Finding a short.

    Voltage: Troubleshooting receivers and equipment.

        Common voltages.

        A good receiver with bad electrical system - some symptoms.

     Select "mA" for LNB milliamps.

    Using a voltmeter.

    How to use a dual analog meter to compensate for skew.

Sometimes when hooked to a "satellite feed" line, the meter will temporarily "die". This has two possibilities. One is that there is a Dish Pro Plus Twin at the other end and you're running on battery power. - (See that Caution!) - but the other time it will "die" is when there is a short in the line. This usually comes from a strand of the braided shielding that is touching the center copper wire at one of the connections. 

  Voltage: Troubleshooting Receivers and equipment

 On the dual meter, select  "V" to read voltage.

To check for receiver back feed voltage and incoming signal, simply put your meter "in line" between receiver and dish. Use the meter in the "OFF" battery mode. If your receiver is back feeding voltage, it will power the meter.

  Method using just a voltmeter, click here.

DISH Network signals travel in a circular pattern from the satellite to the dish. This is referred to as "polarity." Two different types of circular polarity are used: right-hand circular (13 volts) and left-hand circular (18 volts).

DPP LNBFs control the polarity change by shifting the frequency rather than using 13/18 volts. Dish network "legacy" equipment and DirecTV uses voltage change.

      13v -  If a good receiver is locked on to an ODD transponder, it will give you the 13v, steady tone, and near 13v meter reading. This is the back-fed voltage to activate the LNB, from the receiver.

      18v - If a good receiver is locked onto an EVEN transponder, it will give the 18v tone/reading.

      13v and 18v, alternating - If a good receiver is "Searching for Satellite", you will receive one tone, and then the other, for a few seconds, back and forth, trying to identify transponders. The needle goes up to 18v for a few seconds, then down to 13v for a few seconds. It will do this as long as the receiver is searching for satellite.

      20.5v - 44 switch power inserter voltage back-feed from the switch to the LNB. The power inserter must remain plugged in.

       "Cycling" is a repeated pattern of auto-shutoff or signal loss at regular intervals. Cycling is often associated with electrical issues. ALWAYS check the power supply/surge protection!

       If the receiver  is "cycling", when it runs for 45-60 minutes before "Searching for Satellite" and then, shutting off, check the home wiring for Hot/Neutral reverse. (Use a plug in AC power tester to test home wiring.)

      Cycling or erratic voltage could likely be a Monster Power product!  Using a dual analog meter, check the back-feed voltage while plugged into a Monster power source. If it is the Monster power that is the problem, your meter will tell you.

While the satellite receiver is "Searching for signal", you will see the 13v/18v, alternating reading, BUT, it will be erratic at both readings. It might be hard at first to see the 13v/18v pattern, due to the "fighting" of the equipment. It is possible that some of the Monster power products are too sensitive to electrical changes in potential. I suspect the Monster power detects the change from the 13v/18v alternation, and attempts to "smooth" it out.  Just plug the receiver into the wall to fix the system. Then recommend or provide an alternative surge protector.

Select "mA" for LNB milliamps.

There are many different mA readings for the many different types of LNB's. If you do this check, it will not always tell you if an LNB is bad, but you should recognize a pattern. Sometimes this meter will "scream" at you when something is wrong with an LNB. 

If someone can provide specific mA readings or any additional information Contact us!

How to check for skew problems...

I know of no reasonable way to check and correct skew, other than a dual signal meter.      

First, understand that a dish is designed so that, when properly aligned, all satellites will be at optimum reception for all satellites. 

Skew is the angular setting that determines if you have the right "line" to match up to the "line" that is made in the sky by satellites in the Clark Belt.

Skew is necessary if you want to get more than one satellite at the same time.

Skew is affected by how level/plumb your mast is. It can be very hard to use an existing mast that is not quite level, and sometimes, hard to set one completely level. When troubleshooting someone else's installation, it can be very difficult to check for, and more difficult to fix, a dish that is on a mast that is not plumb. (Especially the Dish 1000+) The dual meter makes the check and fix far easier and faster.

Using a dual meter to look at two satellites at once will show you if your skew is correct because only one satellite will peak at a time.

For a any dish, connect to the outer most LNBs. Watching your two signal level meters will show you basically one of two results, as follows:

    If both needles move in the same direction up or down, when you make small right/left movements to the dish, then your skew is correct. They should peak at the same point.

    If the needles move in OPPOSITE directions as you move the dish back and forth, check your skew!

Carefully loosen the skew adjustment and slowly rotate the dish until you have the needles in similar relative position, re-tighten and try again! Remember that this skew adjustment should still be within a couple degrees of your original setting.