Hello. Tonight we bought ourselves a new Directv Plus Receiver. We already have Directv satellite service which was professionally installed last June. We have one receiver hooked up in our living room. We wanted to replace this with our new DVR receiver.

We hooedk up 2 RG-6 cables from the satellite box location 1&2 and then attatched those cables to the 2 satellite in's on the back of the new receiver. Hooked up the phone like, power cords, etc. As we turned it on to start the setup, it says it can not find a satellite.

What could be the problem here? I really would like to avoid spending $100 on professional installion. This seems like it should be very simple.

I'd be forever greatful for some advice.
Thanks!
Jamie.

P.S. I know the satellite is working because we hooked up out old receiver and everything is fine.

might be looking for the wrong type of dish. If you have a round dish, the new box needs to look for a round dish. If you have a tri-phase dish, the new box needs to be looking for a tri-phase dish. etc etc etc

Quote:" I really would like to avoid spending $100 on professional installion. This seems like it should be very simple."

Are you sure your not one of my customers?

What can I say? I'm very stubbord.

1. We selected round dish (that's what was installed)
2. We enter our zip code 60934
3. It tells us our Elevation (41 degrees) and azimuth (202 degrees) and we press continue.
4. Gives us a check list that we double check and press continue.
5. This brings us to the signal strength page which says we have Satellite transponsders (32 total at 101 degrees.) All the numbers below read 0. To the left it says satellite 101(a), tuner 1
6. After pressing continue it goes to confirming satellite setup. This is where the error occurs and says there is no satellite.

Obviously you are very familiar with all of that. Does any of it seem out of wack? I can't imagine we have hooked up the wires wrong, there really aren't any other places to put them.

I suppose if we can't figure it out I'll have to call and set up an appointment with a professional. Of course I will if I have to, but I would like to avoid it.

P.S. We double checked our RG-6 cables with another tv so we know they are in working order. I, of course, wonder if our new DVR is broken, but I can be about 99% sure it's an error on my end.

:(

Hey, Niki, it's good to be stubborn. Don't be so sure about the 99% sure it's your fault. We have had several D.O.A. DirectV IRD's in the past few months. While I personally wouldn't pay anyone else for TV, DirectV has been releasing some wacky stuff lately. Someone else is the OEM but, DTV claims that it's there gear (it's simply branded).

You state that you hooked up a second TV. Do you mean a second receiver? If you did and it's got signal, take the new box back for a replacement.

I wish you the best.

I worked for Directv for a couple of years (as much as I hate to admit that), lemme see if I can figure this out.

Most Directv installers run dual RG6 on all installations nowadays. However, unless they are installing a DVR at that location, they normally will not make both lines live at the dish (or multiswitch).

Also, make sure the "satellite in" and "out to tv" wires are going where they belong. Might seem obvious, but I have seen many "professionals" mess that one up.

How many wires are coming out of the wall from your dish? The reason I am asking is because you CANNOT use a cable splitter between the dish and the reciever.

Let me know if this helps

RR

Hi Anthonyz,

I meant we hooked up a second (brand new) receiver. We moved our old D10 to another room which works fine and has singal.

The new receiver is the one that can't seem to find a signal even though I'm watching television right now in another room with our old receiver. So I'm 100% positive we have signal.

I believe there can only be 2 problems here. Either the receiver is broken or somewhere on these setup screens I'm suppose to be doing something I'm not.

Richie Rich,

When the round dish was first installed I believe he ran 4 lines to a box (I believe this is the multi-switch?) Then one line came from this box into my house which was connected directly to my one and only reciever (D10).

We moved this receiver and cable to another room. It is working properly with a 92% signal.

We attempted to install a new receiver (R15) where the old one was. We've double check all the connections. Tried them on different television to make sure the actual cables weren't faulty. There are no splitters used. The cables all run directly from the box to the receiver. no splitters or couplings.

Thanks!

Just to be clear, if you have a total of two receivers in the house, one is a DVR and the other is a D10, then you should have a total of three wires coming out of your multi-switch (in addition to the four you said were going in). Two to the DVR and one to the D10. If you have had a working signal on the old receiver with both of the wires that are now going to the DVR, then it sure does sound like you have a dead unit. Double check that you have the right (round/oval - 2/3 sat) setting in the menu, and before you box it back up make sure to unplug and replug a couple of times to see if it starts working.

Good luck

That's exactly the setup we have and have double checked that all the wires are in working order. We made sure to have the round satellite selected and even tried it with the other two oval options just for the sake of trying.

I'll try unplugging a few times to make sure.

I appreciate the help. Looks like we probably have a D.O.A. I'll exchange it tomorrow. If we try again and it isn't working I'll take the plunge and call a pro. :)

Thanks again.

if you have 4 wires coming off your dish, then it is not a round dish

And if you have 4 wires coming off the dish, then you dont NEED a multi-switch (unless it an 8 way multi-switch or unless you have an old legacy dish)

Unplugging and replugging could solve the problem. If you assemble this whole mess and don't plug in the power last, it is possible to have the receiver lock up and receive the same number of stations as a boat anchor would get. The cure is the total reset, which is unplugging and replugging.

Let's just verify one step: I think you have said that, as a test, you connected the old receiver to each of the two RG-6 that you want to connect to the new DVR, and the old receiver worked properly with each cable. Is that correct? If it is, then your new DVR is defective because the old receiver has proven that a working receiver can get a signal from those particular wires in that place.

If you haven't done exactly this, do it. It will verify that you have a usable signal where you want to put the DVR.

One detail that I missed is this -- you had a receiver in one room, and you took it out and put the DVR in its place and connected both cables to it. At what point was a second cable run from the dish to that place? You only needed one such cable for the old receiver, and I don't see where in the process the second cable was added.

Thanks for everyones help. Unplugging and replugging a few times has got the system working!

Looks like our connections were correct, it just needed to be properly reset. Phew!

I really appeciate everyones help and input. Thanks guys.

Just to clarify, we do actually have 2 round dishes. One for local channels. I should have mentioned that before.

But, anyhow, it's all working now! Thanks!

Do ya think? :)