# Fuzzy Dish pic with locals, great without



## tulsarick (Jan 1, 2010)

I have a 722 (18 months) with an OTA antenna on seperate coax to two TV's. The 2nd TV has only 1 coax input so installer ran DISH & OTA coax into a combiner so I could watch all of my locals on 2nd TV. All was fine for several months then the DISH channels became fuzzy unless I unplugged the OTA coax from the combiner & then they they returned to normal. I swithced between the 2 inputs with same result. The local signal stays great, only the DISH pic is affected. I tried replacing with 2 different combiners I had laying around but same result. As usual DISH tech was no help. Any helpful advice? Thanks.


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

First off - what is the TV2 modulator set to ? Is it "close" (meaning there isn't a channel between the Dish channel and an OTA one) to any local OTA channels ?

Ideally - you should set TV2 to AIR, and select a channel larger than 53. This should get your TV2 signal clear of any local channels.


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## tulsarick (Jan 1, 2010)

The installer set TV2 for channel 60. What's confusing me is the set up worked fine for a while.


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

tulsarick said:


> The installer set TV2 for channel 60. What's confusing me is the set up worked fine for a while.


60 "Air" or 60 "cable" ? they are NOT the same frequency...


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## n0qcu (Mar 23, 2002)

scooper said:


> 60 "Air" or 60 "cable" ? they are NOT the same frequency...


Well since the Dish receivers only do channel 60 "AIR" its obvious that that is what it is. Cable channels on the DISH modulator start at 73.

AIR is 21 to 69
CABLE is 73 to ??


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## gtal98 (Jan 30, 2011)

Maybe a new channel has gone online OTA recently in that frequency range? Either way I would try changing the modulated channel for TV2 to something different. Try ch69 - I'm not aware of any OTA channels broadcasting up that high (around here anyway).

The other option would be to go buy an old fashioned coax A-B switch. I would be easier to slide the switch than unscrew a cable every time.


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## tulsarick (Jan 1, 2010)

gtal98 said:


> Maybe a new channel has gone online OTA recently in that frequency range? Either way I would try changing the modulated channel for TV2 to something different. Try ch69 - I'm not aware of any OTA channels broadcasting up that high (around here anyway).
> 
> The other option would be to go buy an old fashioned coax A-B switch. I would be easier to slide the switch than unscrew a cable every time.


I tried a sliding A/B switch. Same result. How to you change the modulated channel? And where can I find a replacement combiner to try? Dish says they have none to send. Thanks to you all.


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## gtal98 (Jan 30, 2011)

Press Menu-6-1-5. Leave it set to Air to coincide with using your antenna, you can change the channel to anything from 21 to 69. Try and place it in the middle of a "dead spot" in the channel range - a group of 3+ channels that have nothing broadcast on them. This can be little difficult to know nowadays though since the Digital channels are virtual channels. Use www.tvfool.com to check what channels are being broadcast in your area - pay attention to the "real" channel number in the report.

As far as combiners go - it's probably just a normal everyday splitter - they also work as combiners.


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## tulsarick (Jan 1, 2010)

I've been told more than once there is a significant difference between a splitter & a combiner.


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## tulsarick (Jan 1, 2010)

gtal98 said:


> Maybe a new channel has gone online OTA recently in that frequency range? Either way I would try changing the modulated channel for TV2 to something different. Try ch69 - I'm not aware of any OTA channels broadcasting up that high (around here anyway).
> 
> The other option would be to go buy an old fashioned coax A-B switch. I would be easier to slide the switch than unscrew a cable every time.


It worked. Changed to channel 69. Picture cleared right up. Thanks


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## gtal98 (Jan 30, 2011)

No problem. Glad it worked out.


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## kenglish (Oct 2, 2004)

Be aware that anything above OTA 51 is subject to being used by a new cellular or broadband service, so you might have to change it again.
These new services are popping up everywhere, and the "White Space" users can show up even in the TV core channels (below 51).


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

Yes - I have an LPF700 filter prior to my preamp and it seems to help most of that - as well as keeping my personal channels from being broadcast.


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## RMichals (Sep 28, 2008)

Dish network should be fined for installers being allowed to do this kind of setup, in the catv industry when a signal gets out into the atmosphere it is know as signal leakage and taken pretty seriously. When the output from your receiver is combined with your antenna the signal can leak out and your neighboors can see what you are watching, not to mention if you are stepping on one of the RF channels of an OTA DTV signal then you are causing interference to that OTA signal for others near by. Again dish network should get fined by the FCC for every instance of installers being trained on this as an acceptable solution to running a second hard line separate from an antenna line. Keep in mind dish should have no obligation to route your OTA signals anyway.

On the modulator setup screen there may be an option that is (greyed out in some instances) to change the signal level from directv connect (low power) to home dist. (higher power).


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## scooper (Apr 22, 2002)

RMichals said:


> Dish network should be fined for installers being allowed to do this kind of setup, in the catv industry when a signal gets out into the atmosphere it is know as signal leakage and taken pretty seriously. When the output from your receiver is combined with your antenna the signal can leak out and your neighboors can see what you are watching, not to mention if you are stepping on one of the RF channels of an OTA DTV signal then you are causing interference to that OTA signal for others near by. Again dish network should get fined by the FCC for every instance of installers being trained on this as an acceptable solution to running a second hard line separate from an antenna line. Keep in mind dish should have no obligation to route your OTA signals anyway.
> 
> On the modulator setup screen there may be an option that is (greyed out in some instances) to change the signal level from directv connect (low power) to home dist. (higher power).


If ANYBODY should be fined - it should be the homeowner / subscriber who is doing this.

In practicailty - if anyone is seeing this more than 200 feet away from the subscribers house - that unauthorized viewer is specifically looking for such signals.

BTW - I've been modulating internal channels ever since I first got Dish - including both OTA and cable (lifeline basic channels only) and I've never really had much problems (except for that stretch when there was both analog and Digital OTA channels - made it VERY difficult to find channels that were not blocked. Of course I mostly use one of these to do this - 
www.smarthome.com/7717.html


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## kenglish (Oct 2, 2004)

scooper said:


> If ANYBODY should be fined - it should be the homeowner / subscriber who is doing this.


Actually, the homeowner IS the one liable for the FCC fine.


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## RMichals (Sep 28, 2008)

Yeah I would like to see the FCC try to explain the fine to the granny that dish "installed" this kind of setup at.


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