Community Forums

dkperez · 10-17-2019, 03:16 PM

Not a joke...

For the last 3 weeks we were traveling. And the old Winegard 1518
and HR24 in the 5th wheel worked fine. It's never GREAT, and I sometimes have to go through some stupidity to get it to work, but it usually FINDS the satellite and with sometimes going through the setup so it verifies and all that, usually works.

It worked just FINE last Friday. Today, 6-days later, in exactly the same place I was then, nothing. it never connects to the satellite. I've moved it, restarted it, switched cables, talked nicely to it, sworn at it, moved it again, turned it sideways, and no connection.

I can hear it whining away and churning as it always does, but I've got no connection to the satellite.

I'm going to pull the cover off and see if it's anything obvious, but I just thought, since DirecTv keeps threatening to take SD away, that I'd make sure they having done anything problematic in the last week...

becks · 10-17-2019, 04:39 PM

On Oct 14th we turned on our Direct TV and found we also had no HD. The next day we had HD. I guess these days we never know what we will experience with Direct TV.

wfalch · 10-17-2019, 05:19 PM

What to expect? Higher bills for sure!

litzdog911 · 10-18-2019, 12:34 AM

DirecTV is gradually turning off SD/MPEG2 broadcasts over the next year. You should be contacted before it hits your local area to take advantage of a free swap for newer MPEG4-compatible equipment.

HoTatII · 10-18-2019, 05:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by litzdog911

DirecTV is gradually turning off SD/MPEG2 broadcasts over the next year. You should be contacted before it hits your local area to take advantage of a free swap for newer MPEG4-compatible equipment.

Yeah ...

Current status;

Local market Ku band SD/MPEG-2 spotbeams from 119° W.L., slowly, but progressively being turned off.

Local market Ku band SD/MPEG-2 spotbeams from 101° W.L., unchanged for now.

Nationwide transponders on Ku band SD/MPEG-2 from 95° and 119° W.L., (incl'd 3 Span. A3 HD chs.) are still active, but days are numbered. And both slots are currently duplicated in MPEG-4 A3 format on the Reverse Band from 99° W.L.

Nationwide transponders from 101° W.L., unchanged for now.

(Note: The aforementioned nationwide tps. mirrored from 119° W.L. on the RB at 99° W.L. are preparing to move to 103(ca) tps. 1-7 at 103° W.L.)

dkperez · 10-19-2019, 06:26 AM

I called Winegard and got a person that still remembered the 1518!

The outcome was that if you don't have "good" connections for both primary and secondary cables, the dome won't find the satellite.

The dome was doing a vertical tilt about 30 degrees or so, then return to pointing straight up. Then rotate around 30 degrees and go back. Then vertical and back to straight up. It wasn't seeking anything, just repeatedly doing that - and it would apparently do it indefinitely.

SO, I pulled the cables from the ports on the trailer and repeatedly pushed them on and off. Then tried again and it found the satellite at 101 (I believe)...

SO, A RELATED QUESTION: Cable ends, whether I'm using the screw-in ends or I put a push-on adapter on, get "corrosion" or some kind of smutch on them. Same thing for the ports on the trailer. Doesn't seem to matter how good the cables are - I've used cheap ones, and NOT cheap ones.

HOW do I clean whatever is on the connectors off so they'll make a really good connections, and HOW do I PREVENT the problem in the future?
From VERY vague recollection, I seem to remember something called Cremolin (probably not correct spelling) way back in the past that would remove whatever gets on the contacts of circuit boards and cables and whatever. Sprayed it on, it foamed and did whatever, and things were clean and shiny.

So, for however long it still works, how do I get the best connections for the 1518?

And when SD goes away, how are y'all going to connect to the HD, whether Directv or Dish? I used to have a manual dish and it was a nightmare - even WITH a signal strength meter it was very difficult to get the dish to connect when I was traveling alone, and if there was wind, at random points it would knock the tripod over - a couple times even with it connected to the ground. It was a big pain in the neck...

I'm not much thrilled with the idea of having put a $2000 thing on the trailer roof (Trav'ler or equivalent), but I'm equally not thrilled about going back to the PITA manual dish. Is there a better signal strength meter that can identify the satellite it's reading from and make the process easier, especially when traveling alone?

John Hilley · 10-19-2019, 02:39 PM

Best tod cut connector off and install a new one

Use Stuf Dielectric Grease

Bob_C · 10-19-2019, 02:55 PM

Directv Aim Meter......I have and use one, but they're really proud of them.....600+.....and most of the quick connectors loose tension fairly fast..I had std def Thursday morn before leaving Yuma...I have a Slimline 3lbn dish on a tripod that will replace my std def King Flex portable, and now also won a King Dish Tailgater at a rally raffle......Thing about the Aim meter....you don't neede anything hooked up to dish to lock onto a satellite, just the cable to the lbn's.....I have also used my outside tv laying on a lawn chair to get a meter strength reading of transponders, but it's a slower process and you need everything hooked up....

dkperez · 10-20-2019, 02:58 PM

Wow... $600? Is it specific to Directv or will it work for Dish too?

WAY back I did the thing with the small TV outside to help aim. Cables from the dish to the DVR, then out to the tv outside, then a lot of screwing around. It was a major PITA. There's GOTTA be a better way than that.

Is there really no cost effective unit that you can use like the free app on my cell phone? Select the satellite and it shows the direction and azimuth, AND has a mode that uses the screen to see the satellite so you know it's clear...

Do any of the "reasonably" priced units (figure UNDER $200) let you pick the sat from the database and give signal strength for THAT satellite, so you KNOW you're pointing to the right place, not just from everything that's floating around up there?

egwilly · 10-20-2019, 08:15 PM

More worries. Looks like the FCC won't interfere with Dish and DTV merging.

I dumped DTV for many reasons.....looks like it was short lived. The biggest reason was ATT bought them! Arrrgh!!

dkperez · 10-21-2019, 07:55 AM

Lovely - NOTHING could go wrong there... Bills will surely come down significantly, service improve drastically, and quality go through the roof...

Oops, I think I got that wrong: Bills will surely got through the roof, service deteriorate drastically (if that's even possible), and quality go through the floor!

Lessee, is there a way for them to combine and KEEP all the WORST characteristics of both companies? I'd say pretty much guaranteed... At this rate, when we travel we'll be streaming when we can, watching OTA when available, and have a blank screen the rest (a high percentage) of the time.

Alan_Hepburn · 10-21-2019, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dkperez

Wow... $600? Is it specific to Directv or will it work for Dish too?

WAY back I did the thing with the small TV outside to help aim. Cables from the dish to the DVR, then out to the tv outside, then a lot of screwing around. It was a major PITA. There's GOTTA be a better way than that.

Is there really no cost effective unit that you can use like the free app on my cell phone? Select the satellite and it shows the direction and azimuth, AND has a mode that uses the screen to see the satellite so you know it's clear...

Do any of the "reasonably" priced units (figure UNDER $200) let you pick the sat from the database and give signal strength for THAT satellite, so you KNOW you're pointing to the right place, not just from everything that's floating around up there?

When we bought our first DirecTV outfit, back in the early '90s, it was made by Sony. The LNB had a little red LED on it that started blinking when you got close to the signal, and the better aim you got the faster it would blink. Too bad they don't still use that technology!

Bob_C · 10-21-2019, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dkperez

Wow... $600? Is it specific to Directv or will it work for Dish too?

WAY back I did the thing with the small TV outside to help aim. Cables from the dish to the DVR, then out to the tv outside, then a lot of screwing around. It was a major PITA. There's GOTTA be a better way than that.

Is there really no cost effective unit that you can use like the free app on my cell phone? Select the satellite and it shows the direction and azimuth, AND has a mode that uses the screen to see the satellite so you know it's clear...

Do any of the "reasonably" priced units (figure UNDER $200) let you pick the sat from the database and give signal strength for THAT satellite, so you KNOW you're pointing to the right place, not just from everything that's floating around up there?

Aim meter only works with Direct and Swim systems.....

dkperez · 10-22-2019, 10:56 AM

Gonna have to find a reasonable alternative then, 'cause once DTV cuts off the SD channels it'll definitely be time to look at switching to Dish if they still exist.

Past efforts have been pretty disappointing trying to get a good, workable setup from Dish for both home and travel, but I haven't talked to them in the last year.