[colebert]

Just got a new install done for some friends. I didn't do the install, I "project managed" the install which was done by Ironwood. Got two boxes, HR21-700 and H21 (?).

The only place the dish could go was at the highest point on the house, which is effectively three stories high (30+ feet.) It required a 40ft ladder, but otherwise was the best choice due to tree coverage. The installers all concurred and this was not a case of me being irrational and wanting a dish to go higher than necessary. It was honestly the ONLY place.

The installers used their Birddog to peak the 101 and 119. I get high 90s on 101 and mostly 100s on 119. They tore down the ladder and the 2nd installer took off.

However, my 103c and 99c are jacked up. Apparently their Birddogs don't do Ka band. And the receivers came out of the box without the ability to do 103 and 99 signal strengths without getting the software upgrades.

Now that the software upgrades are done and everyone is gone, I'm getting 60-70s (lowest: 60; highest: 78) on 103 and 50-70 on 99. (110 gets mid/high 80s on all three transponders.)

But the 99 bird is weird. On BOTH boxes, I get a 10-15 point drop on every ODD transponder over the even ones. I mean literally EVERY one. And on both tuners. So I thought "well, the 99 bird isn't online yet so maybe it's D* doing testing." But I went home and my personal HR20-700 had consistent readings across all 99c transponders.

I checked the 103 HD channels, and they all worked, but there was just light cloud cover at the time. Also, the main STARZ-HD channel was giving some blocking and distortion. Other 103 HD channels seemed fine.

I have "RG6" cabling throughout the house. However, my RG6 wasn't the pure copper kind. It's the Home Depot bought "copper over steel" sort, but D* used their cable to go from the dish to my demarc, so half is the good stuff and half is the sorta good stuff. I would estimate the cabling distance from my dish to my HR21 is 40ft+20ft+40ft+10ft=110FT at the absolute MOST. Half of which being D*'s and half being mine. To the H21 upstairs maybe 50FT+20FT+25FT=95FT max.

So do you guys think I need a realign, have cabling issues, a bad 99 LNB, three bad B-Band convertors or ???

The other factor is that I really, really liked the installer who did the job and I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES want to screw him over and get him a chargeback if I call to ask for a peaking of my dish. But the dish way too high up for me to ever attempt to align it myself.

Advice?

 

[gen2rx7]

The other factor is that I really, really liked the installer who did the job and I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES want to screw him over and get him a chargeback if I call to ask for a peaking of my dish. But the dish way too high up for me to ever attempt to align it myself.

Advice?

You could call the local Ironwood office and let them know that the dish is not peaked right. The installer may have to come back out but he wouldn't be backcharged.

 

[colebert]

So if I were to call D*, how long would I need to wait before calling D* so that he wouldn't be backcharged? Signal is useable now.

 

[gen2rx7]

So if I were to call D*, how long would I need to wait before calling D* so that he wouldn't be backcharged? Signal is useable now.

I wouldn't call D* they will get back charged that way. You should call the Ironwood office that the tech works out of. I will send you a PM with more info.

 

[Mertzen]

So if I were to call D*, how long would I need to wait before calling D* so that he wouldn't be backcharged? Signal is useable now.

90 days. But even if you call Ironwood they might create an internal work order and the guy might still be back charged.

But really it is their responsibility to get this right so you shouldn't be worried about their back charge so go ahead and call. I suggest D* since Ironwood might brush you off with ' but if it works we're not sending somebody out"

 

[texasbrit]

Just got a new install done for some friends. I didn't do the install, I "project managed" the install which was done by Ironwood. Got two boxes, HR21-700 and H21 (?).

The only place the dish could go was at the highest point on the house, which is effectively three stories high (30+ feet.) It required a 40ft ladder, but otherwise was the best choice due to tree coverage. The installers all concurred and this was not a case of me being irrational and wanting a dish to go higher than necessary. It was honestly the ONLY place.

The installers used their Birddog to peak the 101 and 119. I get high 90s on 101 and mostly 100s on 119. They tore down the ladder and the 2nd installer took off.

However, my 103c and 99c are jacked up. Apparently their Birddogs don't do Ka band. And the receivers came out of the box without the ability to do 103 and 99 signal strengths without getting the software upgrades.

Now that the software upgrades are done and everyone is gone, I'm getting 60-70s (lowest: 60; highest: 78) on 103 and 50-70 on 99. (110 gets mid/high 80s on all three transponders.)

But the 99 bird is weird. On BOTH boxes, I get a 10-15 point drop on every ODD transponder over the even ones. I mean literally EVERY one. And on both tuners. So I thought "well, the 99 bird isn't online yet so maybe it's D* doing testing." But I went home and my personal HR20-700 had consistent readings across all 99c transponders.

I checked the 103 HD channels, and they all worked, but there was just light cloud cover at the time. Also, the main STARZ-HD channel was giving some blocking and distortion. Other 103 HD channels seemed fine.

I have "RG6" cabling throughout the house. However, my RG6 wasn't the pure copper kind. It's the Home Depot bought "copper over steel" sort, but D* used their cable to go from the dish to my demarc, so half is the good stuff and half is the sorta good stuff. I would estimate the cabling distance from my dish to my HR21 is 40ft+20ft+40ft+10ft=110FT at the absolute MOST. Half of which being D*'s and half being mine. To the H21 upstairs maybe 50FT+20FT+25FT=95FT max.

So do you guys think I need a realign, have cabling issues, a bad 99 LNB, three bad B-Band convertors or ???

The other factor is that I really, really liked the installer who did the job and I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES want to screw him over and get him a chargeback if I call to ask for a peaking of my dish. But the dish way too high up for me to ever attempt to align it myself.

Advice?

It's almost certainly just a very slight alignment problem. We have known since DirecTv10 started transmitting that as the dish moves out of alignment, one set of transponders (usually the odd ones) will drop in signal much faster then the other set.
My guess is that just a very (very) small adjustment of the fine tuning in either azimuth or elevation, or both, will solve this problem, assuming that your mast is perfectly plumb (if it isn't you will never be able to get optimum signals on all satellites). It is virtually never a problem with tilt. If you get the 103c signals into the 90s you will probably find the 99c signals are in the same ballpark.