DirecTV issue - Help ?

matmann22

Active Member
Dec 31, 2007
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Pleasant Hill
matmann22.spaces.live.com
I had the new 3LNB dish installed 2 years ago.

I have a HR20-100 HD DVR and an old SD DirecTV TIVO as well.

Everything was fine the first winter, but now I have an interesting issue that crops up on cold nights (at or below freezing).

For example, I ended up leaving my HD DVR on ESPN HD after MNF ended and everything was fine. I got woken up by work at 3 am so I turned the TV on while I worked on my IT problem. Since ESPN HD had a movie on, I decided to watch something else.

I couldn't view ANY HD channels - including ESPN which I started out watching. I could view the SD versions just fine. The SD DIrecTV TIVO was unaffected.

It gave me the 771 error (Cant find Satellite signal).

WHen I got up around 10 am, it was still like this. A reset of the HD DVR fixes the problem.

The only common thread is that it only happens overnight when it gets near zero outside. Even if it is 5 degrees outside, it wont do this during the day.

The dish was clear of everything(no snow, ice, or frost) and it has a unobstructed view of the Southern sky.

Anyone have any ideas ?

Thanks,
Matt
 

jumbopackage

Well-Known Member
Sep 18, 2007
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249
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That is sort of an odd problem. How about the connectors? Have you checked those to see if they are tight and free of moisture? Check both at the LNBs (which are attached with a bolt to the feed arm), and then where it enters the house (there is usually some sort of grounding plate there).

What sort of signal levels do you get when you go to test the channels?

And are you talking about the 5LNB dish or the 3LNB dish? Two very different dishes with very different problems.
 

trmaier

New Member
Dec 29, 2009
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Unfortunately, this is a known issue with some of the new Directv SWM LNBs. Please see the following thread in a Satellite forum called dbstalk.com:

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.ph...light=swm+cold.
SWM's and cold temps.

All you really need to do is contact Directv and tell them about your cold weather problems and they should come out and swap out the LNBs.

Hope that helps,

Tom