[jmunick1]

Long time reader, first time poster...

I have an HR20 in Northern VA and I receive my local channels in HD from DTV. I also have a Zinwell WB68. I have noticed that the HD local channels have pixelation issues other HD channels are not having. These issues seem to appear more when the weather is cloudy or rainy. I've had DTV out to look at the issue once and they replaced a couple LNBs on the dish saying those LNBs weren't putting out a strong enough signal. I have a few questions I'd like to have answered if someone can help me out.

1) What SAT carries the local channels in HD and what is the expected signal strength on the transponders associated with that dish?

2) Does weather affect MPEG4 feeds more than MPEG2 and why?

3) Can anyone thing of anyting else I should be checking.

Thanks!

 

[HDTVsportsfan]

#3
Make sure all of your cable is RG6 Quad , solid copper core conductor preferred.
Also check all of the connectors for any erosion/corrosion and everything is snug.
Any runs over 100'? IS this new cable or existing?

#2. Alot of folks have reported better performance w/ the AT9/5-LNB dish and not experiencing rain fade. Members out in Denver have reported good success as well (snow storms lately).

 

[JLucPicard]

The problem could also be with the signal from your local stations and not have anything to do with D* at all. There is currently a thread dealing with pixilation during the Bears game that has a post that states it pretty plainly.

 

[Tom Robertson]

jmunick1, welcome to the posting side of the forums! :welcome_s

As for #1, my best guess is your HD locals will be on 99 and likely only one transponder. It will be the one above 80 or so (and 90's would be much better.)

Todate, I haven't found a list of transponders and their associated HD locals.

Cheers,
Tom

 

[jmunick1]

Thanks for the quick responses. I'm going to look for the post now from the bears game.

My 99 sat has the following readings:
45 63 77 53 42 0 all others are NA

 

[harsh]

2) Does weather affect MPEG4 feeds more than MPEG2 and why?

Weather doesn't affect the compression mode, but it does affect the frequencies involved. MPEG4 channels are delivered via Ka band which is a higher frequency. As such, it is much more susceptible to atmospheric interference.

Given your signal "quality", I'd say that you need to get your dish re-peaked.

 

[Tom Robertson]

Thanks for the quick responses. I'm going to look for the post now from the bears game.

My 99 sat has the following readings:
45 63 77 53 42 0 all others are NA

I can tell you now: Packers Defense 5 for 102 and two TDs.

Are you on the edge of the DMA? 77 looks low. And I should have suggested you look at 103 as well. You just might be there.

Lastly, do you know if the installer tuned the dish properly? Finding the correct midpoint of the satellite beam in elevation and azimuth?

Good luck,
Tom

 

[jmunick1]

Thanks for the info. I'm going to call DTV and and get them to come back out and look at my dish.

FYI, here is the readings from my 99 and 103 LNBs:
99
44 63 77 53 42 0

103
0 0 60 73 69 74

They seem low to me. What do you think?

 

[Tom Robertson]

Yeah, they do look low--unless its raining cats and dogs right now.

 

[HDTVsportsfan]

Thanks for the info. I'm going to call DTV and and get them to come back out and look at my dish.

FYI, here is the readings from my 99 and 103 LNBs:
99
44 63 77 53 42 0

103
0 0 60 73 69 74

They seem low to me. What do you think?

I'm not to far away from JM, as TIbber as suggested, those numbers look low. You need to have it peaked. It's not raining cats and dogs here.

 

[fherbst]

Thanks for the info. I'm going to call DTV and and get them to come back out and look at my dish.

FYI, here is the readings from my 99 and 103 LNBs:
99
44 63 77 53 42 0

103
0 0 60 73 69 74

They seem low to me. What do you think?

jmunick1,
I also live in northern Virginia and I am having the same issues you are. HD locals come and go (all other channels are fine).

My readings from 99 are approx the same as yours, though, I get nothing on the 103. I called DTV and they sent a tech out and his answer was my HR20 box was bad (even though I have the same issue with my other box, a H-20). Have you got your problem resolve and if so, how? Thanks.

 

[Mixer]

I am in the NY market for locals and my readings on the 99 were really low. When we got any rain or fog I would lose the locals completely. A lead tech trainer came out to my house and re-pointed the dish I am now getting much higher numbers on the 99 and we had snow the other night and I didn't lose anything or even receive any pixelation.

You need to talk directly with the company that will be sending out techs and ask for a Sr. tech to come out at the very least. I had a knightmare of a time getting things right but finally I am good to go. Tech trainer even told me he would come and relocate my dish in spring if the leaves affected my 119 like we are thinking they will.

 

[chewwy420]

I had to re-aim my dish myself. Dumb installer said it was fine, I told him that the numbers are way to low on 99 and 103. His answer was "They aren't broadcasting my HD LiL yet so they would be" I told him that I am well within the Phila, and D.C. Spot beams and it should be higher. He said no it should not. After he left I went out and moved the dish a little to the left ( after noticing that 119 and 110 where high but 101 stuff was a little lower) and up and now it is perfect. I get at least 1 Transponder on each Ka Sat at 95 or highter.

 

[fherbst]

I am in the NY market for locals and my readings on the 99 were really low. When we got any rain or fog I would lose the locals completely. A lead tech trainer came out to my house and re-pointed the dish I am now getting much higher numbers on the 99 and we had snow the other night and I didn't lose anything or even receive any pixelation.

You need to talk directly with the company that will be sending out techs and ask for a Sr. tech to come out at the very least. I had a knightmare of a time getting things right but finally I am good to go. Tech trainer even told me he would come and relocate my dish in spring if the leaves affected my 119 like we are thinking they will.

I called DTV and told them my story. They agreed the signal has to be higher than what I am getting and that it was not the box. They have scheduled a supervisor tech for Wed to check it out. Hopefully they will get it right this time. Thanks for your advice.

 

[richlife]

Thanks for the info. I'm going to call DTV and and get them to come back out and look at my dish.

FYI, here is the readings from my 99 and 103 LNBs:
99
44 63 77 53 42 0

103
0 0 60 73 69 74

They seem low to me. What do you think?

My readings:
99b, Tuner 1: 74 86 77 98 74 0
99b, Tuner 2: 74 87 77 98 75 0
103a, Tuner 1: 0 95 18 0 25 68
103a, Tuner 2: 0 94 16 0 0 68

Basically quite a bit higher than yours. Notice all the 0 on 103. I've been somewhat concerned by this, but haven't been able to determine there's any real problem. Anyone know anything about this?

 

[chewwy420]

The zero's are spot beams not pointed anywhere near you. Probably west cost.
That is normal.

 

[texasbrit]

My readings:
99b, Tuner 1: 74 86 77 98 74 0
99b, Tuner 2: 74 87 77 98 75 0
103a, Tuner 1: 0 95 18 0 25 68
103a, Tuner 2: 0 94 16 0 0 68

Basically quite a bit higher than yours. Notice all the 0 on 103. I've been somewhat concerned by this, but haven't been able to determine there's any real problem. Anyone know anything about this?

Your HD locals probably come from only one transponder on either 99 or 103, so any other transponders you see are spotbeams for other cities and their signal strengths are not relevant to you. It's quite normal to see low signal strengths, even zero. Because everything on 99 and 103 is spotbeamed the signal strengths will be completely different as you move from city to city, you can't compare them.
If you do have HD locals, you should see one transponder (your "home" transponder) on either 99 or 103 that is at least in the 80s and if you are anywhere near the center of the spotbeam should be 90+. Richlife's locals look like they are beamed from the 99 sat transponder 4, or just possibly from the 103 sat transponder 2.

 

[jmunick1]

I've had direct TV out to check out my signal strength four times now, still not what it should be. Why are the installers having such a hard time getting this right? This may be expecting too much, but you would think DirecTV would inform them of the new dishes and the expected signal strengths. The installers that come to my house don't even seem to know what the additional SATs are for.
KILLING ME!!!

 

[richlife]

Your HD locals probably come from only one transponder on either 99 or 103, so any other transponders you see are spotbeams for other cities and their signal strengths are not relevant to you. It's quite normal to see low signal strengths, even zero. Because everything on 99 and 103 is spotbeamed the signal strengths will be completely different as you move from city to city, you can't compare them.
If you do have HD locals, you should see one transponder (your "home" transponder) on either 99 or 103 that is at least in the 80s and if you are anywhere near the center of the spotbeam should be 90+. Richlife's locals look like they are beamed from the 99 sat transponder 4, or just possibly from the 103 sat transponder 2.

Thanks to you and chewwy420. I had suspected the 0s were a real concern until I saw the other reports with maybe only one 0. I guess the fact that I'm in the country right between two separate metro areas (and two separate sets of locals) probably explains the high signal on the two satellites. Lucky me

 

[bobnielsen]

Thanks to you and chewwy420. I had suspected the 0s were a real concern until I saw the other reports with maybe only one 0. I guess the fact that I'm in the country right between two separate metro areas (and two separate sets of locals) probably explains the high signal on the two satellites. Lucky me

They may not be 0, but you won't be able to receive them anyway, only your own DMA.

I get only 2 non-zero on 99 (including my locals) and 1 non-zero on 103, but the areas getting HD are spread out a bit more on the left coast.