Box to the dish, box to the selector, selector to tv....I started by searching 1 degree at a time both elevation and asmuth. I finally received a signal with (ALL) the transponders! I was at 165 degrees and 49 degrees tilt! We again called Direct TV and was told sometimes they share zip codes and the direction could be off a little. A little? 13 degrees, and 7 degrees tilt!

This was the first time in almost 3 years we had this problem. What made it worse was the CG had no cable or antenna reception!
Well, I can say that every fitting has been cleaned checked and coated with dilectric silicon grease and the reception is fine and everything is working great...
Thanks to those that stopped me and made me think about it before going out and buying a new LNB and receiver.... Word to the rest. Don't trust what the zip code setup tells you and post your questions to the IRV2 folks! There is more experence and advise here then a gagel of Direct TV Telephone operators(Techs)????No way! It's like talking to a 13 year old reading off a check list!
Thanks again y-all are great!

tomsm · 05-09-2007, 08:29 AM

Ed - Glad to hear you got it going. At least all the connections have been PM'd now...

When my friend told me about getting on the wrong sat, I had a few doubts since it had never happened to me. Glad you were able to verify it. If I ever get only half the channels, that'll be the first thing I check!

jasonm · 05-09-2007, 12:29 PM

I recently had issues of either being able to get local channels, but not my extended pkg (ESPN, Disney, etc) or being able to get the extended package but not the locals. Turns out the roof mounted Winnegard Dish is a single receptor and cannot get both satellites at the same time. Anyone else have this problem? I also have a dish on a tripod I can use and it does have a dual transponder/receptor.

wagonmaster2 · 05-10-2007, 06:00 PM

Jasonm - I have a similar problem with my roof mount dish. I can get the extended (or 3 digit )channels on it but I can't find the satellite for the local network channels. I have a 3 head tripod dish that gets everything at the same setting. How much of a change in elevation and azimuth do you have to do to go from one satellite to the other on your single head dish? I know we have different inital settings between Spokane and northern Oklahoma but maybe it would give me some idea how much I need to move the roof dish to get the locals when that may be all I want that evening. I hate the thought of having to set up the tripod for just one night to watch networks when the roof dish would just crank up and be ready in minutes (and fold up the next morning real quick). Any help greatly appreciated.
Wagonmaster2

wagonmaster2 · 05-10-2007, 06:06 PM

Can someone explain what "transponders" refers to and how they are referred to to get the dish set right? Just getting into the Directv game and all this is Greek to me. I know the Set Up Menu shows a list of, I think, about 32 things that are being counted down with a value, and some are -0- but I don't know if this means anything to me or how to change them. Nothing in any of the pamphlets mentions Transponders or what to do about them. Thanks.
Wagonmaster2

wagonmaster2 · 05-10-2007, 06:15 PM

Ed/Full time - I'm confused about the wrong settings given by the box also. Mine tells me to use 181 azimuth with 41 compass settings, which gets nothing. The tech who who drove by when my equipment arrived said to use 196 and 46 settings - and this gets the picture on the tube. I've tried to call him back at his local phone number to ask about this and the problem Jasonm has but he doesn't return my calls (guess all he wanted was the s/n off the receiver so he could get paid for doing something during the installation - which I did all of it). Like was stated, this forum has many for answers than anyone you can reach on the phone.
Wagonmaster2

tomsm · 05-11-2007, 01:50 AM

Wagonmaster2 - Transponders are the individual transmitters on the satellite. You don't have to do anything with/to them. Just find the right satellite and the transponders will be there. If about half of them show -0-, you're on the wrong satellite. The primary DirecTv satellite (the one that has all the programming except for locals and HD channels) will normally show -0- on 4 (I think) of the transponders. These 4 transponders are used for spot-beaming into certain local markets, so you won't see a signal on them unless you're in that particular area.

I only use the primary satellite since I don't subscribe to locals. We use cable at home. If your locals are spot-beamed, as most are, you won't be able to receive them more than about 100 miles from home. When I have internet available on the road, I use the DirecTv website to get azimuth and elevation - here. We traveled from FL to WA and back last year and always found the satellite. I never had to change elevation to get the satellite, although I did change maybe a degree or two to peak the signal. The azimuth was never "right on", but I attributed that to not being able to precisely determine where north was. Using my compass, I set my best guess of north and then slowly swept up to 20 degrees either side of the azimuth given by their site. Use the screen that shows signal strength on a single transponder to find and peak the signal, then go back to the one that shows all the transponders to make sure you're locked on the right satellite. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

Trek-Cyclist · 05-11-2007, 03:57 AM

Wagonmaster,
Tom is right on!
When I set-up my dish the Direct TV Coordinates were off. The zip code showed a setting for the wrong Sat. 152* asmuth and tilt of 42... That put me o the (wrong) Sat...only receiving 1/2 of the transponders(all even numbers no odd ones)and the receiver on TV screen readout pointed me in the direction that something was wrong with the RCVR or the LNB. If it was the another DTV Sat or the Dish Sat. I don't know but the one I needed was 13* different/off.... Like Tom I use a compass to set Mag North and never have been more the a few degrees off in finding the (right) Sat. My coordinates were reported to Direct TV for the Zipcode area I was in... They are supposed to file a report and get it checked to make sure it's correct.
If they share zipcodes that would explain some of the problem. Example. I'm sitting at 7,000 feet and there is a mountain between me and the valley town at 1,000 and using the same zip code...something has to be off when dialing in the signal.. even if it's the tilt due to the elevation..

wagonmaster2 · 05-11-2007, 01:12 PM

Tom & Ed - Thanks for all the detail, things are beginning to clear up some and hopefully more as I begin to use the system more. All the transponders always show on 101, I'd like to be able to see them on 110 & 119 but maybe that's no possible. I'm still trying to understand why I get locals here at home on the 3 head dish but can't find anything but 3 digit channels with the single head roof dish. Maybe that isn't possible. Thanks again for all the great explanations.
Wagonmaster2