A&E HD T/P 27 won't stay on

[jldhawk]

I can not hold the signal of A&E HD. I get a better signal strength if I go to pointdish, and manually change the transponder to 31, but it keeps defaulting to 27 and won't hold the channel?
What am I doing wrong?

[garys]

You have to reaim the dish, changing the transponder does not change the ss of the channel you want. A&E HD is on transponder 27 only.

[Bob Ketcham]

I can not hold the signal of A&E HD. I get a better signal strength if I go to pointdish, and manually change the transponder to 31, but it keeps defaulting to 27 and won't hold the channel?
What am I doing wrong?

I am seeing everything on 129 TP 27 drop out with regularlity. Takes out A&E HD, MAX HD and UNIV HD. Sometimes it is a 25%+ signal loss, sometimes total. Anyone else seeing the same? Anyone know if the problem is with the TP?

Anyone have a good source for instructions on pointing a Dish 1000?

[dave1234]

I would be interested is anyone is NOT having a problem with TP27??

[Jim5506]

First confirm that your mounting post is vertical with a level on the front and side.

Mark both the post-bracket junction and the elevation setting so you can put them back if needed.

You need some method of observing the signal meter on the display (MENU-6-1-1), whether it is a partner inside ona phone or walkie-talkie or whatever.

Set the display to 119 and confirm that the skew is set to specifications.

Next, loosen the bolts on the back of the post bracket and rotate it very slightly to the right and wait for signal to stabilize. See if it got better or worse. Keep tweaking until signal is as high as possible with this azimuth adjustment. Tighten the bolts on the bracket.

Next, loosen the bolts that adjust the elevation of the dish and make small movements up or down to get the best signal. do not ligt the dish with the LNB arm, it is slightly flexible and may give you false readings if it is used for moving the dish up and down. Tighten the bolts.

Now looka t 129 and repeat the azimuth and elevation adjustments to peak 129. IT may compromise 119 and 110 but they have some room for error since they are 20-30 dB stronger.

If you're brave after this you might try a little skew adjustment (Dishes numbers aren't always precise), but be sure to mark the initial setting on the back of the dish so you can put it back if necessary.

The main idea is you are close since you have signal, let's make minor adjustments to the dish to make it better.

[Taco Lover]

There seems to be a large number of us having issues with 129 Tp27. I know I am.

See this other thread as well:
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?p=991869#post991869

And this person has 129 Tp6 issues:
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=91150

We can't all have dish alignment problems. This is on the sat's end.

[P Smith]

It would help if you guys monitor SS of the transponder for 30 min and post results here.

[Taco Lover]

It would help if you guys monitor SS of the transponder for 30 min and post results here.
Enlighten me, how would that help? :confused:

[P Smith]

Nevermind - continue post your questions :(.

[Taco Lover]

Nevermind - continue post your questions :(.
I don't understand. It was a serious question.

[P Smith]

Each of you have different setup and live 1000 miles apart, now how you see if the discussion have common spot - the satellite and tpns signal levels ?

[Taco Lover]

Normally my signal levels for 129 are around low 70s, but lately they have been mid 50s.

[P Smith]

If ppl close to you ( I saw members from Sacramento ) see same drop, then nothing will help you.

[churoval]

I'm normally in the low to mid 60s on 129, but right now I can't keep a lock on TP27. I'm also having lost lock problems on TP6 when it occassionally dips below 45 and I'm seeing lower than normal SS (low-mid 50s) on most of the other TPs. There still a few TPs that are still in the mid 60s range.

Today's readings from 129:
TP01=55-58
TP02=51-52
TP04=69-70
TP05=55-56
TP06=44-49
TP07=50-51
TP08=62-64
TP09=64-65
TP10=66-67
TP11=50-52
TP12=69-70
TP13=69-70
TP16=57-58
TP17=56-58
TP18=50-51
TP21=54-56
TP22=52-53
TP23=52-54
TP27=0-45
TP30=68-69
TP31=71-73
TP32=54-56

[jldhawk]

How long has Transponder 27 been on channel 9419

[James Long]

How long has Transponder 27 been on channel 9419It is the other way around (channels are on transponders) --- 9419 has been on TP27 since January (it has not been anywhere else on 129°).

[jldhawk]

Dish was going to charge me to send a tech out here to "FIX" the problem, but I refused and told them that I will NOT pay for them to send someone out to fix THEIR problem.
I have Dish Protection plan, which covers equipment but service calls are "Discounted".

[Taco Lover]

Dish was going to charge me to send a tech out here to "FIX" the problem, but I refused and told them that I will NOT pay for them to send someone out to fix THEIR problem.
I have Dish Protection plan, which covers equipment but service calls are "Discounted".
I don't know how a tech could help... there are others across the country with the same problem.

[jldhawk]

It sounds like all you have to do is to adjust the dish.
OR, maybe I'll get a new DISH 1000+ out of this deal.

[Stewart Vernon]

I have not noticed any problems with 129 lately. My signals, last time I checked, were between 75-90 on all transponders. I haven't checked in a while, since I haven't had any problems to speak of.

So it could be a satellite signal drop... but those of us with higher signals wouldn't see it for a while.

I agree with the suggestion that probably your configuration needs to be tweaked. Either re-positioned or perhaps converting to 129 on a wing dish instead of a Dish1000.

[P Smith]

The graph taken for 15 min window 9:15pm...9:30pm today, using 1m dish with regular Dish DP dual LNBF.
I'll make other one for 30 min interval soon.

[P Smith]

As you can see on second 30 min graph it show two different drops - long and short. That's become interesting. I'm doing 2 hours run now.

[HDTVFanAtic]

As you can see on second 30 min graph it show two different drops - long and short. That's become interesting. I'm doing 2 hours run now.

129W has had a signal fluctuations every 22-30 minutes for sometime now as they bounce the bird back and forth to try and keep it in the box.

Are we speaking of something new?

[P Smith]

Who knows - this double drop did intrigue me.

From other point as you can see 1m dish is pretty forgiven for the fluctuations. So, I would say those ppl who have full outage of signal at tp27 - realign your D1K or D1K.2 to max signal from 129W and especially for the transponder.

[HDTVFanAtic]

I have a 0.9 Meter Toroidal on 129W and I watch the signal fluctuate 25+ points on the digital meter at the dish every time I monitor it - I would also state I am on the fringe for 129W and E* uses 61.5W here - though I have a 1.2 Meter on 148W with usually a better signal that 129W.

[P Smith]

I'm in better position regarding 129W or 148W and my drops show difference only 1 dB from 11 total, ie around 10% on my scale.
Also, my 1m offset dish have better loss ratio them the toroidal with two reflections.

[HDTVFanAtic]

I would just state from what I know from the SEC filings and observations by myself and others over the last 18 months or so, E* has to play ping-pong with the engines every 22-30 minutes depending on where it is in the figure 8 - something the momentum wheels should have done if they were operational and had not failed.

Now, in July of 2006, E5 lost an additional solar power array string. As several posters have stated that the other transponders were also lower, if they have had another power issue on 129W, they might have had to reduce power on ALL transponders (Again, this is something that no one has stated as fact - nor am I saying it definitely has happened).

The signal might have been ok at a higher power to keep T27 during the wild swings, but at a reduced power level, it does not have enough power to cut through and that's why its being lost every 30 minutes or so by the OP.

Again, just another scenario.

You wouldnt see it on your graph with 1.0 Meter, but someone with a Dish 1000 could clearly have it drop out as it swings back and forth - especially if the power on the transponders have been reduced (remember, they were able to take several of them to higher power about a year ago - another solar array loss could mean they could not maintain that).

[P Smith]

Could be a lot of things at sat itself, I agree.

If you want I could run the graph for whole day tomorrow and ppl could correlate their measures to the 'base'.

And again I believe anyone ( exclude extremed locations) should adjust their dishes if SS dropping to 0, instead of fluctuation +-10-15 points.

[P Smith]

Ugh. The 1hr run graph show to many drops - no regularity at all !
Will see what will be on overnight run.

[P Smith]

Now presenting overnight graph. I'll run the session thru the day.

So far as I see it, there is chaotic fluctuations, I can't name it 'wobulation' :(. Totally unpredictable movements.

[jldhawk]

OK, I am TOTALLY Confused........
I have a Dish1000 looking at 129-119-110. (With a bunch of cables coming into the house).
Will a Dish 1000+ (or what ever the newest dish is), fix this problem?
The tech will be here Thursday 7-5-07.
Should I print this info out and show him?
Will he know what all this means?

[dave1234]

I went out and realigned my Dish this morning. I was getting either no signal or 40's on TP27 and TP6. After realigning I'm now getting 50-60 depending on the assumed "wobble" of the satellite.
The most interesting part is that elevation and longitude had little affect, an azimuth adjustment made the biggest difference. I wonder if the sat. didn't rotate a bit or some such thing.

FWIW I'm using a Dish 500 for Sat. 129.

[P Smith]

I'm glad my short observations convince ppl to get out and realign their dishes and getting real improvement !

[Bob Ketcham]

I'm normally in the low to mid 60s on 129, but right now I can't keep a lock on TP27. I'm also having lost lock problems on TP6 when it occassionally dips below 45 and I'm seeing lower than normal SS (low-mid 50s) on most of the other TPs. There still a few TPs that are still in the mid 60s range.

Today's readings from 129:
TP01=55-58
TP02=51-52
TP04=69-70
TP05=55-56
TP06=44-49
TP07=50-51
TP08=62-64
TP09=64-65
TP10=66-67
TP11=50-52
TP12=69-70
TP13=69-70
TP16=57-58
TP17=56-58
TP18=50-51
TP21=54-56
TP22=52-53
TP23=52-54
TP27=0-45
TP30=68-69
TP31=71-73
TP32=54-56

When TP 27 is working well, I see it in the 65-70 range. All others are in the 70-90 range. When it is "working", it is typically 5 SS points lower than the next stronger TP and 20-25 below the strongest.

There are times when TP27 drops by 25 down to a SS of 35-40. Other times it completely drops out. Meanwhile other TPs are hanging in there at near normal ranges.

For example right now. Overcast and slight rain. TP 27 is OTL. Others are simply down about 5-10. Weakest at 66, highest at 84.

Location is between Houston and Galveston, TX

[Mike D-CO5]

Those readings are very low. I use a dish 1000.2 sat dish and I am getting mid to low 70s on some transponders and others are in the mid 80s and even some high 90s on transponder 31 . THis is why you are having problems with your signal. You need to repeak your dish for the best signal or get a bigger dish that gives you a better signal. Try dishdepot.com for bigger dishes in either the 24" or 30" and you will get a much better signal strength on all transponders.

[jldhawk]

This is why I called tech support and they are sending a PRO out.
I don't pay that 5.99 a month for nothing.

[HDTVFanAtic]

The E* IRDs won't hold any signal once it drops below 48 - 45, the exact number depends on the model IRD.

And what should not be forgotten, is the E* meter on the IRDs is not really a signal strength - its more of a Quality of Signal Rating - though the scale is not 1-100 based (it goes to 125) - so you can't say its an exact percent as it is with other Satellite Broadcasts.

I can understand why they do not want to call it a Signal Quality meter as too many that don't understand the difference in analog and digital would be cancelling when they could not get 100.

It's probably why they also curved the scale to where it goes up to 125.

I am told by several long time E* subs that early IRDs only registered up to 100 - and they had to increase the scale up to 125.

But by making it into Signal Strength, instead of a Quality Meter, they were able to make the 100 mark arbitary.

[James Long]

Even more "arbitrary" now as E* is (or will be soon) adjust the meters based on what satellite you are trying to receive. No more seeing 70's on 129° and 100's on 110°/119° and trying to understand that both would be considered good.

Personally I prefer EbN0 numbers ... energy bits over noise. That is a fair estimation of how much usable signal you have (although sometimes a strong EbN0 doesn't deliver a strong signal).

[HDTVFanAtic]

Even more "arbitrary" now as E* is (or will be soon) adjust the meters based on what satellite you are trying to receive. No more seeing 70's on 129° and 100's on 110°/119° and trying to understand that both would be considered good.

Personally I prefer EbN0 numbers ... energy bits over noise. That is a fair estimation of how much usable signal you have (although sometimes a strong EbN0 doesn't deliver a strong signal).

The number they show is very similar to a EbN0 ratio - though again, its their own arbitary scale.

[P Smith]

No regularity at all on this 24 hours run. That will be my last graph for watch the 129tp27 for now.

[James Long]

Thanks for the data!

[Taco Lover]

This is why I called tech support and they are sending a PRO out.
I don't pay that 5.99 a month for nothing.
Good to know Dish Network has PROs. They always send me some guy who scratches his head at any kind of problem. I need to find a local tech who knows what he's doing.

[jldhawk]

This is why I should probably print out some of this conversation, and see if it makes sence to him.

[karspur]

This morning around 10:30 I was watching CSI:Miami on A&E, when it lost signal. Nothing seems to work on 129, TP 27. (A&E, UNI, MAX) It is now a little after 3 PM and still not working. Everything else is working fine. Anyone else having more problems today? Weather is fine, although very hot here in southern CA.

[Taco Lover]

This morning around 10:30 I was watching CSI:Miami on A&E, when it lost signal. Nothing seems to work on 129, TP 27. (A&E, UNI, MAX) It is now a little after 3 PM and still not working. Everything else is working fine. Anyone else having more problems today? Weather is fine, although very hot here in southern CA.
Welcome to the club. :)

I really don't think the issue is misaligned dishes, or weather, or anything like that. It's a sat issue, most likely.

I have e-mailed dishquality@echostar.com to report it, and they have replied with some questions. I'll let you all know what they say about it.

[P Smith]

Well, then tell us what you think about real graphs ? Taken pretty close to your home, BTW.
So, please, stop complaining to act of others and do the realigning or ask local installer to do that.

[Taco Lover]

Well, then tell us what you think about real graphs ? Taken pretty close to your home, BTW.
So, please, stop complaining to act of others and do the realigning or ask local installer to do that.
What about the graphs? It shows some serious fluctuation to me. What does that have to do with realigning my dish?

Sorry about my complaining. Is it too much to ask for the service I'm paying for? I've only been with Dish for 2 months, and have had more problems in that time than I've had with DirecTV in 4 years. :rolleyes:

[david803sc]

I just re-aimed my DISH 500 with single LNB from 61.5 to 129 I wanted to do this to get my local RSN in HD and it worked my signal strength on tp6 is 84 and tp27 is 92 I am in South Carolina.

David

[James Long]

What does that have to do with realigning my dish?There is an issue with the satellite. Those with poorly aimed dishes are more likely to be affected by the issue. Those who have fixed the aiming on their dishes have less to whine about.

[BNUMM]

This is why I called tech support and they are sending a PRO out.
I don't pay that 5.99 a month for nothing.

I don't know how you get a Pro for $5.99 per month. The people Dish sends out for those service calls only get $29.00 for the service call. I received a call from a retailer for a service call today. The customer had the $5.99 DHPP and only was willing to pay $29.00 for a service call. I told the retailer to tell the customer he had to call Dish for $29.00 service calls because E* does not give me any of the $5.99 per month that they collect. So now instead of an immediate response the customer has to wait at least 2 days for Dish to come out. I get many calls for service on both D* and E* because they can't get knowledgeable people or the people never show up.

[HDTVFanAtic]

There is an issue with the satellite. Those with poorly aimed dishes are more likely to be affected by the issue. Those who have fixed the aiming on their dishes have less to whine about.

Again, while you are correct in your statement, a disclaimer should be added.

as you note, there is an issue with the satellite and E* is being forced to play bumper cars with it to get it close to the right place.

to begin with, most companies (DBS and Commerical Providers) gave up trying to keep their birds "in the box" years ago as it consumed too much fuel and thus shortened their life. Today, all are in what could be viewed from earth's prospective as a small figure 8 pattern around their orbital position license assignment.

Now, for best results, you find out when the bird you are trying to align to is "in the box" - or close to the center of the figure 8 position. This is standard procedure for commercial installs, especially if you do not have an EL/AL motor.

However, as E* controls their own satellites for the most part, they DO NOT make the info available for when the birds are "in the box" as everyone who had a clue would want their dish adjusted during that small window.

Thus, if you align 129W when it is not in the box - and more towards the outer edges of the figure 8 path, you clearly will have more trouble when it moves to the other side of the figure 8.

For that reason, you really might not get a great alignment and see the issues some of you are seeing even if an installer comes out to adjust the alignment.

Furthermore, because of the satellite malfunctions, its not as if these adjustments are being made with gentle nudges....thus a perfect alignment on 129W is really difficult - as its not going to be reacting exactly as a well functioning satellite would.

[James Long]

If a satellite leaves it's box the company is in violation of the license ... so no, companies HAVE NOT "given up" on keeping their satellites in the box. There is an exact orbital slot assigned and a tolerance. That defines "the box" they must stay in.

There is "center of box" data available for many satellites for those wishing an extremely accurate aim. Generally it is not needed for most consumer or business receive dishes as they don't focus closely on the satellite. "Center of box" is much more important for professional dishes with a tighter focus - such as those at broadcast stations.

DBS receive dish design is wider than most ... made necessary by designing multiple orbital location dishes that work in both the northern parts of the country and the southern parts of the country without adjustments to change the spacing of the LNBs. "Center of box" becomes less important. (In addition, there may be multiple satellites in different boxes at each location to consider. In E*'s case there are two satellites at 110° that must be received if the customer's locals are on E10.)

The issue here is when an installer (professional or customer) peaks their dish for 119° or 110°. A perfect alignment on 110° is the worst thing one can do for 129° reception. It places the 129° satellite into the margin of error built into the design. By aiming at 129° one gives that satellite the best chance possible of being received while placing the satellites at 110° deeper into the margin of error on that LNBF.

And while you're worried about the satellite and it's "box" don't forget the other problem with 129° ... low power output. E10 and E8 have much stronger signals that can overcome being received in the designed margin of error. E5 does not have that signal strength.

The box isn't so big on DBS (thanks to LNB design) that you really need to worry about the exact center ... but it does help if you aim the dish at the most desired or hardest to get signal. On a Plus dish that may be 118°. It all depends on what is important to you.

[HDTVFanAtic]

If a satellite leaves it's box the company is in violation of the license ... so no, companies HAVE NOT "given up" on keeping their satellites in the box. There is an exact orbital slot assigned and a tolerance. That defines "the box" they must stay in.

There is "center of box" data available for many satellites for those wishing an extremely accurate aim. Generally it is not needed for most consumer or business receive dishes as they don't focus closely on the satellite. "Center of box" is much more important for professional dishes with a tighter focus - such as those at broadcast stations.

DBS receive dish design is wider than most ... made necessary by designing multiple orbital location dishes that work in both the northern parts of the country and the southern parts of the country without adjustments to change the spacing of the LNBs. "Center of box" becomes less important. (In addition, there may be multiple satellites in different boxes at each location to consider. In E*'s case there are two satellites at 110° that must be received if the customer's locals are on E10.)

The issue here is when an installer (professional or customer) peaks their dish for 119° or 110°. A perfect alignment on 110° is the worst thing one can do for 129° reception. It places the 129° satellite into the margin of error built into the design. By aiming at 129° one gives that satellite the best chance possible of being received while placing the satellites at 110° deeper into the margin of error on that LNBF.

And while you're worried about the satellite and it's "box" don't forget the other problem with 129° ... low power output. E10 and E8 have much stronger signals that can overcome being received in the designed margin of error. E5 does not have that signal strength.

The box isn't so big on DBS (thanks to LNB design) that you really need to worry about the exact center ... but it does help if you aim the dish at the most desired or hardest to get signal. On a Plus dish that may be 118°. It all depends on what is important to you.

You are thinking of it legal terms - not reception terms.

The box in terms of reception is the center of the box - not the outer edges.

As others have said, and echoed by your points, its better to tweak it on 129W and give up signal strength on 110 and 119 - though many installers assume the opposite as there are more channels on the 110 and 119.

As for your Broadcast stations comment, they have ELAL motors, so they do not need to tweak to the center of the box -as they constantly track and tweak.

[teachsac]

Dish was going to charge me to send a tech out here to "FIX" the problem, but I refused and told them that I will NOT pay for them to send someone out to fix THEIR problem.
I have Dish Protection plan, which covers equipment but service calls are "Discounted".

Wow, I called yesterday and they are sending out a tech for free to see what's going on. Signal strngths are low all around so I do need a repeak. I think I'm having some other issues as well. I think port 4 on my DPP44switch is bad. I got 62 lost signals on my downstairs 622 and none on my other 622 or 211. I also lost 110, 119, 129 (but not 61.5) on Wednesday afternoon so my LNB's might be affected by the heat.

S~

[James Long]

You are thinking of it legal terms - not reception terms.I'm thinking in ACCURATE terms. Companies that publish "Center of Box" information publish "Center of Box" information ... not "in the box" and "out of the box". This is a term that the satellite industry uses ... use it correctly.As for your Broadcast stations comment, they have ELAL motors, so they do not need to tweak to the center of the box -as they constantly track and tweak.Not everyone has that tool. There are plenty of stations with fixed dishes. Think outside of your box.

[ebaltz]

Starting about 2 weeks ago I started getting drops in my A&E recordings, and it has continued. I can't watch a full program anymore without the sat dropping on that station. I have written dishquality stating the problem. I suggest everyone do that. It seems our complaints were addressed last year, and now that they are back we need to get Dish to respond. I don't want to hear them saying its our problem, because we all know it isn't. And 9 out of 10 "techs" that come out, won't know anything about it or be able to help. They will just go through a bunch of gyrations pretending that they know what is wrong and what they are doing.

[Taco Lover]

There is an issue with the satellite. Those with poorly aimed dishes are more likely to be affected by the issue. Those who have fixed the aiming on their dishes have less to whine about.
Wow. Sorry I'm 'whining' about the experience I've had with Dish so far. :rolleyes:

I understand all of the technical reasons to make sure your dish is aligned correctly, but you can't dispute the facts that a)it only happens on Tp27, not the rest of 129 and b)those with the problem have reported it to start around the same time... 1 to 2 weeks ago. That tells me that the problem is with the transponder and/or the sat itself, not a misaligned dish. It's simple deduction.

[James Long]

There are plenty of people who have problems with all of 129°.
TP27 seems to be having "special problems" - although who knows if other transponders with less desired or regional content are having similar problems.

Don't completely discount bad alignment. If you are not doing all you can to get a good signal you are just giving it another reason to fail.

[Taco Lover]

A little OT, but... My frustration with everything may be a big factor. We had missed installation appointments, signal loss on our locals on 110, audio sync issues, and now this. It's only been 2 months. The signal loss on 110 was apparently fixed with a dish realign since we haven't had that problem since. Even the signal strengths on 129 improved by 20 on the scale. But, now Tp27 is in the low 50s when the rest are in the 70s.

The latest audio sync problem showed up last night during Big Brother and Pirate Master. I even recorded BB on both the sat signal and OTA to see if there would be any difference. We watched the sat recording, and with 10 minutes left, the signal hiccupped and the audio sync was affected. I checked the OTA recording, and the hiccup was there as well, but the audio sync did not change.

Ugh.

[jldhawk]

I hate to say it, but I am happy that other people are having the same problem as I pointed out.
Here's a question.
I told E* that i would NOT pay for a tech/pro to come out here to fix "THEIR" problem, they finally agreed to charge me the $29.99 but then put a credit on my bill for the same amount.
TUESDAY when I made the appointment, he said they would be here THURSDAY (Yesterday) betwenn Noon and 5 pm, so I got off work early and sat around the house till I called last night at 7 pm to find out my service call had been "Closed"
I get so sick of people who suck at their jobs and I have to pay for it.
ANYHOW........
I have a DIsh 1000 now, would it make sence to have them install a different dish? the 1000-2? or Plus, what ever it is called?

[P Smith]

You'll need second dish exclusively for 129W and preferably 30"+ size.

[jldhawk]

364 - FOXRM moved from EchoStar5 129W TP 08 ConUS beam to EchoStar5 129W TP 27 ConUS beam (A)
366 - FOXSW moved from EchoStar5 129W TP 08 ConUS beam to EchoStar5 129W TP 27 ConUS beam (A)

Looks like E* hates me.
They are adding more channels to TP 27 that I can't even see.

[P Smith]

Man, rise from the couch ! Do something by yourself ! Fix the damn dish orientation !

[jldhawk]

I don't understand why you assume I am a couch potato. In fact the opposite is true, I just don't have time to fix this problem, besides, I shouldn't have to fix this problem.

[ebaltz]

Its not an alignment issue. You sound like the CSRs who always blame the customer. Yeah sometimes customers are stupid and it is their fault, but this is one time when obviously it isn't, so stop defending DISH and blaming hard-working people who pay $100 a month and expect to get all the channels they pay for.

[Taco Lover]

Man, rise from the couch ! Do something by yourself ! Fix the damn dish orientation !
Geez, man. None of this is the customer's problem, it's Dish's, so I don't understand how you can tell people to get off their ass and just do it themselves. A vast majority of people out there probably have the same problem, and they are most likely not as tech-saavy as some, and also most likely don't know of this forum, and can't just go fiddle with the dish's orientation. I can tell you if I tried to do it myself I'll probably ruin the signals it receives from the other sats, then it'd be my responsibility to pay and have a tech come and attempt to realign it. People should notify Dish to have them take care of the problem.

[P Smith]

sheez ! Mr Icon, please take your time and re-READ the thread, for crist sake !

[ebaltz]

Geez, man. None of this is the customer's problem, it's Dish's, so I don't understand how you can tell people to get off their ass and just do it themselves. A vast majority of people out there probably have the same problem, and they are most likely not as tech-saavy as some, and also most likely don't know of this forum, and can't just go fiddle with the dish's orientation. I can tell you if I tried to do it myself I'll probably ruin the signals it receives from the other sats, then it'd be my responsibility to pay and have a tech come and attempt to realign it. People should notify Dish to have them take care of the problem.

Exactly! Well said.

[P Smith]

OK, then continue shows your complain here - somebody will help you soon :D. Same way - posting words !

[James Long]

While I would NOT phrase it the way P Smith does, I tend to agree. If there is something you can do to fix the problem do it. If the limit of your skill or risk level is to email E* or call for service that is fine ... but not once has a single problem with my receiver been solved without SOME action.

Action beyond posting to the internet. :)

That said ... KNOCK OFF THE INSULTS. Be the adults I thought you were.

[Taco Lover]

While I would NOT phrase it the way P Smith does, I tend to agree. If there is something you can do to fix the problem do it. If the limit of your skill or risk level is to email E* or call for service that is fine ... but not once has a single problem with my receiver been solved without SOME action.

Action beyond posting to the internet. :)

That said ... KNOCK OFF THE INSULTS. Be the adults I thought you were.
James, I agree as well. Action needs to be taken. But, like I mentioned, most are not able to get up on their roof and start tweaking. They'll more than likely make it worse. So yes, I am limited to e-mailing them to see if something can be done. And I'll keep checking this thread to see if anybody has some results that may help others with the same issue. I'll do my best to ignore the blunt "just tweak your dish!" responses. :)

[P Smith]

The Sky is falling ! The Sky is falling ! The Sky is falling !

The sat at 129W going out of box !

Continue stick to the thread !!!

:D :D :D

[ebaltz]

Here is Dish's response to my e-mail.

Thank you for expressing your concerns and interest in DISH Network. Customer input is an important tool in our efforts to continuously improve the quality of the DISH Network service.

We agree with you, it does sound like you may need to re-peak your dish. We are currently investigating the issues on the forums. We forwarded your email off to the engineers and also our installation group. We will get back to you with their response.

At DISH Network we appreciate the time customers take to email their audio/video quality concerns. Thank you for your patience and for being a valued customer.




I said they need to fix the problem at their end for the long term, but in the short term they could at least peak my dish for 129 at their cost.

[jacmyoung]

I don't know if my location matters. It was painful like watch paint dry but I did manage to stay on it for 30 minutes, my number for 129 27TP varied between 61 and 64 all that time. I also did not notice any drops on A&E HD in the past but I don't watch it much.

At least for those live close to me (Tracy or Elk Grove, CA), it might be your installers' fault.

[russ9]

UNI-HD and A&E HD have been showing no signal for me for hours today. No signal lock. No earthquakes either

[ebaltz]

Write to dishquality@echostar.com and lets keep them hopping on this problem.

[teachsac]

At least for those live close to me (Tracy or Elk Grove, CA), it might be your installers' fault.

All other transponders are in the 60's, 70's, and a few 80's. Except T27. My drops corresponded to p_smiths chart. Tech came out Saturday and tried to repeak, but could not improve that transponder. Finally, he said forget it (in not such nice words), yanked off the 1000, and installed a 1000.2. Signals improved slightly all the way around (3-5) except T27. It went from 50 to 75 and has been steady there since.

S~

[jacmyoung]

All other transponders are in the 60's, 70's, and a few 80's. Except T27. My drops corresponded to p_smiths chart. Tech came out Saturday and tried to repeak, but could not improve that transponder. Finally, he said forget it (in not such nice words), yanked off the 1000, and installed a 1000.2. Signals improved slightly all the way around (3-5) except T27. It went from 50 to 75 and has been steady there since.

S~

Interesting, what is the secret of 1000.2?

[allargon]

UNI-HD and A&E HD have been showing no signal for me for hours today. No signal lock. No earthquakes either

There is definitely an issue with those two transponders. Some of the other TP's like Rush, Monsters and Ultra are spotty with bad weather. Those two have had issues in clear weather for the last two weeks.

I will add Cinemax HD to the list of TP's with problems on 129. This one is irking me as I pay for Cinemax. :mad: I will call a CSR and complain later!

It's not just the satellite, it's definitely some of the TP's. I only lose Rave HD in bad weather.

[jldhawk]

OK, I just sent an email to the above address.
FYI: my "Action" is to tell Dish Network to fix this problem, I refuse to get on my roof and fix THEIR problem. The Tech guy won't be here until Sat. 7-21-07 so I am NOT going to risk screwing up all of my other channels in the mean time.
E* has given me a $20.00 credit for now since I pay for the HD package, so I can go sit back on my counch and watch all 248 of my other channels until 7-21-07

[Taco Lover]

Interesting, what is the secret of 1000.2?
Nothing, I think. I have the 1000.2, and have the issue.

[Taco Lover]

I will add Cinemax HD to the list of TP's with problems on 129. This one is irking me as I pay for Cinemax. :mad: I will call a CSR and complain later!
Cinemax HD along with A&EHD and Universal HD are the main channels on Tp27 on 129.

[jldhawk]

There is also one of the RSN's in HD on TP 27.

[patrickem]

I am having this same problem and it is really getting me upset. 127 tp29 it affects many of the channels I watch everyday. Called yesterday and was told it was most likely the heat. Have never had a problem before in over a year. And today am starting to have the problem others are reporting of 110 disappearing all together. This is not an aiming issue, all channels have worked flawlessly for months until recently, like everyone else has stated.

[Mike D-CO5]

I tried the 129 sat for a couple of days and transponder 27 is the worst . I lost picture on Cinemax and Universal during the Earth day concert so much, I added my 61.5 sat back again. I have a dish 1000.2 but it is not worth it for the 129 sat . THIS satellite needs to be replaced . I can only hope that when the new mpeg 4 service gets relaunced early next year that we can just repoint our dishes to them and get a great signal on ALL channels.

If Dish would just move all national hd channels to the main sat on 110 or 119 in mpeg 4 (6 on one transponder) we wouldn't have to worry so much about them, except VOOM, where they would most likely still be on 129. But I have seen all the VOOM channels since they repeat so much anyway. It would be a temporary solution till next year.

[KalebD]

I had my 1000.2 installed about 1 month ago. I finally had the local installer come over and do a warranty, QC adjustment to tweak my dish. The guy that came looked at the original install and laughed. He checked 110 and saw it was only 40 and laughed. He had to add 3 more lag bolts to the base on the dish attached to the roof, adjust the mast to level, move the OTA antenna away from the dish (I told the original guy that would be a problem, he said it would not...HA, it was), and finally he tweaked the main dish.
Within 30 minutes, my numbers were as follows:

110 - 90
119 - 102
129 - 88

My picture now is even better than I thought it could be, until the little quirk with 110 and 119 today.

As many others have suggested, get a tweak, then see how things look. It did wonders for me. :D

[Taco Lover]

I'm still under warranty on our installation. I guess it doesn't hurt to have someone tweak the dish. I just hate playing the waiting game with the tech. Who knows if they'll show up. And if they show up, will they know what the heck they're doing?

Anyone have some pointers on how to get the best service?

[KalebD]

I'm still under warranty on our installation. I guess it doesn't hurt to have someone tweak the dish. I just hate playing the waiting game with the tech. Who knows if they'll show up. And if they show up, will they know what the heck they're doing?

Anyone have some pointers on how to get the best service?

Only reason that I have gotten what I have is that I went through a local installer, met with them a couple of times before pulling the trigger. I guess I am more than a number to them, and I can complain in person when they mess up. The first installer, the one that messed things up...let's just say that my install was the last install that he did for the company I signed up through. :eek2:

[Mike D-CO5]

I had my 1000.2 installed about 1 month ago. I finally had the local installer come over and do a warranty, QC adjustment to tweak my dish. The guy that came looked at the original install and laughed. He checked 110 and saw it was only 40 and laughed. He had to add 3 more lag bolts to the base on the dish attached to the roof, adjust the mast to level, move the OTA antenna away from the dish (I told the original guy that would be a problem, he said it would not...HA, it was), and finally he tweaked the main dish.
Within 30 minutes, my numbers were as follows:

110 - 90
119 - 102
129 - 88

My picture now is even better than I thought it could be, until the little quirk with 110 and 119 today.

As many others have suggested, get a tweak, then see how things look. It did wonders for me. :D


The only problem is that the 129 sat will STILL Flucuate on the signal strength which might effect your picture quality and have cut outs on video and audio. I had great signal strengths on all of my transponders on 129 and then the signal will drop out anway and sometimes lower than 65 and I would suffer video drop outs on Cinemax,Universal and A& E hd channels.

[ebaltz]

I am having this same problem and it is really getting me upset. 127 tp29 it affects many of the channels I watch everyday. Called yesterday and was told it was most likely the heat. Have never had a problem before in over a year. And today am starting to have the problem others are reporting of 110 disappearing all together. This is not an aiming issue, all channels have worked flawlessly for months until recently, like everyone else has stated.

See, this is the kind of stuff that really irritates me as a customer, baloney. Always blame the customer or some other thing that is totally unrelated in the hopes that the stupid Joe Public won't know any better. I can't believe companies still operate that way. Memo to Dish. WE KNOW BETTER. Stop passing out bull and fix your sat, or discount our bills for lack of full service we are paying for.

Now lets see, where was my phone number for my local congressman.

[Taco Lover]

The only problem is that the 129 sat will STILL Flucuate on the signal strength which might effect your picture quality and have cut outs on video and audio. I had great signal strengths on all of my transponders on 129 and then the signal will drop out anway and sometimes lower than 65 and I would suffer video drop outs on Cinemax,Universal and A& E hd channels.
Repeaking doesn't seem to be the fix. The problem lies with the 129's Transponder 27. Ridiculous.

[bflatmajor]

I too was experiencing this problem.

Dish sent a tech to my house and aligned the dish and now A&E HD is no longer a problem.

[Taco Lover]

I too was experiencing this problem.

Dish sent a tech to my house and aligned the dish and now A&E HD is no longer a problem.
Curious. Are you able to watch it more than a half hour without it dropping out? My A&E, etc. seems to drop every half hour.

[bflatmajor]

I watched it for about 1 hour after the techs left on Saturday morning and not a single issue. I didn't watch it at all on on Sunday.

Before the techs came out, I couldn't watch it for longer than 30 seconds.
And the issue was affected a few other channels also.

[P Smith]

I think the thread must be closed !

[It's ridiculous to see when ppl return to same point where there came regardless opponents' facts.]

[Taco Lover]

Just do your best to not click on the thread. Pretty easy.

[Jason Nipp]

Per the complaints about this thread, I agree it has gone as far as it needs to.

Guys, most of us are adults, many of us are very technical. The one negative mantra of this thread that gets me is that basic advice was given and refused to be tried. Perhaps the advice is wrong and would not help, but at least you could respond with a "Sorry sir, I tried that and it didn't help", but instead people continue to complain over and over about the same exact point. We heard ya, loud and clear, using up bandwidth to continue a tirade isn't useful to anyone, as such I am closing this thread.

If someone has some "USEFUL" information to add to this thread that can actually help a user in need, please PM a Mod to have it added. Otherwise, walk away and cool off guys.

Best regards,
Jason