[tinyt]

I just recently installed an At9 dish but I am having some problems. I used a Accutrac 22 pro signal meter and thought everything was ok. But when I checked my signal strength with the H20 I am not getting a good signal.

sat reading:

99 = 0
101 = 74%
110 = 74%
103 = 0
119 = 75%

Using the fine adjustments I cant get the readings over 75%. I have a clear view with no trees. Could the lower readings be caused by any type of cable problems?

Any Help or ideas would be appreciated? If anyone needs more info for a better diagnosis please let me know?

 

[litzdog911]

Is your H20 connected through a multiswitch? If so, what brand/model? What happens if you connect the H20 directly to the dish's output bypassing the multiswitch?

By the way, it's normal for the H20 to read rather low compared to other DirecTV Receivers and DVRs. But the zero readings on 99 and 103 are bad.

 

[tinyt]

No Multiswitch installed. I really dont understand why it wont go higher

 

[litzdog911]

So we can rule out a multiswitch issue. The H20 Receiver always displays rather low signal readings .... it's different from other DirecTV Receivers/DVRs for some reason. But you should be seeing something on 99 and/or 103. Did you properly adjust the "dither" on your dish's alignment as described in the installation videos here ....
http://www.solidsignal.com/dtvkuka/

 

[texasbrit]

You will see zero on 99 if you do not have a 99 spotbeam covering your city, or a single transponder reading if you have a 99 spotbeam. Similarly on 103 you may only see a single transponder reading - the one that delivers your HD locals. In some locations you will see multiple 99/103 transponders, because as well as your own spotbeam you may be at the edge of others.

Do you have HD locals in your area? If no then it's possible you will not see any signal on 99 or 103.
If you do have HD locals, are they working? If so then you are getting the 99 or 103 spotbeam you are supposed to be.

If things still don't seem to be correct, go back through satellite setup and make sure you are set to the 5-lnb dish, and that your multiswitch setting is correct - 4x4 if you have no multiswitch (4x4 is the one built into the dish) and 6x8 if you have the Zinwell WB68.

 

[paulman182]

I thought I read in another thread that the H20 receiver will not display signal strengths on the 99 and 103? I apologize if this is incorrect.

Assuming the receiver is reading correctly, most of the time (maybe always,) you will receive SOME signal from SOME transponder(s) on 99 and 103 even without spot beams to your area.

My town is in no spotbeam and I receive signals on both satellites. I can't tell you what transponders because I am at work, but some of the signals are in the 80s. These are spotbeams for adjacent areas.

Zeros would worry me, too.

 

[LameLefty]

Even though I keep hearing the HR20 reads low, I don't find this to necessarily be the case. I have nearly all mid-90's to 100 on 101, 103, 110 and 119, and low to mid-90s on 99 (which is where my locals are). A well-peaked dish with no obstructions should give you much higher signals at the HR20 absent a problem with hardware somewhere along the way.

 

[Blitz68]

Not sure if I missed something here. But are you sure the off to the side lnb is connected?

 

[videojanitor]

I would also suggest that you make sure the mount is perfectly plumb. If it isn't, you'll never get the dish peaked for all satellites. It is interesting though that you're not getting more than 75 on *any* satellite. You should be well into the 80s and 90s for 101 as a starting point.

Another possibility: The dish could be defective. If the reflector somehow got bent or otherwise misshaped, it's not going to work well. The tolerances here are pretty tight.

 

[texasbrit]

I thought I read in another thread that the H20 receiver will not display signal strengths on the 99 and 103? I apologize if this is incorrect.

Assuming the receiver is reading correctly, most of the time (maybe always,) you will receive SOME signal from SOME transponder(s) on 99 and 103 even without spot beams to your area.

My town is in no spotbeam and I receive signals on both satellites. I can't tell you what transponders because I am at work, but some of the signals are in the 80s. These are spotbeams for adjacent areas.

Zeros would worry me, too.

There are many parts of the U.S. where you will not see any signal from 99 or 103. In the more densely populated areas you would normally be inside a spotbeam for an adjacent area but this is not the same for everyone.

There are some problems with some H20s not displaying satellite signal correctly. On my H20 if you run satellite setup it fails when it gets to sat 99 (because I do not see anything on 99) and then does not check 103. If I go to the individual transponders then I see zero on all the 99 transponders and 100 on just the two 103 transponders that carry my HD locals spotbeam.

 

[Claus]

If dish is plumb you get on satellite fast but plumb is not requirement on peaking AT9. Tilt is adjust for best 119 peak and perfect alignment is result. On old 3 lnb mast must be plumb because no meter peak is done for tilt.
Claus

I would also suggest that you make sure the mount is perfectly plumb. If it isn't, you'll never get the dish peaked for all satellites. It is interesting though that you're not getting more than 75 on *any* satellite. You should be well into the 80s and 90s for 101 as a starting point.

Another possibility: The dish could be defective. If the reflector somehow got bent or otherwise misshaped, it's not going to work well. The tolerances here are pretty tight.

 

[carl6]

If dish is plumb you get on satellite fast but plumb is not requirement on peaking AT9.

While I might agree it is possible to get a working solution with a mast that isn't plumb in some cases, it isn't possible to get an optimum solution, and it may very well be that it isn't possible to even get a working solution. The geometry of the dish, and how it sees the 5 different satellite positions simultaneously, requires perfect alignment.

It isn't enough to get a good 101 and 119 signal. What you are not measuring with your meter on an AT9 install are the 99 and 101 satellites. If you don't get the rest of the alignment perfect, those may not work at all.

Save yourself a lot of trouble, start with a plumb mast.

Carl