problems with locals from sat 99

[bigben7]

I'm confused on why I loose my locals from sat 99 much quicker than the other channels. On a clear day I get higher signals on 99 than I do on 103 but yet I loose my signals on 99 with just a little rain. Last night was a good example, we had a little rain and cloud cover and my local channels from 99 kept coming in and out. The channels from 103 were fine even with a drop in signal strength. Is there an issue with the local spotbeam in the NY area or could this problem be related to something with the equipment?

[litzdog911]

What are your 99(b) readings on a clear day? When it's raining?

[bigben7]

What are your 99(b) readings on a clear day? When it's raining?

On a clear day the first transponder is usually in the 90's, the second is always low for some reason (60's) and the rest are usually in the 80's. When it rains they flucuate between 0 and the readings I just stated.

103b readings are usually in the 70's or 60's on a clear day. When it rains they flucuate but never to zero. Last night I was getting readings in the 40's and 50's but the channels never went down.

[litzdog911]

Your readings on 103(b) seem rather low. You might benefit from having your dish alignment tweaked.

Also, verify that your coax connectors at the dish are snug, dry and corrosion-free.

[bigben7]

Your readings on 103(b) seem rather low. You might benefit from having your dish alignment tweaked.

Also, verify that your coax connectors at the dish are snug, dry and corrosion-free.

I agree the 103b readings are low but the channels never seem to go down so I haven't been concerned. A couple of weeks ago I had severe rain and they still worked.

Unfortunately I can't get to my dish to check the connectors but I just had the dish installed in June so I would hope there's no corrosion. Let's say there is a problem with the connectors, would it only impact the channels from 99?

[litzdog911]

I agree the 103b readings are low but the channels never seem to go down so I haven't been concerned. A couple of weeks ago I had severe rain and they still worked.

Unfortunately I can't get to my dish to check the connectors but I just had the dish installed in June so I would hope there's no corrosion. Let's say there is a problem with the connectors, would it only impact the channels from 99?

Hard to say. Loose or corroded connectors can cause a variety of flakey signal problems.

[bigben7]

Hard to say. Loose or corroded connectors can cause a variety of flakey signal problems.

Well this weekend I checked the connectors and wiring and everthing seems ok. I was doing some searching on this site and it looks like there are other folks having problems with 99b. In my previous post I mentioned low readings on transponder 2 but it's actually transponder 3 and apparently other people have the same issue. My signal yesterday for transponder 3 was in the 40's but all the other transponders were in the 90's or mid 80's. Perhaps my locals are coming from transponder 3 which would explain why they go down so fast.

[Steve Robertson]

I would also make sure you have the right multiswitch which I did not and once the new one was in my signal shot up 25-30 points. Every D* installer always said I had the right one until this past Saturday when this guy put a new one in.

[techrep]

I would also make sure you have the right multiswitch which I did not and once the new one was in my signal shot up 25-30 points. Every D* installer always said I had the right one until this past Saturday when this guy put a new one in.

I suspect that there are quite a few more multiswitches, out there, that need replacing.

[Steve Robertson]

I suspect that there are quite a few more multiswitches, out there, that need replacing.

That is exactly what the technician said on Saturday.

[bigben7]

I would also make sure you have the right multiswitch which I did not and once the new one was in my signal shot up 25-30 points. Every D* installer always said I had the right one until this past Saturday when this guy put a new one in.

I actually don't have a multiswitch.

[Skins Fan]

Also check the mast for plumb, right techrep? Being off of the bubble could also cause those types of signals and early fall off on one sat but not the others.

[techrep]

Also check the mast for plumb, right techrep? Being off of the bubble could also cause those types of signals and early fall off on one sat but not the others.

Abso-freaking-lutely! !devil12: Shoulder :angel:

[techrep]

I actually don't have a multiswitch.

Just for clarity's sake, there is a multiswitch embedded in the LNB. It is possible to eliminate (another topic for another day) this multiswitch if using an external multiswitch so, I take it to mean that you have no external multiswitch.

!devil12: Shoulder :angel:

[bigben7]

Just for clarity's sake, there is a multiswitch embedded in the LNB. It is possible to eliminate (another topic for another day) this multiswitch if using an external multiswitch so, I take it to mean that you have no external multiswitch.

!devil12: Shoulder :angel:

Yes that's what I meant. I'm notechie so what 'skins fan' suggested sounds chinese to me. Anyway..... I have the protection plan so I'm going to call and have someone come out and check things out, I'm just trying to educate myself so I can make sure I ask the right questions. I also read on some other threads that a lot of people are having the same issue as me with 99b and transponder 3, so maybe there's nothing wrong with my equipment.

[techrep]

Yes that's what I meant. I'm notechie so what 'skins fan' suggested sounds chinese to me. Anyway..... I have the protection plan so I'm going to call and have someone come out and check things out, I'm just trying to educate myself so I can make sure I ask the right questions. I also read on some other threads that a lot of people are having the same issue as me with 99b and transponder 3, so maybe there's nothing wrong with my equipment.

Do you have the AT9 dish? This dish is also called the "Side car" and has two visible cables running from the side car LNB to the center LNB.

[jimmyv2000]

my 99b is as follows and i'm 30 miles North of boston
100 95 0 95 95 96

my locals are on the 99 transponder 1(Boston DMA)

[bigben7]

Do you have the AT9 dish? This dish is also called the "Side car" and has two visible cables running from the side car LNB to the center LNB.

I'm not sure. It was my buddy who climbed on my roof this weekend to check out the dish. I'll find out from him.

On a separate note.....could my problem be related to my location? Perhaps I'm on the edge of the spot beam? Is there a way to check that? I'm also still focused on the fact that transponder 3 always has a low signal. Is there a way to see what channels come from that specific transponder?

[techrep]

I'm not sure. It was my buddy who climbed on my roof this weekend to check out the dish. I'll find out from him.

On a separate note.....could my problem be related to my location? Perhaps I'm on the edge of the spot beam? Is there a way to check that? I'm also still focused on the fact that transponder 3 always has a low signal. Is there a way to see what channels come from that specific transponder?

There is no transponder map out right now for the 99 sat. You will get all your HD LIL's from 1 or 2 TP's so, if you have good signal strength on 1 or 2 TP's, you should be good. I have noticed reports, of signal strength, in the 90's from Birmingham Alabama and from Dallas Texas for TP#3 on the 99 sat. If either of these is correct, that would indicate that TP#3 is pointed south.

[bigben7]

There is no transponder map out right now for the 99 sat. You will get all your HD LIL's from 1 or 2 TP's so, if you have good signal strength on 1 or 2 TP's, you should be good. I have noticed reports, of signal strength, in the 90's from Birmingham Alabama and from Dallas Texas for TP#3 on the 99 sat. If either of these is correct, that would indicate that TP#3 is pointed south.

Oh well if that's correct about TP#3 I guess I'm back to square one. Can you clarify a couple of things from previous posts:

-Regarding Steve Robertson's comment on changing the multiswitch, does that pertain to the "multiswitch embedded in the LNB"?

-Skins Fan said "Also check the mast for plumb"....what exactly does that mean in layman's terms.

[techrep]

Oh well if that's correct about TP#3 I guess I'm back to square one. Can you clarify a couple of things from previous posts:

-Regarding Steve Robertson's comment on changing the multiswitch, does that pertain to the "multiswitch embedded in the LNB"?

-Skins Fan said "Also check the mast for plumb"....what exactly does that mean in layman's terms.

Steve Robertson was refering to a external multiswitch only needed if you need more than 4 lines. The Ka band requires a wideband rated multiswitch: WB68 or WB616

Skins Fan was refering to the dish mast and that it needs to be straight up and down. There is a bubble level in the top of the mast and you can move the mast left, right, fore, and aft until the bubble is centered in it's circle. A torpedo or carpenters level, held along the sides of the mast, will accomplish the same thing. The dish mast (pole) must be level (plumb) or all the adjustments (azimuth, elevation, tilt) will not have a common reference point. Without this fixed stable reference point, changes to azimuth will result in a small change to elevation and changes to elevation will result in a small change to azimuth.