# Intermittent 775 error



## hornmdt1 (Mar 21, 2013)

I am having a strange problem. On my Genie HR34 I am getting an intermittent 775 error (with msg can't find satellite dish or something to that effect). It will be off for anywhere from 6-12 hours then just start working again and maybe not miss a beat for 2 weeks then the same thing will happen again. I called Directv and they had me unplug the power supply to the SWM switch for 30 seconds but that did not fix the problem. But of course when the tech arrived the next day everything was working fine. He said that I might have one side of my green labeled SWM 16 channel switch going bad.

Each of the 2 outputs of the switch go into a green labeled SWM 8 port splitter. On one of the splitters the 5 tuner Genie is connected and there are 3 HR23's with 2 tuners each connected to the other SWM splitter (6 tuners total). So the tuner load is as evenly split as possible). I do not get the 775 on the HR23's even when the Genie is getting the error message.

I'm afraid it could be the Genie itself going bad and if I were to lose all my programming going back as far as a year I would be highly ticked. While it was getting the 775 today I had a marathon session on some of the programs I have recorded in case it turns out to be the Genie. Directv is supposed to come in the morning but about 5pm this afternoon the darn thing came back on after being off since 8am this morning and hasn't missed a beat since.

Anyone else ever encountered this or have any ideas? I don't know whether to call off the tech or see if he will switch out the SWM unit.

Thanks

I posted this in another area before finding this forum which seemed more appropriate. I apologize if that is a problem. Please feel free to delete the other post or merge them into the proper forum.


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

hornmdt1 said:


> Anyone else ever encountered this or have any ideas?


I had the same exact problem with my HR34. after replacing every cable, LNB, switch, fittings, splitters, the problem always resurfaced. fix was to replace the HR34. problem fixed! don't waste your time, replace the Genie. you will loose your recordings but at least you will be able to watch TV.


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## jagrim (Aug 26, 2006)

hornmdt1 said:


> I am having a strange problem. On my Genie HR34 I am getting an intermittent 775 error (with msg can't find satellite dish or something to that effect). It will be off for anywhere from 6-12 hours then just start working again and maybe not miss a beat for 2 weeks then the same thing will happen again. I called Directv and they had me unplug the power supply to the SWM switch for 30 seconds but that did not fix the problem. But of course when the tech arrived the next day everything was working fine. He said that I might have one side of my green labeled SWM 16 channel switch going bad.
> 
> Each of the 2 outputs of the switch go into a green labeled SWM 8 port splitter. On one of the splitters the 5 tuner Genie is connected and there are 3 HR23's with 2 tuners each connected to the other SWM splitter (6 tuners total). So the tuner load is as evenly split as possible). I do not get the 775 on the HR23's even when the Genie is getting the error message.
> 
> Anyone else ever encountered this or have any ideas? I don't know whether to call off the tech or see if he will switch out the SWM unit.


Had the same issue about a year or so ago. Had (3) case management techs at my house for almost 3 days. They replaced all connectors, splitters, etc. except for boxes and the SWM16. Of course, all worked fine while they were here and the problem would show up in the night. When they left the third day, the issue popped up again about 30 minutes after they left. Called the lead guy on his cell, and they turned around and came back. The SWM16 was the culprit. They swapped that out and all was fine.

Where is your SWM16 located?

Peds may be right, but I put my money on the SWM16 going bad.

Sent from my iPad using DBSTalk


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## hornmdt1 (Mar 21, 2013)

My SWM16 is located downstairs in a utility room where all the electronics that "power" the house is located in addition to the water heater and 2 HVAC gas furnaces. That is where the 4 coax from the dish LNB come into the house and connect to the SWM16 that is mounted on the wall. At that location are the two 8 port SWM splitters and the power supply that also connects to the SWM16. Although I have an Internet Connection Kit that was also originally connected to one of the 8 port splitters I found my Internet connectivity for all boxes was a little better by connecting the Genie HR34 directly to the Internet since the house was wired to have an extra live Cat-5 at the Genie location. All the coax from the rooms in the house are routed to that utility room location so the one that comes to where the HR34 is located (Den) is connected to one of the splitters and the 3 coaxes that go to the 2 tuner HR23's in various rooms are connected to the other splitter putting 6 tuners on one and the 5 from the Genie on the other one. So one of the outputs from the SWM16 power the Genie and the other output power the other 3 boxes.

I sure hope its the SWM16 and if half of it can really go bad while the other output is fine that might be it since the 3 receivers on the splitter that is connected to the other output from the SWM16 are not getting the problem. But I've had two conflicting replies here on what could be causing the problem. I called the DirecTV tech this morning (he gave me his cell when he was here last time for the same problem) and told him that the Genie had decided to start working again after taking about 10 hours off and about my two different answers from people on this forum who had also encountered this same problem. He is going to still drop by and switch out the SWM16 in hopes that is what it is since it has been less than 30 days since he was here last time.

He said I would have to make another service call directly to DirecTV if it turns out to be the Genie. I am on the protection plan but getting them talked into sending me out a new unit doesn't seem like they would take my word for since they kind of treat you like an idiot when you call in although I've had DirecTV for 19 years now and know most of the tricks regarding resets, etc. I had to escalate to a supervisor when I was getting a 771 and freezing picture just to get my dish realigned although I knew what the problem was. When I first got DirecTV the box came with a compass and you aligned your own dish. But with the new HD sats and MPEG4 that got a little over my head.

Ideally if it unfortunately turns out to be the Genie I would prefer to upgrade to a new HR44 instead of getting a refurbished HR34. I assume it's as simple as disconnecting the coax coming from the DECA (I think it is called) that the coax from the wall connects into and the other end has the Cat-5 (that I don't use on the Genie since I don't use the ICK) and the RG-6 that connects to the receiver.

My rant - it seems to me that a company as technologically advanced as DirecTV could develop something that would allow the tech or user to transfer the recordings from the dying machine to the new machine in all cases except for hard drive failure. I don't understand why they don't do this and cause people to lose a lot of recordings when the box has to be switched out or is upgraded. I understand you can transfer about 2MB to a GenieGo but I have about 500MB of recorded data that I will lose if it turns out to be the Genie going bad. I have all the vintage Muhammad Ali fights recorded that I like to watch from time to time as well as some recordings that go back a year and a half that I haven't watched yet because I can hardly keep up with what I like to watch that is coming on now when combined with what my wife likes to watch. 

Isn't there some program that lets you get a free upgrade to the next newest receiver like from the HR34 to an HR44 if you have the protection plan? If I can get some of these recordings cleaned off here I might just have to bite the bullet and do the upgrade because the tech said my HR34 is a little sluggish when he was here last time. After a reset it takes 15 minutes after it finally boots to become fully responsive to the remote but after that it is generally a fast as my HR23's. I don't know the rules about this upgrade program and if I would qualify so here's hoping the SWM16 swap will permanently fix the problem.

Thanks so much.


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## b52pooh (Mar 10, 2011)

The two outputs from the SWM-16 each go to a splitter. Have you tried swappping the SWM output cables to see if the problem switches to the HR23's. That would be a good indication that the SWM-16 is failing.


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## hornmdt1 (Mar 21, 2013)

Yeah I thought of that simple test as I watched the DirecTV tech switch out the SWM16 but it didn't occur to me for some reason before. Duh. So now I have a new SWM16 so if it goes out again I guess I will know that it is the receiver itself.


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## RAD (Aug 5, 2002)

hornmdt1 said:


> Ideally if it unfortunately turns out to be the Genie I would prefer to upgrade to a new HR44 instead of getting a refurbished HR34. I assume it's as simple as disconnecting the coax coming from the DECA (I think it is called) that the coax from the wall connects into and the other end has the Cat-5 (that I don't use on the Genie since I don't use the ICK) and the RG-6 that connects to the receiver.


You have a DECA connected to your HR34?


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## hornmdt1 (Mar 21, 2013)

Sorry I was assuming because I can't get behind the unit that the HR34 is in. All the HR23's definitely have them but maybe the HR34 didn't require it. I don't remember. But I was thinking I had read that the HR44 didn't require something that the HR34 did so I was assuming it was the DECA. If not I guess it should be as simple as unhooking the RG-6 from the HR34 and hooking it up to the HR44. But hopefully this new SWM16 fixed the intermittent 775 error and I won't have to swap out receivers. Time will tell. The tech said that my Genie was connected to the 2nd port of the SWM16 and that is the port that they have seen fail many times.

Thanks


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## peds48 (Jan 11, 2008)

My money is still on the receiver, sorry. but hopefully the SWM16 does it for you. but for completeness, make sure all splitter outputs are terminated with a 75 ohm terminator cap.


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