I may get bashed for this and understandably so. Is there any "tricks of the trade" for testing the dish cables without the specialize testing equipment? I only ask because the system in at a remote site and rather expensive to send a specialist out there if it turns out to be simple fix. At the moment, I'm not sure what the issue even is
Depending on how much the service call is and how much a new cable would cost; I would run a new cable on the ground and through a window to see if it works. If so, you've found the problem. If not, you've saved the embarrassment of paying for a service call only to find out that it was a bad cable.
I just had a problem with a 75 ohm coax (or something at the end). I started by checking for a short (shield to stinger) with both ends disconnected. Then I plugged a terminator on one end and looked for the ~75 ohms at the other.
As a sanity check I plugged it into the AV video jack of the TV with an RCA adapter and hooked a camera to the other end. That proved the cable was good to me.
My problem turned out to be on the driven end, verified by dragging a monitor there and hooking it up with another short cable.
Well, you could ask someone to go out to the LNB with a DMM. They should read roughly 12 or 18VDC on the RG-6, depending on the polarization. Both voltages are OK to power the Low Noise Block down converter and the voltage difference is sensed to select CW or CCW polarization. There's obviously a ton more frequency division multiplexed stuff on that cable, but the DC is easy to look for. If they see the DC there, they might have a 2nd LNB connector they can try. I think most of the dishes have dual feeds. I imagine you already checked: Menu/Setup/System Setup/Satellite/View Signal Strength, for each transponder.
Joe
How many receivers are on the system, just asking in case this is like a work camp setup.
send me a FB message if you have more questions.
I didn't make it out there but I fwd the info. They reported back the part the reflector bounces the signal off of was defective