[gaperrine]

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. I had 2 HR20's until the hard drive failed on one of them. It was replaced by a reconditioned HR21. Shortly after activation, it lost the signal only from 103. I swapped input cables with the HR20 and the problem stayed with the HR21 - the HR20 received 103 just fine. A reset or 2 got the 103 signal back on the 21 for a while. After this happened 5 times, I was sent a new HR21-200. Two hours after it was activated the 103 signal was lost. All other satellites are received normally. I have not lost the signal while watching a channel. It has only dropped when changing channels or checking signal strengths. I was watching a channel from 103 and switched to another 103 channel and got the 771 error. Also while watching a 103 channel and checking signal strength I got all zeros on 103 only.

Any ideas on what is causing this? I don't want to get a tech out here and tell me there's no problem because I'm getting a signal when he shows up.

Thanks.

 

[lostman72]

Your HR21 maybe bad ? I had one box go south on me and it took 3 swaps before they got it right.

 

[litzdog911]

When you swapped the cables, did you also swap the B-Band Converters (BBC)? A bad BBC can cause this problem.

 

[gaperrine]

When you swapped the cables, did you also swap the B-Band Converters (BBC)? A bad BBC can cause this problem.

The BBCs were switched also. I lost the signal again this morning and when I removed sat input 1 the signal came back on input 2 and input 1 came back when I reconnected it. Later it went out again and this fix didn't work. I tried repeating satellite setup and got nothing. A menu reset got the signal back. Software is 0x255

 

[harsh]

It is possible that there is something goofy with your switchgear.

When you swapped receivers, did you plug the HR20 into the same electrical outlet?

 

[davring]

Since the replacement HR has the same problem I would be suspect of an intermittant LNB and/or multi-switch.

 

[gaperrine]

It is possible that there is something goofy with your switchgear.

When you swapped receivers, did you plug the HR20 into the same electrical outlet?

The good HR20 stayed where it was. The HR21 that replaced the HR20 with the bad hard drive is using the same outlet as the the HR20 it replaced. (The old HR20 did not have a problem with the 103 signal)

 

[gaperrine]

Since the replacement HR has the same problem I would be suspect of an intermittant LNB and/or multi-switch.

If it is an LNB or multi-switch problem, wouldn't it show up on the HR20 when I switch cables? When I had both HR20s hooked up, there was no problem. The problem started when I hooked up the first HR21 and continued when I hooked up the replacement.

 

[davring]

If it is an LNB or multi-switch problem, wouldn't it show up on the HR20 when I switch cables? When I had both HR20s hooked up, there was no problem. The problem started when I hooked up the first HR21 and continued when I hooked up the replacement.

I have seen both go bad, not often though. I was looking for another problem as two HR's with the exact same problem led me to think there was trouble elsewhere.

 

[gaperrine]

I have seen both go bad, not often though. I was looking for another problem as two HR's with the exact same problem led me to think there was trouble elsewhere.

Rather than call Directv, I think I will send a detailed email explaining what has been going on. Hopefully they will have an idea of what the problem is and can send out a technician who knows what he's doing.

 

[davring]

Rather than call Directv, I think I will send a detailed email explaining what has been going on. Hopefully they will have an idea of what the problem is and can send out a technician who knows what he's doing.

I usually get better results with e-mail when contacting D* for any reason. Hope you tet it figured out. Let us know.

 

[harsh]

I don't get the fascination with multiple DVRs on a single TV, but that's beside the point.

My point was that when you test a receiver, you need to test it under as identical conditions as possible and without preconceived notions about the way things were back when. I'm suggesting that if something changed when the HR21 was installed, you have to roll back to the conditions before it was installed and see if it still works as the old one used to.

Diagnostic technique aside, it is entirely possible that you'll suffer one or more defective refurbs. DIRECTV seems to be pretty inept at quality control on both new and refurbished hardware (and software).

 

[gaperrine]

Since the replacement HR has the same problem I would be suspect of an intermittant LNB and/or multi-switch.

I think you were right. Tech was here today and replaced my sidecar with a Slimline and everything has been working fine since then.

 

[rtisovec]

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. I had 2 HR20's until the hard drive failed on one of them. It was replaced by a reconditioned HR21. Shortly after activation, it lost the signal only from 103. I swapped input cables with the HR20 and the problem stayed with the HR21 - the HR20 received 103 just fine. A reset or 2 got the 103 signal back on the 21 for a while. After this happened 5 times, I was sent a new HR21-200. Two hours after it was activated the 103 signal was lost. All other satellites are received normally. I have not lost the signal while watching a channel. It has only dropped when changing channels or checking signal strengths. I was watching a channel from 103 and switched to another 103 channel and got the 771 error. Also while watching a 103 channel and checking signal strength I got all zeros on 103 only.

Any ideas on what is causing this? I don't want to get a tech out here and tell me there's no problem because I'm getting a signal when he shows up.

Thanks.

I am a new subscriber as of 1 week and I have the same problem. I do not have an old DVR to connect to, but I often will get the 771 error on my HR21-700, mostly for locals or HD programming on 103. All of my other boxes which are HD without the DVR can still get the channels in question. Switching the cables around in the back of the DVR seems to solve the problems, but once I use a DVR function, it seems to come back, seemingly switching to the other tuner does it. It doesn't seem to matter which way I swap the cables, there's something about swapping them that does it. In fact it's not a problem with my preexisting wiring because more often than not, this swap fixes it. For instance, I was watching an SD channel last night, I set another SD channel to record at midnight even after I had turned the TV off for the night, and woke up with the 771 on my HD locals. Switching the cables seemed to fix it. Much like you, this seems to be intermittent and for no particular reason. The only thing I did notice was that in looking at the signal meter, switching from tuner 1 to tuner 2 once had 0's in the first 2 103 transponder areas, while tuner 1 didn't do this.

I'm hoping that as a new subscriber I don't get an "old" refurb HD DVR, because it seems a little unfair to trade in a defective new one for an old. BTW, the tech was out this weekend and realigned the dish from the original install, and of course we couldn't reproduce the problem, which then happened again 4 hours after he was gone.

If replacing the HD DVR (which I'll probably get tuesday) doesn't do the trick and I need yet another service call, what should I ask them to do?

Rich Tisovec

 

[K4SMX]

.....If replacing the HD DVR (which I'll probably get tuesday) doesn't do the trick and I need yet another service call, what should I ask them to do?

Rich Tisovec

And do you also have an AT-9 (older-style "sidecar") dish?

 

[rtisovec]

And do you also have an AT-9 (older-style "sidecar") dish?

No, I have an 8 day old Slimline 5.

I have found a way to "trick" the receiver into recognizing the correct stations. If I can't find 206 (ESPN HD), I can usually get my locals in HD and vice versa. So if for instance my locals go out (771 error), I "record" ESPN HD (206) and then the locals are back, seemingly by switching tuners in the box. I can also see the espnhd in the 70's, but not on 206- either one goes out or the other goes out. I am starting to suspect that one of the tuners is looking in the wrong place for these channels, as if it gets confused and can only find 1 of the 2 copies of the channel. It would explain my locals going out also if the receiver was somehow looking for a national feed. I'll try the CBS E in the 390's and see if I get that one the next time I lose my locals on the sub-100 channels.

Also, none of this happens on my 2 other HD, non-DVR receivers. Sounds to me like a software problem that there may be a workaround for. I'm a bit skeptical that the new receiver that Directv is sending me will solve the problem if it is in fact software related.

 

[harsh]

Contemplate this line of reasoning:

1. If it were a software issue, many would have the problem.

2. What do you have that hasn't been replaced already (hint: it is pointing at the satellites)?

Since tricking the switch occasionally causes the channels to work, the problem must be with the switch.

 

[RobertE]

For both rtisovec & gaperrine

Please describe your wiring layout from end to end. What I'd like to know is:

Is there a switch involved? Either a WB68, WB616 or SWM, anything else won't do.

If you do have a switch are all four lines run to it from the dish?

From the switch to each of the these HRs have two lines run to them without any splices, diplexors or splitters?

From the problem description, it sounds like there is a splitter/diplexor in line that is causing the issue. Under the right conditions a splitter will work fine for both tuners, but in most cases, it will give inconsistent results.

 

[rtisovec]

For both rtisovec & gaperrine

Please describe your wiring layout from end to end. What I'd like to know is:

Is there a switch involved? Either a WB68, WB616 or SWM, anything else won't do.

If you do have a switch are all four lines run to it from the dish?

From the switch to each of the these HRs have two lines run to them without any splices, diplexors or splitters?

From the problem description, it sounds like there is a splitter/diplexor in line that is causing the issue. Under the right conditions a splitter will work fine for both tuners, but in most cases, it will give inconsistent results.

New install. Slimline 5 dish- 4 wires connected to a multiswitch provided by D*. Each side has 8 inputs and outputs. On the other end, there are 6 connectors connected to the existing house wiring, the 7th is a cable the installer ran through the crawlspace to serve as the 2nd connection to the STB. Both lines have a BBC. It really doesn't matter which is connected to tuner1 and tuner 2 and right now, I have swapped them around so much that I don't know which is connected to which, since sometimes swapping them fixes the problem, other times it doesn't I did find that recording a working HD channel and then tuning to a 771ed one seems to fix it. There are no splitters, custom switches, etc. Note that all other HDTV's and boxes (2 non DVR) wired through the house wiring all work fine.

If it is a "bad" port on the switch and it only affects the DVR, would it be worth it to try moving the crawl space (#2) connection to an open port? If so, is there any correct way of doing this other than swapping it out, or do I need to shut things down somehow?

 

[gaperrine]

For both rtisovec & gaperrine

Please describe your wiring layout from end to end. What I'd like to know is:

Is there a switch involved? Either a WB68, WB616 or SWM, anything else won't do.

If you do have a switch are all four lines run to it from the dish?

From the switch to each of the these HRs have two lines run to them without any splices, diplexors or splitters?

From the problem description, it sounds like there is a splitter/diplexor in line that is causing the issue. Under the right conditions a splitter will work fine for both tuners, but in most cases, it will give inconsistent results.

All 4 lines go directly from the dish to the receivers with the exception of a coupler on one cable. Tech replaced the coupler as well 2 questionable connectors. Problem did not go away until the dish was replaced.