[vedantist]

I am a newbie with Dish 500+ using satellites 110, 118.7 and 119 and Dish 311 Rx. Just the second day with the dish.

Since my apartment complex does not allow drilling, I manually disconnect the dish-to-receiver RG6 connection overnight.

In the morning, as expected, the receiver says "error-lost satellite ... etc."

am I following the correct procedure to reconnect?

1. Menu-6-1-1 and lock with 110, 118, 119. (shows green and locked after I do this). I did not worry about the transponder number here ... should I?

2. Check switch -> Test. The 3/3 tests are done without errors. It shows "signal verified". Then I hit the "cancel" button, get back and try again to receive channels.

3. Still it shows "error: cannot receive channels" once I go to the channel number. The "sys info" shows green for the three satellites.

Today, I powercycled the receiver after the above and it acquired, dowloaded the program guide and got the channel.

Am I doing things in the correct order? Does the receiver need a power cycle before it can acquire the channel after lock and switch test?

Thanks,
Veda

 

[nismo]

How is your dish mounted? You can install a flat cable in line instead of disconnecting everyday to avoid the power up cycle which can takes minutes.

 

[vedantist]

How is your dish mounted? You can install a flat cable in line instead of disconnecting everyday to avoid the power up cycle which can takes minutes.

I will try this then ... is that going to fail quickly if I keep using the door? Can I use any such coupler that I can find on Amazon ....

Or is there any specific bandwidth requirements or something for dish 500+?

 

[BattleZone]

I don't recommend using flat cables through sliding glass doors; in most cases the door will destroy the flat cable quickly, and could damage the receiver if it shorts.

Instead, use the flat cable in a WINDOW, which won't see nearly as much use and not as much damage either.

 

[vedantist]

I don't recommend using flat cables through sliding glass doors; in most cases the door will destroy the flat cable quickly, and could damage the receiver if it shorts.

Instead, use the flat cable in a WINDOW, which won't see nearly as much use and not as much damage either.

I see ... I don't have a window near the Dish install. So, disconnect + re-lock is my option, then.

 

[vedantist]

Maybe I was doing too much ... Today morning, I just power cycled the receiver after reconnecting. Did not go through the re-locking/switch test steps that I did yesterday. The receiver went through sat acquisition/guide download stages and started functioning normally,

 

[ShapeShifter]

Maybe I was doing too much ... Today morning, I just power cycled the receiver after reconnecting. Did not go through the re-locking/switch test steps that I did yesterday. The receiver went through sat acquisition/guide download stages and started functioning normally,

That should be all you have to do. You don't need the menu 6-1-1 or the check switch unless you change the antenna/switch configuration. If you are just disconnecting the wire, and then later connecting back to the same dish, all you should need to do is reconnect and power up.

 

[ZBoomer]

Won't he have a problem with receiver updates, disconnecting his unit every night? Your unit receives needed program guide updates and firmware when turned off in the middle of the night. If disconnected every night, this won't happen.

(It will probably download a guide every time you re-fire it up, but you'll never get firmware updates)

Someone slap me if I'm thinking wrong today...

 

[ShapeShifter]

(It will probably download a guide every time you re-fire it up, but you'll never get firmware updates)

Yes, it should reload a guide if it powers up and the old guide is old. But that's a good point about firmware updates. I suppose he could change the update time to be during the day?

 

[vedantist]

Yes, it should reload a guide if it powers up and the old guide is old. But that's a good point about firmware updates. I suppose he could change the update time to be during the day?

That is interesting. Yes, the guide downloads on power up. But, as you guys pointed out, my receiver seems to have already missed out on firmware update to version 4.35.

Is there a way in the options to change the update time? I browsed through the menu and could not find any, must have missed it ...I am assuming that there may not be any easy way to force an update.

 

[ZBoomer]

I think it does it on it's own, when turned "off." So if you can turn it off for several hours during the day when it's connected to the dish, it will probably get an update.

 

[ShapeShifter]

Is there a way in the options to change the update time? I browsed through the menu and could not find any, must have missed it ...I am assuming that there may not be any easy way to force an update.

On my 722 it's menu 8-4 (Preferences/Updates.) Hopefully your's is similar.

I don't know of a way to force an update, but that doesn't mean that there isn't a way.

 

[Blowgun]

Not having a receiver update the firmware isn't always a bad thing.

 

[vedantist]

I think it does it on it's own, when turned "off." So if you can turn it off for several hours during the day when it's connected to the dish, it will probably get an update.

I do leave it connected and "off" quite often during the day. Today it did update to the new version. Took a few days before it happened, though.

On my 722 it's menu 8-4 (Preferences/Updates.) Hopefully your's is similar.

In Dish 311 still could not find the correct menu option ... it seems different from 722.

Not having a receiver update the firmware isn't always a bad thing.

I hear ya ....

 

[tnsprin]

On my 722 it's menu 8-4 (Preferences/Updates.) Hopefully your's is similar.

I don't know of a way to force an update, but that doesn't mean that there isn't a way.

Actually the update of firmware does not depend on the Nightly update. In my experience it takes place whenever the receiver is off (standby) and not active, and the receiver is not otherwise doing something. Often during the day. Just has to find a software version that is targeted for the receiver.