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Dish network eastern arc meter


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I have an older inexpensive meter that works just fine for me on the western arc birds.  However when I switch to the eastern arc it doesn't seem to work.  The LNBs are fine and if I fool with it long enough using just the TV setup I can get it all working.  However the old meter is useless on the eastern arc.  

Is this even possible ... maybe different bands?  If so, how do I find a replacement that will work?  

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When I was still using DPP LNBF (standard) heads, my FirstStrike FS-1 meter worked fine for both the EA and WA.  They both use the same frequencies and DESC commands for operation.  You might have a case where the default selection in the LNBF Multiswitch is not connecting the coax with your meter to the proper LNB (72.2).

When I changes to hybrid DPH LNBF heads for a Hopper 3, I had to get a Super Buddy 29 as that is the only meter qualified with the hybrid heads.

 

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54 minutes ago, Mark and Dale Bruss said:

When I was still using DPP LNBF (standard) heads, my FirstStrike FS-1 meter worked fine for both the EA and WA.  They both use the same frequencies and DESC commands for operation.  You might have a case where the default selection in the LNBF Multiswitch is not connecting the coax with your meter to the proper LNB (72.2).

When I changes to hybrid DPH LNBF heads for a Hopper 3, I had to get a Super Buddy 29 as that is the only meter qualified with the hybrid heads.

 

Thanks for the reply.  Is there any way I can check the switch configuration?  The LNBs themselves work fine.

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There is no configuration to the switch, it is electronic and just works.  Are you using just one cable to the dish?  Into which port of the LNBF head are you using?  It needs to o in the leftmost position looking at the connectors.  When you run the Switch test, what is the ID for the switch?

Maybe we should define on just how the meter not work?

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To be clear, the EA LNB for a 1000.2 dish has 72.7 on port 1, and 61.5 on port 2, with port 3 the LNB input for a wing dish. On a 1000.4 dish, the EA LNB port 1 is 77, port 2 is 72.7, and port 3 is 61.5, with port 4 the LNB input.

Dutch
2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A
F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS
2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump
ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system

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5 hours ago, Mark and Dale Bruss said:

There is no configuration to the switch, it is electronic and just works.  Are you using just one cable to the dish?  Into which port of the LNBF head are you using?  It needs to o in the leftmost position looking at the connectors.  When you run the Switch test, what is the ID for the switch?

Maybe we should define on just how the meter not work?

Good question.  Here's the behavior when I'm using the eastern arc LNBs.  As I aim the dish the meter never peaks.  Then, once in a while it pegs and stays pegged no matter where I aim the dish - as if I have the sensitivity turned full on.  (when using the western arc LNB's the meter works fine).

So, I take the meter out of line, open the camper door and turn the TV volume way up while on the setup screen.  Without any further issue I hear the tone peak, lock the dish down and am good to go, receiving the two satellites, etc.

Thanks for helping me think through this.

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2005 Safari Cheetah Motorhome

 

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2 hours ago, Dutch_12078 said:

To be clear, the EA LNB for a 1000.2 dish has 72.7 on port 1, and 61.5 on port 2, with port 3 the LNB input for a wing dish. On a 1000.4 dish, the EA LNB port 1 is 77, port 2 is 72.7, and port 3 is 61.5, with port 4 the LNB input.

Dutch, I'm guessing that if I had it set up wrong that I would never get the satellites, is that correct?

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In the early years, when I was trying to use the cheap $20 meter, I would spend hours trying to aim the dish.  Sometimes in desperation, I would set the dish for the least meter reading and would get one or two satellites.

I even tried the aluminum foil over the 110 and 129 LNBs to aim.  No luck.

Then I learned about the multiplex switch in the LNBF head.  The switch allows any of the LNBs to connect to any of the coax cables.  There in is the game.  You connect a cable to one of the LNBF coax connections and assume that you are connected to the respected LNB.  That hasn't been the case since DPP Dishes. 

A dish receiver tells the multiswitch which LNB it wants by either changing the voltage on the wire from 13 to 18 volts for 110 or 119, by sending a 20 KHz tome for 119, or by sending a DESC command for 129.  Without the presence of the selection, your cable can be electronically connected to any of the three LNBs.  Guess what the default 13 volts selects?  Satellite 110.  So to sure you are using 119 for the WA, you need a selection that connects your meter to the 119 LNB.  I found meters that generate a 20 KHz worked well as the 119 LNB is connected to the meter.

This is why the aluminum foil system doesn't work.  If your meter is electronically connected to a LNB that is covered by foil, you will get no signal.

For the EA, satellite 72.7 is the aiming satellite.  Since the EA LNBFs are later technology than the WA DPP LNBFs, the multiswitch may only respond to the 20 KHz tone or the DESC commands.  The thing to remember is beccause the coax in connected to a particular port on the LNBF, it may not electronically be connected to the LNB you think.

How to select the correct LNB, set the receiver on the Point Dish screen so that all tuners are set to the desired satellite (119 or 72.7)?   This is import on multiple tuner receivers and they can switch at the coax connections also.  The more reliable method is to have a smart meter that can do the multiswitch selection.  A real smart meter will also identify the satellite.

The Acutrac 22 Pro meter I used to use generated a 20 KHz tone so I was aiming with the 119 LNB but I could lock on any of the satellites and only the receiver Switch Check could tell me if I was correct.  When I got the First Strike FS-1 the meter could issue the 20 KHz tone and also the DESC commands and when I locked onto a satellite, it would read the satellite ID.  The Super Buddy 29 meter does the 20 KHz, the DESC commands, Satellite ID and also works with the Hybrid LNBFs.  The Super Buddy also has all the settings for a dish setup in it memory.

Using the receiver tone may work for the older receivers but doesn't do much good if the dish is 150' from the RV.  I found the Hopper 3 signal strength meter is rather useless until your are already locked onto the satellites. I found this when I was trying to use the FS-1 with the Hopper 3.

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Joey - 2016 Bounder 33C Tige - 2006 40' Travel Supreme
Sparky III - 2021 Mustang Mach-e, off the the Road since 2019
Useful HDT Truck, Trailer, and Full-timing Info at
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8 hours ago, GR "Scott" Cundiff said:

Dutch, I'm guessing that if I had it set up wrong that I would never get the satellites, is that correct?

Not exactly... The ports I listed are the unswitched defaults that work with a meter that only uses the receiver output voltage or an external source to power the LNB and blocks any switching signals. It also helps to select the satellite you want to key on using the receiver's diagnostics page. If your meter handles 20kHz/DESC switching, then it doesn't matter which port you use, other than the input port of course. I use a relatively low cost ($50 about 5 years ago) meter that lets me select the satellite I'm looking for and select the LNB port I'm connected to. The downside is that the meter only locks on the WA sats, not on the EA sats, so I peak on the EA just using the signal strength and quality readings. It's rare that I don't hit them the first try, but I do sometimes go back to optimize the readings across 61.5 and 72.7. The 77 sat is usually only important to me where I can't get a good "look" at 61.5 through the trees.  

Dutch
2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A
F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS
2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump
ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system

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When I change the LNBs out I've started the satellite search, I think, with everything set up correctly: using the correct LNB connector, the TV setup screen on 72, the meter in line.  Just the same as when I search the western arc on 119.  After trying to aim the dish and getting no meter response, I may get a bit creative, trying 61.5, tin foil, most anything to try to get it going.  I think I know what I'm doing - usually I get the western arc birds in 5 minutes or less.  That's why I started wondering if the old meter somehow wasn't compatible with the eastern arc.  

I really dislike doing it by turning the TV volume up so that all the neighbors are hearing it.  

Since you guys don't seem to think there should be any problem so far as incompatibility with the meter I'm leaning toward just buying another one and trying it.

Our "Here and There" Blog

 

2005 Safari Cheetah Motorhome

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
14 hours ago, GR "Scott" Cundiff said:

Just a follow up - I got a baby monitor and it works quite well, better than the meter.  It monitor was just $20 from Amazon.

☺️

Ed

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