HR20-700 signal loss problem

[40acrecowboy]

HR20-700 looses signal and micro blocks badly at least 3/4 of the time irregardless of WX. I also have an H10-200 that works perfectly all the time. The dish has been re-aligned once by DTV and I’m still having the same problem. Service tech guy said the signals looked good but he would try to improve upon signals as the HR20 was working fine when he came out (how come that always happens) he also checked all the connections and said they looked good. When the HR20 starts micro blocking / pixilating and loosing signal the transponder signals do drop from an average of mid 90’s to mid 80’s on sat. 101 but this only affects the HR20 and the H10 keeps on humming with out a problem. Looking at a channel/sat list I printed off the forum it looks like the problem is on the 101 sat. as this is the channels I am having the most problems with (231 food, 269 hist, all PPV, 265 a&e, 601 nba, etc..). I have swapped receiver locations and still have the same problem so it’s not the cable/signal to the location. Out of ideas any suggestions?

HR20-700 picture good:
Sat: 101
1-8 96 95 95 0 92 96 93 97
9-16 95 96 92 97 94 97 86 96
17-24 95 0 94 99 95 98 95 98
25-32 82 100 92 0 96 98 91 97

Sat: 101 with micro blocking
1-8 88 86 84 0 81 93 81 93
9-16 83 86 82 94 83 95 78 94
17-24 85 0 83 96 85 95 83 95
25-32 75 98 82 0 87 95 80 93

The numbers drop for no apparent reason.

H10-200 works good all the time.

Sat: 101
1-8 90 89 89 n/a 88 93 83 93
9-16 86 85 85 93 85 93 82 94
17-24 89 n/a 86 94 88 94 87 92
25-32 87 100 84 n/a 89 93 88 92
Sat: 110
8- 84
10- 75
12- 84
Sat: 119
22- 91
23-n/a
24- 86
25-32 n/a 93 88 90 n/a 92 45 91

HR20-700 good picture
Sat: 110
8- 94
10- 91
12- 95
Sat: 110 bad picture
8- 88
10- 84
12- 89

Sat: 119 good
22- 96
23- 19
24- 96
25-32 0 96 98 94 0 98 70 97

Sat: 119 bad
22- 96
23- 0
24- 96
25-32 0 96 95 94 0 98 69 97

Sat: 99b good
1-8 0 0 96 15 0 24

Sat: 99b bad
1-8 0 0 85 0 0 0

Sat: 103a good
1-8 82 95 62 97 69 95

Sat: 103a bad
1-8 65 86 42 92 51 87

[Stuart Sweet]

I don't think those signal strengths would be enough to cause you problems.

[K4SMX]

Your normal signals are good, but not perfect, in "good mode" and not really even that bad in "bad" mode, except for the 119 satellite, where it's very strange that tp23 just disappears altogether, but tp's 22 and 24 don't change at all...

You didn't say, but I assume this happens simultaneously on both sat inputs. I also assume that you've re-booted your box (probably multiple times!) in the head-scratching process.

With the "bad" numbers not really being that bad,, I think you need to replace your receiver.

One other thing you might try: put a laptop cooler fan upside down on it to see if it's heat-related.

[40acrecowboy]

Your normal signals are good, but not perfect, in "good mode" and not really even that bad in "bad" mode, except for the 119 satellite, where it's very strange that tp23 just disappears altogether, but tp's 22 and 24 don't change at all...

You didn't say, but I assume this happens simultaneously on both sat inputs. I also assume that you've re-booted your box (probably multiple times!) in the head-scratching process.

With the "bad" numbers not really being that bad,, I think you need to replace your receiver.

One other thing you might try: put a laptop cooler fan upside down on it to see if it's heat-related.

Yes and yes and I do have a fan setting next to the receiver to dissipate the heat.

I have this problem when turning own for the first time of the day as well as after it’s been on for a while. I’ve checked the internal temp during the problem and when it’s working properly and it’s inline with other internal temps I’ve seen posted on this forum. I’m setting at 124F at this time and all is working well for the last 20 minutes, however it’s been micro blocking on all channels some worse than others all morning. I’ve had the H10 on all morning as well comparing Sat/transponder signals and they are pretty close together. Again the H10 has never had this problem. I don’t know if that’s an apples to apples comparison but I believe they operate of the same sat for a majority of channels and would think if it’s an alignment, cable, sat antenna issue I would be seeing the same problem on the H10.
Thanks for the reply!

[K4SMX]

Yes and yes and I do have a fan setting next to the receiver to dissipate the heat.

I have this problem when turning own for the first time of the day as well as after it’s been on for a while. I’ve checked the internal temp during the problem and when it’s working properly and it’s inline with other internal temps I’ve seen posted on this forum. I’m setting at 124F at this time and all is working well for the last 20 minutes, however it’s been micro blocking on all channels some worse than others all morning. I’ve had the H10 on all morning as well comparing Sat/transponder signals and they are pretty close together. Again the H10 has never had this problem. I don’t know if that’s an apples to apples comparison but I believe they operate of the same sat for a majority of channels and would think if it’s an alignment, cable, sat antenna issue I would be seeing the same problem on the H10.
Thanks for the reply!
Well 125 degrees does not indicate you're getting any real cooling in there to test if it's heat-related, because that's pretty much the same temperature you get with no fan. My H20-700 runs 127 degrees without the fan, ~100 with it. There are other parts in there that could have a heat-related problem besides the HD, and keep in mind that most parts of the receiver run all the time, unless you unplug it.

You weren't really clear as to whether or not this happens simultaneously on both tuners. Please check this by looking at the Signal Meters option on the Signal Strength on screen display the next time this happens. It will default to the 101 satellite, tp1. You can cycle through the tp's to compare Tuners 1 and 2 while the problem is occurring.

[40acrecowboy]

Well 125 degrees does not indicate you're getting any real cooling in there to test if it's heat-related, because that's pretty much the same temperature you get with no fan. My H20-700 runs 127 degrees without the fan, ~100 with it. There are other parts in there that could have a heat-related problem besides the HD, and keep in mind that most parts of the receiver run all the time, unless you unplug it.

You weren't really clear as to whether or not this happens simultaneously on both tuners. Please check this by looking at the Signal Meters option on the Signal Strength on screen display the next time this happens. It will default to the 101 satellite, tp1. You can cycle through the tp's to compare Tuners 1 and 2 while the problem is occurring.

I’m a one-line operation patiently awaiting SWM. I have switched the sat. cable to tuner 2 but see some really weird things when checking TP signals so I switched it back not even wanting to go there (very low tp settings on the ones that show up and channels that go to not authorized when trying to view them).

I did flip over a laptop cooler on top of the receiver and lowered my internal down to around 116F and it is working much better however it’s not perfect and I still have some occasional micro blocking but it’s now more of an annoyance rather than making it totally un-watchable.

I’m going to get a larger laptop cooler to try and lower my internal temp even more and see if this totally solves my micro blocking problems. What are you cooling with to get 100F internally?

Shouldn’t the HR20-700 work without any problems with an internal temp in the low to mid 120’s?

[K4SMX]

.....I’m going to get a larger laptop cooler to try and lower my internal temp even more and see if this totally solves my micro blocking problems. What are you cooling with to get 100F internally?

Shouldn’t the HR20-700 work without any problems with an internal temp in the low to mid 120’s?
Well, from what you say, apparently not in all cases. It's probably not the HD temp per se that's causing your problem, but rather some other part that's particularly heat-sensitive. I know I had a serious problem with one of my two H20-600's, which a laptop cooler cured. I put 'em on every D* receiver now. I use the Targus PA248, which plugs right into the USB jack, but there are many available. I'm at 103 on my HR20-700 right now. Most of the HR20-700's run above 125 stock, which means there's a lot of undissipated heat in that cabinet with a variety of sources.

If lowering the temp further doesn't fix this problem completely, you'll probably just have to call D*, tell 'em it won't even turn on for testing, and get a new (reman) one.

[Stuart Sweet]

The HR20-700 is tested, and runs fine, in an open cabinet at 127. That's its design spec. If yours is in a closed cabinet an you choose to run a chill mat or USB fan it couldn't hurt but as of yet we have no reports of properly functioning HR20s failing from heat.

[40acrecowboy]

Right now it's setting out in the open on top of my old tv. It will someday go into hidding ($$$). As I posted I'm going to get a larger cooler and if it solves the problem then I guess I'll have the first that won't run properly at 120+. I'll post one way or the other after the new cooler arrives.

Thanks all for the help and info.

[40acrecowboy]

Right now it's setting out in the open on top of my old tv. It will someday go into hidding ($$$). As I posted I'm going to get a larger cooler and if it solves the problem then I guess I'll have the first that won't run properly at 120+. I'll post one way or the other after the new cooler arrives.

Thanks all for the help and info.

Ok for me my HR20-700 receiver has to be below 120f internally to work with out problems.

Above 120f the receiver starts micro blocking. The higher above 120f it gets the worse it gets.

I have been moving the cooler around the top of the receiver to try and find the best spot for it and when the picture would start micro blocking the internal temp had climbed above 120f. Moving to the best spot I could find it lowers to 112f internally and I have NO problems. So for me it was an internal heat problem.

Thanks all for the help.