Satellite # 82 Dish Network !?

[WeBeFulltimers]

I am full timing with a Hopper3 and Dish 1000.2 with the EA Hybrid LNB mounted on a surveyor's tripod using TV4RV mount. I have been having excellent success and service with this set-up in the Southeast for about 6 months.

 

Just moved to Sault Ste. Marie, MI for a few days and unable to get the system to work. On the diagnostic screen it doesn't even show Sat #72 available but shows a #82. Using my phone app when I look at the sky I have a very clear shot of all birds to include 72 but no 82!

 

Is this an issue with my being VERY near Canada?

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

Sounds like you are 10 degrees off to the right. Is 82 the only satellite on the Check Dish screen?

[WeBeFulltimers]

72 DOES NOT show up at all now on the screen. 82 DOES show up but I don't think it really exists and it won't do anything at all. This is REALLY strange.

[Darryl&Rita]

82 is a Canadian market bird for Bell systems. You're on the wrong satt.

[WeBeFulltimers]

The diagnostic screen does not allow me to select 72. It is like it doesn't exist where I am (Canadian border). I will move on Monday to Mackinaw City. Maybe things will get back to normal then.

[Biker56]

Try getting the 110°W, 119°W, and 129°W

[Darryl&Rita]

The dish is physically pointed in the wrong place. It has nothing to do with the screen menu.

[JohnM]

We had the same symptom occur at two locations in central PA. Running several check switch /and reboots did not clear it. Disconnected coax fm dish then reconnected it; Got screen "acquiring satellites"; then went to menu 6,1,1 and was able to see Sat 72 on menu. Did search from east to west to acquire and peak signal. I was a happy camper at that point and didn't try to replicate the problem, but will pay more attention to it when setting up in MD tomorrow.

[WeBeFulltimers]

Try getting the 110°W, 119°W, and 129°W

 

I was told when I got the Hopper3 that it required use of EA Hybrid LNB and that is what I have and it finds 61.5 & 72 birds.

[WeBeFulltimers]

The dish is physically pointed in the wrong place. It has nothing to do with the screen menu.

I have used this tripod system for 6 years and never had a problem like this finding the bird. I firmly believe I am within 1-2 degrees of #72. I have also done a sweep of 10 degrees left and right and did not find #72. I use SatFinder Lite phone app to check for obstructions and when I look for birds using it I see #72 but no 82. Why is 82 showing on my diagnostic screen and not 72?

[WeBeFulltimers]

We had the same symptom occur at two locations in central PA. Running several check switch /and reboots did not clear it. Disconnected coax fm dish then reconnected it; Got screen "acquiring satellites"; then went to menu 6,1,1 and was able to see Sat 72 on menu. Did search from east to west to acquire and peak signal. I was a happy camper at that point and didn't try to replicate the problem, but will pay more attention to it when setting up in MD tomorrow.

Thank you. I will try today and see if this works.

[WeBeFulltimers]

Thank you. I will try today and see if this works.

 

 

Thanks, but didn't work for me.

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

I detect you have a Hopper 3. Are you running the Switch Check? It is not called Switch Check anymore. You go Settings, Diagnostics, Dish, Test Installation.

 

The problem with smartphone satellite finders is that they show satellites from the viewpoint of the phone and not the dish. Pretty good for seeing if trees in the way but the phone would have to be at the focus point of the dish to see what the dish sees and then you can't see.

 

The arm of the dish is no indicator of the signal path. The Skew is 27 degrees off vertical which swings the beam to the right and the signal from the LNBF to the dish to the satellite is 15 degrees, more right. And your are only 10 degrees off.

 

At least where you are there is less Magnetic Deviation on the Azimuth, maybe -2 degrees.

 

Without a meter, and for a Hybrid DPH LNBF for the Hopper 3, you need a Super Buddy, you can't use the Hopper 3 as a meter until you have the desired satellite detected in the Switch Check. Then you can optimize. Since you are looking for 61.5 and 72.7 (about a 11 degrees spread), assuming you are aiming the 72.7 LNBF at 82, then 61.5 should should almost show up as 72.7. So I would guess you are more than 10 degree too far to the right.

 

You have to swing the dish left at least 10 degrees, a challenge as there is no protractor for the sky. Then run the Switch Check again until 72.7 and/or 61.5 show up. Then you can tweak.

[WeBeFulltimers]

Everything has worked fine for about 6 months and then went crazy when I arrived at the Canadian border. On initial set up here the 72 sat showed up as normal and then went away and was replaced by a sat 82 (?). Even my remote will not work now for anything but TV volume! Really frustrated. Will be moving 60 miles South tomorrow and will try again.

[WeBeFulltimers]

Macinaw City and still the same old garbage.

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

Macinaw City and still the same old garbage.

Did you do a switch check? If you did, there is no way for the Hopper to remember satellite 82.

[WeBeFulltimers]

Did you do a switch check? If you did, there is no way for the Hopper to remember satellite 82.

 

Yes, I did a switch check and everything else that I have done in the past 6 years using this set-up with a VIP722 and now the Hopper3. I am not an electronics expert by any means but I have been using/setting up this system for some time now including successfully pointing the dish.

 

WHERE DID THIS SATELLITE #82 COME FROM AND HOW DO I GET RID OF IT AND GET MY #72 BACK?!

[chirakawa]

 

Yes, I did a switch check and everything else that I have done in the past 6 years using this set-up with a VIP722 and now the Hopper3. I am not an electronics expert by any means but I have been using/setting up this system for some time now including successfully pointing the dish.

 

WHERE DID THIS SATELLITE #82 COME FROM AND HOW DO I GET RID OF IT AND GET MY #72 BACK?!

 

I'm not familiar with the Hopper3 software, but on the VIP software you can select which antenna you're using on the "point dish" screen. Do you have that option with the Hopper3? If so, have you tried selecting a different antenna? It never really mattered on the VIP, but it might on the Hopper3. Just a thought.

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

Well there is something you are not doing. The Hopper satellite table is software. When it runs the Switch Check, it enters the satellites it sees from the LNBFs of the dish.

 

If you did what JohnM recommended, run the Switch Check with the coax cable removed, the end of the Switch Check should say you have less satellites than before and do you want to save them. If you say yes, the new table will have no satellites. If you say no, then the table stays the same as it was.

 

You never answered if 82 was the only satellite in your Hopper table. If it is, then the 61.5 LNBF is pointing at satellite 82, so you are 20 degrees off. Otherwise if the 72 LNBF was pointing at 82, satellite 72 should show up on the table in slot 2.

 

Then wherever you think you should point the dish, aim 20 degrees or more to the left. Then connect the coax cable and run the Switch Check again. And remember the Hopper does not call it a Switch Check, it is Settings, Diagnostics, Dish, Test Installation.

 

In 10 years of aiming a dish I have never had to clear the satellite table, but I did learn that Magnetic Deviation can make your compass up to 20 degrees off.

 

The smartphone apps can be deceiving. Right now I am setup shooting through a small hole in the trees. I am getting satellites 119 & 110. Satellite Pointer Pro, with the phone on the top edge of the dish, show all the satellites in trees. The smartphone cannot look at the satellites with the same perspective as the dish.

 

What are you using as a meter to aiming the dish? If you are using the Hopper, you will not be successful until you get satellite 72 in the table because the Hopper meter displays a satellite from the table. Actually the Hopper is no different that a VIP722, you can only meter satellites in the table. But the table will not change until a Switch Check is done, A power cycle does not change the table.

[Dutch_12078]

Try running a switch check with no dish connected to clear the sat table. Then run it again with the dish attached.

[WeBeFulltimers]

 

I'm not familiar with the Hopper3 software, but on the VIP software you can select which antenna you're using on the "point dish" screen. Do you have that option with the Hopper3? If so, have you tried selecting a different antenna? It never really mattered on the VIP, but it might on the Hopper3. Just a thought.

 

Yes, you have an option BUT # 72 is now replaced with #82 and 72 no longer is an option and 82 does nothing for me. I need #72! As stated above the remote is also not working and yes I have pressed the necessary "sat" button remote SEVERAL times. This is all very unusual and frustrating. When I have time I will call Dish about this again and ask from the beginning for someone with technical knowledge. Wife/friends have be running right now!

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

I get the impression that the every answer from WeBeFulltimers is "I had been doing this for 6 years and all I get is Satellite 82."

 

If he had truly did a Switch Check with the coax disconnected, there is no way for any satellite to be in the table.

 

I assume that the Hopper has been power cycled since he moved locations. Maybe not, if he uses an Inverter for power to the Hopper.

[chirakawa]

 

Yes, you have an option BUT # 72 is now replaced with #82 and 72 no longer is an option and 82 does nothing for me. I need #72! As stated above the remote is also not working and yes I have pressed the necessary "sat" button remote SEVERAL times. This is all very unusual and frustrating. When I have time I will call Dish about this again and ask from the beginning for someone with technical knowledge. Wife/friends have be running right now!

 

I understand your frustration. I am using the VIP software and I can select from ten different satellites ranging from 61.5 to 148. However, 82 is not present as an option. I've never seen 82 in the choices. It's going to be interesting what tech support has to say.

[Darryl&Rita]

The ONLY reason 82 even showed up, is due to geographic location, in combination with poor dish aiming. 82 is a Bell (Canadian) satellite, and will only be available up to about 100 miles (or less) of the 49th parallel. Due to copyright laws, Bell's beam doesn't go very far south.

[Mark and Dale Bruss]

The Hopper handles dish pointing different that VIP 622/722s

 

In the Hopper there is a drop down list for satellites for checking signal strength from a particular satellite/tuner/transponder combination. That list is hard coded and has all the US satellites from 61.5 to 148.

 

But the Hopper will only tune to a satellite in the SwitchStatus table. If a satellite is not found in the Switch Check scan and listed in the SwitchStatus table, you cannot check it signal.

 

So you have to run the Switch Check and then save the Results to get the found satellites in the SwitchStatus table. If the satellite/s you want are not in the table after saving, then you need to aim again and run the Switch Check again.

 

Satellite 82 can be found in the SwitchStatus table after a Switch Check even though it is not in the drop down list because the Switch Check finds satellites within the scope of a LNBF and then reads the id if it finds one.

 

If you can follow this logic, the Dish DPP 1000.2 EA dish has two LNBFs, one for 61.5 and the other for 72.7. If the 72.7 LNBF was pointing to satellite 82, then the 61.5. LNBF would be pointing at an arc location of 70.8. That is close enough for the 61.5 LNBF to report it is seeing satellite 72.7 and the SwitchStatus table should show 82, 72, x after saving. The 72.7 satellite would not be close enough to actually receive a signal from 72.7

 

Now if the 61.5 LNBF was aimed at satellite 82, then the 72.7 LNBF would be pointing at an arc location of 93.2 and would not find any satellite it could read the id of. The SwitchStatus table would show 82, x, x.

 

Now as Darryl&Rita stated, this would only happen near the Canadian border because of the signal scope of satellite 82 run right along the border,

 

So I stand, that if WeBeFulltimers is only seeing satellite 82 in his SwitchStatus table, he has not done a Switch Check, once with the coax cable disconnected to get a clear table, and then reposition the dish about 20 degrees east and run the Switch Check again.

 

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