I am writing for assistance in sorting out where I am likely have a problem with my satellite signal.
This is my setup: I have a slimline dish with four cables coming out of the LNB arm. These are connected to four additional coax cables by 4 barrel connectors. These cables then run to grounding blocks where the wires enter my house with four additional cables running from the grounding blocks into the attic. Theses attach to a WB68 multiswitch in the attic. Two cables go from there to my sitting room to one HR20-700. Three cables go from the multiswitch to my den, where two attach to another HR20-700 and one H20-100.
The problem I have is that intermittently I am getting some dropouts on the satellite signal. I first noticed it on the DVR in my den about 4 weeks ago when watching recordings of shows made on TNT-HD (initially on 75, but I am unsure if now on 245 as well with the new satellite) and USAHD. I rarely watch these channels live, but one evening when I first noticed these dropouts, which were quite transient, I went to check the antenna signal strength and found the the number 8 transponder on the 110 degree satellite was 0. I don't recall seeing a problem with any other satellite signals at that time. I reset the box, and when I checked again, everything was back to normal including all the satellite signals. But over the next few weeks I noticed continued very transient drop outs. If watching live, I would briefly get a "searching for satellite" message. This happened on both the HR20's. Two days ago I decided to check my connections outside. I found that one of the F connectors on a cable from the satellite arm into the barrel connector was slightly corroded. I changed that F connector, replaced that barrel connector, and I changed the F connector on the attached cable. I checked all the other connectors (though not the actual connections inside the satellite arm to the LNBs). I didn't see any other problems. When I checked the signal, everything was fine, but before I did that work, I had checked the signal and everything had been fine then, too. Everything has been transient after all. I did all this in the morning, when I have never seemed to have a problem.
Yesterday morning, everything was fine again, but by late afternoon multiple programs I had tried to record on the satellite never recorded. When I turned the TV on I had been watching an OTA channel (get my OTAs from an antenna, not D*), and it wasn't until I checked things and turned to watch USA HD that I got a blank screen and the "searching for signal" message. When I checked the satellite signals they were weird. The 101 satellite was normal. All the even transponders on the 119 satellite were 0's as were the 8, 10, and 12 transponders on 110. 99 and 101 seemed OK. Switching between tuner 1 and 2 would very transiently change the numbers, so there were times that tuner 1 would have high signals for 119 and tuner 2 would have 0's and then vice versa. After resetting the DVR again things seemed better, but as I watched there were again break ups on USA HD, and going back to the satellite signal strength I now found very widely fluctuating signals on all 3 110 transponders and intermittently low, but now no longer 0, signals on the 119 even transponders. I went upstairs to check the other receiver, and all the satellite signals were normal. So, I went back downstairs and now everything was normal there, too. It was now about 11 o'clock, and I am wondering if the time of day (and therefore heat) had something to do with this problem the past 4 weeks. Almost everything I record have been in the late afternoon or early evening, and I wonder if temperature is playing a role. I recorded 4 programs on both DVRs starting at midnight, and all 4 seem to have recorded without any problems. This morning all the satellite signals were normal.
It seems to me it can't be the actual LNBs can it, if it involves more than 1 satellite. It also doesn't seem likely to be from the multiswitch to the DVRs as it involved both DVRs intermittently. So, it seems I have some kind of intermittent cable failure. Can anyone help localize where that is likely to be? I do recall one of the cables from the barrel connector to the grounding block looking a little shabby in terms of the outside plastic insulation, but I didn't find any actual nicks or cuts in it, and I don't know if that means it has any problems inside. All the cables are looped, but none has a very stressed loop. Obviously, the time of day it happens, therefore temperature, could be important as well. If the wire is expanding, I could intermittently have some type of short occurring.
I was planning on disconnecting one cable at a time to see if it would give me the same pattern of signal loss, and then if that's the case replacing this cable. Any other suggestions? Would someone know if there is one cable input on WB68 would be related to this type of signal pattern?
All help is greatly appreciated.
SMK
This is my setup: I have a slimline dish with four cables coming out of the LNB arm. These are connected to four additional coax cables by 4 barrel connectors. These cables then run to grounding blocks where the wires enter my house with four additional cables running from the grounding blocks into the attic. Theses attach to a WB68 multiswitch in the attic. Two cables go from there to my sitting room to one HR20-700. Three cables go from the multiswitch to my den, where two attach to another HR20-700 and one H20-100.
The problem I have is that intermittently I am getting some dropouts on the satellite signal. I first noticed it on the DVR in my den about 4 weeks ago when watching recordings of shows made on TNT-HD (initially on 75, but I am unsure if now on 245 as well with the new satellite) and USAHD. I rarely watch these channels live, but one evening when I first noticed these dropouts, which were quite transient, I went to check the antenna signal strength and found the the number 8 transponder on the 110 degree satellite was 0. I don't recall seeing a problem with any other satellite signals at that time. I reset the box, and when I checked again, everything was back to normal including all the satellite signals. But over the next few weeks I noticed continued very transient drop outs. If watching live, I would briefly get a "searching for satellite" message. This happened on both the HR20's. Two days ago I decided to check my connections outside. I found that one of the F connectors on a cable from the satellite arm into the barrel connector was slightly corroded. I changed that F connector, replaced that barrel connector, and I changed the F connector on the attached cable. I checked all the other connectors (though not the actual connections inside the satellite arm to the LNBs). I didn't see any other problems. When I checked the signal, everything was fine, but before I did that work, I had checked the signal and everything had been fine then, too. Everything has been transient after all. I did all this in the morning, when I have never seemed to have a problem.
Yesterday morning, everything was fine again, but by late afternoon multiple programs I had tried to record on the satellite never recorded. When I turned the TV on I had been watching an OTA channel (get my OTAs from an antenna, not D*), and it wasn't until I checked things and turned to watch USA HD that I got a blank screen and the "searching for signal" message. When I checked the satellite signals they were weird. The 101 satellite was normal. All the even transponders on the 119 satellite were 0's as were the 8, 10, and 12 transponders on 110. 99 and 101 seemed OK. Switching between tuner 1 and 2 would very transiently change the numbers, so there were times that tuner 1 would have high signals for 119 and tuner 2 would have 0's and then vice versa. After resetting the DVR again things seemed better, but as I watched there were again break ups on USA HD, and going back to the satellite signal strength I now found very widely fluctuating signals on all 3 110 transponders and intermittently low, but now no longer 0, signals on the 119 even transponders. I went upstairs to check the other receiver, and all the satellite signals were normal. So, I went back downstairs and now everything was normal there, too. It was now about 11 o'clock, and I am wondering if the time of day (and therefore heat) had something to do with this problem the past 4 weeks. Almost everything I record have been in the late afternoon or early evening, and I wonder if temperature is playing a role. I recorded 4 programs on both DVRs starting at midnight, and all 4 seem to have recorded without any problems. This morning all the satellite signals were normal.
It seems to me it can't be the actual LNBs can it, if it involves more than 1 satellite. It also doesn't seem likely to be from the multiswitch to the DVRs as it involved both DVRs intermittently. So, it seems I have some kind of intermittent cable failure. Can anyone help localize where that is likely to be? I do recall one of the cables from the barrel connector to the grounding block looking a little shabby in terms of the outside plastic insulation, but I didn't find any actual nicks or cuts in it, and I don't know if that means it has any problems inside. All the cables are looped, but none has a very stressed loop. Obviously, the time of day it happens, therefore temperature, could be important as well. If the wire is expanding, I could intermittently have some type of short occurring.
I was planning on disconnecting one cable at a time to see if it would give me the same pattern of signal loss, and then if that's the case replacing this cable. Any other suggestions? Would someone know if there is one cable input on WB68 would be related to this type of signal pattern?
All help is greatly appreciated.
SMK
