Lightning Strike: Need info

[Tusk]

Sorry this is long. Please read if you have installation experience. I could really use some advice.

There was a lightning strike in our neighborhood on Wednesday before Thanksgiving and when we got home on Friday, we had lost quite a few electrical items. The biggest lost was the 57" TV (no power) and problems with the satellite and receivers. I need some advice before I start working on repairs.

I have a slimline dish, an HR10-250 and an HR20-700. I installed everything myself with no problems for the past 4 months. I was getting no signal on the receivers so I unhooked the switch and tried running directly from the satellite. I found using a signal meter that only 2 of the 4 lines from the sat are carrying a signal. When I hook these 2 lines to a SD DirecTivo (which was not plugged in at the time of the strike), I can get all transponders on 101, 110, 119 on both tuners.

When I hook the 2 lines to the HR10-250, I've lost:
all even transponders on Tuner 2 on 101,
all even trans on Tuner 2 on 119,
trans 23 & 29 on Tuner 1 on 119,
and all even trans on Tuner 2 on 110.

When I hook the 2 lines to the HR20-700, I've lost:
all trans on Tuner 2 on 101 (except a handful)
all trans on 119 on both Tuners
all trans on 103 on both Tuners

Diagnosing my problem, I assume that I need a new LNB for the slimline since 2 of the 4 cables are not carrying a signal. I need a new switch and new BBC's since no signal on 103. And most likely, parts of the tuners are fried in both DVR's. Does that sound about right?

Just wanted some feedback before I begin repairs and replacements.

[rdiedrich]

Sorry this is long. Please read if you have installation experience. I could really use some advice.

There was a lightning strike in our neighborhood on Wednesday before Thanksgiving and when we got home on Friday, we had lost quite a few electrical items. The biggest lost was the 57" TV (no power) and problems with the satellite and receivers. I need some advice before I start working on repairs.

I have a slimline dish, an HR10-250 and an HR20-700. I installed everything myself with no problems for the past 4 months. I was getting no signal on the receivers so I unhooked the switch and tried running directly from the satellite. I found using a signal meter that only 2 of the 4 lines from the sat are carrying a signal. When I hook these 2 lines to a SD DirecTivo (which was not plugged in at the time of the strike), I can get all transponders on 101, 110, 119 on both tuners.

When I hook the 2 lines to the HR10-250, I've lost:
all even transponders on Tuner 2 on 101,
all even trans on Tuner 2 on 119,
trans 23 & 29 on Tuner 1 on 119,
and all even trans on Tuner 2 on 110.

When I hook the 2 lines to the HR20-700, I've lost:
all trans on Tuner 2 on 101 (except a handful)
all trans on 119 on both Tuners
all trans on 103 on both Tuners

Diagnosing my problem, I assume that I need a new LNB for the slimline since 2 of the 4 cables are not carrying a signal. I need a new switch and new BBC's since no signal on 103. And most likely, parts of the tuners are fried in both DVR's. Does that sound about right?

Just wanted some feedback before I begin repairs and replacements.

That sounds about right. Usually when I go to a lightning strike the first two things taken out are the lnb an the multiswitch, only after I get things working by replacing those can I start to see what else is wrong. It is not odd for whatever part of the tuner programming was being watched on to be fried as well.

I wish you luck in your repairs, start with replacing the multiswitch an lnb first and diagnose from there.

Randy

[veryoldschool]

My guess is that the strike came through your power lines.
So: AC wall outlet --> receivers --> BBC --> multi-switch in the dish.

[samrs]

Dig down deep in your pockets, pay DirecTv the $70.

That should cover all your parts and labor.

[NR4P]

Sorry to read about your loss.
First check your homeowners insurance policy for coverage. You may be very well covered for this with only a small deductible. Given you are starting with a broken TV, assume your deductible is met with that alone.

From what you type, it could be the LNB plus one or both receivers but the damage to the multiswitch and BBC's cannot be certain until you know you have a good LNB system and at at least one perfect MPEG4 HD receiver to read all SATS.

Now back to "assuming" you have homeowners insurance covering this.
If so, since your TV will probably cover your deductibe, don't go nuts trying to fix the sat system and receivers yourself. If your TV is covered so are all the repairs to your SAT system, so let a professional come and do it and charge you. That's what insurance is for. You pay one deductible per event, not per visit by a repairman.

But if you insist on doing this yourself.
1. Get/borrow a known good HR20or H20 or H21 or HR21.
2. Run the coaxs from the dish to the receiver (no multiswitch or BBC's) and see if everything works. Try lines 1 and 2, then lines 3 and 4. A 5LNB dish can serve four SAT tuners without any multiswitch. If you have four good lines, your LNB is good thus far, if not, LNB replacement is first.
3. Assuming 1 and 2 yield four good lines for the 101, 119, 110, and 99, then add in the BBC's and see if the 103 SAT(S) come in.
4. Assuming success through number 3, then put in the multiswitch. If you have problems, then the multiswitch is bad.

Having been where you are in the past with a direct hit, I feel your pain.
Good luck

[veryoldschool]

But if you insist on doing this yourself.
1. Get/borrow a known good HR20or H20 or H21 or HR21.
2. Run the coaxs from the dish to the receiver (no multiswitch or BBC's) and see if everything works. Try lines 1 and 2, then lines 3 and 4. A 5LNB dish can serve four SAT tuners without any multiswitch. If you have four good lines, your LNB is good thus far, if not, LNB replacement is first.
3. Assuming 1 and 2 yield four good lines for the 101, 119, 110, and 99, then add in the BBC's and see if the 103 SAT(S) come in.
4. Assuming success through number 3, then put in the multiswitch. If you have problems, then the multiswitch is bad.

Having been where you are in the past with a direct hit, I feel your pain.
Good luck
"from what I read":
the LNB/multi-switch assembly has at least a fried multi-switch [loss of two outputs], & both receivers are gone [missing transponders on known good outputs]. I'd replace BBC "just because".

[bt-rtp]

An insurance claim will cover all of the damages.

Your rate will go up a little, but in return you will get all new replacements, including a 1080p display and 1080p DVD player.

Better to be lucky than smart.

[fwlogue]

An insurance claim will cover all of the damages.

Your rate will go up a little, but in return you will get all new replacements, including a 1080p display and 1080p DVD player.

Better to be lucky than smart.

That can not be stated for fact as the op never gave any details of his insurance policy. On my policy I have a 1000.00 deductible for all PERILS. This includes lighting strikes it would depend on the policy he has.

[ThomasM]

Dig down deep in your pockets, pay DirecTv the $70.

That should cover all your parts and labor.

MAYBE. MAYBE NOT. When they figure out a lightning surge took out their equipment, the poor guy may get a BIG $urpri$e!!

Since they constantly tout "we even cover power surges" in their pushy advertising for their "protection plan", take 'em up on it!!

It will probably take you at least a month to get everything back to normal, and unfortunately this is how long you have to suffer with no DirecTV until the protection plan kicks in. But guess what? If you call DirecTV and tell them your system had a power surge (or they figure it out when you return the boxes with the fried power supplies), the $20 S & H leased receiver replacement program will suddenly go up to the actual cost to repair the damage or worse, the cost of NEW boxes. Not to mention that if they have to send someone to fix the other things that got zapped (LNB, multiswitch, maybe coax) that's ANOTHER $70 for the service call. And maybe it's even PLUS PARTS when the installer figures out what happened.

Plus, in addition to getting everything fixed for $5.99/mo, you get a 12 month warranty (you're stuck with the protection plan for a year).

This is a much better investment of $72 in my opinion...

[ThomasM]

An insurance claim will cover all of the damages.



...except the damages to your future premiums (if they even RENEW the policy).

[K4SMX]

And we all assume you will purchasing one additional piece of new equipment: a UPS with many Joules of surge protection!!!

[glennb]

And we all assume you will purchasing one additional piece of new equipment: a UPS with many Joules of surge protection!!!

And we all assume you know a UPS is not a 100 % guarantee this will never happen again!!!

[K4SMX]

And we all assume you know a UPS is not a 100 % guarantee this will never happen again!!!
You mean you don't trust the $100 million connected equipment warranty?:)

[Tusk]

And we all assume you will purchasing one additional piece of new equipment: a UPS with many Joules of surge protection!!!

Thanks for all the input. Just as an aside, all the equipment was on a UPS with "many joules of protection". Unfortunately, my warranty as well as my $50,000 of reimbursement for damage expired about 3 months ago (first thing I looked up).

I've got insurance to cover everything, but I'll wait to see if the TV can be fixed with a replacement power supply or circuit board. I'll grab a new LNB and switch from ebay for $40-50 total. Free BBC's from DirecTV and a replaced receiver for the cost of shipping (warranty). Might be time to take them up on the HR10-250 upgrade program they were offering me last month for the other receiver.

If the TV can be fixed (fingers crossed), hopefully the rest of the repairs can be done quickly for less than $100 (except for a new UPS - like that really helped).