losing prime time TV in Alaska

[vegassatellite]

Just be careful about switching because if the problem is some source of terrestrial interference, you will have the same problem on any service in the same band.

 

[running wolf]

Thanks for your input, I'm sure a larger dish and/or newer equipment should solve the issue since only people with older equipment are affected.

 

[digiblur]

I did a signal strength check again last night, all transponders were pretty high around 65, except for transponder 9, we lost this one from 6.30pm till 9pm. It's definitely man made, I called a dealer who knows an insider technician who might know something. I think it has to do with all that shoveling stations from one satellite to another.
We used to have all channels on 119, now they moved some stations to 110 and tell us we would have to have two dishes to get it.
But we are looking into directv, we'll see what they can offer us.
Beautiful day today, temperature 5 below up here, 15below in the valley.
Kristine Running Wolf

It's been a long time since they moved any AK stations around. The thing that puzzles me is it is affecting multiple people. What transponders on which birds are you losing?

 

[Van]

Things I'd still like to know:

What size dish are you using.

Do you know if there have been any radio transmission or microwave transmission towers put up recently in the area.

Any neighbors recently put up a large tower or antenna?

Time specific signal loss is almost always due to a terestrial source causing interference. Dish had/has a problem with its superdish systems where the locals ( atleast where I was at when I was installing ) would go in an out and I think a couple other channels.

I've seen ems, fire, police, and correctional facilities radio towers play havoc with dish systems to and radar detectors on a couple systems but I havent heard anything about wifi causing problems yet.

 

[mboron]

I find it odd that you were installed with a 2' dish to begin with. I am in Southeast AK. and use 1.2m dishes to combat rain/snow fade and I am 700 miles to the south of Running Wolf. I also laughed heartily at Iceburg for mentioning the "mattress ranch" commercials. That has to be the goofiest commercial ever made.

 

[Mr Tony]

I also laughed heartily at Iceburg for mentioning the "mattress ranch" commercials. That has to be the goofiest commercial ever made.

but they're funny as hell...I have that jingle in my head

"Get some sleep
without counting sheep
and have another night of bliss
across from the bus barn in wasilla
now is where we is
save some bucks at the mattress ranch"

 

[Mr Tony]

what model receiver are you working with?

 

[running wolf]

OK, I have a 3' dish, sorry for that, and I am losing the even transponders 8,10,12,14,16 and transponder 9, today at 6.50pm. But I was able to talk to a supervisor and mentioning directv apparently did something, now I am getting a new "eye" to attach to the dish what could solve the problem according to her opinion. A day before yesterday tech support told me this item is not available for free for Alaska, now I am getting it free instead of $99, free S&H and only $6 per month some warranty.
Will see if that solves the problem, the other people affected are still fighting with dish network.
As far as I know there was nothing going on military wise, we are living close to military areas and other than that it's just the wolfs, lynx, rabbits and us out here. In summertime the bears but they usually end up in my frying pan.
Receiver is 3900, what does that mean? Right now I am eager to learn as much as I can to make an informed decision, -what ever that might mean-, before I think about switching to directv.
BTW, nice chatting with you guys, couldn't live without my computer out here.

Kristine Running Wolf

 

[digiblur]

OK, I have a 3' dish, sorry for that, and I am losing the even transponders 8,10,12,14,16 and transponder 9, today at 6.50pm. But I was able to talk to a supervisor and mentioning directv apparently did something, now I am getting a new "eye" to attach to the dish what could solve the problem according to her opinion. A day before yesterday tech support told me this item is not available for free for Alaska, now I am getting it free instead of $99, free S&H and only $6 per month some warranty.
Will see if that solves the problem, the other people affected are still fighting with dish network.
As far as I know there was nothing going on military wise, we are living close to military areas and other than that it's just the wolfs, lynx, rabbits and us out here. In summertime the bears but they usually end up in my frying pan.
Receiver is 3900, what does that mean? Right now I am eager to learn as much as I can to make an informed decision, -what ever that might mean-, before I think about switching to directv.
BTW, nice chatting with you guys, couldn't live without my computer out here.

Kristine Running Wolf

Is that on 110 or 119?

 

[running wolf]

119
And I am trying to find info's about how much is a dish for dish network 4' or 6', how much is that thing that goes on it, that 'eye', I found a receiver for $150 and a signal finder for $30, but radio shack has no dish in the catalog, boy, that's complicated, guess I stick with skinning animals, easier.

 

[digiblur]

119
And I am trying to find info's about how much is a dish for dish network 4' or 6', how much is that thing that goes on it, that 'eye', I found a receiver for $150 and a signal finder for $30, but radio shack has no dish in the catalog, boy, that's complicated, guess I stick with skinning animals, easier.

It doesn't have to be a dish from DishNetwork nor does the LNB have to come from them.

 

[running wolf]

Just wrote an email to radio shack for pricing. If I go to other sites they charge me an arm and a leg for S&H.

 

[mthoma11]

I use to live in Alaska and I think you are in a need to upgrade your system to a larger dish size, as I moved in 83 to Miami and when I went on the DishNetwork, even down in Miami or out to to the Caribbean Islands, Dish people needed larger dishes, as they are so far out of the Sat. Signal Range, that would be the same up in AK. also. So I would get with your dealer to get a larger dish or if your getting two Different Sat. downloads, you may need to check into the new Dish 1000 as it is larger and can be set for up to three different Sat. This is the new dish they are using for HDTV, this is just a suggestion. As I'm living in the Seattle, WA. area now and when I first moved here I had to have two dishes to pick up the different Sat's. But now have a Dish 500, but was told that when I upgrade next month to HDTV that I will have to have a Dish 1000 to get three feeds.

 

[Mr Tony]

OK, I have a 3' dish, sorry for that,

a 3 foot dish should be fine for 119. I know of a buddy in Fairbanks with a 3 footter.

and I am losing the even transponders 8,10,12,14,16 and transponder 9, today at 6.50pm.

OK now we're getting somewhere. Transponder 9 is where the Anchorage locals are. So unless you subscribe to them we shouldnt have to worry about that. Also the satellites do move a little bit and with that transponder you may be on the edge of the footprint of said transponder.

The other transponders are all Horizontal polarity which the receiver needs to send 18volts to the LNB (the eye). When it gets cold out, the LNB can die out. I had the same thing happen last year on my C-Band dish (the bigger old backyard dishes). When it got cold out (I'm in Minnesota so our cold was -20F) the Horizontal side died out. Swapped out the LNB and everything is fine.

But I was able to talk to a supervisor and mentioning directv apparently did something, now I am getting a new "eye" to attach to the dish what could solve the problem according to her opinion. A day before yesterday tech support told me this item is not available for free for Alaska, now I am getting it free instead of $99, free S&H and only $6 per month some warranty.
Will see if that solves the problem, the other people affected are still fighting with dish network.
As far as I know there was nothing going on military wise, we are living close to military areas and other than that it's just the wolfs, lynx, rabbits and us out here. In summertime the bears but they usually end up in my frying pan.
Receiver is 3900, what does that mean? Right now I am eager to learn as much as I can to make an informed decision, -what ever that might mean-, before I think about switching to directv.
BTW, nice chatting with you guys, couldn't live without my computer out here.

Kristine Running Wolf

The only thing else could be the receiver. Maybe the older receivers need a little more power to power the LNB (the thing that is being replaced)

 

[Mr Tony]

I So I would get with your dealer to get a larger dish or if your getting two Different Sat. downloads, you may need to check into the new Dish 1000 as it is larger and can be set for up to three different Sat. This is the new dish they are using for HDTV, this is just a suggestion.

welcome

couple minor errors in the above
1. Alaska needs separate dishes for 110 & 119 due to the signal being weaker there. A D1000 would be as useful in Alaska as a comb is to me
2. Some of the HD channels (HD Theatre, ESPN, TNT, ESPN2, HDNET, NFL NET, HDNET movies, Universal, HBO & SHO) are on 110 for Alaska due to them not being able to see 129. Hell people in the 48 have issues with 129

 

[running wolf]

Thanks for enlightening me, I never had to deal with that stuff before but I'm learning.
I will give the new LNB a try and I am looking into prices for a larger dish. I do know that some people have two dishes for 119 and 110, but we are not that TV crazy, as long we get Anchorage on TP 9 -Fairbanks is not available at all- and IFC for me and TVland for hubby -he's the intellectual one- we are just fine.
And I am looking into directv new customer offers, might be less expensive. We'll see.

Kristine Running Wolf

 

[Chena]

I will give the new LNB a try and I am looking into prices for a larger dish. I do know that some people have two dishes for 119 and 110, but we are not that TV crazy, as long we get Anchorage on TP 9 -
Kristine Running Wolf

Hopefully, its just the lnb. But in case you are interested, here is the website listed on our bigger dish we got from Lou's in North Pole:

http://www.anderseninc.com/index_2.html

Between the snow and steep dropoff, I can't see the front of our smaller dish.

 

[Van]

.
As far as I know there was nothing going on military wise, we are living close to military areas

If you know anyone that works on the base ask them if they know of any new towers or if they are doing any kind of training on the base. The military has in the past had issues with its communication signals and that of a sat service provider not getting along very well.

If you can I'd get with the other people in your area that are being affected and all of you start keeping track of this problem with a daily log, call dish again and ask to talk to a TSR 3 ( nifty title for an over the phone repairman ) and try to get a email correspondance set up detailing once a day what you and the neighbors are experiencing. What this will do is give them a better idea of whats going on, if it is indeed a more pronounced wobble of the satellite then hopefully they can catch it early enough.

 

[running wolf]

One of the people had that LNB replaced and they are doing fine now, another is not here right now and another one relined the dish, get a signal about 65 but still lose and we still lose at 6.40pm - 6.50pm SHARP.
I am corresponding with dish network via email, but what they told me so far is just plain a joke. Quote "The receivers need an absolute minimum of signal strength of 70 to work properly." if we get around 65 we are just happy, usually it's between 60 - 65 up here and 55-60 down in the valley with the trees etc.
Kristine Running Wolf

 

[Mr Tony]

I will give the new LNB a try and I am looking into prices for a larger dish. I do know that some people have two dishes for 119 and 110, but we are not that TV crazy, as long we get Anchorage on TP 9 -Fairbanks is not available at all-

Fairbanks locals are on 110. Anchorage locals are on 119. Also the HD channels are on 110 too so that's why some people have 2 dishes (also a couple of the larger packages have channels off 110)