Even Transponders 0 on HR21-700 - Additional Weirdness

[grump]

Here's the scoop... I've got a Slimline 5LNB dish that was installed a couple of months ago by a D* contractor, and a HR21-700 dvr connected to it. When the tech was installing it, he had a hard time getting all the transponders on 103c to come in. The even transponders were all at zero. He tried new cables, swapped out the LNBs, ran direct wires out the door to test. Everything short of replacing the DVR, since it was the only one he had on the truck.

Finally, he resorted to RBRing the thing over and over. After about an hour of him trying that, even transponders on 103c started showing 98s.

Ok, great, I was happy. Naive but happy.

Then, about two weeks later, the power went out in my house. When the power came back on, I was missing a bunch of HD channels, so I checked, and sure enough, I was missing the even transponders on 103c. Called D*, and they scheduled a tech to come out.

When the tech came the next day, he did everything the previous, different tech did. Replaced the LNBs and the built in multiswitch on the dish, replaced the BBCs, peaked the dish, ran brand new wires out the front door to the dish to make sure it wasn't a wiring problem. Nothing he did work. Finally, he too resorted to RBRing the HR21 over and over. After about 5 reboots, even transponders on 103c started working again.

At this point, I started to suspect the DVR itself had trouble. Maybe a flaky power supply or something, but no matter how hard I insisted, he wouldn't swap out my DVR. Said he didn't have one on the truck.

Ok, great, I was annoyed. Had all my HD channels again, annoyed.

Fast forward to two weeks ago. When we all got the NR just before the CE of 0x0220, my DVR rebooted itself in the middle of the night to upgrade to the newest national release. You guessed it, even transponders on 103c went to 0 again.

I called D* again, and this time explained everything I'd been through, and what the techs did on both visits. The nice CSR put me on hold while she talked to her next level higher support, and insisted I had a multiswitch problem. No matter how hard I tried to explain that both techs had tried several different multiswitches, they insisted it was a multiswitch problem, and scheduled a tech to come out several days later. Beg as I might, I couldn't get them to just ship me a new HR21 to swap out. Stubborn CSRs.

Anyway, after I hung up, I RBRed the HR21 again, and sure enough, the even transponders on 103c came back. Since the CSR told me that under no circumstances would the technician they were sending out swap my HR21, I settled for "working is good enough" and cancelled the appointment.

Well, here we are on April 4th. Guess what happend at 3:54am this morning? That's right, a new national release (0x0220), which rebooted my HR21 and caused me to once again lose 103c's even transponders. At this point, I'm pretty peeved and don't want to call the clueless D* support number and fight with them again about fixing my two month old DVR that has had trouble from the start.

Again, all the equipment I have is:
1 - Slimline 5LNB dish with it's built in multiswitch
1 - HR21-700

Can someone suggest how to get some sort of resolution for this? Is there somewhere I can order just the built-in multiswitch on the dish and swap it out myself to prove that it isn't the problem?

Unless somebody here can give me a better suggestion, I'm going to go to Bestbuy tomorrow and buy a brand new HR21 and hook it up to prove, if only to myself, that the problem is with my HR21.

Help!
:hair:

[GTS]

Sorry to hear about all the problems, but you're correct. The problem is the DVR. The multi switch is built into the LNB assembly. So unless the tech swapped the LNB with another with the exact same problem, there's only one thing left. But I wouldn't get the second DVR. I suggest you call them back and tell them you swapped it with a friends and that your DVR is exhibiting the same problem at their house. I know it's a lie, but if they aren't willing to even contemplate the idea of a bad unit you have to nudge them a little. Good luck.

[grump]

Thanks GTS. I hadn't thought about calling them and using subtrifuge. I'll do that later in the week.

I still want a second HR21. I've got a 32" LCD sitting in my bedroom without any D* goodness. Unfortunately every store, both BestBuy and CircuitCity within a 120 mile radius are sold out. Gotta wonder what's up with that.

Anyway, thanks for the help and confirmation that I'm not nuts. I actually do have a coworker with the same setup I have, so I might just take my dvr over and actually do a genuine test of it at his house anyway.

[grump]

Just a followup to my post in case anyone was interested.

I did order a new HR20 from SolidSignal, hooked it up in place of the HR21 and it worked flawlessly. Just to make sure, I switched back to the HR21 using the same cables and BBCs, and sure enough, the even transponders on 103c were all zeros.

I called Directv back Saturday and let went through the whole story again, and my case was assigned to "case management", and I was told to expect a call back in two hours. That two hour callback didn't happen, so I waited until tonight, was promised another two hour callback, and 2.5 hours later, Stephanie from case management called me back.

Once I explained everything, she immediately understood what was happening, and asked what I would like to do. I told her I would prefer if Directv would ship me a replacement HR21 that I could self-install and for me to ship the old defective one back. She agreed and so my new (refurbished) HR21 will be here in a few days along with a prepaid shipping label to send the old one back.

So, it's taken several tries and a good bit of legwork on my own, but I'm finally getting resolution. I wish it would have been easier, but Stephanie was a pleasure to deal with and I'm satisfied with the resolution.

[GTS]

Glad to hear you might be back up, hopefully the new box will decide to play ball :).
Good job.

[ironwood]

Ok wait a minute you saying that you replaced one box with another and apparently second box is working perfectly and yet Directv assigned it a case management status???

[grump]

Thanks GTS. I've got the new second new box up and running, so consider me a happy camper.

Ironwood, they did indeed, but that was just the front line people. Once Case Management finally called me back, I had a new box within 48 hours.