# Ask Dbstalk:replacement 921 Concerns



## Eagles (Dec 31, 2003)

Received replacement 921 yesterday. Swapped out with old unit and plugged in around 6:30 last night. Was unable to get unit to reboot. Without going into all the details and many attempts to reboot while on the phone with Dish as per their instructions, the furthest I was able to get was to get the system info screen to come up. This did confirm the download was complete. (L149HECD-N) Advanced tech made a last attempt with a hard reboot (unplug). Generally what would happen with all of these reboots was Dish emblem came up, Acquiring info from satellite would come up for about 5 minutes then screen would go blank, power light and HD light on 921 on but no picture displayed and I was unable to access the menu. Turn power off then back on and still nothing. Could not even enable an output to display system info screen. At this point Dish advanced tech said the only thing it could be was a bad unit. He said they (Dish CSR'S) are no longer allowed to RA units and I would be receiving a call within 72 hours from Dish 921 engineering dept. Before he hung up he said you may want to disconnect your antenna feeds and then try to reboot. I did this and WHALA!!!! I actually was able to get the menu to come up. I reconnected the feeds and went directly to point dish screen. At that point the unit started acting flaky and showed no satellite signal strength (119 SAT) then locked up as in crashed. I was unable to get out of that screen so I turned off power and did another hard reboot. After this reboot I was still unable to get a picture, but I could access the menu. Because the point dish showed no signal lock in my previous attempt I went right to switch check.Switch check "OK". Got out of that screen and I had a picture, but it took a long time for it to come up. First a blank info screen for a couple of seconds, then the info showed up in the bar then after some more seconds later the picture showed up. I changed channels and the unit was acting slow. I know from previous experience it was ready to crash again. Out of curiosity I went to the ADD DTV screen to check my OTA signal strength. Put in a channel, it locked onto that channel and then unit froze up. (crashed again) Rebooted again (IT IS NOW 10:00 PM) and now it seems to be fine. I'm sorry for this long winded explanation, but I just wanted to give you a feel of what I had to do to get this unit operational before I ask my question. Did you ever experience this much difficulty to get a new unit booted up? Do you think this 921 is indeed a lemon and will continue to give me problems based on all the trouble I had getting it booted up? By the way, this is a new unit. Serial number begins with an "R" and it says new replacement right on the box. Also, when I opened the box the unit was not properly seated in the packing. Like it had been jarred loose. Any thoughts or insight would be appreciated. Thanks !pride


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

I think that what you describe is primarily caused by software. I say that because I've had almost exactly the same thing happen to my 921 under L149 (and once under L146). Remember when I was suggesting when the 921 gets into this state, press the sysinfo button, and then power cycle? That doesn't work anymore I've found. The only thing that gets the 921 back for me is unplugging it for a couple of minutes, and then plugging it back in. After doing that, it has always come back and booted properly.


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## BarryO (Dec 16, 2003)

Eagles said:


> This did confirm the download was complete. (L149HECD-N)


When I got my replacement, L149 was already installed. I checked Sys Info right after it finished booting up, and I know it couldn't have gotten a new software download _that_ fast.


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## anderdea (Jan 13, 2004)

My wife just called and told me that my replacement (4th unit) just arrived.  I asked for it in the beginning of March. I will be hooking it up Friday Afternoon (first free moment I have and I don't want to rush it) and I hope it goes OK but I'm a little concerned after reading the initial post of this thread!! :nono2: I asked her to see if there was anything on the box that indicated whether it was a new or refurbished unit. All she could see was something that read "New Replacement" whatever that means.

Don


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## BarryO (Dec 16, 2003)

I think "new replacement" means it's new, but it doesn't include the remote and the cables.


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## 421602 (Jan 30, 2004)

I have had similar issues with a 721. I tried for hours to get it to boot. Finally umplugging the sat feeds let it boot. ONce I plugged them in again, it crashed. In the end, reversing the feeds solved all of the problems.


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## sleepy hollow (Aug 25, 2003)

Eagles said:


> Received replacement 921 yesterday. ... Any thoughts or insight would be appreciated. Thanks !pride


Well, not sure if this applies, here is what happened when my 921 was installed:

We had a lot of trouble getting it to boot up. My installation included adding a D300 to get must carry locals, plus a 510 upgrade to replace an old Phillips receiver. In addition, they added an SW34 (I think that is the number - so quickly forget these details) that requires a power inserter on one of the feeds. It's the switch that allows 2 dishes - 500 and 300 - to put out up to 4 feeds.

At first, got the medallion and the sysinfo screens and some error message blue box screens, but never got to receiving any channels.

After talking to DISH, they told my installer to take the SW34? power source off of the feed to the 921 and move it to the 510 feed.

After he had done this, the unit booted just fine. Have had no problems in that area since.

So, my advice is to be sure you have 2 good feeds (without a power inserter on either one) or the 921 may appear to be giving you fits.


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## anderdea (Jan 13, 2004)

Well it apperars that it's a refurbished unit. As a quick observation, the power cord was wrapped in a coil under the unit, causing it to sit cocked at an angle in the styrofoam cushion and one of the cushions was split and separated, giving very little if any support. It flat Pi--es me off that with all the problems we (the unpaid beta testers) have had to endure, the QA still appears to SUCK.  I hope it works when I hook it up on Friday.

Don


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## Eagles (Dec 31, 2003)

anderdea said:


> Well it apperars that it's a refurbished unit.
> 
> It should say right on the box if it's new or not. Look at the serial number. If it begins with an "R" it's new. It should say "NEW REPLACEMENT" on a sticker right next to it. Mine was new, and when I opened it up it was also cocked. I think that may have been due to the way it was handled after it left out for shipping.
> Let us know how you make out.
> !pride


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## FarNorth (Nov 27, 2003)

The way these units are packed probably indicates that they were new units that were unpacked and then had a hardware piece changed and then repacked.


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## BarryO (Dec 16, 2003)

Mine was packed the same way, with the power cord wrapped underneath (but without causing it to sit at an angle), but I still think it's new. 

None of these satellite receivers seem to have the same level of fit and finish, or "polished" packaging, as the typical high-volume consumer electronics pice of gear.


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## anderdea (Jan 13, 2004)

Hooking up the 921, Well, Murphy’s Law kicked in again, no I take that back, Carlton’s Corollary, Murphy was an optimist. I hooked up my replacement 921 and almost exactly the same thing happened to me as the first post (Eagles) of this thread. Started out with the DN Logo then acquiring data from satellite then timed out and got a black screen. I tried again with a power button reboot. Then got booting up and then blank screen. Tried a couple of times more and any time I selected any function key on remote I lost any video (acquiring data, booting etc). I tried to get the menu so I could perform a switch check but no video. A good part of the time I was talking with Advanced Tech Support. More about that conversation later. I am using legacy LNB’s at 110, 119 and 61.4 through a SW64 switch. I really think that a lot of the initial problem has to do with the 64 switch and the 921 trying to get 119 without a switch check. I pulled the smart card and was finally able to get video. I then went to switch check and the 921 recognized the switch a lot quicker than any of the other 921’s I had.

Now to DN Advanced Tech Support:
I got the party line, the 921 has original none updated software, Wrong, mine already had 149 loaded. 

No new hardware, Wrong. The tech finally admitted that the letters after the 149 software number indicated different hardware than he was use to seeing. At this the tech became VERY interested in getting as much info on my unit as possible. It was very evident that engineering and upper management aren’t giving the tech’s the straight and skinny. As a matter of fact he was quite upset that he had been kept in the dark regarding the most recent events regarding the 921. He said it’s embarrassing when the customer knows more about the latest 921 issues than he did. 

At present the 921is operating OK. The reason that I replaced my other unit was what I thought was a very load fan and or Hard Drive. Tech support had agreed with me on this thus the authorization for a replacement. This unit is about the same volume level as the previous unit. In a quiet room it’s all you can hear, even louder that my previous HD6000u. 

Don


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## FarNorth (Nov 27, 2003)

FWIW, my replacement unit booted up just fine and other than some early issues with mis-firing timers, works flawlessly. I am very happy. Finally.


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## fox200 (Mar 21, 2004)

FarNorth said:


> FWIW, my replacement unit booted up just fine and other than some early issues with mis-firing timers, works flawlessly. I am very happy. Finally.


FarNorth,

Does the blue lite come on when the receiver is not in use?


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

The blue light will continue to come on until you guys all get the next version of the software.


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## ggw2000 (Dec 22, 2003)

anderdea said:


> No new hardware, Wrong. The tech finally admitted that the letters after the 149 software number indicated different hardware than he was use to seeing.
> 
> Could you expand on this and give us the FULL line as it is showing on your 921? Thanks, Gerry


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## anderdea (Jan 13, 2004)

ggw2000 said:


> anderdea said:
> 
> 
> > No new hardware, Wrong. The tech finally admitted that the letters after the 149 software number indicated different hardware than he was use to seeing.
> ...


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## anderdea (Jan 13, 2004)

anderdea said:


> I'll need to look at the sys info when I get home tonight.
> Don


Gerry
The System Info screen for the software/Harware version is "L149HECD-N". The DN tech said that the HECD was different from what he was use to seeing and suspected that it indicated different hardware. Can't tell you more than that.

Don


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

HECD-N is normal - that's what the normal software version suffix is. If you ever see HECD-F, you've got problems.


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