# Problem with CBS Ch 002-1 in LA



## rbyers (Jan 15, 2004)

I've started having problems receiving Ch 2 in LA OTA. This has never happened before in all of the time that I've had the 921. I think the problems began Thur nite when I recorded CSI .. and got a 58 second recording. That was followed by a good recording of W/O a Trace. Then yestereday I had problems picking up the CBS college game and today I couldn't get (and keep) the NFL games. 

I know the signal from the station is OK, since my old faithful MITS receiver upstairs works fine. Good signal strength, etc. All other stations are coming in good both upstairs and downstairs on the 921. I tried a cold boot of the 921, dropped the station from the list and remapped it. The mapping was odd, the signal strength ebbed and flowed from 66 to 3 to 53 to 60 to 0. Then, suddenly, it was at 125 where it usually is. I saved the setup and tuned to 002-1 ... voila ... all was well. Went outside, did a couple of things in the yard. My wife tuned to another station and we couldn't get good old 002-1 back.

As I said, all other stations come in fine. The upstairs set receives 002-1 just fine. Any Ideas/Suggestions?

TIA


----------



## rbyers (Jan 15, 2004)

I just noticed a new OTA problem. If I'm on Ch 011-1 and I switch to 028-1, pressing cancel reports that I'm still on 011-1 ... even though I am actually watching 011-1. If I move to the EPG, it also thinks that I'm still on 011-1. If I now press Select, I should go to 011-1 (the guide selection), but I stay where I am 028-1, which still reports that I'm on 011-1. 

I think this thing has lost it. Time for another power cord reboot. Will let you all know how this works out tomorrow.


----------



## Ron Barry (Dec 10, 2002)

I am in SoCal. I have not seen this on CBS over the weekend. If a reboot does not correct the issues, post a reply and I will look closer at my CBS. I am in North OC.


----------



## David_Levin (Apr 22, 2002)

Sounds like the channel mapping is messed up. You may need to rebuild the channel list.

Remove all local channels. Power-Cord Reboot. Rescan.


----------



## rbyers (Jan 15, 2004)

Well, all is not well with my 921.

I deleted all of my OTA channels and then rescanned .... lots of times. Several of the channels never came back. I did an individual channel scan for 002-1 (60) and the box showed a signal strength of 125 but wouldn't lock. Big long orange bar. After several more tries, I got a green bar 50..0 .. 50 .. 0 .. 60 ..3 .. 50 ..0 ..125 ...solid. I saved the damned thing. 

Tried switching to 002-1 and got an "acquiring signal" message followed by a black screen. I let it sit. After a little over 2 MINUTES I got picture and video. Switching away and then coming back gets the same process. About 2 minutes of black screen, and then all is well. The screen initially shows the signal strength varying widely, then the banner disappears and I have a black screen. Once the picture shows up again, I press "cancel" and the banner shows a signal strength of 125 ... which is about what it should be. 

This process is repeatable, in detail. 

BTW, I no longer get channel 009-1 (which I never watch) or 013-1 (which I don't watch either). Before this weekend, I got both just fine. Actually, I got ALL of the OTA channels just fine. There may be other channels that aren't there any more, but I can't tell since I never looked at them. There are a lot of UHF channels in LA

The 921 once behaved like a TV is supposed to behave. Now, I have missing channels and other channels that work strangely. 

I have called tech support & am now awaiting a call from someone who can spell 921 (alledgedly). 

My problem here is that the symptoms make no sense. I know that I have a good signal. The problem seems to be with signal acquisition. That has to do with the box. I don't think it has anything to do with V270 since the problem didn't occur soon after the V270 download. 

After all of my good luck with a 921, I'm finally frustrated like many others.


----------



## Ron Barry (Dec 10, 2002)

I would do a physical inspection of your OTA connections and your antenna if you have not done it yet. Didn't we have hail last week? Do you have anything you can plug your antenna into to check the signal. I will check channel 2 tonight, but I watched it last night and it no problems. 

Could be your OTA tuner is going bad or possible you have something external effecting the signal coming into your 921. Is this cable running to your 921 diplexed? Any changes recently made? Any possibility of moisture getting into your OTA connections? The fact you are seeing multiple channel failures would lead to either OTA tuner gone bad or something external going bad. Connections?? amplifier etc. I would rule out external variables first if you can.

Also check to see if possible something changed outside that might create multi-pathing. The fact that you receiver is taking a long time and eventually locking makes me thing that it is fighting to get a good signal. (Makes me feel something external to the 921 might be the cause).


----------



## rbyers (Jan 15, 2004)

Ron Barry said:


> I would do a physical inspection of your OTA connections and your antenna if you have not done it yet. Didn't we have hail last week? Do you have anything you can plug your antenna into to check the signal. I will check channel 2 tonight, but I watched it last night and it no problems.
> 
> Could be your OTA tuner is going bad or possible you have something external effecting the signal coming into your 921. Is this cable running to your 921 diplexed? Any changes recently made? Any possibility of moisture getting into your OTA connections? The fact you are seeing multiple channel failures would lead to either OTA tuner gone bad or something external going bad. Connections?? amplifier etc. I would rule out external variables first if you can.
> 
> Also check to see if possible something changed outside that might create multi-pathing. The fact that you receiver is taking a long time and eventually locking makes me thing that it is fighting to get a good signal. (Makes me feel something external to the 921 might be the cause).


Good suggestions, but I only have one OTA antenna. It's doing a very good job of driving the MITS receiver. And, the channels that I am receiving w/o problems have very good signal strength (125). Also, Channel 2 shows 125 once it actually connects. Also, once it connects, it doesn't appear to lose the signal. However, I haven't had it on CBS long enough to know for sure.

There are diplexers, both outside and inside. The inside ones, of course, are insulated from weather. Could be some kind of multipath. But, I can't see where it would happen. Tomorrow, I'll try connecting the line that now goes to the MITS box to the 921 (if I have enough RG6), that should indicate whether it is the cabling or the 921. (Although, I think the MIT is a better receiver).


----------



## Ron Barry (Dec 10, 2002)

I checked CBS on my 921. Solid as a rock. Since you are having issues with channel 9 also that rules out others possibilities. Hooking it up to the MITS line is a good test though you indicated correctly it does not rule out external factors. The 921 my be more sensitive to multipathing. 

Make sure nothing changes where the antenna is pointing. How long as the 921 being working well before this happend out of curiousity. I can assume nothing changed here? 

be sure to check connections while you are at it. maybe something came loose or you got water into a connection. (Has happend to me before).


----------



## rbyers (Jan 15, 2004)

Ron Barry said:


> I checked CBS on my 921. Solid as a rock. Since you are having issues with channel 9 also that rules out others possibilities. Hooking it up to the MITS line is a good test though you indicated correctly it does not rule out external factors. The 921 my be more sensitive to multipathing.


I've always had problems connecting to 9 and to 13. 9 BTW is owned by 2. And, 13 is just weird. 2 seems solid to me also, the problem only shows up when you switch to 2 after watching another station.



Ron Barry said:


> Make sure nothing changes where the antenna is pointing. How long as the 921 being working well before this happend out of curiousity. I can assume nothing changed here?


I got the 921 in early July of 04. I was always one of the lucky ones .. no real problems. I'm pretty sure the antenna didn't move. All of the hardware is on the roof.



Ron Barry said:


> be sure to check connections while you are at it. maybe something came loose or you got water into a connection. (Has happend to me before).


Here's where I can't do much .. this is a 2nd story roof and I'm too much of a wuss to climb up there any more. Maybe Dish will send someone out to check the wiring. If not, and this problem persists, I'll pay my antenna installer to check it out. Tough to get him to do much at this time of year. He's too busy making real money.


----------



## Ron Barry (Dec 10, 2002)

I understand what you are saying rbeyers. From what you describe the MITS test should at least move "something in the cabeling" issue down the usual suspects later. When did this exactly occur? Did it coincide with the storm we had or was it happening before? 

I can't get 13 either. Have not tried real hard but can't. As to 9. My nine is coming in solid. It is odd that it is 2 and 9. All other channels are coming in fine? any other channels seem to be effected other than 2 and 9? Boy if you just said 2 and 9 seem to have the issue you might think something at the station changed. By the way, I am getting 103 for Channel 2. 

Might be a bad OTA tuner but given your symptoms I would think something else is going on..


----------



## Cokeswigga (Jan 25, 2005)

I have had no problems receving CBS, over the weekend. 
But I have an 811 and I temecula, CA.

Perhaps this will rule out transmission problems. 

I do however have another issue. 

I can get all the other L.A. Stations OTA, except for ABC.

But.... sometimes, when the stars line up, and I do a OTA signal dance, I can get ABC. The funny thing is when I can get it, it tunes in strong!

Turns out, when I rotate the antenna (about 60 degrees) off-axis (pointed directly at a nearby mountain) from the tower, I can get a tunable but weak ABC signal. 
The only thing I can think of is that I am getting a 2 signals, one from the tower, and one reflected from the mountain. Depending on the weather (and the latest software from Dish) my receiver can sometimes figure the signal out. 

The lateset release so far has resulted in tuning ABC-7 in only 2% of the time, where before it was >80%


----------



## rbyers (Jan 15, 2004)

Ron Barry said:


> I checked CBS on my 921. Solid as a rock. Since you are having issues with channel 9 also that rules out others possibilities. Hooking it up to the MITS line is a good test though you indicated correctly it does not rule out external factors. The 921 my be more sensitive to multipathing.
> 
> be sure to check connections while you are at it. maybe something came loose or you got water into a connection. (Has happend to me before).


Ron

You are right. It is something on the roof (damn). The 921 is OK. I ran the upstairs connection (I had an extra 25' of RG6) to the 921. It works great. Switches instantly. Ch 2 comes in w/o any delay. All channels are good. It may be the 5 year old rooftop diplexer. Whatever. At least I know that it is the rooftop cabling. Too Bad - I'm not getting on a 2nd story roof. That was for when I was young and dumber.


----------



## Ron Barry (Dec 10, 2002)

Well I am glad to hear it is not your 921... I too would not get up on a 2nd story roof. I value my life too much.


----------

