[mattmill]

After troubles and trees we have HD! Wife is very happy!

I have some questions about signal strength. The installer that finally came for the install was great with one exception. He didn't take the time to check all the signal strengths and didn't have a meter that would see 99/103. The install was very clean and he took close to 3 hours for the upgrade since it involved a dish relocation from pole to roof. The dish photo is from just below the slimline, he keep saying it was like treading a needle. I have no LOS to 110/119 so he did a phone verification before the HR21-100 did the software update and of course it passed at that point. Here are the numbers:

101 tuner 1
1-8 82 69 79 89 77 85 77 80
9-16 72 55 71 70 70 72 72 80
17-24 77 79 83 79 82 88 83 86
25-32 86 62 85 98 86 95 85 95

101 tuner 2
1-8 76 0 73 49 44 55 53 62
9-16 57 48 65 74 70 79 73 82
17-24 79 81 84 79 83 90 83 88
25-32 87 68 83 99 86 95 86 95

103c tuner 1
1-8 89 85 85 81 86 83 84 82
9-16 86 81 86 82 86 82 na na
17-24 na
25-32 na

103c tuner 2
1-8 83 72 81 74 82 77 77 75
9-16 79 74 80 76 82 76 na na
17-24 na
25-32 na

103s tuner 1
1-8 100 0 0 0 100 0 na na
9-16 na na na na na na 70 0
17-24 0 98 0 0 0 0 59 67
25-32 na

103s tuner 2
1-8 100 0 0 0 100 0 na na
9-16 na na na na na na 61 0
17-24 0 98 0 0 0 0 49 45
25-32 na

99c tuner 1
1-8 85 84 79 82 82 83 76 80
9-16 82 82 78 80 85 85 na na
17-24 na
25-32 na

99c tuner 2
1-8 81 79 77 79 79 80 72 74
9-16 77 75 74 74 80 80 na na
17-24 na
25-32 na

99s tuner 1
1-8 0 96 88 94 83 0 na na
9-16 na na na na na na 0 0
17-24 0 0 0 0 69 60 0 0
25-32 na

99s tuner 2
1-8 0 93 86 88 81 94 na na
9-16 na na na na na na 0 0
17-24 0 0 0 0 52 51 0 0
25-32 na


Also the HR21 has spontaneously rebooted twice since Friday is this normal?

matt

 

[jimmyv2000]

you need a realign
your dish is not peaked properly

 

[mattmill]

Just call DietcTv? Tech didn't give me a phone number. I have not lost any signal yet should I wait for problems or will I have problems?

Don't want any trouble with no LOS for 110/119 all seems to be working now.

Will receiver call D* about signals? (install verification)

matt

 

[K4SMX]

you need a realign
your dish is not peaked properly

Not so fast, there. Those signals are pretty normal for most HR21-100's. They read a little less on 99(c) and 103(c) than all the other HD receivers.

The rebooting is normal if you have no 119 LOS, because you have no alternate source of Guide data when tuner 1 is not tuned to a channel carried by the 101 satellite, the primary source of Guide data. To prevent this from happening, schedule two, short, manual recordings for two different SD channels to occur in the middle of the night. This will insure that tuner 1 is returned to the 101 satellite for a number of hours each day. You may still miss last minute changes to the Guide data. Ideally, you should replace the Slimline 5 with a Slimline 3, which is designed to handle this problem.

You do, however, have a problem with your 101 tuner 2 signals. This has been showing up quite a bit lately on the HR21-100's, and frankly, I would have it replaced.

 

[K4SMX]

.....Will receiver call D* about signals? (install verification)

If you have it connected to the telephone line or it is networked, it will eventually report low signals, but it is not part of the Install Verification process, and there's no telling when or if you would receive a call about this, perhaps not within the install warranty 90-day time period.

Although your alignment may not be spot-on perfect, your low 101 tuner 2 signals are not an alignment problem. (Tuner 1 is not too spiffy, either, considering your 99(c)'s and 103(c)'s.)

If this problem is similar to the 110 satellite problems experienced by some HR20-100's (earlier model), you may find that if you temporarily remove your BBC's from the antenna lines, your 101 signals return to high numbers on both tuners. I haven't verified that this is the case yet, so please report your experience with that. In any event, signals below 70 on tp's your are supposed to receive are below DirecTV installation minimums, and in your case, I'm pretty sure it's your receiver which is causing these low 101 signals.

 

[Mertzen]

Outside work isn't the greatest but seems to be grounded.

 

[mattmill]

If this problem is similar to the 110 satellite problems experienced by some HR20-100's (earlier model), you may find that if you temporarily remove your BBC's from the antenna lines, your 101 signals return to high numbers on both tuners. I haven't verified that this is the case yet, so please report your experience with that. In any event, signals below 70 on tp's your are supposed to receive are below DirecTV installation minimums, and in your case, I'm pretty sure it's your receiver which is causing these low 101 signals.

I'll try taking the BBC's off tonight and see what happens. Do I need to unplug the receiver before removing/reinstalling the BBC's?

matt

 

[K4SMX]

Not required. If you have any problems, do a menu based reboot:

Menu Button > Parental, Fav's & Setup > System Setup > Reset > Restart Recorder

BTW, it's best practice not ever to just "unplug" these receivers. Get a small UPS when you find one on sale.

 

[mattmill]

I asked because the installer insisted to not plugin the receiver until both sat lines were connected.

matt

 

[K4SMX]

He didn't want to get hung up by the new Installation Verification software routine.

 

[Mertzen]

He didn't want to get hung up by the new Installation Verification software routine.

Or have the box think only 1 lines is connected.