Out of the Blue

[Jul 02, 2008, 09:54 am ET] - Share - Viewing Comments

I recently mentioned troubles I was having with my satellite reception in bad weather. When I checked my signal strengths, there were a few readings at zero, and a number of others in the 40-percent range (oddly on every other transponder on the same satellite). I called tech support, and they agreed that those 40s were a problem (surprisingly, the zeros were not, they were for local signals that are aimed elsewhere), and we scheduled a service appointment. The technician showed up, and when I told him that I thought the dish may need adjusting he told me this was unlikely, since other signals were quite strong, so he checked the connections of the wires coming off the dish into the house, replacing the male-to-male adaptor along the way, and declaring the job complete. I pointed out the problematic signals were still in the 40s and he told me you couldn't always go by that, so I reminded him that this was why he was here (we couldn't confirm or deny that he'd fixed anything yet, since the problem only exhibited itself in bad weather), and he might have to call his supervisor for advice. At that point I ran through what I knew about the problem, and isolated it to the LMB array that reads the signals after they bounce off the dish. He told me he had never heard of this as an issue, and when I outlined how I isolated the problem he seemed dubious, but he swapped the unit anyway. The readings in question immediately jumped into the 70s, so we had similar strength on every transponder on the previously iffy signal. I couldn't be positive this was fixed until our next storm, but this came last night and the picture didn't break up, so my issue is cleared up.

You know? I don't think I'll even charge DirecTV for my services.

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10.

HDless

Jul 2, 2008, 12:43

Kxmode

When this format reigns supreme come January 2009 I guess that will be the end of my television viewing days. I will not have the government TELL ME to go upgrade my television technology. I will also not buy a converter. I have bills to pay; television is on the bottom of my list of priorities. ----- http://www.gamemusicjukebox.com/ Game p/reviewer for http://www.gameindustry.com/ This comment was edited on Jul 2, 12:44.

Re: No subject

Jul 2, 2008, 12:11

Warhawk

I think I'll stick to Dunn Brothers if I need a coffee fix.

I don't drink coffee (never have) - always amazed at those that do.




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Re: No subject

Jul 2, 2008, 11:48

deadgoon

Maybe start with those places that are across the street from eachother? Oh you mean like the Caribou Coffee right across the street here from a Caribou Coffee that is next to an Einstein Bros? I think I'll stick to Dunn Brothers if I need a coffee fix.

Re: DirecTV

Jul 2, 2008, 11:35

Enahs

Just curious, does your signal scale go up to 100 and you are now getting 70% signal quality in essence instead of 40?

I ask, because for my Dish Network satellite they go up to 120.

I was around 85 for them all after the install, until I repositioned them and now I have 110-118's for them all.

But my location also makes it easier for me to get better signals!

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Unf^&*(ing Acceptable

Jul 2, 2008, 11:10

Viktor King

You my man, are the victim of a pathetically ineffective bullshitter. So he may have been loaded with jobs, might have been in a hurry. He might have been one of the self-declared Slick Willy's thinking he's gonna get by on this job taking the minimum effort approach not grounding his new installations properly or running phone lines from the telephone utility box to every receiver as needed. He probably tells customers the phone lines are 'just for Pay Per View' or some nonsense. It's because of idiots like him blowing through jobs half-assed, lowering the statistical average time to complete a job that gets guys like me who say 'I'm here to get it right, I'm here till its over' hovering over the chopping block over concerns of speed. That's no excuse for leaving the job when signal strength is hovering around the 70's - which would be the cutoff when our fine, satellite-fed digital signal goes all 8-Bit Theater. The schmuck should have followed up every possible point of failure from the LNB shorting out due to lack of bad or non-existent grounding, to crushed, pinched or weather worn cable along the way (point dish, get bad signal anyway, check line-of-sight, clear view of south-eastern sky okay, replace LNB, get much better signal, go to receiver, check signal going into receiver, signal still sucks - cable), to replacing the receiver. He shouldn't have left until signal strength at the receiver was in the mid to high 90's and 'Signal Strength' in the receiver menu read 90's or better across the board. I've installed and pointed, and fine-tuned 'dithered' high-definition 'KaKu' dish antennas, supposedly our most revered and temperamental outdoor dish unit, in near-black clouds and light to moderate rain with thunder in the distance and still read 99% and 99% (for triple-satellite and high definition five-satellite dishes we check signal on two satellites and assume if signal strength is good on both, the the dish is properly tilted to the curvature of Earth and getting signal on all three or five satellites) signal at the dish and Signal Strength in the mid to high 90's once in the house. The bum left you hanging at the cut-off between perfect picture and no picture if he left the job with Signal Strength reading in the 70's. Prepare for further problems not too far down the road. Depending on how old the initial install is, it may be time for a new dish or receivers entirely. I don't know what Home Service Provider he works for (DirecTV is a content provider only, the guy who shows up at your door subcontracted either with a larger 'HSP' or funded by his own tax deductions), at ConnecTV, if it takes redoing the installation to get strong stable signal at all receivers, then by golly my tool batteries had better be charged. Check your installation. Find the dish, trace the cable to where it goes into the house. There should be a 'ground block' where cables are connected to a small brace that has no other purpose than to redirect free radical static charge to its proper ground. Typically cable with smaller 17-gauge 'messenger' wire goes in, and regular RG-6 cable goes out, with a green 10-gauge wire coming from the ground block to an National Electric Code approved ground source- the electric meter utility box, a cold water pipe where you would attach a hose, something. LNB's typically do not go bad unless a static charge goes unanswered and burns the thing out. If your system isn't grounded, your entire home entertainment setup is at risk and the dish isn't absorbing static charge to a ground giving lightning nothing through which to conduct. A One Point Twunny-One Jigga-Watt Ka-Zap is not out of the question. How old is the dish? If it says 'PrimeStar' or DirecWAY or names some other now-defunct company other than DirecTV, your dish is too old, and replacing the LNB should have been a given. If your receiver says 'Hughes' anywhere on it, anything other than DirecTV and DirecTV only, it might be that no matter how well the dish is pointed, the receiver is just too worn down to get good signal out of anything from a pointed beer can to a motorized auto-focusing dish. DirecTV is the very best television service you can get at any price at prices that stomp cable but it depends greatly on the Home Service Provider in your area to enforce quality installs and service techs willing to take the time to do a full-assed job to prove CableCo's propaganda about the system being temperamental and finicky dead-wrong. CableCo has the good internet service, most of the time, they do have their place in the home, but 70% Signal Strength is not good enough and you will, if you haven't already, have inclement weather issues. Un-fucking acceptable. -Viktor King

Re: DirecTV

Jul 2, 2008, 10:46

Agent.X7

Wow, it's so annoying that you have to walk "technicians" from almost every ISP or Cable/ Sat. service through fixing your stuff. I know they have no personal investment in the resolution, so they really don't care, but damn.

I worked for TW Cable in Charlotte, NC for a while, and most of my fellow employees annoyed the piss out of me because they had this exact same attitude. (And because when they failed to fix something, guess who ended up having to fix it?)




Seven Star Gaming - Sayre, PA

Re: DirecTV

Jul 2, 2008, 10:44

Valcor

Blue, I'd would be very surprised if your troubles with satellite are over at this point. My experience with dabbling in DirecTV ended with nothing but frustratingly ineffective service calls and broken signal. I lived in South Florida at the time and any kind of Florida rain would knock the signal out for the duration of the heavy rain. While these heavy rain showers are usually short down there, they are frequent. I only lasted a few months before getting fed up with it.

No subject

Jul 2, 2008, 10:25

xXBatmanXx

Top 10 Things Kids Stick Up Their Noses.

Mini carrots and corn?

Starbucks closing 600 stores in the US.

Maybe start with those places that are across the street from eachother?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9iMgSNrwv4

I think people are finding out that it is a huge ripoff....(not to mention really shitty coffee - but that is obvious without being mentioned)
Want to complain about price of gas per gallon? Try figuring out what your "insert gay ass drink name here" latte per gallon! Now how dumb do you feel?

You got a great body, but your record collection sucks....
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DirecTV

Jul 2, 2008, 10:25

MashHawkeye

No Blue, charge them through the roof. Charge them $100+ for every hour you didn't get signal.

No subject

Jul 2, 2008, 10:24

Mr. Tact

You know? I don't think I'll even charge DirecTV for my services.

Haha -- exactly what I was thinking as I read the story, "He should charge them for training their tech staff."




Truth is brutal. Prepare for pain.

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