[Aaron S]

Hello all, I have a few questions relative to a recent install of a 5LNB Slimline antenna and HR21. This is an upgrade from a single oval dish setup.

First issue, a small number channels including UniversalHD and ESPN2HD are searching for signal. When I look at the signal levels on the receiver I get:

101: 95
110: 94
119: 0
99c: 90
99s: 85
103s: 0
103c: 88

The installer said something about 119 not showing up being expected but he didn't give any details. Anyone have the explanation for that ? I assume the channels I'm missing are on 103s ? With the other levels at decent levels would I expect the issue to not be an alignment one ?


Second issue: After the installer left I noticed that several of the levels were low in the 50s. I So I watched the video on how to align the dish and was able to get the levels up to those above with some minor teaking of elvation and azimuth. However, the instructions talked about tuning the tilt using 119, but my recever is not reporting any levels for 119. Is there another bird I can use to fine tune the tilt ?


Last issue: When I enter my zip for dish setup it indicates an elevation of 32 degrees. However both my previous single dish and the new 5 LNB one have the mechanical indicator near 20. I would claim that the mount for both setups are plumb. When I was tweaking the new dish to peak up the signal levels, I tried to crank the elevation up to 30s but I didn't get a signal on the 101 bird ( in hidsight I realized I hadn't tried changing the azimuth.) Any explanations of why both my setups are working with what would appear to be the wrong elevation ?


Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Michael D'Angelo]

:welcome_s to DBSTalk!

The channels you are missing are on SAT 119. You may have a tree of something blocking it. Those channels will be moved over to the new SAT (D11 99c) soon. But if you don't want to wait you could call DIRECTV and have them send another tech out to see if there is some where else than can mount the dish.

103(s) is a spot beam SAT and if your HD locals don't come from it you will either get 0's or low numbers if you are close enough to another city that does use it.

What are all of your transponder signals on all SAT's?

 

[Mertzen]

However, the instructions talked about tuning the tilt using 119, but my recever is not reporting any levels for 119. Is there another bird I can use to fine tune the tilt ?

As long as the tilt is at the value given by the box it is ok. The slimline barely needs tweaking of the tilt.

Any explanations of why both my setups are working with what would appear to be the wrong elevation ?

You might be looking at the wrong side of the EL bolt.

 

[K4SMX]

I think he means the EL bolt. Anyhow, you should be looking at the leading rear edge of the upper bracket, which is attached to the dish, where it crosses the index markings on the lower bracket, which is part of the mount. Some dish mounts assemblies have that edge painted red. Obviously, yours does not.

 

[Aaron S]

Thank you all for the quick and helpful answers.

K4SMX: You're right, I didn't see any marking on the bracket so I got fixated on the location of the bolt itself. Last item resolved, check.

Mertzen: Thanks for the feedback on the lack of sensitivity to tilt errors. (I guess I didn't have to take the dish apart after the installer left to move the tilt nuts to the outside where I could get to them with the dish on ) Second item down.

Michael: Thanks for the correlation on 119 and my missing channels. I took another look at the location info and had forgotten that for me 119 is at 21 degrees elevation and also forgot to use magnetic azimuth for sighting in when reviewing the installer's suggested location. It looks like the very top of a tree might be in the way.

Which channels will be moved from 119 to 99c and how soon? Given the number of holes that just got put in the side of my house for the mounts, support brackets and cable anchors, I'm not enthusiastic to move the dish if I won't need 119 in the future. Is there a link to the list of channels that are/will be on 119 ? I don't seem to be missing but a few.

Relative to 103s and HD locals, I can't speak to that as I get my HD locals OTA (waiting for the AM21, used to have the HR10-250). After you asked for readings from all transponders, I noticed that there are some active ones on 103s, so I'm anticipating every is nominal there.

Sounds like my first issue is explained as well. Great stuff all.


Here are my readings using the HR21 for all active transponders (i.e. not N/A) for all SATs. Please note that these were taken with very heavy cloud cover and moderate rain. A monster thunderstorm had passed through a little earlier.

For 101
(1-8): 93 88 89 100 88 96 89 96
(9-16): 90 89 89 99 88 96 87 96
(17-24): 87 98 87 97 87 96 88 95
(last 8): 89 89 88 95 89 96 88 97


For 110
8: 89
10: 81
12: 91


For 119
all 0


For 99c
(1-8): 74 77 72 76 73 75 71 76
(9-14): 73 75 72 75 75 76

For 99s
(1-6): 61 85 0 83 80 85

for 103s
(1-6): 0 0 0 0 0 0
(15-16): 82 38
(17-23): 74 95 0 0 0 79 91

For 103c
(1-8): 77 82 73 77 74 80 73 79
(9-14): 76 80 75 79 79 81
(17 and 22) 79 85

 

[Michael D'Angelo]

Your signals will work but you really want them all in the high 80's to 90's. SAT's 99(s) and 103(s) are spot beam SAT's so you will have some lower signals or 0's.

You will only be missing the few HD channels that your missing now and hopefully in the next few weeks they will be moved.

 

[Mertzen]

You'll be missing:

72 ESPN 2 HD
74 Universal HD
79 HDNet
94 Yes Network HD
99 PPV Movies

But it's been reported they are already up in testing mode on 99c.

The tech should have informed you on the fact that you'd be missing channels though.