Need some switch advice before 622 arrives

[waltinvt]

Hoping I can beg some advice from Simon, Randall or one of you other hardware gurus.

What I've got:
I've got a Dish 500 with 2 LNBs for 119 & 110 + a small dish for 61.5 all running into a DP-34. Switch check on my 942 confirms 119 going to input # 1, 110 to # 2 & 61.5 to # 3. DP-34 outputs are # 1 & 3 going to 942 and # 2 going to 508.

Problem:
Although the 942 switch check indicates everything fine, the 508 recently started having signal problems and switch error messages and now will only see sat 119. Soft & hard reboots don't help.

I tried the unhooking sat cable, did switch check and then reconnected cable and again run switch check but still only 119.

I took the 508 into the living room and hooked it to one of the 942 sat lines and the switch check showed all 3 sats and DP34 as ok, so I'm assuming the receiver is ok and the problem must be in the switch or the connections but then why is everything ok on the 942?

I've got a 622 coming to replace the 942 will then be moved to replace the 508. I will probably use the 508 somewhere else in the house.

Since technically the 622 is going to be installed where the 942 is now and everything is fine there, will replacing the switch and running a 2nd line to where the 942 will be going and a line to wherever the 508 is going be covered under the normal install or am I going to have to pay for that ?

Is there any way I can insist they replace the DP34 with a DPP44 and / or the current LNBs with DPP LNBs or am I going to get stuck with additional charges?

The other thing, is the installer Dish uses up here comes from an hour and a half away, so I want to be sure he brings what ever will be needed but I'm not sure how to handle this with Dish. Now the 508 and the DP34 are less than a year old, so maybe some kind of warranty will cover them even if the "normal" install doesn't. I feel I shouldn't have to pay any extra since I don't require the dish 1000 which is supposed to be included in the price.

 

[RandallA]

Walt,

Try moving the 508 to port 4 and the 942 to ports 1 and 2, run check switch on both receivers. It could be that port 2 is going out or it could be something with the cable run (connectors, cable). You can start moving the 508 to a different port in the DP34 and let's see what it does.

As for replacing the DP34 with a DPP44 that will be ideal but don't really know if they will replace for you. If you have a bad port in the DP34 you have a case but they might just put another DP34.

Edit: I forgot to mention that the satellite tuner on the 50x receivers has been known to go south in the past. So try doing what I suggested and if the problem moves with the receiver, you might be looking at a failing 508 receiver.

 

[mdonnelly]

If you only have the two receivers, and that's all you plan to have, I think it would be more efficient for the installers to swap your Dish 500 LNB for a DPP Twin. It'll handle the 61.5 input, and won't require an external switch, and you won't need any new cable runs. Just a DP separator for each of the dual tuner receivers.

Oops, sorry, I didn't see that you planned to keep the 508 for something.

 

[waltinvt]

Walt,

Try moving the 508 to port 4 and the 942 to ports 1 and 2, run check switch on both receivers. It could be that port 2 is going out or it could be something with the cable run (connectors, cable). You can start moving the 508 to a different port in the DP34 and let's see what it does.

As for replacing the DP34 with a DPP44 that will be ideal but don't really know if they will replace for you. If you have a bad port in the DP34 you have a case but they might just put another DP34.

Edit: I forgot to mention that the satellite tuner on the 50x receivers has been known to go south in the past. So try doing what I suggested and if the problem moves with the receiver, you might be looking at a failing 508 receiver.

Started snowing again, so I'll have to wait to go up on the roof to change the port connections. As for the 508 tuner going bad, that's what I suspected but when I hooked it to one of the 942 feeds, it passed the check switch fine, showing all 3 sats.

 

[waltinvt]

If you only have the two receivers, and that's all you plan to have, I think it would be more efficient for the installers to swap your Dish 500 LNB for a DPP Twin. It'll handle the 61.5 input, and won't require an external switch, and you won't need any new cable runs. Just a DP separator for each of the dual tuner receivers.

Oops, sorry, I didn't see that you planned to keep the 508 for something.

Whether I'll use the 508 in another room is still up in the air at this point but I wanted to be prepared if I decide to. If they swap out the Dish 500 LNBs for a DPP Twin, which would handle the 942 & 622 ok, what would I have to do if I decide to add the 508 later?
Thanks

 

[RandallA]

You will need a DPP44 switch if you want to add the 508.

 

[gbjbany]

would another option be to add another dp34 ? That way he could keep the 508 now or add it back later. I also thought the dp34's were cheaper. Only thing with this would approach is the need to run an extra cable to the 508 current location for the 942

You may have thought of it already so aplogise, but the other thing to remember walt is, for the 942, at the 508 location, you'll need the infamous phone connection. Otherwisee the annoying message and possible fees.

 

[RandallA]

"would another option be to add another dp34 ?"

That's correct, I should've said DPP44 or two DP34s. A DPP44 will make life easier with single runs to the dual tuners and if Dish provides it when they add the 622 that will be even better.

 

[waltinvt]

would another option be to add another dp34 ? That way he could keep the 508 now or add it back later. I also thought the dp34's were cheaper. Only thing with this would approach is the need to run an extra cable to the 508 current location for the 942

You may have thought of it already so aplogise, but the other thing to remember walt is, for the 942, at the 508 location, you'll need the infamous phone connection. Otherwisee the annoying message and possible fees.

I've always had the phone connection there for the 508 (PPVs), so that's not a problem but thanks for the reminder.

 

[boba]

Adding a dish 1000 if you have a justification for keeping the 61.5(like Sky Angel) would require the installation of a DPP44 switch to service the 5 tuners.

 

[waltinvt]

Adding a dish 1000 if you have a justification for keeping the 61.5(like Sky Angel) would require the installation of a DPP44 switch to service the 5 tuners.

Don't think Dish will go for it since in Vermont as far as I know, the Dish 1000 doesn't do any more than the Dish 500.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Right - No D1000 in VT.

RandallA has the right idea - pair up the ports for the 942, just on general principles.

But before all that, pull power on BOTH receivers at the SAME TIME to reset the DP34.

One thing - try and get the installer to move that switch down off the roof. There's no reason for it to be inaccessible.