# 508/510 Timer lockups



## Beardedbosn (Dec 9, 2002)

My 1 3/4 years of great DVR performance has ended!!! For the last three months I have had three 508's and now a 510 that lock up on timers. The unit indicates that it is recording with both the red and green light but the picture is fixed and not necessarily on the channel that was to be recorded.

You might find the unit with the power light off and the record light on, the picture will be black, the PVR menu will indicated recording in progress (even past the timer shutoff). You can not do anything from the PVR Menu. After a reset, the PVR menu will show a recorded session, but it there is nothing there when you start it, it just cycles to the erase menu.

This was happening with both of the latest software versions. Dish has just been throwing 508s at me and all have the same symptoms. I changed to the 510 but it is as bad if not worse.

Since I do not think that I am the only customer using these things to record I asked Tech if there could be a problem with, say the Dishpro Switch? They insist it is a software/hard drive issue, ship a receiver and issue a report to the lab?? A day or two ago I did get a short notice about switch problems but the unit continued to aquire the signals 

Has anyone else experienced these problems?? What was your outcome??

Thanks

Chris


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## navy8ball (Mar 23, 2002)

yes i did on one of my 508's.just like you described.


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## RTCDude (Feb 3, 2005)

Beardedbosn said:


> My 1 3/4 years of great DVR performance has ended!!! For the last three months I have had three 508's and now a 510 that lock up on timers. The unit indicates that it is recording with both the red and green light but the picture is fixed and not necessarily on the channel that was to be recorded.
> 
> You might find the unit with the power light off and the record light on, the picture will be black, the PVR menu will indicated recording in progress (even past the timer shutoff). You can not do anything from the PVR Menu. After a reset, the PVR menu will show a recorded session, but it there is nothing there when you start it, it just cycles to the erase menu.
> 
> ...


Sorry, this is a little long.

I have seem this issue with 5xx boxes creep up from now and then. In every case that I've seen, the symptoms were exactly as you described, and the fix was always to replace the LNBs and switches with DishPro versions.

My personal experience was when I got my 501 when thay first come out. I had two dishes, one looking at 119, and the other at 110. They had the old legecy LNBs (non-DishPro) that fed into a legecy SW64 switch. The switch fed my old 5000 and my then new 501. I would constantly get what you described; a locked-up 501 with a black screen or freeze-frame picture, the red recording LED on long after the end of the event, and zero length recordings. (those recordings just go to the erase/start menu because there's nothing in the recording. Sometimes you'll get a couple of frames of video) The trusty old 5000 never skipped a beat.

At first I found that if I swapped out the SW64 switch with my old SW42, the problem disappeared! Put the SW64 back in, and the problem came back! After many hours of talking to advanced tech help, Dish sent me a new SW64. And as you might have guessed, the new SW64 produced the same problem. I went through FOUR new SW64 switches, and each one produced the same problem. I wanted to add a third dish (148) for locals, and for that I NEEDED to use a SW64.

Now the SW64 has what's called a power inserter. It goes on the coax in-line between the sat receiver and receiver port #1 on the SW64. This feeds power to the SW64 for it to operate. I had always had the power inserter on the coax going to my 501. On a whim, I switched the power inserter to be on the coax going to my old 5000. And to my surprise, that fixed the problem! No more failed recordings. I installed my third dish, and life was great for next 1 and 1/2 years.

Then I got a 510 to replace my aging 5000. Now whichever receiver (the 501 or 510) had the power inserter, would get failed recordings. The only help Dish ever offered was the standard "send you ANOTHER refurbished receiver for $25 shipping and handling".

Finally, since the problem followed the power inserter, I replaced ALL of legecy LNBs with DishPro versions, and the legecy SW64 with a DishPro DP34. DishPro switches don't use a power inserter. This combination has worked perfectly ever since.

So what observations do I have on this saga:

1. After much testing I found that the problem only occurred when the 501 had to come out of standby or switch channels, to start recording the desired channel. If I left the 501 on (i.e., not in standby), and on the channel I wanted to record, a recording would never fail. There also was a slight time lag in the 501 receiver signal lock when coming out of standby or changing channels, when using a SW64. I never saw the same signal lock lag when using the SW42. It's possible that this SW64 induced lag would somehow cause the 501 to get an error and lockup.

2. I don't really know that the power inserter itself was the actual cause. However, the SW64 was never a very reliable product. And getting rid of the SW64 (with the power inserter) was, in general, the cure.

3. All of the 5xx receivers seem to have the same problem. So getting a 508 likely won't help.

4. Several people claimed that the cause was because my SW64 wasn't grounded properly. I never found any grounding configuration to help the problem (and I tried everthing).

5. The other friends I mentioned were also "fixed" by upgrading to DishPro equipment. So I've never seen this issue with DishPro already installed. You mentioned DishPro in your post, so none of this information may help you. However, if you're getting switch error messages, I'd seriously think about replacing the switch. Perhaps your switch is causing the same kind of signal lock lags that the SW64 seemed to have.

6. I have a spare SW64 if anybody needs/wants one.


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## Corwynder (Feb 6, 2005)

I would assume you could see problems of this nature anytime you take the newer Dishpro receivers and add them into a legacy setup. I believe you can buy adapters to work between the old and new equipment.

Corwynder


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## RTCDude (Feb 3, 2005)

Corwynder said:


> I would assume you could see problems of this nature anytime you take the newer Dishpro receivers and add them into a legacy setup. I believe you can buy adapters to work between the old and new equipment.
> 
> Corwynder


The 501 was released before DishPro LNBs and switches were readily available. So, a large percentage of 501s were installed with legecy LNBs and switches. Dish has always said that 501s were compatible legecy equipment, and Dish wouldn't have allowed those installs if they didn't think it would work. Therefore, I would assume there wouldn't be problems (of course, discounting for Dish's track record on releasing trouble free products).

Also, the only adapters that are available are ones that allow legecy only receivers to be used with DishPro LNBs and switches, not the other way around. So in my case, an adapter wouldn't helped.


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## Beardedbosn (Dec 9, 2002)

My system has been DishPro since day one. By the lack of response to this thread I guess I have an odd problem. After three 508s and a 510 I still cannot get them to send me a replacement LNB to try. After all, there is only a receiver, coax and a Dishpro LNB in the system :bang


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## SimpleSimon (Jan 15, 2004)

To provide the correct information regarding DishPro vs. Legacy "outside" gear.

DishPro receivers (3-digit mdel numbers) can all use Legacy LNBs & switches. There are a few bug cases here and there, but it's rare.

Legacy receivers (4-digit model numbers) can NOT use DishPro gear without the DishPro adapter. Exception: DishProPlus gear emulates Legacy gear when needed - with certain minor limitations.


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## boba (May 23, 2003)

Beardedbosn your problems are typical of DISH DVRs, the 501,508 & 510 all run the same software version and all have intermittantly exhibited your problems. The only cure I have found is switch to Directv their DVR powered by TiVo runs circles around DISH DVRs for reliability but does have some lackings. Slower programming guide, no caller ID smaller hard drive, but the TiVo has never missed a program that was correctly listed in the guide.


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## Bill R (Dec 20, 2002)

boba said:


> The only cure I have found is switch to Directv their DVR powered by TiVo runs circles around DISH DVRs for reliability but does have some lackings.


Just a reminder: Boba is a DirecTV dealer and one of the many dealers that haunt this board only for the sake of chasing potential customer away from DISH (and/or unjustly bashing DISH Network). IMHO, the honesty of that type of dealer is very much in question and is really something that is wrong at this board and needs to be changed.

And Chris (Beardedbosn), give DISH tech support a call and ask to speak to an advanced (level 3) tech. They should be able to assist you with your problem.


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## QasDishGuy (Jul 23, 2005)

If you would like to PM me the details of your setup and problem I would be willing to help. Also what type of LNB - are you using DP? Is it located in a spot where you can get me the number on the right hand side above the "110 Y"


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## RTCDude (Feb 3, 2005)

SimpleSimon said:


> To provide the correct information regarding DishPro vs. Legacy "outside" gear.
> 
> DishPro receivers (3-digit mdel numbers) can all use Legacy LNBs & switches. There are a few bug cases here and there, but it's rare.
> 
> Legacy receivers (4-digit model numbers) can NOT use DishPro gear without the DishPro adapter. Exception: DishProPlus gear emulates Legacy gear when needed - with certain minor limitations.


SimpleSimon, thanks for clarifying the details.


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## boba (May 23, 2003)

Bill R said:


> Just a reminder: Boba is a DirecTV dealer and one of the many dealers that haunt this board only for the sake of chasing potential customer away from DISH (and/or unjustly bashing DISH Network). IMHO, the honesty of that type of dealer is very much in question and is really something that is wrong at this board and needs to be changed.
> 
> And Chris (Beardedbosn), give DISH tech support a call and ask to speak to an advanced (level 3) tech. They should be able to assist you with your problem.


Bill just for your limited knowledge I sell DISH Notwerk also and have sold it since the first month of its existence March 1996. Over the last two to three years DISH's software has taken a nose dive leaving them with products just barely better than cable TV.


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## Bill R (Dec 20, 2002)

boba said:


> Bill just for your limited knowledge I sell DISH Notwerk also and have sold it since the first month of its existence March 1996. Over the last two to three years DISH's software has taken a nose dive leaving them with products just barely better than cable TV.


Boba,

I know that. You have said that in the past. And if you make only half the effort of trying to switch customer (as you do on this board) I doubt that you sell many DISH systems.

To me, people like you who sell DISH Network and constantly bash their products don't deserve a dealership from them (and I'll bet that DISH feels the same way). There are likely many other people that believe in their products and could do a MUCH better job of selling their product in your area.

I really have a problem with your ethics too. You may think that what you are doing is O.K. but to us "outsiders" it seems unethical when you hi-jack a thread so you can recommend that the person switch to your "preferred" vendor.


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## garypen (Feb 1, 2004)

boba said:


> Over the last two to three years DISH's software has taken a nose dive leaving them with products just barely better than cable TV.


Not the cable in my area. I'd give the edge to cable, equipment-wise. (But, to be fair, I haven't tried the 942. OTOH, mine was free, as opposed to $250 upfront to lease it.)


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## Beardedbosn (Dec 9, 2002)

Bill,

Dish is scheduling a service call so we will see what happens. Thanks for the level 3 idea, pays to know the keywords!!! I will use it if this service visit fails to find the problem

Chris


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## Bill R (Dec 20, 2002)

Chris,

Glad to heard that. Keep us informed and if you need more assistance we will do what we can to help get your problem fixed.

One other thing that this thread has done is to stir up some people at DISH. They are not very happy about how their (so called) dealers/installers act on these forums. I don't know what they are going to do but at least it has got someone's attention.


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## Beardedbosn (Dec 9, 2002)

Well, we got our prommissed service call last evening. Replaced the DishPro LNB. We feel that the switch was the problem all along so we are hoping for some trouble free viewing. Will update in a few weeks. Thanks for all the suggestions.:biggthump 
Chris


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## Beardedbosn (Dec 9, 2002)

Over two weeks since the Dishpro LNB was replaced, I have not had a timer missfire. Back to operations normal. The big problem with this was the representatives from Dish kept insisting it was a software problem rather then an equipment problem other than the receiver.

Thanks for everyones input!

Chris


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