"First take" is that your azimuth is off by about 10 degrees, and most likely you need to swing it east.
BTW: Welcome to DBSTalk
BTW: Welcome to DBSTalk
good signal on 110, zeros on 101, 103, 119
Hey everyone. After reading all the great info here I decided to undertake my own directv installation. I bought a 5 satellite slimline from solidsignal, and bought a new HR22 from Best Buy.
I got everything hooked up yesterday, but when I tried to align the dish, for the life of me I could not get a signal on any transponder on 101. The signal meter reports "not acquired." After tinkering around for a few hours, I was ready to give up for the night, when I changed to satellite 110 on the receiver. To my surprise it came up with a signal in the 50s on both tuners. I was easily able to get it up to 96/97. But, when I changed back to 101, it was still all 0s across the board.
Any ideas on what could be causing this? LOS should not be an issue. I'm probably going to try and find someplace that sells solid copper rg6 quad shield around here and see if that helps. Right now I only have copper-clad steel, but the run I was using for alignment was only about 20 ft, straight from the lnb to the receiver. I'm using some compression fittings I got from Home Depot - they have "PPC EX6-08" stamped in the metal, and "XL" with a "2" underneath embossed in the plastic. I also tried using a pre-made cable I had from Comcast or someone, with the exact same results as the cables I made.
So, if I try new cable and can't get it to work, it seems like the only other possibilities are the receiver and the lnb. Is it possible that I got a bad one of either of those?
Thanks for any suggestions you might have!
I got everything hooked up yesterday, but when I tried to align the dish, for the life of me I could not get a signal on any transponder on 101. The signal meter reports "not acquired." After tinkering around for a few hours, I was ready to give up for the night, when I changed to satellite 110 on the receiver. To my surprise it came up with a signal in the 50s on both tuners. I was easily able to get it up to 96/97. But, when I changed back to 101, it was still all 0s across the board.
Any ideas on what could be causing this? LOS should not be an issue. I'm probably going to try and find someplace that sells solid copper rg6 quad shield around here and see if that helps. Right now I only have copper-clad steel, but the run I was using for alignment was only about 20 ft, straight from the lnb to the receiver. I'm using some compression fittings I got from Home Depot - they have "PPC EX6-08" stamped in the metal, and "XL" with a "2" underneath embossed in the plastic. I also tried using a pre-made cable I had from Comcast or someone, with the exact same results as the cables I made.
So, if I try new cable and can't get it to work, it seems like the only other possibilities are the receiver and the lnb. Is it possible that I got a bad one of either of those?
Thanks for any suggestions you might have!
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Where did you get your pointing coordinates. YOu probably picked them for an old 3LNB multisat and hence are pointing to the 110.
Hmm...so you think my 110 lnb is pointing at 101? I suppose that could be, I'll give it a try, thanks. I was having a hard time with the azimuth, as my compass preferred to point at the metal dish mount rather than the north pole. So I had to move far enough away to get a good reading and then try and estimate the angle at the dish.veryoldschool said:"First take" is that your azimuth is off by about 10 degrees, and most likely you need to swing it east.
Is there any way to get the receiver to confirm that the signal it's getting is coming from the correct satellite?
Nah. the other way around. 101 is pointed at 110. Just point the compass behind the dish and then walk straight back. That should work. Use txp 1 or 2 on the 101 set the dish to the recommended setting. Then work in 2 degree steps on AZ and EL.nyelton said:Hmm...so you think my 110 lnb is pointing at 101? I suppose that could be, I'll give it a try, thanks. I was having a hard time with the azimuth, as my compass preferred to point at the metal dish mount rather than the north pole. So I had to move far enough away to get a good reading and then try and estimate the angle at the dish.
Is there any way to get the receiver to confirm that the signal it's getting is coming from the correct satellite?
Start with the mast plumb. Set the tilt and elevation as indicated in Setup for your zip code. Stand in front of the dish with the compass and site along the desired azimuth. Set a marker somewhere along that imaginary line - a stake, bucket, tree, etc. Now from behind the dish rotate azimuth until the feed horn arm from the dish points 'through' the marker. This is your starting point.
Set the receiver to one of the 101 transponders in the signal strength window. Slowly rotate the dish until you receive a signal. Once you receive a signal you can quickly check on channel 200 to see if you are receiving video. If so, go back to the transponder signal meters in Setup and proceed with aligning the dish.
Peak 101 and then check 119. If the signals on 119 are of the same magnitude as those on 101, don't mess with tilt. Set the signal meter to a 103 transponder and peak (should only require a turn or two of the fine adjustment for azimuth and elevation).
Set the receiver to one of the 101 transponders in the signal strength window. Slowly rotate the dish until you receive a signal. Once you receive a signal you can quickly check on channel 200 to see if you are receiving video. If so, go back to the transponder signal meters in Setup and proceed with aligning the dish.
Peak 101 and then check 119. If the signals on 119 are of the same magnitude as those on 101, don't mess with tilt. Set the signal meter to a 103 transponder and peak (should only require a turn or two of the fine adjustment for azimuth and elevation).
I find that setting azimuth with a compass is almost too random to be worth anything. Honestly, the best way to set azimuth around here is just to look at other houses and see which way their dishes are pointing.
Dishpointer.com is about the best since it will give both "true north" and magnetic along with visual cues as to "where" to look.flipptyfloppity said:I find that setting azimuth with a compass is almost too random to be worth anything. Honestly, the best way to set azimuth around here is just to look at other houses and see which way their dishes are pointing.
Not a bad site. It gives a distance reading to the satellite at the bottom. Is that so I can be sure I bought enough cable?veryoldschool said:Dishpointer.com is about the best since it will give both "true north" and magnetic along with visual cues as to "where" to look.
The cable for "the satellite" would be about 23,000 miles+/-.flipptyfloppity said:Not a bad site. It gives a distance reading to the satellite at the bottom. Is that so I can be sure I bought enough cable?
With the map/photo, there are many "good things" you can do.
Make sure when pre-setting your EL on the dish mount to use the leading edge of the bracket which is fastened to the back of the dish, not the edge of the nut which secures it. These bracket edges are usually, but not always, painted for identification. Perhaps your is not. Mine here is not.
how many pounds of copper would there be in 23,000 miles of SCC RG6?veryoldschool said:The cable for "the satellite" would be about 23,000 miles+/-.
With the map/photo, there are many "good things" you can do.
I know. It said 34,000KM down there. Which is only 20,000miles, because my dish is not located at the center of the earth.veryoldschool said:The cable for "the satellite" would be about 23,000 miles+/-.
With the map/photo, there are many "good things" you can do.
I was joking about it because I'm not sure what that information is good for. It doesn't help my aiming.
Well, you guys were right--I took a look and my alignment was way off. (Turns out aligning a dish before dark is a little easier because you can actually see what you're doing.) I'm getting a signal now from all five satellite positions 
Thanks for all the advice!
Now I'm on the phone trying to activate new service without an installation. This may prove to be the bigger challenge!
Thanks for all the advice!Now I'm on the phone trying to activate new service without an installation. This may prove to be the bigger challenge!
Please report back how this went. Are you a brand new subscriber, or just upgrading service? I'm an existing subscriber ready to upgrade to the HD world, but for various reasons want to install my own dish and get a receiver from Best Buy just like you did.nyelton said:Now I'm on the phone trying to activate new service without an installation. This may prove to be the bigger challenge!
I read one other post (but only one) that mentioned that upgrading on your own can be a challenge with Directv. If anyone else has comments on this, please feel free to chime in.
The number of receivers I've swapped, I doubt activating a "self install" would be that hard.norcal5 said:Please report back how this went. Are you a brand new subscriber, or just upgrading service? I'm an existing subscriber ready to upgrade to the HD world, but for various reasons want to install my own dish and get a receiver from Best Buy just like you did.
I read one other post (but only one) that mentioned that upgrading on your own can be a challenge with Directv. If anyone else has comments on this, please feel free to chime in.
"All you're doing is" activation a receiver and upgrading your program package.
I've been a subscriber since '97. I bought an HR21-700 at CC and a Slimline from Ebay. Called Directv to add the new receiver to my account and had no problems at all...not a question asked. I didn't have to change my programing as I already have an HR10-250norcal5 said:Please report back how this went. Are you a brand new subscriber, or just upgrading service? I'm an existing subscriber ready to upgrade to the HD world, but for various reasons want to install my own dish and get a receiver from Best Buy just like you did.
I read one other post (but only one) that mentioned that upgrading on your own can be a challenge with Directv. If anyone else has comments on this, please feel free to chime in.
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