Forum Discussion

greende's avatar
greende
Explorer II
Aug 10, 2015

How Do I Check Signal On Carryout? - UPDATE

I may have a problem with my Winegard GM1518 Carryout. Purchased it 4 & 1/2 years ago and use it frequently from April to October. Last used two months ago. Set the antenna out today at home and had a good view of the Sats per my phone App. Dish network receiver ViP211k says complete loss of signal. This has happened while camping in treed areas many times but never at home where I have a clear view of the southwest. My guess is that I have to check the signal output from the antenna as there is power to it and it seems to lock on to the sats (can hear it searching & then goes silent).

My question is, How do I check to see if there is a signal coming out of the antenna? This would tell me if the problem is with the dish or with the receiver (or DISH Network). If I got a signal finder meter and spliced it into the coax, would that tell me if there is a signal?

Thanks for the help.
  • greende's avatar
    greende
    Explorer II
    Aug 11, 2015
    wa8yxm wrote:
    I would tend to trust the VIP, Dish software is the best there is in this area.

    I would double check, the positioning,, It may be you need to step back 2 paces from where you phone app says is good.

    Also check your coax.. I have seen a lot of coax cables where I'd not give you 2¢ for the way the ends are crimped on (the ones I compress on are about $1.00/each)


    Thanks to all for the help & advice. Before I got into a lot of diagnostics, I reset the antenna in a location that I usually put it when I test the system prior to going on the road.The location I had it in yesterday has been used in the past several times without issue. The system worked in the new location so there is no problem with it. There must be more leaves on the trees this year:B . Thanks everyone.
  • greende's avatar
    greende
    Explorer II
    Aug 11, 2015
    I plan to reposition the Carryout when the weather breaks. I can swap out the coax as I have a long piece with good compression ends on it. Will report back what I find out though it may be a few days. Thanks everyone.
  • accumack's avatar
    accumack
    Explorer
    Aug 10, 2015
    Make sure your receiver is connected to the primary output as that is the only one that controls the carryout.
  • Bill_Satellite's avatar
    Bill_Satellite
    Explorer II
    Aug 10, 2015
    Has the 211 been connected to another type antenna since it was last used with the Carryout? If so, I would run a new check switch with no cables connected to the 211 and then start from scratch when you reconnect the receiver to the antenna.
  • wa8yxm's avatar
    wa8yxm
    Explorer III
    Aug 10, 2015
    I would tend to trust the VIP, Dish software is the best there is in this area.

    I would double check, the positioning,, It may be you need to step back 2 paces from where you phone app says is good.

    Also check your coax.. I have seen a lot of coax cables where I'd not give you 2¢ for the way the ends are crimped on (the ones I compress on are about $1.00/each)
  • greende's avatar
    greende
    Explorer II
    Aug 10, 2015
    Have hooked to a 110V outlet via a 12V transformer so no battery involved but will put VOM to ensure 12V output.
  • bgum's avatar
    bgum
    Explorer
    Aug 10, 2015
    Check the power to dish. It needs a good hot battery. If power is weak it will search and then stop but not on a bird.
  • greende's avatar
    greende
    Explorer II
    Aug 10, 2015
    Thanks, I'll try that tomorrow. If the receiver is malfunctioning, can I still rely on the ViP211k to tell me if the antenna works?

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