I haven't been doing sat installs for a couple of years now but I had to go back and add a multiswitch for a customer this week. When I went to do a signal strength check I got some strange results. Some transponders were up in the mid 90's and some were down in the mid 40's. It wasn't an issue of odd or even either. It was just all over the map. I had to get to another job so I'll be going back next week to do some other work and double check the sat but I never saw anything quite like that before. The customer says he has all of his channels and isn't having any problems but he only watches three different channels so that's not a great test. The equipment is the old round dish connected to a Spaun 2 x 4 switch. Which brings up another question. Anybody have a list of what's available on just the round dish? The customer refuses to have a bigger dish on the roof but the family member that just moved in (hence the third receiver) wants as much as they can get. I'm going to call DirecTV but I never had much luck with them before so...
Thanks in advance

DirecTV has the new Phase 3 multisat dish. The old multisat dish dimensions were 18"high by 24"wide. New dish measurements are 18" high by 20" wide. The problem you are seeing may be four things. LNB, multiswitch, condition of cabling and fittings, or the receiver itself. I would start with the cabling, then since you added a switch try that next. A faulty LNB is very slim, try resetting the receiver first.

Thanks, The signal strength was consistant between receivers and I kind of doubt the cabling is faulty but it will need be checked on Monday. If the new dish is down to 18 x 20 perhaps I could get him to upgrade. Of course that makes the new switch obsolete, such is life. Thanks again

Some of the transponders are being used for other things now. (i.e. transponder 18, will always be low in Mich.) Transponder 12 will always show you 100%.Transponder 20 is for locals. But to answer your question. There should only be 2 or 3 transponders that are VERY LOW. If there are more than that you definitely have a problem. And, in that case I digress to Pink Taco's response. If they are all acting the same go straight to the multiswitch.