Multiswitch or Alignment?

910 Views 8 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Mike Bertelson, Aug 7, 2008

grizzly

Discussion Starter · Aug 5, 2008

We had some really bad storms here in Chicago last night including 60 plus mile winds and tornado sirens going off and Wrigley Field being evacuated...

So, I lost stations and luckily my OTAs were working just find on my HD Directivo

So now I've got no service on any of my boxes (except the OTA on the directivos). The hr2x boxes won't even let me watch my recordings

When I do a signal strength I get wildly fluctuating readings:

Some are in the 40-65 range, a couple 80s lots of zeros on the 101...odds go in and out, evens pretty steady.

110 I get 68 on 8, 64 on 10, 67 on 12

119 I get 0 on 22,23 83 on 24, 90s on 25-32 with a 0 on 31.

My setup is a 5 LNB slimline with a zinwell WB616 16 port Multiswitch.

Am I looking at an alignment or a MS issue here? Or is is still a toss up?

Kevin

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fluffybear

· #2 · Aug 5, 2008

On the surface, I would say you need to have your dish re-aligned. The fact you are getting signals through (confirmed by the fact that you have posted signal levels) leads me to believe your MS is okay.

A quick test to rule out the MS and confirm your dish needs re-alignment (or you might be having issues with your receiver) is to connect the leads coming from 101 directly to one of your receivers. If nothing changes then you can rule out the MS.

What really concerns me is the fact that you can not watch any of your existing recordings. I have had issues with my dish being knocked out due to high winds, etc. but still have always had access to recorded materials.

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Mike Bertelson

· #3 · Aug 5, 2008

The only way to tell for sure is to take the multi-switch out of the equation.

If possible, try connecting a receiver directly to the dish and see what your signal strengths are.

Take the strengths on the reciever prior to disconnecting from the multi-switch for comparison.

Satellite transponders (32 total at 101º)
1-8 # # # # # # # #
9-16 # # # # # # # #
17-24 # # # # # # # #
25-32 # # # # # # # #

Satellite transponders (3 total at 110º)
1-8 NA NA NA NA NA NA NA #
9-16 NA # NA # NA NA NA NA

Satellite transponders (11 total at 119º)
17-24 NA NA NA NA NA # # #
25-32 # # # # # # # #

Satellite transponders (6 total at 99º(s))
1-8 # # # # # # NA NA
Satellite transponders (6 total at 99º(c))
1-8 # # # # # # NA NA
[Note: these can be very slow to appear]

Satellite transponders (16 total at 103º(s))
1-8 # # # # # # NA NA
9-16 NA NA NA NA NA NA # #
17-24 # # # # # # # #
[Note, these can be very slow to appear]

Satellite transponders (16 total at 103º(c))
1-8 # # # # # # # #
9-16 # # # # # # NA NA
17-24 # NA NA NA NA # NA NA

Mike

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K4SMX

· #4 · Aug 5, 2008

With the 90's on the 119's and the 60's on the 110's, it almost looks like your dish mast has gone out-of-plumb from a wind gust. Does that dish have monopoles? Check your mounting plate.

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grizzly

Discussion Starter · #5 · Aug 5, 2008

K4SMX said:
With the 90's on the 119's and the 60's on the 110's, it almost looks like your dish mast has gone out-of-plumb from a wind gust. Does that dish have monopoles? Check your mounting plate.

No monopoles.

I'm going to do some multiswitch troubleshooting tonight, otherwise, I have a call in for a service call tomorrow from 4-8pm. Love that protection plan.

Kevin

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grizzly

Discussion Starter · #6 · Aug 6, 2008

Looks like it's a alignment issue. I was able to do a visual inspection in the daylight and it looks like the screws are coming loose from the mortar around the brick where they put it in the brick wall.

They are coming tonight between 4 and 8 to look at it.

Kevin

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K4SMX

· #7 · Aug 6, 2008

Yup. Mortar is not a good material for anchoring. Suggest you remount the dish by drilling into the brick. Add monopoles, too. You should be back up and running soon.

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grizzly

Discussion Starter · #8 · Aug 6, 2008

K4SMX said:
Yup. Mortar is not a good material for anchoring. Suggest you remount the dish by drilling into the brick. Add monopoles, too. You should be back up and running soon.

I'm on the protection plan. They work hard for the money

Kevin

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Mike Bertelson

· #9 · Aug 7, 2008

grizzly said:
I'm on the protection plan. They work hard for the money

Kevin

Make sure you get the monopoles.

The dish is a huge "sail". It can have some large wind loads.

Otherwise, there is a large moment arm on the mast mount.

Mike

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