2nd tech visit "HELP"

[stblake10]

I am having a lead tech/supervisor out to my house today (4-8pm est) as I am having pixelation issues. I discovered that one of the lines feeding off the sat has a bad line. Which is giving me pixel issues on my high def channels. I switched the lines coming into my hr21-100 box and all is well. But the question I have for you folks. Should the tech fix the bad line? What options should I know about fixing it? I don't want to get the brush off.

[Mertzen]

Insist on him changing all wire, all outside connectors and ground block. The latter two are required on all service calls. Make sure all wire on the installation is solid copper.
Demand to see the old connectors.

[Stuart Sweet]

I completely agree with Mertzen. Demand new wire and connectors. Hover over him as he does the work. Accept nothing less.

[bakers12]

First, put the wire back where it was so you can demostrate the problem.

Was the wire installed within the last 90 days? That's the warranty period and the work will be free of charge.

The tech should fix the line, but it will cost you if it's out of warranty unless you have the protection plan on your DirecTV account ($6.99/month, I think).

[stblake10]

Thnx guys for the info. I do have the protection plan. The first tech came out last week and after 3.5hrs I had a new lnb and a new sat box (old hr20-700-new hr21-100). One of the lines has a signal strength of at leat 85%+ and the secong line is all over the place with 0%-65%.

[EricRobins]

Thnx guys for the info. I do have the protection plan. The first tech came out last week and after 3.5hrs I had a new lnb and a new sat box (old hr20-700-new hr21-100). One of the lines has a signal strength of at leat 85%+ and the secong line is all over the place with 0%-65%.

Since an HR20 was replaced with an HR21, should he request the AM unit?

[stblake10]

Since an HR20 was replaced with an HR21, should he request the AM unit?
Forgive me for not knowing. What is an "am" unit?

[Mertzen]

Forgive me for not knowing. What is an "am" unit? OTA tuner since HR21s don't have those built in. But techs do not have AM21s on their truck.

[Mertzen]

Hover over him as he does the work.
One sure way to piss a tech off. :lol:

[stblake10]

I will give the guy his space. As for the "am" I did not use the OTA on the HR20-700. i don't want the guy to come out and say that as long as one of the tuner lines is working there is no fix. If I think of it correctly. If I am watching tv on the tuner that has the higher signal strenght and something else is recording on the tuner that has the bad connection. Would'nt that pixelation issue show up in my recording? If so then I should not accept anything he/she says.

[rudeney]

According to the terms of the PP, D* (i.e. their agent that is coming to your house) is obligated to correct the problem to meet the manufacturer’s written specifications. Since the HR2x series is supposed to be able to handle two satellite signals at once (record two or watch one/record one) then he can’t just say “one working tuner is good enough”.

[stblake10]

According to the terms of the PP, D* (i.e. their agent that is coming to your house) is obligated to correct the problem to meet the manufacturer’s written specifications. Since the HR2x series is supposed to be able to handle two satellite signals at once (record two or watch one/record one) then he can’t just say “one working tuner is good enough”. Thnx for that FYI.

[GTS]

You've received good advice. One thing I would add is that you check the signal strength of the 103c sat on all tuners on all your receivers before you sign off on any work. Use the Signal meters page and ensure you have no signals lower than 90.

Good luck

[K4SMX]

Well, maybe a few in the 80's on 103(c). Plus, he's got an HR21-100 in the mix, and the best you're probably gonna see on that one is high 80's and maybe a couple of high 70's.

[Mertzen]

HR21-100 in the mix, and the best you're probably gonna see on that one is high 80's and maybe a couple of high 70's.

Yeah, that one got me fooled this saturday :lol: :nono:

[stblake10]

Hi checked my transponder signals on sat 103 c and they are all in the 90's +. The dif I get is one of the lines feeding off the sat are bad.

[GTS]

Well, maybe a few in the 80's on 103(c). Plus, he's got an HR21-100 in the mix, and the best you're probably gonna see on that one is high 80's and maybe a couple of high 70's.

Is this while using the raw signal meters or the matrix?
TIA for the reply.

[n3ntj]

Insist on him changing all wire, all outside connectors and ground block. The latter two are required on all service calls. Make sure all wire on the installation is solid copper.
Demand to see the old connectors.

Ditto!

[stblake10]

Is this while using the raw signal meters or the matrix?
TIA for the reply. Both signals in tuner #1 & #2 across all sat/transponders are coming in good. He replaced the multi switch and ther b-band thinking that would correct the issue. The line that was giving an issue had the b-band on it and the tuner in the box (hr21-200) would give a "771" code across all HD channels. Once the b-band was removed it worked, obviously without a picture. Here is a list of stuff I got "new" from the last two visits:

Visit #1:
LNB (ORIGIONAL ONE HAD NO CASING ON IT)
New HDDVR box (hr21-200)

Visit #2:

multiswitch
b-bands
barrel connectors (on the coax connected to the box)

[joe diamond]

Insist on him changing all wire, all outside connectors and ground block. The latter two are required on all service calls. Make sure all wire on the installation is solid copper.
Demand to see the old connectors.
Things have changed,

Is there actually a published specification for all this. If the tech is paid by the hour and DTV covers the materials then by all means rebuild the whole job.
But for the $30.00 offered by the local HSP for service calls....the problem gets fixed...and that is it. This one seems to be a crunched fitting nobody has found yet.

Change all the fittings and wire! What if the problem is an uncompressed fitting behind the IRD?

You guys are tough!

Joe

[K4SMX]

Is this while using the raw signal meters or the matrix?
TIA for the reply.
Mine read the same. Do you see a difference between the Signal Meters and the matrix on your -100? Anything is possible.....:)

[GTS]

Mine read the same. Do you see a difference between the Signal Meters and the matrix on your -100? Anything is possible.....:)

Yes, on any receiver. The matrix takes a sample and averages over X amount of time. If the unit doesn't lock on before the "time averaging period" the matrix readings will be lower than the actual raw signal levels. If you want the "true ?" signal levels, you MUST use the raw signal meter.

[K4SMX]

That's certainly not true on the HR20-700 I'm sitting before at the moment. The matrix signal levels are identical to the Signal Meters levels on every transponder. There is the separate issue of the occasional erroneous "0" that pops up, quickly to be replaced with the true number on the next sweep, but we've known about that little glitch since they increased the sweep speed several software releases ago. Sometimes the matrix signals will wobble up and down one point or so, but they do the same thing on the Signal Meters. So I really have never seen this rising average phenomenon you're proposing.

[stblake10]

Good Morning Everyone,

Here is an update. The sup called yesterday and informed me that the box he and I discussed on replacing was at the warehouse and he would bring it bye at the end of his shift. I gotta give him kudos for following up. I am still not sure what box he is bringing. I would think that they have allot of hddvd boxes and this one MUST be special for some reason. I will report back later today. The suspence is killing me.

[raoul5788]

Good Morning Everyone,

Here is an update. The sup called yesterday and informed me that the box he and I disucssed on replacing was at the warehouse and he would bring it bye at the end of his shift. I gotta give hip kudos for following up. I am still not sure what box he is bringing. I would think that they have alot of hddvd boxes and this one MUST be special for some reason. I will report back later today. The suspence is killing me.

So is your spelling! :D :lol: ;)

[stblake10]

:lol: So is your spelling! :D :lol: ;) Edit has been made.