anyone know if that is true? My locals went out and their is bird crap all over the dish
Hmmm - Don't the "locals" come in off the air? (Do you have an antenna anywhere?) If you're still getting everything else I would think the dish must be working..... Has anything changed? Cheers, Ian
no- just the crap on the dish. The local channels come in through the Dish and there is no separate antenna
I highly doubt the bird poop is the cause. Generally speaking, the DirecTV service is digital, so you get a data transmission to your box through the dish. It's not really possible for some channels to be out and not others, due to crap on the dish*. Which dish do you have and which DirecTV boxes? Do you have high defnition TV? *there are multiple "LNB"s on your dish. The LNB is the part that actually receives the signal bounced off the dish. If an LNB is bad, it's possible that you'd lose some channels and not others (which channels would depend on which boxes you have and if they are connected with a multiswitch). So, questions... are you SURE it's ONLY local channels? Try going through other channels, even ones you don't usually watch. If you notice a bunch of channels are out, then probably one of your LNB's isn't working. If it's just the locals, and you have a 5-LNB dish, it could still be an LNB. What happens when you try to tune to the channels? Does it just not tune in or the channels are no longer in the menu guide? If the channels are gone from the menu guide, then most likely you got a belated software update that remapped the channel numbers from the 900-range down to the single-digit range to match their local number. Try going into the setup and then the test screen and check each satellite and see which ones you are getting and post them here. Also try checking to see if you have 2 or 4 cables going to your dish, and if so if one or more of them have come loose or been pulled off. Did if coincide with someone being around the dish - i.e. did the channels go out the same time you had landscapers with weedwhackers out there or something? If so, it's probably a cut cable or something.
I have the 5 LNB dish w/ 2 HD and 3 regular tvs attached. All of the connections are tight and the Dish is still on the roof in the same direction. Nothing obstructs because we are in a City. The Guides appear like normal but the locals are gone. The picture has been deteriorating for quite some time but I have a service contract and they want me to go dig up Eva Peron's body every time I call so they don't have to come out.
Hmmm x2...... As Mike said, digitals tend to either work or not (Unless you mean by "deteriorating" the picture "freezes" - Lots of "little boxes" that don't update for a while? - Typically accompanied by loss of audio?) But "deterioration" is not a word often applied to digital signals. Please answer the other Q's, and I'm sure SRT-Mike will fix it Cheers, Ian
LOL @ responses Can you answer the following 1) Does it happen on all receivers or just one? 2) Are you using a multiswitch? 3) What receivers are you using? 4) Did the channels just stop working one day? 5) Do you have other channels out or just your locals?
...and without the answers to the above, it's probably one of the following 1) failing multiswitch 2) wire problem 3) failing LNB on dish Go through all the channels if you can and see which ones are actually out. Its probably your multiswitch or (more likely) and LNB is out or the wire between one of the LNB's and the multiswitch.
Are you sure they weren't doing a DTV test. We had one on a local news channel. Sucks that our tv went out, we used to have satellite(Dish Network) but we dont use it anymore.
1. Happens on all the receivers 2. I do have a multiswith (unpowered) which I have disconnected and reconnected per Directv. 3. I have the H20 (?) HD DVR, a Directv HD and a bunch of the old,old Hughes receivers. Receivers have all been powered off disconnected and reset 4 The HD has been deeteriorating but the locals just wnr away over night 5. I still have some HD and then random channels do have SPEED but no History etc. No Rhyme or reason Still have the guides
Almost certainly failing LNB or LNB's. The thing is, you want to know what's causing the LNB's to fail before you replace, or it could just happen again. I'd recommend you check... 1) Wiring (make sure there are no shorts between the center pin and outer shield on all wires). If there is a short, it will slowly kill LNB's causing channels to get crap receiption, then disappear 2) Connectors. Especially 1:1 connectors. I had a very similar problem and one of the 1:1 connectors was shorted together. It took a while to find because each time we disconnected a wire and tested, they tested OK 3) Receivers. The receiver powers the LNB. If it's putting out too much power, the LNB is toast (rare but possible). Most likely it's a short in the cable, or the LNB is just dying for another reason. But a short in the cable will kill an LNB slowly and have exactly the effect you mention! Let us know how you make out
Sure sounds like LNB(s) are going down. As to checking, isn't this now a Directv service call? - I suspect that if you can get 'em out they'll replace the whole dish assembly..... [Now, if it is bad wiring it'll happen again, but it's still their problem......] Good luck,
