Community Forums

Mwudel · 05-06-2014, 04:00 PM

Ok here we go have a 2003 HR Imperial with the factory installed sat dish it is a Cruise TV DBS-30500 with a newer Direct tv box. Here is were it get a little weird. Had this set up working last fall before we put it up for the year. Went to Oklahoma a couple weeks ago and it worked fine at the house but when we got there they was nothing at all on the signal meter. Spent a couple hours on the phone with customer service and got nothing.

Well we get home and park it in the drive way and guess what... it works perfect even with the elevation still set to 49 for the Oklahoma location. Well we take it out last weekend, now keep in mind we have change NOTHING, go 30 miles from home and guess what ALL zeroes on the signal meter. Call customer support go through all the same trouble shooting crap and nothing must be faulty box they will send a tech out to check it out.

Well we get home and as you can probably guess it work perfect and the tech finds nothing wrong. I can assure you that I get anyplace away from home and it will not work. What are we missing here...

This is just crazy anyone have any ideas!!!!

HELP THE WIFE AND GRAND KIDS ARE GOING NUTS.

Mark

FlyingDiver · 05-06-2014, 04:24 PM

When it works at home, are you on battery or shore power? Could it be a power issue, to either the controller or the receiver? Is it actually deploying?

Which device has the signal meter? The control box or the satellite receiver? If the receiver, what satellite and transponder are you looking at?

94-Newmar · 05-07-2014, 04:40 AM

When powering up, are you entering "00" for your elevation or are you entering it based upon zip code? If the latter then I suggest entering it manually and trying again. These units weren't the best at stepping thru elevation and azimuth before giving up since these units would only make 8 or 10 passes in 10 or 12 degree steps to find satellites if in full automatic mode. When it finally gives up, are there any errors showing on the status light?

charles tuit · 05-07-2014, 08:22 AM

I have found that you must have a national channel programmed in the receiver. If you have a local channel and have moved out of the reception zone the strength meter in the receiver will not register. Hope this helps.

Mwudel · 05-10-2014, 07:46 AM

Sorry guys been away from a computer for a couple days.

At home it works shore power,inverter or gen No problems at all.

I enter the elevation bases off of zip code away from home and I have done the 00 deal neither seem to work.

Direct is completely baffled by the whole deal also

Thanks

Mark

FlyingDiver · 05-10-2014, 08:28 AM

I'm assuming that when you're parked at home (and it works), you're always in the same spot, with the vehicle facing the same direction. But when you try the dish in other locations, you're not facing the same way.

So try this - get a compass heading when you're parked at home, so you know the exact orientation of the vehicle. Then go to a big parking lot nearby. Park facing the exact same direction as you park at home. Try the dish. Now move the RV so it's facing 90 to the left or right. Try again.

What I think is happening is that the programming in that old controller is out of date, and it's having a hard time determining which satellite it's locked on. When you're at home, the sees the correct satellite first, so it works. But when you're somewhere else, and it's starting from a different azimuth, it sees a different satellite first, and locks on the wrong one.

Since I don't think there are any updates available for that controller, I don't think you can really fix this problem.

Grimesy · 05-10-2014, 08:39 AM

Possible solution might be to go where it doesn't work and have repair service come to you. If Directv wants to keep you as a customer I would hope they would co operate.

Don G.

FlyingDiver · 05-10-2014, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grimesy

Possible solution might be to go where it doesn't work and have repair service come to you. If Directv wants to keep you as a customer I would hope they would co operate.

Don G.

If it's a problem with the automatic dish, then DirecTV can't do a darn thing and won't even try. The OP would have to go to a dealer that does automatic dishes, that might still be a problem because I don't think that model dish is supported anymore. It's old.

chiefneon · 05-10-2014, 10:13 AM

Howdy!

If you are calling DTV with a problem with your RV satellite system good luck. I have spent the last four days on the phone with DTV trying to get a receiver and remote for my new RV that is RF instead of IR and is not HDTV. They even sent out a DTV tech yesterday. My experence is DTV does not have a clue when it comes to RV satellite systems.

"Happy Trails"
Chiefneon

TVforMyRV · 05-11-2014, 06:29 AM

Ok. The bad news.

The Cruise TV DBS 30500 is an old Datron unit labeled as a "Jensen/ASA". Very few if any parts are available, and there is no support or software upgrades. FlyingDriver is correct in his diagnosis and advice. As long as it works, you can keep using it, but if it hiccups, there is very little likelihood of fixing it. DirecTV is not going to be of any help, it is outside of their experience and responsibility.

The Datrons have been pretty much non-repairable for several years now.

mel s · 05-11-2014, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mwudel

Ok here we go have a 2003 HR Imperial with the factory installed sat dish it is a Cruise TV DBS-30500 with a newer Direct tv box. Here is were it get a little weird. Had this set up working last fall before we put it up for the year. Went to Oklahoma a couple weeks ago and it worked fine at the house but when we got there they was nothing at all on the signal meter.

I can assure you that I get anyplace away from home and it will not work. What are we missing here...

This is just crazy anyone have any ideas!!!!
Mark

Mark
This might be a dumb question but are you following the "automatic satellite acquisition & peaking" procedure of the DBS-30500 when you relocate/move your coach?
See: mypdfmanuals.com/user-manual,AUDIOVOX,DBS-30500,2298398.pdf

BTW, DirecTV is little help with "satellite acquisition problems".
Since the DirecTV receiver is working when it sees a satellite signal, you need a tech familiar with the DBS-30500.
Mel
'96 Safari

Mwudel · 05-11-2014, 08:47 AM

Yes i follow the directions to the t and even try the manual mode or what ever they call it. They say if it locks on wrong sat turn it from view to stow real quick and it will look for another sat in that area and this will not work either.

Funny thing is at home It can be Parked facing straight west or with the trailer hooked up I have to back into a different parking area and it is straight north. Both ways At home it picks it up fully automatic. Just was at my chassis shop yesterday 15 miles south or here facing straight west and all zeros.

Guess I will have to break down and get a new dish to keep everyone happy and to save my sanity.

Anyone have a recommendation that won't break the bank.

Thanks for all the help

Mark

FlyingDiver · 05-11-2014, 09:19 AM

If you don't need in-motion, then a Winegard Trav'ler is probably the best dish currently available. I think it's about $1600 installed. Be wary of getting any kind of dish that requires a serial port on the receiver, as most don't have them anymore.

mel s · 05-11-2014, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mwudel

Yes i follow the directions to the t
Anyone have a recommendation that won't break the bank.
Thanks for all the help
Mark

Another silly question:
Have you been trying it at home with shore power connected and at other places without?
(In in other words are all conditions exactly the same except for the location)?

BTW, when my 16 year old KingDome locks onto any of the of the 4, (or 5?), "wrong satellites", the TV displays "no satellite signal".
To continue the search I must press "on/search" on the KingDome control,..... (if I press OFF and try again it locks onto the same wrong satellite time after time).
Does your manual say anything about "continuing a search" if/when it locks onto the wrong satellite?

Mel
'96 Safari, DirecTV, SD only, (only from satellite 101).