Satallite TV

September 16, 2007 7:55 PM

I have a dishtv satallite system. I have lost reception on one TV, the other tv get all the subscribed channels. I switched out the dual LNB but this failed to correct the problem, same issue one tv gets reception the other does not. I even installed a signal meter to the cables coming out of the satellite and I get a signal on one side and nothing on the other. Do you guys thing I have a defective dual LNB?
posted by Noodles to technology (6 comments total)

I don't want to state the obvious, but why don't you call Dish Network support? Sometimes you need a special code to make the receiver work - I have had a similar problem, and you just get to a certain menu on the receiver and input some numbers and boom! it's fixed.
posted by BuddhaBelly at 8:13 PM on September 16, 2007

2nd buddhabelly's advice and adding a little more: Check into Dish's maintenance agreement. It's about 5 bucks a month and covers stuff like this.
posted by buggzzee23 at 8:41 PM on September 16, 2007

I used to work for Bell Expressvu (the canadian equivalent) in tech support, and this DOES sound like a defective LNBF, or at very least a loose connection.

Call their tech support line, go through the "troubleshooting steps" that the poor bastard on the other end is forced to put you through, and then they'll send a guy out to have a look.
posted by sunimplodes at 11:38 PM on September 16, 2007

Sorry, I don't know the specifics of DishTV hardware, but is the dual-LNB connected by a pair of 2-conductor co-ax cables (i.e. one to each receiver), or a single, four-conductor co-ax cable?

Either way, I'd check for cable damage, either visually or electrically, and make sure the problem isn't in the cable. Note that a lot of modern co-ax has air gaps in the dialectric, and any water ingress can play havoc with your signal.
posted by Nice Guy Mike at 5:59 AM on September 17, 2007

If your LNB has two separate coax connectors, it's most likely a twin, rather than a dual LNB.

If this is the case and you've already switched out your LNB, the problem is probably in the cable, like Nice Guy Mike said. The easy way to check is to connect a new, short length of coax to each side of the LNB and check the signal. If the signal is good with the short cable, you need to replace the entire cable run. If you do this, use RJ6 cable. Make sure your connections are nice and snug, then glob some silicone caulk on the outdoor connectors to the LNB to help keep the moisture out.
posted by SteveInMaine at 6:22 AM on September 17, 2007

I had a similar issue when my new tv was installed – 1 TV worked fine and the other had no reception. The problem was user error as the tv installers reversed the lines going into the dish box. I had to unplug everything and call support to walk me through getting connected and I have had no problems since.
posted by doorsfan at 7:10 AM on September 17, 2007