[jeighcee]

My motor home sits next to my house where all of the DirecTV "stuff" is installed. I receive HD on one TV and one standard definition (SD) TV in the house. I also have one SD receiver in the motor home which was connected to the house dish through a ground block.

I also receive cable/internet from another provider.

When the DirecTV antenna was installed, the tech placed diplexers in the cable and satellite coax going to the motorhome. I use a Winegard box to switch between cable, satellite and over-the-air antenna.

Everything worked fine for at least a year. Then, a few days ago - with not changes at all to the existing installation - the receiver in the motor home began to act up. I could not receive all the channels that I had been receiving.

The signal strength screen where all transponders are displayed at one time showed only odd numbered transponders with any signal strength. The even numbered ones were at zero.

However, when I moved to the screen where I could toggle through each transponder, each one, including the even numbered ones, showed 95 to 100 percent signal with no fading.

DirecTV recceivers haven't a very good service record with me. I'm on my third HD receiver since installation. So, thinking it might be another receiver problem, I called for service. I went through all the prelim stuff (pulling the card, resetting, etc., and the phone tech also sent a reauthorization) but nothing worked.

A service call resulted in the tech pulling out his hair. He replaced the receiver, the diplexers, LNBs and all new cable. The HD and SD house TV's come through the same ground block so that wasn't the problem. Everything in the house works fine. The only thing not changed was the dish itself.

Nothing worked!

He ran a new cable connected directly to the dish, bypassing diplexers, ground blocks, etc., to a new receiver in the motorhome. Still only even numbered transponders. He then suspected that I had a bad cable between the Winegard and the TV. That wasn't immediately checkable because it involves major work to access the rear of that TV.

However, to show that it was not an internal cabling problem in the motor home, I set up my portable DirecTV dish, and connected it directly to the receiver in the motor home. Everything worked as it should and all transponders were there. I then connected the portable dish to the cable input at the rear of the motor home and everything worked from there as well. So, not an internal cabling problem.

The tech connected his signal meter to the end of the coax coming from the house dish through the motor home, and all signals were there.

He spent about 5 hours trouble-shooting the problem. The result was that I now watch satellite from my portable dish. Diplexers are in place to separate cable from satellite. Everything still goes through the Winegard.

It's not not a real problem using the portable dish, but it is inconvenient to remove and then replace it when I have to mow. Besides that, the reason why all transponders coming from the house installed dish do not display in the motorhome is still a mystery!

The tech was not one of those kids looking for a summer job. This guy had been around for awhile and seemed to know his craft.

Anyone have a clue as to what the problem might be??

 

[toober]

Have you tried switching wires around at the ground block? It is possible that one port on your LNB is going out. Try putting the wire from your motor home to a known good port on the groung block and see if the problem is still there.

 

[NR4P]

:welcome_s jeighcee

Lots of helpful people here, but will need lots of info.

1. Dish type(s)
2. Receiver types/model numbers
3. Multiswitches in use? BBC's ?
4. Sig strength readings for the sat that you are having sig problems with.
We don't need every transponder, but at least a half dozen even and odds each. Is the weigard switch in series with the problem sat?

There's so many possibilities but the more you can provide, the more help we can be.

 

[K4SMX]

This may be related to grounding. Try running a long, grounding extension cord from the same outlet in the house where your satellite receiver is connected directly to the motor home's TV and DirecTV receiver.

 

[jeighcee]

Have you tried switching wires around at the ground block? It is possible that one port on your LNB is going out. Try putting the wire from your motor home to a known good port on the groung block and see if the problem is still there.

The tech ran a cable directly from the antenna to the receiver in the motor home, bypassing all grounding blocks, diplexers, etc..

 

[jeighcee]

This may be related to grounding. Try running a long, grounding extension cord from the same outlet in the house where your satellite receiver is connected directly to the motor home's TV and DirecTV receiver.

If grounding was the problem, shouldn't I see the same problem when motor home receiver is connected to my ungrounded portable dish?

 

[jeighcee]

:welcome_s jeighcee

Lots of helpful people here, but will need lots of info.

1. Dish type(s)
2. Receiver types/model numbers
3. Multiswitches in use? BBC's ?
4. Sig strength readings for the sat that you are having sig problems with.
We don't need every transponder, but at least a half dozen even and odds each. Is the weigard switch in series with the problem sat?

There's so many possibilities but the more you can provide, the more help we can be.

There is nothing exotic here. Just plain vanilla DirecTV dish, HD and SD receivers. Odd transponders are 0 and even transponders are 95-100% full signal.

I have no idea what a BBC is. The only multi-switch is the Winegard mentioned in the original posting.

 

[or270]

If grounding was the problem, shouldn't I see the same problem when motor home receiver is connected to my ungrounded portable dish?

No that is not the same. Try running the extension cord and see what happens.

 

[jeighcee]

No that is not the same. Try running the extension cord and see what happens.

To clarify a bit, The entire house is wired for 30 amps. I have dedicated 30 amp breaker in the box that services the house. From that breaker, there is a professionally installed 3-wire service to an outside breaker box equipped with two 30 amp breakers. One of those breakers services the motor home. The other breaker services lighting on my pier. The only time the pier is lighted is at night.

The ground for these services is the house ground. I do, however, have an additional ground at the pole mounted box where the motor home is plugged in.

While the motor home is plugged into that service, it floats on the house ground. When uplugged, it runs on 12VDC. If I want to watch TV while on DC, I use an inverter.

The ground block where the cable service and satellite service come together is also grounded.

The ground blocks installed by DirecTV are not grounded, and have never been grounded.

So, if I understand your suggestion correctly, I should run an extension cord from the same house outlet that either of my house receivers is plugged into. Then, I should plug the motor home TV and receiver into that extension cord and see what happens?

I'll do that, but I think I'm still going to be on the same ground system.

W5JKC

 

[dmurphy]

Just trying to correlate several things at once ...

I wonder if the "light-up" of DirecTV 11 (their newest satellite, delivering HD goodness to customers nationwide has something to do with it ...

I bet that the D11 signals are interfering with your diplexer and wreaking havoc ...

But that's just a WAG (wild ___ guess

 

[or270]

I'll do that, but I think I'm still going to be on the same ground system.

W5JKC

Just trying to isolate any grounding difference problems, some Directv receivers actually ground the RG6 Satellite in cables at the box and this can effect the whole system.

Did it start acting up when D11 went live on July 31?

 

[eakes]

This sounds like a classic ground loop problem. The motorhome AC ground and the house AC ground is now not the same. There is likely a loose, broken or corroded ground lead somewhere between the house AC panel and the panel/connection point for the motorhome. The 'extra' ground at the motorhome provides a ground, but it is at a different potential than the house ground. A few volts difference is all that is required to make the satellite receiver 'not switch right'.

The house dish receives its ground from the ground block or the house receivers. If you disconnect all wires except the test coax to the MH receiver, then it should switch properly since the 'ground' is now established as that of the MH. Connect the house wiring back to the dish, the ground reference changes, and the MH receiver no longer switches properly.

When using the portable dish its ground reference is that of the MH and the receiver works normally.

The extension cord from the house to the TV and receiver in question should result in normal operation. Then one needs to find where the ground has gone wrong.

 

[jeighcee]

This sounds like a classic ground loop problem.

I see what you're saying! Checking the grounds won't be a problem.

Suppose I disconnect the motor home from the "outside" AC feed and plug it directly into a house outlet? Wouldn't the grounds be at the same potential then?

For DMurphy and or270:

The tech's signal meter showed full strength from both satellites downstream of the diplexers.

I'm not certain when the problem began, but it was recent. I know it irritates me to no end to have finally memorized most of the channel numbers that I like to watch only to find them changed on me. :lol:

 

[dmurphy]

The tech's signal meter showed full strength from both satellites downstream of the diplexers.

One thing to note is that "most" signal meters out there only see the Ku band sats, and not the Ka band ones ...

Having said that, re-reading and seeing that you still have the issue with the diplexers out of the picture shoots my idea down. Sorry

 

[Dirac]

While there may be a ground loop in the system, it's also possible the multiswitch in the dish has failed. Most HD dishes contain an installed multiswitch. It would be helpful to know exactly what dish you have, maybe we can rule out this possibility as well. I have personally had a multiswitch (external) fail, and the result was missing odd or even transponders (forget which).

This may explain why changing to your portable dish did the trick. What about having them swap out your "permanent" dish?

EDIT: I remember in my case it was even transponders, because I got no signal at all on 110 (which only carries TPs 8, 10 and 12 for DirecTV).

 

[Johnnie5000]

it's also possible the multiswitch in the dish has failed. Most HD dishes contain an installed multiswitch. It would be helpful to know exactly what dish y

Built into the LNB. He said the LNB was changed out as well.
My money is on the electrical wiring in the motor home.

 

[jeighcee]

This may explain why changing to your portable dish did the trick. What about having them swap out your "permanent" dish?

EDIT: I remember in my case it was even transponders, because I got no signal at all on 110 (which only carries TPs 8, 10 and 12 for DirecTV).

The tech changed everything except the dish itself. I'm sorry that I don't know the nomenclature of the dish, but it is a large and somewhat egg-shaped dish with the LNB's installed in a single package. Written across the front of the dish is "Slimline." I do not find any sort of tag that further describes it by model number, etc.

He ran a test cable directly from the new LNB that sends the SD signal to the motor home. That, of course, didn't work either.

Haven't had a chance yet to move 110vac service from outside to inside source, but will in next day or so, and report back.

 

[evan_s]

Slimline is exactly what we where looking for as far as the dish goes.

Was that cable going directly from the dish into the back of the receiver?

 

[NR4P]

Having re-read your first post, you mention a Winegard switch for switching the coax cables. Have you run a direct line without the switch in series?

If it's a typical TV switch its good to only 1Ghz. But the new SATs bring down signals up to the 2GHz range onto the RG6 cable. The 99 and 103 SATS are up in the 2GHz range.

Would be good to rule that switch out as an issue.

And to your point about it all being "plain vanilla", that's not the case. There's no plain vanilla system. You mention HD and SD receivers. Are both receivers experiencing problems? Just the HD ones? Are they H10's, H20's, H21's?, HR21's?

Since you don't know what BBC's are, they are rectangular gray boxes hanging off the back of the HD receivers. They must be there for the 99 and 103 SATs to come in.

Everyone here is trying to help you but all we know thus far is it's a SLIMLINE Dish. An indication of which receiver and which channels are missing will really help us help you.

 

[K4SMX]

Having re-read your first post, you mention a Winegard switch for switching the coax cables. Have you run a direct line without the switch in series?

If it's a typical TV switch its good to only 1Ghz. But the new SATs bring down signals up to the 2GHz range onto the RG6 cable. The 99 and 103 SATS are up in the 2GHz range.

Would be good to rule that switch out as an issue......

I think he's pretty well covered that issue.....

.....However, to show that it was not an internal cabling problem in the motor home, I set up my portable DirecTV dish, and connected it directly to the receiver in the motor home. Everything worked as it should and all transponders were there. I then connected the portable dish to the cable input at the rear of the motor home and everything worked from there as well. So, not an internal cabling problem.....

The "internal cabling" includes the switch, based on the OP.

Additionally:

.....The tech connected his signal meter to the end of the coax coming from the house dish through the motor home, and all signals were there.....

The reason we should suspect different ground potentials is that the tech's signal meter does not run off the motor home AC circuit.