[ab4kn]

Hello,
Upgraded to HD last week. Other two SD receivers working normally. New 5lnb AU9 and new H23-600 receiver was installed by Directv. I would like to know what may cause my signal levels on 103b to drop to zero and then return to ~90 every 10-12 seconds. Maybe dish is slightly out of alignment? Here are the signal levels I recorded on 103b:

Satellite Transponders (16 total at 103(b))

1-8: 96 94 94 94 96 94 96 0
9-16: 96 94 94 94 96 96 n/a n/a
17-24: 98 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
25-32: n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a

Note: even while I was observing and writing down these readings, a couple of tr.'s dropped to zero and returned to normal (?) I am seeing some "anomalies" on various HD channels, in addition.

Whats you guess...H23 has BBC internal, so maybe it has a defect, or simply dish slightly out of alignment?

 

[kevinm34232]

Sounds like it could be a bad connector aswell. I had one center conductor with some adhesive on it and it did that.

 

[ab4kn]

Sounds like it could be a bad connector aswell. I had one center conductor with some adhesive on it and it did that.

Thanks for reply, and could verify for me that indeed 103b signal levels on your receiver dont fluctuate like this? (when observing either the individual tr.'s levels or the signal test page? Thanks a bunch.

 

[K4SMX]

This is a software glitch, leading to erroneous and misleading signal strength grid readings. It was first noticed back about December. If you switch to the Signal Meters selection under View Signal Strength, and switch to a specific 103(b)/(c) tp which is "winking zero's," I expect you'll see a nice steady signal. What I believe is happening is that the software is refreshing the tp strengths in the grid faster than the LNB and tuner can lock on to the signal. I agree, it is worrisome, until you look at the actual tp on a standalone basis.

 

[ab4kn]

This is a software glitch, leading to erroneous and misleading signal strength grid readings. It was first noticed back about December. If you switch to the Signal Meters selection under View Signal Strength, and switch to a specific 103(b)/(c) tp which is "winking zero's," I expect you'll see a nice steady signal. What I believe is happening is that the software is refreshing the tp strengths in the grid faster than the LNB and tuner can lock on to the signal. I agree, it is worrisome, until you look at the actual tp on a standalone basis.

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, when I view the individual transponder signal strengths, it is showing the same thing. I tweaked the dish ever so slightly and have all tr.'s on 103b at or above 94. I switched to each individual tr. and timed the dropouts. It occurs every 10.5-12 seconds, and lasts for about a second. I'm trying to co-relate this to microfeezes on some HD channels.

But, the bottom line seems to be that this is not normal, right?

 

[K4SMX]

Right! There's a problem somewhere. Since your BBC is internal now, you can't swap that, which would have been the easiest thing to check. It doesn't really sound like a cabling/connector problem because of the periodicity, so it's probably either in the LNB (most likely) or the receiver. Either way, it's a service call, and you are covered by your 90-day HD Upgrade installation warranty.

 

[thespaceghost]

I ran into this problem on a service call, except it was more serious. Transponders 3-8 would take turns, in order, going to zero as the screen refreshed. I was getting 771's sporatically, even on SD. I replaced all the cable and everything in between. The dish was mounted right next to the power line and I even moved that a good 15' feet away. Relocation of the dish helped out tremendously, but the problem still existed. The customer used to have dish and stated he had techs out every month for the same problem. Unfortunately i had little assistance from my office so I never find the cause of the problem. It was an H23-600 also.

 

[ab4kn]

Right! There's a problem somewhere. Since your BBC is internal now, you can't swap that, which would have been the easiest thing to check. It doesn't really sound like a cabling/connector problem because of the periodicity, so it's probably either in the LNB (most likely) or the receiver. Either way, it's a service call, and you are covered by your 90-day HD Upgrade installation warranty.

OK, thanks. Do you have any advice on making the service call request to DTV, i.e. phrases to use or avoid,... to avoid "getting the run around" or numerous levels of tech support, etc.?

 

[K4SMX]

How about what you said: "my signal levels on 103b....drop to zero and then return to ~90 every 10-12 seconds." I doubt if there's anything in the CSR "playbook" for that symptom. Make sure they know this is a new installation, because at least in the past, I believe there was a special department which handled new installation warranty problems.

 

[kevinm34232]

Please post back the results..

 

[ab4kn]

I have called DTV and installer will come out on next Monday. What is interesting to note in the meantime, that I looked at 99(a)..(Directv 11), and its 14 transponders are doing the exact same thing as 103(b). The transponders average about 90-94. Every 11 seconds they drop to zero and return to previous value. This isnt sounding like an LNB problem, unless somehow 103b and 99a share some circuitry(?)

 

[ab4kn]

OK, here are my results:

Technician showed up here and stayed for 5 minutes. He looked through the channels (watching about 5 seconds on each of the HD locals). He said I didnt have any problems. I showed him the signal meter (on every specific transponder on the test signal page) dropping to zero every 11 seconds. He said this was the receiver switching transponders (?) He then left.

Would somebody please tell me this is what the H23-600, Zinwell switch, and Slimline dish are supposed to do.

 

[Mertzen]

it is in no way normal and you should have asked for his supervisor. Call you local HSP immediately to get someone out and make sure to let them know that the technician out there today was unwilling to help.

 

[texasbrit]

This is apparently a meter/display issue with the H23, and does not affect the reception of programming. As an earlier poster said, it is a software problem and will presumably be fixed. Unless the OP is actually getting 771s and losing channels, just ignore it.

 

[Mertzen]

i'd say the same as ^^^ but we do have ' anomalies'

I am seeing some "anomalies" on various HD channels, in addition

 

[fluffybear]

Not only do I get stood up (someone was suppose to be here today from 12 to 4) but when I call DirecTV and ask about it, I am told the soonest they get someone out to realign my dish is August 12th.

 

[ab4kn]

Thanks for the replies,
Well, other than Speed TV being unwatchable during "live" or taped racing (due to complete 1 second duration freezes every ~15 seconds), and some black screens on ESPN....all of which has been reported before, I am not seeing any "severe" anomalies (including 771's). I just want to ensure that this isnt sometihng that needs to be addressed before the 90 day installation warranty period is over.

 

[K4SMX]

This is apparently a meter/display issue with the H23, and does not affect the reception of programming. As an earlier poster said, it is a software problem and will presumably be fixed. Unless the OP is actually getting 771s and losing channels, just ignore it.

Having no experience whatever myself with the H23, as texasbrit suggests, this may indeed be software issue with the H23's. It's not the same issue to which I was referring, because in the case of the HR's for example, the signal strength doesn't change when viewing the Signal Meters. Only the grid display is effected.

Certainly, if you were actually experiencing a loss of signal every ~10 sec's on all 103(b) tp's as you say your H23 Signal Meters report, you would notice this every 10 sec's when trying to watch any national HD channel carried by the DirecTV10 satellite. So maybe the installer was right. This doesn't mean you might not have other valid issues, however, including with the H23, if you are experiencing other reception issues. So what exactly are these "anomalies"?

 

[texasbrit]

Having no experience whatever myself with the H23, as texasbrit suggests, this may indeed be software issue with the H23's. It's not the same issue to which I was referring, because in the case of the HR's for example, the signal strength doesn't change when viewing the Signal Meters. Only the grid display is effected.

Certainly, if you were actually experiencing a loss of signal every ~10 sec's on all 103(b) tp's as you say your H23 Signal Meters report, you would notice this every 10 sec's when trying to watch any national HD channel carried by the DirecTV10 satellite. So maybe the installer was right. This doesn't mean you might not have other valid issues, however, including with the H23, if you are experiencing other reception issues. So what exactly are these "anomalies"?

I had a report from one of DirecTVs engineering staff with his own H23 seeing the same problem, swings in the signal readings from high to zero, without any other obvious effect, so I am pretty sure it's an H23 software issue in the meters that does not affect programming..
The Speed problem is one that was fixed in the H21 a while ago. I guess the H23 has old software "out of the box" and there has not been a new software release since the H23 became available.
ab4kn - what software release is the H23 running?

 

[ironwood]

I noticed this on my first install of H23. Basic satellites 101-110-119 were fine and I was quite happy about that because it was a major issue with H21s. When I got to 103 I saw a couple of zeros in places they were not supposed to be.....I made a conclusion that engineers worked hard on a new receiver and fixed their old bugs but created some new ones. What can you do? Activate, make sure everything looks good and move on. I am not spending anymore time pondering why signal is not there. I ignore signal at this point. Picture is good and nobody calls back.