# Some HD channels lose signal on 61.5



## mraviator (Aug 25, 2008)

I've been with Dish for about 3 months now, in the Austin TX area. I have two dishes on the roof, one pointing to 61.5 the other getting 110 and 129 (I think). 

I seem to have some issues at times getting a connection with certain HD channels on 61.5 at specific times of the day (it seems unrelated to weather). 

For example, around 4:30 pm, I typically cannot receive CNBC HD (208) or the Weather Channel HD (214). I get an error box saying connection cannot be established as it tries to connect to the satellite at 61.5. But CNN HD works fine, as do some other HD channels (coming from a different satellite?). Then, later in the evening, the connection with the HDs 208 and 214 on 61.5 work again. I can always get the non-HD version of 208 and 214.

Just trying to wrap my head around this issue....anyone have any ideas?

Thanks


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## bobukcat (Dec 20, 2005)

Try running a Switch Test during the outage and see if it shows good signal from 61.5.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

Looking at the signal strengths should be enough without running the switch check (which could remove satellites/channels from your service).

Seeing what the normal signal strengths are for the channels would be of interest. Press info twice and a little dish with a 61.5, 110 or 129 should appear on the screen to tell you where the channel is coming from. Clear that and press MENU-6-1-1 from a channel with problems and the signal strength screen will have that satellite and the transponder the channel is on selected.

What is that location and number from CNN HD or one of the other problem channels?
What is that location and number from a working channel?


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## BNUMM (Dec 24, 2006)

This sounds like a problem I noticed yesterday at three different houses. Spotbeam 15 on the 61.5 sat. was only reading in the 20's. The time was from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. I do not know if the signal every got stronger because I do not have HD service. It was very annoying to customers because all of the local channels are on that spotbeam. Other transponders had much higher signal strengths.


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## mraviator (Aug 25, 2008)

Ok, it looks like I was wrong about 61.5....

Thanks for the double-INFO tip to see what satellite is used. It turns out all three HD channels (CNN, CNBC and TWC) are using satellite 129. Which makes it even more curious to me why the connection works for CNN but not the other two channels.

I think I need to dig a little deeper on this...

And thanks for any help so far!


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

mraviator said:


> Ok, it looks like I was wrong about 61.5....
> 
> Thanks for the double-INFO tip to see what satellite is used. It turns out all three HD channels (CNN, CNBC and TWC) are using satellite 129. Which makes it even more curious to me why the connection works for CNN but not the other two channels.
> 
> ...


129° is not a good satellite ... give it a couple of weeks. A replacement is 9° away!


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## BNUMM (Dec 24, 2006)

mraviator said:


> Ok, it looks like I was wrong about 61.5....
> 
> Thanks for the double-INFO tip to see what satellite is used. It turns out all three HD channels (CNN, CNBC and TWC) are using satellite 129. Which makes it even more curious to me why the connection works for CNN but not the other two channels.
> 
> ...


If you have 2 dishes and 1 is pointed at 61.5 then the other dish is probably pointed at 110 and 119. Go to the System Info. screen to see witch satellites you are picking up. The channels you are having problems with are also on the 61.5.


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## bobukcat (Dec 20, 2005)

BNUMM said:


> If you have 2 dishes and 1 is pointed at 61.5 then the other dish is probably pointed at 110 and 119. Go to the System Info. screen to see witch satellites you are picking up. The channels you are having problems with are also on the 61.5.


If he's seeing that those channels are on 129 and he has two dishes he must have a D500 at 110/119 and the wing dish pointed at 129. As James said a replacement for 129 is close to coming on line so I would wait, otherwise you'd have to consider re-aiming the wing dish for 61.5 but I don't know how good the footprint for it is in Austin (Salt Lick BBQ....yyyyuuummmm!).


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## mraviator (Aug 25, 2008)

bobukcat said:


> If he's seeing that those channels are on 129 and he has two dishes he must have a D500 at 110/119 and the wing dish pointed at 129. As James said a replacement for 129 is close to coming on line so I would wait, otherwise you'd have to consider re-aiming the wing dish for 61.5 but I don't know how good the footprint for it is in Austin (Salt Lick BBQ....yyyyuuummmm!).


In that case I will wait. 
Maybe while eating some ribs at Salt Lick... :lol:

Thanks everyone!


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## ZBoomer (Feb 21, 2008)

That is odd to have dishes pointed to 110, 129, and 61.5 in Austin. 129 and 61.5 have almost identical programming, and 61.5 is where our locals are in HD.

You should be pointed at 110, 119, and 61.5.

Installers here used to use a Dish 1000, which pointed at 110, 119, and 129, but since our locals are now on 61.5 they use a 500 for 110 and 119, and a wing dish at 61.5 if you want HD locals.

If you have a wing dish pointed at 129, that's a strange install for sure.

Do menu 6-1-3 (system info) and let us know exactly what satellites you're seeing.


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## KalebD (May 8, 2007)

James Long said:


> 129° is not a good satellite ... give it a couple of weeks. A replacement is 9° away!


JAmes,

When the new launch takes place, what do you think the process will be for tweaking of your dish? If it is not soon, it would benefit me to take my 1000.2 and focus on 110 and 119 then get my 61.5 peaked out.


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## mraviator (Aug 25, 2008)

ZBoomer said:


> That is odd to have dishes pointed to 110, 129, and 61.5 in Austin. 129 and 61.5 have almost identical programming, and 61.5 is where our locals are in HD.
> 
> You should be pointed at 110, 119, and 61.5.
> 
> ...


I looked on the roof and it looks like the 500 is pointing in the direction of 61.5 (SE), with the 1000 pointing towards the other satellites (SW).

I did the 6-1-3 and it said GOOD with all four satellite showing a green bar (it did not indicate which dish is seeing which satellite). Then I went back into programming, yup CNN on 61.5 works great, switch to CNBC and it does not work. Instead I get a screen saying _Acquiring satellite signal_ and _Progress 0 of 5_....then after a few seconds a 002 Error _The satellite signal has been lost_ and it shows 61.5 as the targeted satellite.

Maybe time to call customer service and get a technician out here...?


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

KalebD said:


> JAmes,
> 
> When the new launch takes place, what do you think the process will be for tweaking of your dish? If it is not soon, it would benefit me to take my 1000.2 and focus on 110 and 119 then get my 61.5 peaked out.


DISH should park the replacement satellite where the old one is. It will certainly be within 0.1° of the center of the slot. Repeaking should not be needed (but shouldn't hurt).

The good news is that if you have repeaked for 129 sacrificing 110 and 119 you should be able to move back a little.


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## KalebD (May 8, 2007)

James Long said:


> DISH should park the replacement satellite where the old one is. It will certainly be within 0.1° of the center of the slot. Repeaking should not be needed (but shouldn't hurt).
> 
> The good news is that if you have repeaked for 129 sacrificing 110 and 119 you should be able to move back a little.


I know we have spoken of this before in PMs, that is why I was asking. When the new bird goes up, should, or can I just focus the dish 1000.2 on the 110 and 119 and grab 61.5, or should I re peak the dish 1000.2 to get the 3 sats and also peak the 61.5?


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

Where are your HD locals? If they are not uplinked yet stick with what you have. Otherwise shoot for the satellite that has your HD locals.


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## KalebD (May 8, 2007)

James Long said:


> Where are your HD locals? If they are not uplinked yet stick with what you have. Otherwise shoot for the satellite that has your HD locals.


They are on, I believe 110 and 61.5 (in Houston). What I have now is fine. I will wait until the new bird goes up and then see how things pan out. If I need to, I will adjust. No need worrying over spilt milk that has not been spilt.:hurah:


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## ZBoomer (Feb 21, 2008)

mraviator said:


> I looked on the roof and it looks like the 500 is pointing in the direction of 61.5 (SE), with the 1000 pointing towards the other satellites (SW).
> 
> I did the 6-1-3 and it said GOOD with all four satellite showing a green bar (it did not indicate which dish is seeing which satellite). Then I went back into programming, yup CNN on 61.5 works great, switch to CNBC and it does not work. Instead I get a screen saying _Acquiring satellite signal_ and _Progress 0 of 5_....then after a few seconds a 002 Error _The satellite signal has been lost_ and it shows 61.5 as the targeted satellite.
> 
> Maybe time to call customer service and get a technician out here...?


It sounds like for some reason you are seeing four satellites, 110, 119, 129, and 61.5?

You don't need 129; if it were me I'd cover the LNB for 129 with foil, run check-switch, and let it only use 110, 119, and 61.5. I get a very good signal off 61.5 here in Austin, and you should to if that wing dish is aimed correctly. You have no reason to have 129, the receiver may use it sometimes when it's not as solid as 61.5.

When they installed my 61.5 wing dish for HD locals, the guy completely removed the 129 LNB from my Dish 1000. I now get 110, 119, and 61.5, and it works GREAT.


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## KalebD (May 8, 2007)

ZBoomer said:


> When they installed my 61.5 wing dish for HD locals, the guy completely removed the 129 LNB from my Dish 1000. I now get 110, 119, and 61.5, and it works GREAT.


Did he tweak for the 110 and 119 sats?


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## rehaklaw (Jan 3, 2009)

I have/had 129 HD go out part way. 129 transponders 30, 8,and 5 would lock. All the other 129 HD channels were out error 002 and 015. 

Why would some transponders work and not others(3,7,11,17,19,13, 27, 23)? DN replaced the LNB yesterday. He said some don't like real cold temps? What?


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## gambling (Jan 29, 2009)

The reason Dish doesn't offer the full HD package is that the satellite at 129 has stability issues, it wobbles. 
Areas on the fringe of the Conus beam on the Mainland have issues maintaining the signal as well.
New England and the Florida Peninsula can only "see" 61.5. 
The Pacific Northwest can't use the "Dish 1000", they use a larger single dish for 129.
Once you get to Alaska and Hawaii, even with larger dishes, the wobble is large enough that there will be periods that you loose signal.


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