771 message (no signal) on a few channels...

[nickpoore]

So, I've had DTV for several years and have slowly upgraded from a round dish, to an oval dish, to my current 5-way dish...

Recently (in the hot weather of SoCal) I've started to receive 771 messages on various channels. (eg 281, 501, 511, 537).

Now, I get this on two identical HD DVR's. I've tried rebooting them to no avail.
I've disconnected all my equipment from the multiswitch (a 6x8 multiswitch) and powered off all of my DVR's.

I called DirecTV and their responce was to tell me to reset using the red button.
(Don't their tech's know how to do anything else?)
I told them I'd done that already.
They told me to check the connections on the multiswitch.
I told them I'd done that alreday.
They told me to check various channels to confirm that the BBS, etc, were correctly installed, and they all passed.

So, they told me that they'd send out a technician for $80 with the usual 4-hour appointment time...

Now, call me cheap, but I hate it when they want to charge me when their equipment is faulty...

So, does anyone have any ideas here...

I figure that I can connect the DVR directly to the dish (avoiding the multiswitch) to see of the multiswitch is bad...

But I'm really not sure what else to try...

I also ran the satellite signal strenght tests.
Sat 101
96 91 94 23 95 97 89 06
93 96 95 0 95 98 95 96
92 100 95 0 97 97 96 98
96 0 95 100 96 97 92 98

Sat 110
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA 0
NA 0 NA 0 NA NA NA NA
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

Sat 119
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
NA NA NA NA NA 0 82 0
74 0 86 0 42 0 83 0

Sat 99
0 70 0 83 0 82 NA NA
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

Sat 103
0 0 0 0 0 0 NA NA
NA NA NA NA NA NA 35 100
90 96 100 100 100 0 44 38
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

Sat 103(c)
85 88 83 83 85 88 83 85
86 87 87 86 88 91 NA NA
90 NA NA NA NA 84 NA NA
NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

[RobertE]

It could be a couple of different things. You've lost the 18v22Khz line.

Could be the port on the 6x8.
The connectors at either end of that line.
Or the switch in the LNB itself.

It should be one of those three.

[Greg Alsobrook]

If I were you, I would go ahead and try bypassing the multiswitch if it's easily accessible... Maybe you'll luck out and that will be the problem, and you can just request another one at no charge...

[Rob Grim]

Seems to be alot of this going on (searching for signal 771) from scanning through some of these threads with me being one of them. I've had *D to my house 3 times in the past month with a lead technician being sent and after many hours the installer came to the conclusion it was a bad cable. Once a new cable was installed it was resolved for a week, maybe less then it started again. *D has replaced the 4x8 switch, ran the test channels on all tv's, checked the alignment, has done everything minus replacing the LNB (I have the slimline dish). *D is returning this Wednesday for what I'd like to call their final visit, if it's not resolved, cancelling the service. For the life of me I DO NOT want to cancel but I'm also tired of paying for something that only works half the time. I've been with *D for over 12 years and this is really the first time I've had to deal with CS and I've been far from impressed. When *D returns Wednesday, the first thing I'll make him do is replace the LNB. I'll let you know what the outcome is.

Rob

[RobertE]

Seems to be alot of this going on (searching for signal 771) from scanning through some of these threads with me being one of them. I've had *D to my house 3 times in the past month with a lead technician being sent and after many hours the installer came to the conclusion it was a bad cable. Once a new cable was installed it was resolved for a week, maybe less then it started again. *D has replaced the 4x8 switch, ran the test channels on all tv's, checked the alignment, has done everything minus replacing the LNB (I have the slimline dish). *D is returning this Wednesday for what I'd like to call their final visit, if it's not resolved, cancelling the service. For the life of me I DO NOT want to cancel but I'm also tired of paying for something that only works half the time. I've been with *D for over 12 years and this is really the first time I've had to deal with CS and I've been far from impressed. When *D returns Wednesday, the first thing I'll make him do is replace the LNB. I'll let you know what the outcome is.

Rob

If you have a slimline, then you need a WB68, WB616 or a SWM8. A 4x8 switch won't work and will lead to all sorts of issues.

[kevinm34232]

In these cases try to get them to replace the LNB, ground block, and all fittings that are outside, it could be any of these things or the 6x8 itself.

[K4SMX]

It could be a couple of different things. You've lost the 18v22Khz line......
But nickpoore's also got no 119 odds, the 13v22Khz line. And maybe the 99 odds, the 13v line. Yet he has all his 103(c)'s. Definitely a multi-switch, either in the LNB or external. Let's hope in Rob Grim's case it is a "4 x 8," and all he needs is a WB68 6 x 8. :)

[RobertE]

But nickpoore's also got no 119 odds, the 13v22Khz line. And maybe the 99 odds, the 13v line. Yet he has all his 103(c)'s. Definitely a multi-switch, either in the LNB or external. Let's hope in Rob Grim's case it is a "4 x 8," and all he needs is a WB68 6 x 8. :)

Me culpa.

Your right. Should have said 13v22Khz. ;)

These can also be verified by using the specific test channels. 480, 481, 490, 491, 492, 493, 494.

[K4SMX]

Me culpa.

Your right. Should have said 13v22Khz. ;)

These can also be verified by using the specific test channels. 480, 481, 490, 491, 492, 493, 494.
No, you were right to begin with. See that he has no 110's. You just didn't notice everything on the first pass.

[RobertE]

No, you were right to begin with. See that he has no 110's. You just didn't notice everything on the first pass.

ugh. Long day combined with thread jacks.

Time for a drink me thinks. :)

Anyway, odds are the OP has a bad connector on the 18v22Khz line.

[K4SMX]

Or loose/corroded connectors. And to think these things are outdoors.....:)

[Rob Grim]

If you have a slimline, then you need a WB68, WB616 or a SWM8. A 4x8 switch won't work and will lead to all sorts of issues.

I have the WB68, verified yesterday when I got home.

[K4SMX]

I have the WB68, verified yesterday when I got home.
The replacement cable evidently fixed it for a week. Maybe there's more bad cable. Possibly they're all 12 years old.

I don't know why it's so hard to get techs to swap LNB's when it's usually so easy to do. They won't have exhausted all the possibilities until they run all new cables and install a new LNB. Hopefully the new WB68 is good and not one that was laying around in the truck after being pulled from someone else's installation. :)

[nickpoore]

Update.

I disconnected the multiswitch.

I now have two RG6's from the dish going to one HR20, and the other two going to another HR20.

Both HR20's cannot get channel 501 (HBOHD).

So, either I have two bad cables, or there is a problem with the dish.

I now have the protection plan, and they are sending a tech out this weekend.

Just so long as I don't get another tech on the phone who's asked if I've pushed the little red reset button. Grrrrr.

[MT_Falconer]

Everyone here has offered good advice. Only thing I'd like to point out is that if it was happening on more than one receiver, it's not a problem with the receiver and therefore not D*'s equipment. Stupid, I realize, but that's how they justify the charge.

So yes...pressing the reset button was a stupid choice on the CSR's part. Technician should be able to identify/fix problem (we hope.) SFSS on only some channels sounds like a possible LNB issue, especially with most of them being HD did you say? Could be alignment, or LNB...good luck with the tech.

[RobertE]

Update.

I disconnected the multiswitch.

I now have two RG6's from the dish going to one HR20, and the other two going to another HR20.

Both HR20's cannot get channel 501 (HBOHD).

So, either I have two bad cables, or there is a problem with the dish.

I now have the protection plan, and they are sending a tech out this weekend.

Just so long as I don't get another tech on the phone who's asked if I've pushed the little red reset button. Grrrrr.


LNB

[K4SMX]

LNB
Agree 100%. Bad internal multi-switch.

[kevinm34232]

Go to channel 494, the 110 sat test channel which I believe channel 501 is located on, what does the say?