[01sporty]

I'm reasonably sure my dish needs to be realigned.

Any tips on navigating the 800 number that seems to be the only way to schedule service? I'm not a fan of trying to navigate their phone tree. (vast understatement) You'd think a company on such shaky ground would try to be a bit more user friendly.

How does a realignment cost these days? I've seen posts where it was $50 but they were 10 years old.

 

[detuch254]

Before you even request one ensure your dish actually needs to be realigned. Otherwise, you’d be wasting time on an issue that might have an easy fix.

Go to Menu, Settings, Satellite, View Signal Strength, and then the (-) DASH button. Toggle through satellite 101, 99 (ca), 99 (cb), 103 (ca), and 103 (cb). Thereafter, post FIVE (5) PICTURES showing the levels of each screen.

If you are seeing odd transponders not coming in or something along the lines of that, this usually signifies a bad coax line, bad LNB, or improper 21V/29V power. It would also help for you to post your specific receiver models and how everything is wired so we have an idea.

 

[harsh]

I'm reasonably sure my dish needs to be realigned.

What makes you think that?

Any tips on navigating the 800 number that seems to be the only way to schedule service?

Have you tried the support chat facility? Maybe the best way to navigate phone support is to navigate around it.

 

[litzdog911]

If you can safely reach your dish, it's not that hard to tweak the alignment yourself. You'll find several good YouTube videos showing how.

 

[01sporty]

What makes you think that?
I get a lot of recordings with the infamous "all or part of you program etc."
I also get lots of yellow bars when checking 103 and lots of yellow and red when checking 99.

If you can safely reach your dish
I got close enough to it via ladder to check plumb. It's good forward and back where it's braced but out quite a bit left to right where it's not braced. I was hoping another brace could be added if I can get a tech out.

it's not that hard to tweak the alignment yourself.
True, it's not that difficult but if it's not too expensive I think it's more cost effective to just have someone else take care of it.

Have you tried the support chat facility?
Repeatedly, on two different browsers. Never got a response from that button. A lot of stuff on their website seems to be hit or miss. A couple of weeks ago a window popped up offering me a free alignment. It was raining at the time so it seemed a bad time to make an appointment. Never saw that offer again so I missed the boat on that one. sigh.

 

[harsh]

A couple of weeks ago a window popped up offering me a free alignment. It was raining at the time so it seemed a bad time to make an appointment. Never saw that offer again so I missed the boat on that one.

Lesson learned.

Try saying "free alignment" in response to the voice jail prompt.

 

[01sporty]

Voice jail prompt??? Sound's like it's worth trying if I knew what it was.

 

[harsh]

Voice jail prompt??? Sound's like it's worth trying if I knew what it was.

A voice jail (automated attendant) prompt is where it asks you to say what you would like help with.

 

[P Smith]

Go to Menu, Settings, Satellite, View Signal Strength, and then the (-) DASH button. Toggle through satellite 101, 99 (ca), 99 (cb), 103 (ca), and 103 (cb). Thereafter, post FIVE (5) PICTURES showing the levels of each screen.

Did you try follow this ?

 

[harsh]

Did you try follow this ?

There's a missing "Settings & Help" step between the "Menu" and "Settings" steps.

 

[P Smith]

Wow! That's a killer of whole request !

 

[detuch254]

There's a missing "Settings & Help" step between the "Menu" and "Settings" steps.

Harsh you understand that’s for like older standalone boxes right? There’s a high chance OP has a Genie so thus that step is no longer applicable with the newer UI.

 

[01sporty]

Well, all of that is now moot. I did get around to contacting Directv. After being passed through four individuals of increasingly poor English skills and increasingly poor telephone connection I finally reached the person that convinced me that my new Dish Tv dish would perfectly aligned.

 

[studechip]

Harsh you understand that’s for like older standalone boxes right? There’s a high chance OP has a Genie so thus that step is no longer applicable with the newer UI.

Well, since he isn't a Directv customer, no he doesn't know.

 

[harsh]

Harsh you understand that’s for like older standalone boxes right?

Since P Smith was unable to follow the steps, I assumed that was because P Smith wasn't using a Genie.

There’s a high chance OP has a Genie so thus that step is no longer applicable with the newer UI.

Is it really reasonable to assume that there is a "high chance" of the system being Genie-based?

 

[harsh]

... I finally reached the person that convinced me that my new Dish Tv dish would perfectly aligned.

Your dish will be aligned or it is currently aligned?

 

[studechip]

Since P Smith was unable to follow the steps, I assumed that was because P Smith wasn't using a Genie.
Is it really reasonable to assume that there is a "high chance" of the system being Genie-based?

Yes, it's very reasonable.

 

[studechip]

Your dish will be aligned or it is currently aligned?

Obviously he didn't like what he heard from the Directv csr and is switching to Dish.

 

[detuch254]

Well, since he isn't a Directv customer, no he doesn't know.

Fair enough...

 

[01sporty]

Obviously he didn't like what he heard from the Directv csr and is switching to Dish.

Thank you, I didn't think I was being that obtuse.