DVR R10 can not acquire sat. information

[Snook boy]

As of last week our Tivo in the bedroom says "can not acquire sat. information" and will not display live tv. I've tried rebooting, unplugging, taking out card and nothing is working. Just got off the phone with DTV and we checked all the sat. strengths and they all read 95%. He was stumped but wants to charge me $50 for a service call anyway.

The HR20 in the living room is having similar problems, but on that one I'd say about 95% of the channels are working, but a few just say "searching for signal". We havent had any major storms to knock the dish out, but I'm curious as to why were having this problem if all of our satellite signal strengths are 95% ?

Thanks in advance, and I hope I posted this in the correct place.

[litzdog911]

Check your signal readings on both of the HR20 tuners and your R10 Tivo. Please post back with your signal readings for each satellite's transponders (and both tuners if applicable). You'll find these readings under "Menu" -> "Setup" -> "System Setup" -> Satellite -> "View Signal Strength".

Fill in your readings for each satellite and tuner using these examples. A properly aligned dish will show 80-90s on most of the relevant transponders (although some will be low or zero):


Satellite transponders (32 total at 101º)
[Most of your standard definition channels are beamed from 101ºW]
1-8 # # # # # # # #
9-16 # # # # # # # #
17-24 # # # # # # # #
25-32 # # # # # # # #

Satellite transponders (3 total at 110º)
[A few HD channels, also beamed from 99 & 103º until 2009]
1-8 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA #
9-16 NA # NA # NA NA NA NA

Satellite transponders (11 total at 119º)
[Local SD channels for some cities, Spanish package]
17-24 NA NA NA NA NA # # #
25-32 # # # # # # # #

Satellite transponders (16 total at 99º(s)) [or 99º(b)]
[Local HD channels for some cities]
1-8 # # # # # # NA NA
9-16 NA NA NA NA NA NA # #
17-24 # # # # # # # #
[Note: these can be very slow to appear]

Satellite transponders (14 total at 99º(c)) [or 99º(a)]
[National HD channels]
1-8 # # # # # # # #
9-16 # # # # # # NA NA
[Note, these can be very slow to appear]

Satellite transponders (16 total at 103º(s)) [or 103º(a)]
[Local HD channels for some cities]
1-8 # # # # # # NA NA
9-16 NA NA NA NA NA NA # #
17-24 # # # # # # # #
[Note, these can be very slow to appear]

Satellite transponders (14 total at 103º(c)) [or 103º(b)]
[National HD channels]
1-8 # # # # # # # #
9-16 # # # # # # NA NA
17-24 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

[Snook boy]

Thanks for the quick reply.

The R10 is reading:

101 (a)
All odd numbered transponders are reading 95 or higher, all even numbered transponders are reading 0.

119 (b) all transponders are reading 95, except for #31 which is 0

110 (c) all transponders are reading 92

I just re-entered all of the dish size and zip code info and it just finished scanning and says:

Satellite in 1

101 (a) right side not detected
119 (b) not detected
110 (c) not detected

Satellite in 2

101 (a) right side not detected
119 (b) not detected
110 (c) not detected

[BattleZone]

Hate to tell you, but your TiVo is near death. On average, they tend to last 4-5 years, and lots and lots of them are reaching their last days.

[litzdog911]

....The R10 is reading:

101 (a)
All odd numbered transponders are reading 95 or higher, all even numbered transponders are reading 0.



Missing only the odd or even-numbered transponders is usually caused by a loose, moist or corroded coax connection at the dish, ground block or multiswitch.

Do both R10 tuners show the same thing? Do you other Receivers show the same readings?

[litzdog911]

Hate to tell you, but your TiVo is near death. On average, they tend to last 4-5 years, and lots and lots of them are reaching their last days.

This doesn't sound like the typical "dead Tivo" problem, though. Looks like a signal/cable issue.

[Snook boy]

Missing only the odd or even-numbered transponders is usually caused by a loose, moist or corroded coax connection at the dish, ground block or multiswitch.

Do both R10 tuners show the same thing? Do you other Receivers show the same readings?


I checked out the connections behind the R10 as well as outside at the multi switch. All connections were tight. Its dark right now so I'll have to wait till morning to get on the roof and check the connection at the dish.

Yes, it seems that both tuners on the R10 were showing the same readings. However the wife is deeply engrossed in "The Bachelorette" right now....... I dont dare go in the living room and ask if I can test signal strengths readings on the HR20.

Again, the HR20 in the living room is pretty much working fine, except for a few channels that just say "searching for Sat. in 2....... 771", and the R10 seems to be dead in the water.

Thanks again so much, I really appreciate the help.

[litzdog911]

Check to see if your HR20 is also showing those missing even-numbered transponders. If it is (check both tuners), then you know the problem is at the dish or the input to the multiswitch. If it's not, then the problem is on the connectors/cables from the multiswitch outputs to your R10.

[ThomasM]

Once again, I suggest "swapping" receivers. See if your problems follow with the receiver OR THE LOCATION.

Since you are having problems with BOTH receivers missing channels/transponders, it's unlikely that you are having a receiver problem but more likely a cabling/multiswitch/dish issue. If you can't solve the problem by checking on these items, I'd either consider paying for a service call OR signing up for the "Protection Plan". The downside to the protection plan is that you have to wait 30 days before you can get service under it. The plus side is that for $72 EVERYTHING is covered FOR THE NEXT YEAR. ($6 per month one year minimum commitment)