Lost Everything

[jkseger]

I was watching the football game and went to change the channel and nothing nothing happened. I tried pushing any button I could and still nothing. Then all of the sudden, it rebooted itself. This box is an R15.

I came downstairs and my wife said her box stopped responding as well. This one is an HR20.

I've tried reesetting both boxes but I can't get past the acquiring guide info screen on either box!

We have had some snow the last 2 days so, I did check the dish. It looked fine, not much snow on it at all.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks,

John

PS. Should I get the protection plan? I think I had it prioe to us moving in 07 but the last time I called, it was not on our account.

edited to include the box models.

I have also now gone around every box in the house and it seems to be a whole-house problem. I just can't seem to figure out why. The weather's not too bad here in Chicago and I don't see any accumulation from the past two day's snow. I only see some icicles.

[JoeTheDragon]

I was watching the football game and went to change the channel and nothing nothing happened. I tried pushing any button I could and still nothing. Then all of the sudden, it rebooted itself. This box is an R15.

I came downstairs and my wife said her box stopped responding as well. This one is an HR20.

I've tried reesetting both boxes but I can't get past the acquiring guide info screen on either box!

We have had some snow the last 2 days so, I did check the dish. It looked fine, not much snow on it at all.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Thanks,

John

PS. Should I get the protection plan? I think I had it prioe to us moving in 07 but the last time I called, it was not on our account.

edited to include the box models.

I have also now gone around every box in the house and it seems to be a whole-house problem. I just can't seem to figure out why. The weather's not too bad here in Chicago and I don't see any accumulation from the past two day's snow. I only see some icicles.

Try 32, 7, 9, 5, 2, 11, 26, 50 all locals seem to work They work as well as 213, 206 and 209 and maybe a few more others get 771.

[jkseger]

I was able to get 32 (football game) until the box decided to reset itself. Now it has too much trouble finding a signal I guess.

John

[doctor j]

Can you get to signal strengths?
I bet they are low from ice.

Doctor j

[1948GG]

I was watching the football game and went to change the channel and nothing nothing happened.

We have had some snow the last 2 days so, I did check the dish. It looked fine, not much snow on it at all.

Anyone have any thoughts?

I'll 'assume' you have a slimline dish as you have the HR20 (no model designation on your post though); you were on the right track with looking at the dish (no external multiswitch in your setup?), but did you think of checking the LNB covers?

I keep telling folks that 'winter' gotchas on the dishes are the snow sticking to the reflector and 'deforming' it (reflection wise) that results in the signal dropping off, and the ice buildup on the 'throat' of the LNB's (the white plastic cover on all three of the LNB assemblies).

A little thin coating of ice on them will kill evverything, a slight wipe with your fingers (I'm assuming the dish is easily accessible to do this) will get it off of it.

Other than that, plus the wind knocking the dish out of alignment (it does have the monopoles bracing it? and how was your wind just as this happened?), and the cabling looks in ok shape, then your down to electronic failure.

If you don't have the protection plan (and even if you do, hopefully the tech can get out there quickly), you might think about getting a spare LNB's assembly. I have both the sidecar (original install on home) and Slimline (tripod mounted for RV use) and have spare LNB assemblies for each, bought off e-Bay a long time ago.

If you're really convinced that's the problem, don't have the protection plan, and don't get a good price on the service call (or even if you do), you might think about picking a spare up. A quick check shows that they are going for around $25, pretty cheap (either slimline or sidecar models, interestingly).

Let everyone know how you came out/decided.

[keithtd]

Revisit cleaning your dish with either a broom or hot water

[Dansport]

A thin coat of Rain-X will keep almost anything from sticking to the LNB's or the dish. It's made of teflon so its pretty tough, too. Available at auto parts stores for windshield rain protection.

[harsh]

Revisit cleaning your dish with either a broom or hot waterI can't advocate hot water as it may thermally shock the LNB electronics and/or weather seals..

[harsh]

I keep telling folks that 'winter' gotchas on the dishes are the snow sticking to the reflector and 'deforming' it (reflection wise) that results in the signal dropping off, and the ice buildup on the 'throat' of the LNB's (the white plastic cover on all three of the LNB assemblies).It isn't about deformation at all. It is about absorption and to a lesser extent, diffusion.

[1948GG]

It isn't about deformation at all. It is about absorption and to a lesser extent, diffusion.

Getting off-topic a bit, but I totally disagree with that statement. If you have several degrees (and years including high north experience in Canada and Alaska) in RF engineering we can take this to another thread or to PM.

While my post was being written, the OP posted that the signal came back up for a minute, then zip. I'd say from what we have right now, it's most probably ice formation on the LNB's.

[jkseger]

Hi all,

Thanks so much for posting. At about 2 CT, the signal started to come back in and we were able to watch the second half of the football game. I have a feeling that there was some ice on the dish and that thankfully we did get a hour or so of sun and that help clean. Unfortunately, the stupid blue window telling us the receiver was acquiring guide data wouldn't go away. We waited until the NFC game ended and tried restarting the receiver but now it's stuck in the reboot process trying to find a satellite signal. This confuses the heck out of me since we were just able to watch a ton of channels (we check a dozen or so when the signal came back in).

In the spring, I plan to purchase a dish heater so that I can keep my dish free of snow and ice.

Thanks,

John

[keithtd]

I can't advocate hot water as it may thermally shock the LNB electronics and/or weather seals..

I find it hard to believe these things aren't thoroughly tested for environmental extremes.

With the variety of mounting points, the majority of which being out of reach, I've use hot water in a pressure sprayer for years with no problems.

What do you recommend?

[1948GG]

I have a feeling that there was some ice on the dish and that thankfully we did get a hour or so of sun and that help clean.

In the spring, I plan to purchase a dish heater so that I can keep my dish free of snow and ice.


Ice buildup on the LNB will not be melted off by any consumer available dish heater, they work only on the reflector. I get the impression (although you never said directly) that you had your dish installed out of reach (on the top of the roof?), which makes it hard to clean off snow and such.

Since you said any snow buildup on the reflector was minimal to non-existent, and from the coming and going of the signal, that it's ice buildup on the LNB mouth/throat. If you have a Slimline (again, not verified), there are dish covers which will work a lot better than heaters, as again, the consumer versions available for the slimline work only on the reflector surface (which work fine for snow buildup, but not for LNB ice buildup).

The covers keep the snow off the reflector, AND the ice off the LNB's. If you get VERY heavy snowfall, the snow will build up on the cover and affect things, but can be knocked/brushed/supersoakered off. But it's up to you, would be nice if you could verify the actual problem this time so you can adjust any 'cure' likewise.

I have several MDU feeding dishes (obviously, very important to keep signals going on, as they feed dozens to hundreds of customers) in Western Washington. The ones down toward sea level don't get too much snow (except for this year!), but lots of ice buildup. Most are under fiberglass radomes (the ultimate solution, but a bit much for a single family home), but a few are equipped with the dish covers, which is what we suggest for our smaller installations.

[harsh]

I find it hard to believe these things aren't thoroughly tested for environmental extremes.You would think so, but in reading about DIRECTV's current problem with single digit temperatures and one manufacturer's failure, I'm a believer that it doesn't always happen.[/quote]What do you recommend?[/QUOTE]I recommend lots of room temperature water. Less of a shock. Of course if the dish is far enough away, the air saps the heat right out of the water.

[harsh]

While my post was being written, the OP posted that the signal came back up for a minute, then zip. I'd say from what we have right now, it's most probably ice formation on the LNB's.RF engineering (and/or the associated physics classes) teaches that ice makes a lousy reflector at all but the highest frequencies and in fact is only good a impeding the signals (ice depolarization theory really hasn't panned out). See more at microwave ice detectors and the research regarding ice thickness near the poles.