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View Full Version : Sat. detection problem: Hardware? Multiswitch? Tuners?


Lord Vader
12-10-2006, 08:54 PM
I don't know exactly where to put this, so let me explain what the situation is...

I got a new HR10-250 for my brother. I installed a 500GB drive in it, then Zippered and tweaked it. I connected it and ran it for two days so it could download sat. info, etc. Everything worked fine--my connectivity with an FA120, the sat. guided setup--everything checked out OK.

So, I shipped it to him for Christmas, packing it VERY well (bubble wrap and styrofoam peanuts up the ying yang), even putting "Fragile - Keep Upright" stickers all over it. It arrived in the same condition--no bumps or scratches. I mention this because I don't think the shipping caused anything to go wrong.

My brother disconnects his current HDVR2 and connects the HR10-250. It boots up fine, the FA120 adapter's working, etc. However, the guided sat. setup is where the problem arose. Apparently, it is telling him this (if I recall correctly):

Sat. 101: Tuner 1 and Tuner 2 are OK
Sat. 119: Tuner 1 is OK; Tuner 2 no signal
Sat. 110: Tuner 1 is OK; Tuner 2 no signal

He has the Phase III dish with 4 RG6 cables coming from it to a powered 4x8 multiswitch. All four cables appear to be properly connected to the 4 inputs (he didn't change anything from his HDVR2 configuration). His two RG6 cables coming out are via "out 1" and "out 2," again, no change from the HDVR2 configuration.

He's rebooted the unit and tried guided setup again, but the same or similar problem arises. He doesn't have his OTA antenna connected--yet--but the guide does show his digital local channels. That's no big deal now anyway. He's getting an off-air antenna this week.

Again, when I had this unit at my place, I set it up and configured the guided sat. setup as if I was at his place, and everything checked out OK (I also have an Eagle Aspen 4x8 multiswitch--the same one he has, BTW).

So, I'm baffled as to why suddenly he is having this problem. If the dish or the multiswitch was the problem, his HDVR2 would have shown him the same errors, or would it? I'm also wondering just which channels he'd be missing if either the 119 or 110 wasn't coming through on one of the two tuners.

This is rather strange, so if anyone has any suggestions, let me know.

Edited to add: Apparently this same guided setup is occurring on his HDVR2, with the same error responses as indicated above. He never noticed a problem before on that because the HDVR2 doesn't get all the same channels as the HR10-250 does (specifically channels 70-99). It would appear that because both units are experiencing the same guided setup problem, the problem itself is in either the multiswitch or the dish. Now, the multiswitch appears to be connected correctly, so could the dish be ever so slightly out of alignment? If so, then WHY is one tuner showing a signal but not the other tuner? Remember, the HDVR2 says the same thing.

goony
12-10-2006, 10:37 PM
If the dish (Phase III) and multiswitch are working correctly, you should be able to tune in each of these channels:

490 Test channel for 101°W, odd transponders, 13V to LNBF
491 Test channel for 101°W, even transponders, 18V to LNBF
492 Test channel for 119°W, odd transponders, 13V to LNBF
493 Test channel for 119°W, even transponders, 18V to LNBF
494 Test channel for 110°W

If neither old or new recevier can see all of them then there is a dish or multiswitch problem.

Lord Vader
12-10-2006, 10:42 PM
goony, thanks for reminding me of those channels. However, keep this in mind: When going through guided sat. setup for 110 and 119, of the two tuners on the HR10-250 (and the HDVR2, for that matter), one tuner shows a signal while the other does not. Now, if the problem was in either the multiswitch OR the dish, wouldn't BOTH tuners show no signal. I'm perplexed why one tuner shows a signal from 110 and 119 while the other tuner does not--and this is on BOTH his HDVR2 and HR10-250, so we know it's not the tuners on the units.

goony
12-10-2006, 10:44 PM
I'm also wondering just which channels he'd be missing if either the 119 or 110 wasn't coming through on one of the two tuners.Here is one channel chart (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_DirecTV_channels) so you can see what is carried on which transponder. I think if the chart doesn't list a particular bird then it is on the 101 satellite.

Lord Vader
12-10-2006, 10:48 PM
Well, as I mentioned above, he gets a signal on ONE of his tuners for 119 and 110, but not the other tuner. Weird. :confused:

goony
12-10-2006, 10:53 PM
Now, if the problem was in either the multiswitch OR the dish, wouldn't BOTH tuners show no signal.Yes, you would think so.

What happens if you swap the #1 and #2 tuner cables coming in the back of the recevier and rerun the guided setup? Does the failing tuner on 110 and 119 now change positions?

Also, try moving the two cables from "out 1" and "out 2" to other unused outputs on the multiswitch - it won't matter which you choose to use.

Lord Vader
12-10-2006, 10:57 PM
Yeah, we tried the sat.-IN cable swap, exchanging from sat. 1 to 2 and vice versa. Same problem, no difference in which tuner didn't have a signal.

He did check the connections on his Eagle Aspen 4x8 multiswitch. Those appear to be OK. However, he did not switch to different outputs. I COULD send him a replacement Eagle Aspen just in case (I've got a couple extras lying around.)