"Searching for Satellite"

[jostarr]

About a month ago, I arranged an upgrade for my Mother-in-law. She has been a DTV subscriver for 11 years and had her original 1st generation receiver (which finally died) and a single LNB dish. DTV sent an installer who installed a 3 lnb dish and a new D-11 receiver.

The receiver shows "searching for satellite" about 5-10 times per day and is driving her crazy. She lives 80 miles away, so it is not easy for me to get there. But,
when I went to look, it never happened while I was there. I checked the installation
and signal strenghts and all lools good to me...signal strengths between 90-100
on all transponders.

Am willing to make another trip if anyone has an idea what might be happening. She is unable to discuss it herself with DTV.

[Michael D'Angelo]

Have you had her try to do a reset by the menu. If not have her try that and see if that helps.

[jostarr]

What kind of reset? Unplug for 15 seconds? I'm not sure if there is a reset button
in the card slot like on a H20. I've never reset by the menu's.

What will a reset accomplish in this case anyway?

[Michael D'Angelo]

I believe the menu is just like the HR20 and H20 but I am not sure because I don't have one. If it is press menu-->help & settings-->setup-->reset-->restart recorder.

If I am not right about the menu someone please correct me.

[veryoldschool]

What kind of reset? Unplug for 15 seconds? I'm not sure if there is a reset button
in the card slot like on a H20. I've never reset by the menu's.

What will a reset accomplish in this case anyway?
My D-11 has a red button under the access card door.
I wonder if the coax might need to be tightened. This seems to be common with installs.

[jostarr]

The signal strenghts were fantatic when I checked them. The DTV installer certainly aligned the dish ok. I guess I can check the connectors on the next trip.......in 10 days or so.

I also plan to bring a D-10 from my account and set it up for her. I'll take the D-11 home and use it for awhile to see if there is something wrong with the receiver.

Would a hard reset using the red button near the card slot accomplish anything?

[Michael D'Angelo]

The signal strenghts were fantatic when I checked them. The DTV installer certainly aligned the dish ok. I guess I can check the connectors on the next trip.......in 10 days or so.

I also plan to bring a D-10 from my account and set it up for her. I'll take the D-11 home and use it for awhile to see if there is something wrong with the receiver.

Would a hard reset using the red button near the card slot accomplish anything?

Yes you can do that but doing a reset from the menu is better for the unit.

[jostarr]

I guess I have to ask: why is a reset from the menus better for the unit? Seems to me a reset is a reset no matter how it accomplished.

I don't see what a reset will do in the situation I have described.

[Michael D'Angelo]

I guess I have to ask: why is a reset from the menus better for the unit? Seems to me a reset is a reset no matter how it accomplished.

I don't see what a reset will do in the situation I have described.

It may not be a big deal with a standard receiver but Earl posted a thread the other day about the HR20 (HD DVR) and said to start doing it by the menu because it is like a PC. By hitting the button to do a reset the box is just turning off and starting back up. By doing it by the menu it is shutting down correct before it restarts.

[veryoldschool]

It may not be a big deal with a standard receiver but Earl posted a thread the other day about the HR20 (HD DVR) and said to start doing it by the menu because it is like a PC. By hitting the button to do a reset the box is just turning off and starting back up. By doing it by the menu it is shutting down correct before it restarts.
If there is no hard drive to be affected, I can't see any difference between a menu & red button reset.
Only the Hard Drive is reading & writings [requiring the "soft reset"].

[jostarr]

Ok, thanks. But this is a D-11, not an HR-20.

Has anyone actually experienced the same problem?

[veryoldschool]

Ok, thanks. But this is a D-11, not an HR-20.

Has anyone actually experienced the same problem?
I've lost signal for a few [maybe 10] min around this time of year when the sun crosses behind the SAT. It will pass in a couple of days [if it's the same thing].

[jostarr]

Thanks, but this happens every day......5 or more times/day. I don't think its the same problem. I'm guessing it's a defective D-11.

It's driving us both crazy!! I feel like I am obligated to get it resolved for her.......one way or another. But don't have the time to make 160 mile round trip visits often.

[veryoldschool]

Thanks, but this happens every day......5 or more times/day. I don't think its the same problem. I'm guessing it's a defective D-11.

It's driving us both crazy!! I feel like I am obligated to get it resolved for her.......one way or another. But don't have the time to make 160 mile round trip visits often.
I'd look into the cables first.

Read this one: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=88288

[RobertE]

Are you (or her) 100% sure that its a search for sat message? Only reason I ask is that I was recently dispatched (on a 6-8 am nontheless) service call. When I finally arrive (long story) I ask the customer to tell me about the problem. She says she doesn't get some of the channels. Ok, I think the LNB or MS has flaked out. So we look a the signal strength. All looks good. So I ask her to show me some of the channels shes missing. She starts putting them in. 266, 285, 286.

Ah ha! All the problems she was missing were on the Choice Plus tier. She only had Choice.

I had to explain to her that she would only get those channels if she subscribed to that package. Why the CSR couldn't figure this out I have no idea. :confused:

So, just make sure she is seeing 771, not 721. Can be hard to tell at times.

[jostarr]

She knows what channels she is supposed to have...that is apparantly not the problem. She tells me it is random 'search for satellite'. After a minute or so, all is well again. Then it will happen seversal times during the day. Not rain fade...she knows what that is.

It didn't happen when I was visiting....about 2 hours or so. She has an OTA antenna connected to the D-11. Signal strengths on all transponders are great!!
I'm an 11 year subscriber as well and have installed all my own recievers and dishes. I've never see anything like this.

Could it be a defective receiver?

[veryoldschool]

Could it be a defective receiver?
Anything "could be", but this doesn't sound that way "to me", as it "sounds" like it is working, but not getting a SAT signal.
Back to cables.

Have her check the transponder power when it is doing it to see if there is a change. You [she] may be losing LNB drive power [lose coax] as I've posted, it happened to me on my install [and why I'm pushing to have them [it] checked].

[carl6]

They set up a 3-LNB dish - did you check signal on all three satellites? Does she need all 3 (i.e., are her locals on 119)?

If she does not need 119 for locals (and she wouldn't need 110 for anything with a D11), then you might try going back through satellite setup and pick a single round dish rather than an oval 3-LNB, so the receiver isn't even bothering to look for 110 and 119.

Other than that, I agree, check cables, connectors, ground block, etc. If none of those are the problem, it could be the LNB assembly in the dish.

Carl

[Skip Towne]

Are there any trees that the wind could blow in front of the dish?

[jostarr]

Thanks all for the various new suggestions. No trees...clear shot from dish mounted on a 5 foot pole in the ground. She does not subscribe to a package that has local channels. She is grandfathered on a choice package without locals. Her locals are on 119. but I agree a 3lnb dish is not needed. I will try to set her up as a round one lnb dish...which is what she had without any problems. But I won't be able to vist her for another 2 weeks.