# What is "LNB drift"



## kcolg30 (May 11, 2010)

What is "LNB drift". 

What is it?
What causes it?
How do you fix it?
How do you know that you have it?
How do you check for it?
How fo?


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

A simplified explanation:

There is a timing circuit in the LNB that allows the LNB to "lock on" to the signals coming from the satellite. If capacitors in that circuit start to fail, the timing circuit will "drift" and eventually the LNB won't be able to maintain a signal lock.

If you go to the System Info screen (Menu, 6, 1, 3), and if you get an "ERROR: Click Details" message instead of "Good", you can go into Details and it will show you if one or more of your LNBs are drifting, and what the drift value is. If the number is 6 or greater, the LNB needs to be replaced.


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## kcolg30 (May 11, 2010)

Thanks


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## shadough (Dec 31, 2006)

the LNB's 'eyesight' (if u will) is driting toward the next transponder but it still thinks its on the previous transponder, thus rendering an error msg. at least thats how it was explained to me. it cant be fixed, only replaced. menu 613 is the only way to find out, i think, unless it gets to the point where it loses sight of the transponder. then u might see a msg on the screen about it or just a searching for signal msg. ive noticed u can get a drift if you use both a dishpro plus lnd with a dishpro plus switch.


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## CABill (Mar 20, 2005)

shadough said:


> menu 613 is the only way to find out, i think, unless it gets to the point where it loses sight of the transponder. then u might see a msg on the screen about it or just a searching for signal msg.


The way quite a few people found out was when DISH phoned them to schedule a LNB replacement. Phone in (I presume broadband connection too) was reporting status and DISH was being proactive when drift reached some level. It didn't happen to me, but it impressed me as something DISH was doing right!


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## Michael P (Oct 27, 2004)

I've had the condition for some time now. I'm up to a +6 to +8 drift on some of my LNB's. My system still works however I get occasional lost signal errors. Since I installed the system myself (I purchased my DPP LNB) I'm responsible for replacement. In the 13 years that I've been an E* customer I've never had a truck roll to my house.

I want to wait until Spring and get an Eastern Arc dish (my locals are on both arcs). The only problem is the point dish screen won;t give me coordinates for an EA dish, only a D500 or D300. Why don't they upgrade that screen?


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

Michael P said:


> Why don't they upgrade that screen?


Good question. Their on-receiver database hasn't been upgraded in a decade. I suppose there are a couple of potential reasons:

- The memory in the receiver may not have space for additional information.

- Dish might have simply abandoned the database entirely since 99.98% of all installation work is now done by techs rather than customers.

Regardless, you can find the PDF file for the 1000.4 dish online and look up your zip code there to get the settings. Or, you could just ask me, since I happen to know them for your area, since my company is there...


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

BattleZone said:


> Good question. Their on-receiver database hasn't been upgraded in a decade. I suppose there are a couple of potential reasons:
> 
> - The memory in the receiver may not have space for additional information.
> 
> ...


Not the first reason for sure - there are plenty of space for hardcoded tables (sat vs ZIP).
I wouldn't buy second one too - the table exist for more then 10 years with slight updates for last new sats ... and again no such memory constrain.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

P Smith said:


> Not the first reason for sure - there are plenty of space for hardcoded tables (sat vs ZIP).
> I wouldn't buy second one too - the table exist for more then 10 years with slight updates for last new sats ... and again no such memory constrain.


The settings in my 622 only cover the Dish 300 aimed at 61.5, 110, 129 or 148 ... the Dish 500 aimed at 119-110 ... or the Superdish 105 or 121. I don't believe there has been an update since the Superdishes were added (which predates the 622). That was a long time ago.

They could pull the Superdish pointing if they needed the space ... the data in the receiver is pretty useless now that the standard dish is a 1000.4 ...


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

I mean from beginning, when 119 and 110 was the all sats, perhaps not for latest 1k styles.
Oh, lets check 922 settings .


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

P Smith said:


> I mean from beginning, when 119 and 110 was the all sats, perhaps not for latest 1k styles.


First sats at 119 ... second location was 61.5, then 110, then 148. Then Philadelphia on 129 FSS, then 121 and 105 SuperDishes, then 129 DBS, then 118 on the "Plus" dish.

The internal dish aiming changes stopped at the SuperDish (in 2004?).


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

So may changes, so little memory size ...


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## Michael P (Oct 27, 2004)

BattleZone said:


> Good question. Their on-receiver database hasn't been upgraded in a decade. I suppose there are a couple of potential reasons:
> 
> - The memory in the receiver may not have space for additional information.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much!!! Now if it wasn't for all this snow I could put up that 1000.4 this weekend.

BTW: Since you are in the business I have a question. When I moved in here 5 years ago the house across the street had a D* dish on a pole mount, The house was sold to a new family and they also subbed to D*. Rather than use the old dish (which was left by the previous owner) the installer put up a new dish on the roof (above the area where the pole mount used to be). I thought that the pole mount was a great idea, the dish was protected by an overhang. It inspired me to put up my E* dishes on poles (a D500 on the west side of the house and a D300 on the east side for 61.5). The overhang keeps most of the snow off, and even if there was accumulation the snow could be easily brushed off.

I wonder why that D* installer chose a roof mount? The old D* dish was some kind of multi-orbital dish. Was there was a newer dish configuration for D* in the last 5 years? Also my next door neighbor dropped cable and got D* (I wish I knew they were thinking of getting satellite I would have tried to get them E*). Anyway their D* dish is also roof mounted. The Dish looks like a multi-orbital dish, but the LNB looks odd to me, it looks like it is a single LNB, not an oval like E*'s LNB.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

Michael P said:


> Thank you so much!!! Now if it wasn't for all this snow I could put up that 1000.4 this weekend.
> 
> BTW: Since you are in the business I have a question. When I moved in here 5 years ago the house across the street had a D* dish on a pole mount, The house was sold to a new family and they also subbed to D*. Rather than use the old dish (which was left by the previous owner) the installer put up a new dish on the roof (above the area where the pole mount used to be). I thought that the pole mount was a great idea, the dish was protected by an overhang. It inspired me to put up my E* dishes on poles (a D500 on the west side of the house and a D300 on the east side for 61.5). The overhang keeps most of the snow off, and even if there was accumulation the snow could be easily brushed off.
> 
> I wonder why that D* installer chose a roof mount? The old D* dish was some kind of multi-orbital dish. Was there was a newer dish configuration for D* in the last 5 years? Also my next door neighbor dropped cable and got D* (I wish I knew they were thinking of getting satellite I would have tried to get them E*). Anyway their D* dish is also roof mounted. The Dish looks like a multi-orbital dish, but the LNB looks odd to me, it looks like it is a single LNB, not an oval like E*'s LNB.


If you could post pictures ...


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

Likely, the old dish was a smaller "Phase III" dish that uses a 1 5/8" OD mast, like all of the Dish dishes. DirecTV's HD-capable dishes are larger and heavier and require a 2" OD mast. Also, many dishes that are "protected" by an overhang are actually worse off in the snow, as melt-off from the overhang will drip onto the dish and ice it up.


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## TBoneit (Jul 27, 2006)

I battled back and forth in my mind about pole mount versus roof mount.

Pole mount = easy to brush snow & re-align. Easy for vandals to destroy or steal.

Roof mount = pretty much hidden, chance of leaks and pain to re-align

I ended up going hidden on the roof. You can see it from the neighbors behind on the next street back yard from the street I'm on not at all as it shoots over the roof.


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## tkrandall (Oct 3, 2003)

The DirecTV community never talks about LNB drift. The receivers do not diagnose this phenomenon. Are DirecTV LNBs "drift immune" or its it simply not an issue they diagnose in the receiver software?


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

Good call, but no answers yet. Perhaps a quality of DTV LNBFs is much better.


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## BattleZone (Nov 13, 2007)

I think it's a matter of Dish's LNBs being a more complicated design. Dish's legacy LNBs seem to work forever too (DirecTV's LNBs are legacy, except arguably for the Ka/Ku and SWM).


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

The difference is LOF2 circuit to make DP support ( I thought you know it).


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