Datech
11-27-2009, 01:23 PM
Ok guys, I'm in a huge bind right now and I need some urgent help. I bought a tailgating satellite kit to be used with DirecTV for the college football games tomorrow. However, I can't get the damn satellite to work. Here is what I've posted on another forum:
1- Location: Atlanta, GA
2- Service: DirecTV, not sure what specifics
3- Dish size: 18"
4- Specific kit: Winegard 18" DIRECTV Dish Antenna RV Satellite Dish Kit (http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Products/Winegard/RV-Kit-Winegard-18-Inch+Antenna.htm)
5-
6- Notes: I bought this tailgate for the big after Thanksgiving games and for future tailgates. I was assured by both DirecTV and Sadoun that this would work, and easily at that. I just received the system Friday, and I haven't had time to test it until today. I hooked it all up, pointed in the right direction (210 @ 47), and brought it all up. The signal strength was reading 99%, but the transponders would only show 97-99 for every other transponder, ie 0's for all the even transponder numbers on that row of 4 lines in the DirecTV setup.
I went through DirecTV's tech support, and one seemingly knowledgeable tech said it may be a voltage issue. My phone died, and I never got her to elaborate. After that, the tech simply had be run through all the reset scripts and concluded it was a satellite issue and not a receiver issue. I called Sadoun for help and no one picked up around 5pm EST, which is understandable the day before Thanksgiving.
However, I've got a pretty big tailgate resting on having this satellite up and running, and I'm getting more anxious as time goes on. ANY help whatsoever will be great, and of course I will answer any and all questions I haven't already.
Thanks in advance!
Here is the one response I've gotten back:
my GUESS (i'm not a directv or dishnet expert by any means)
I think it's an LNBF problem
Either L or R on circular is not working giving you alternating reception on transponders.
Either that or your receiver is expecting a bigger multi head/multsatellite reception type dish?
If you go into receivers dish pointing screens, is it looking for multiple satellites?
The setup you have is for Legacy directv (older) single lnb setups.
I'd try to find another LNBF, or hook up to another dish if you can find one. Ask your friends etc if they have old single lnbf direct tv or dishnet dish laying around.
About all I can think of at this time.
good luck.
Here is my one reply:
When you say the setup I have is for older systems, what exactly do you mean by that? I'm a computer tech guy, and I know very little about TV and satellite systems whatsoever. I tried to look for multisatellite setup options in the setup, but I couldn't find anything that stood out. Can you give me more information on what you think the problem is (I'm here to learn just as much as fix the problem), or any other suggestions?
Also, in the research I'm trying to do, everything seems to say that the 18" round dish is actually round for the Dual LNB (single physical LNB with dual Coax outputs). The dish that came with my setup though is elliptical, which from my reading is only supposed to be used with with multiple LNB's for more satellites besides the 101. If none of this matters let me know, and sorry if I'm butchering the jargon.
Another edit: The setup for DirecTV has two options, Multiswitch and SWM. Do I actually need a multiswitch for this setup? I figured the tailgate kit would have come with a multiswitch if I would have needed one.
I'm DESPERATE to get this working. I've tried everything I could think of and none of it is working. All the even transponders read 0 and no one I have talked to can think of why besides a bad LNB. Does ANYONE know of ANYTHING that might help. I will gladly give out my cell phone number to anyone who thinks they can help, and email me at vanbeek.daniel_at_gmail.com if you think you can help (I'll get it on my Blackberry and know to respond immediately).
The company I bought the satellite from wont have techs available until tomorrow. DirecTV tried to help me, but nothing worked and they said I had to call my service operator. My service operator is DirecPath, and some of you may remember about a month or two ago when I was ranting about how much they sucked. They still suck, and they can't help me. So, please, please, help!
1- Location: Atlanta, GA
2- Service: DirecTV, not sure what specifics
3- Dish size: 18"
4- Specific kit: Winegard 18" DIRECTV Dish Antenna RV Satellite Dish Kit (http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Products/Winegard/RV-Kit-Winegard-18-Inch+Antenna.htm)
5-
6- Notes: I bought this tailgate for the big after Thanksgiving games and for future tailgates. I was assured by both DirecTV and Sadoun that this would work, and easily at that. I just received the system Friday, and I haven't had time to test it until today. I hooked it all up, pointed in the right direction (210 @ 47), and brought it all up. The signal strength was reading 99%, but the transponders would only show 97-99 for every other transponder, ie 0's for all the even transponder numbers on that row of 4 lines in the DirecTV setup.
I went through DirecTV's tech support, and one seemingly knowledgeable tech said it may be a voltage issue. My phone died, and I never got her to elaborate. After that, the tech simply had be run through all the reset scripts and concluded it was a satellite issue and not a receiver issue. I called Sadoun for help and no one picked up around 5pm EST, which is understandable the day before Thanksgiving.
However, I've got a pretty big tailgate resting on having this satellite up and running, and I'm getting more anxious as time goes on. ANY help whatsoever will be great, and of course I will answer any and all questions I haven't already.
Thanks in advance!
Here is the one response I've gotten back:
my GUESS (i'm not a directv or dishnet expert by any means)
I think it's an LNBF problem
Either L or R on circular is not working giving you alternating reception on transponders.
Either that or your receiver is expecting a bigger multi head/multsatellite reception type dish?
If you go into receivers dish pointing screens, is it looking for multiple satellites?
The setup you have is for Legacy directv (older) single lnb setups.
I'd try to find another LNBF, or hook up to another dish if you can find one. Ask your friends etc if they have old single lnbf direct tv or dishnet dish laying around.
About all I can think of at this time.
good luck.
Here is my one reply:
When you say the setup I have is for older systems, what exactly do you mean by that? I'm a computer tech guy, and I know very little about TV and satellite systems whatsoever. I tried to look for multisatellite setup options in the setup, but I couldn't find anything that stood out. Can you give me more information on what you think the problem is (I'm here to learn just as much as fix the problem), or any other suggestions?
Also, in the research I'm trying to do, everything seems to say that the 18" round dish is actually round for the Dual LNB (single physical LNB with dual Coax outputs). The dish that came with my setup though is elliptical, which from my reading is only supposed to be used with with multiple LNB's for more satellites besides the 101. If none of this matters let me know, and sorry if I'm butchering the jargon.
Another edit: The setup for DirecTV has two options, Multiswitch and SWM. Do I actually need a multiswitch for this setup? I figured the tailgate kit would have come with a multiswitch if I would have needed one.
I'm DESPERATE to get this working. I've tried everything I could think of and none of it is working. All the even transponders read 0 and no one I have talked to can think of why besides a bad LNB. Does ANYONE know of ANYTHING that might help. I will gladly give out my cell phone number to anyone who thinks they can help, and email me at vanbeek.daniel_at_gmail.com if you think you can help (I'll get it on my Blackberry and know to respond immediately).
The company I bought the satellite from wont have techs available until tomorrow. DirecTV tried to help me, but nothing worked and they said I had to call my service operator. My service operator is DirecPath, and some of you may remember about a month or two ago when I was ranting about how much they sucked. They still suck, and they can't help me. So, please, please, help!