Strange happenings with my Directv

[Rough2000]

I use my receivers from home when we go camping. I have two H-21 200 receivers. I had an experience the other morning that I can't explain. Each receiver has a home run coax from the LNB to the receiver. Last week we had been set up all week with Directv working fine. Friday morning when we were getting ready to leave, I disconnected the bedroom receiver. When I went to the living area, I turned on the other receiver and got "771-no signal message" on all three sats. (I use a 3 LNB dish when camping and have a slimline 5 LNB dish at home). I assumed that a wire had gotten disconnected or someone had bumped the dish. I checked both and there were no problems.

My first thought was possibly my LNB had went bad. I went back and reconnected the bedroom receiver and the living room receiver started working. When I would disconnect the antenna wire from the bedroom receiver the living room receiver would give me the 771 message. If I unplugged the bedroom receiver from AC it had no effect on the living room receiver. The message only happened when I disconnected the antenna wire. Anyone have any suggestions on what maybe causing this. I tried the same thing when I got home and did not have this problem.

[Bill_Satellite]

The only "logical" answer is that there is something different in the setup or software of one of these receivers. Swapping cables at the antenna with no effect on which receiver works when disconnected says the antenna LNB and cabling is not the issue and that leaves only the receiver(s).

[Rough2000]

Bill.Satellite wrote:
Since you are not using an HD antenna setup, what specific settings are you using in the receivers (both)? When you pull up the guide and enter 231, what channel(s) do you see listed (please type the exact channel info on the far left).

Thanks again Bill.Satellite for your response.

When I set up at the campground, I set up both receivers to antenna 2 (3LNB) from antenna 4 (Slimline 5 LNB). I also change my "favorites" from "home" to "camp" so I am not trying to get my HD channels from the wrong favorites. I believe this answers your question about the "exact channel info". I'm not camping right now so I can't pull up 231 as you requested, but I believe I answered the question you had...by the way, 231 is the food channel??.

I've been using this system for about five years, and the problem started happening the past couple of times we have been out. Things like this if I don't understand them, drive me crazy.

[Bill_Satellite]

Since you are not using an HD antenna setup, what specific settings are you using in the receivers (both)? When you pull up the guide and enter 231, what channel(s) do you see listed (please type the exact channel info on the far left).

[Rough2000]

haydoracin wrote:
Just returned from a 5 week trip from IL TO FL TO TX TO IL. I had HR24-100 and a HR21-700 receivers hooked up to a Winegard Carryout dish with Directv service. Had this happen maybe a half dozen times. Sometimes on one receiver sometimes on both. When clicking "more info" it said I was trying to view a channel I was not subscribe to which I wasn't and I had been watching that channel before it went out. The first time it came back by itself. The second time I had to call Directv and have them reset the receivers. One other time I had to reset one of the receivers and the other times it came back by changing channels and then going back to the original channel. One time I got a message that satellite reception loss can be caused by sun spots. Been home since Tuesday and it hasn't happened since hooked back up to slimline dish. ?????

Mine was not intermittent. Hook the antenna to the bedroom receiver it works...disconnect the antenna wire from the bedroom receiver...living room receiver goes 771. Unplug AC from bedroom receiver but leave the antenna coax connected everything OK. Talked to directv, they have no idea.

[Rough2000]

Bill.Satellite wrote:
Which specific LNB are you using? Is it a SWM3 LNB for HD or the old style with 3 separate LNB's that can only receive 101, 110 and 119.
Have you checked the receiver setup on both to ensure they are the same? (Menu, setup, satellite, repeat satellite setup, antenna type and switch type). Have you tried swapping the coax cables at the antenna itself while both are working to see if the issue moves?

I am using the old style with the 3LNB's. I have duel coax cable, about 100ft, on a wind up wire holder spool. This time I was using about 50ft of the wire. All set ups are correct, and both receivers were working properly the entire week. Often times during the week each receiver was using a different sat...ie one on local channel, the other on channels such as discovery, Fox News, cnbc etc.
I did flip the cables at the antenna to see if the problem would follow the cable...no change.

[haydoracin]

Just returned from a 5 week trip from IL TO FL TO TX TO IL. I had HR24-100 and a HR21-700 receivers hooked up to a Winegard Carryout dish with Directv service. Had this happen maybe a half dozen times. Sometimes on one receiver sometimes on both. When clicking "more info" it said I was trying to view a channel I was not subscribe to which I wasn't and I had been watching that channel before it went out. The first time it came back by itself. The second time I had to call Directv and have them reset the receivers. One other time I had to reset one of the receivers and the other times it came back by changing channels and then going back to the original channel. One time I got a message that satellite reception loss can be caused by sun spots. Been home since Tuesday and it hasn't happened since hooked back up to slimline dish. ?????

[Bill_Satellite]

Which specific LNB are you using? Is it a SWM3 LNB for HD or the old style with 3 separate LNB's that can only receive 101, 110 and 119.
Have you checked the receiver setup on both to ensure they are the same? (Menu, setup, satellite, repeat satellite setup, antenna type and switch type). Have you tried swapping the coax cables at the antenna itself while both are working to see if the issue moves?

[Tom_N]

RoyB wrote:
Maybe the bedroom TV is the only one providing DC control voltage to DISH LNBs.

Agree.

[RoyB]

Maybe the bedroom TV is the only one providing DC control voltage to DISH LNBs.

Unhook the RG coax from the two LNB ports and Use a VOM and measure across each coax - you should see a DC CONTROL voltage on each cable coming from the SAT RCVRs.

These RG CABLES cannot go through any splitters between the SAt RCVR and the LNB ports.

Just my guess...
Roy Ken

[2oldman]

Perhaps Bill.satellite will answer. He knows everything.

[USAFBILL]

Perhaps and only perhaps the coaxial to the dish is defective ( like poor ground ) and the living room receiver is receiving it's ground circuit through the bedroom connection. Check the complete coaxial running to the living room.