1518 won't lock on

[jazzzen]

I just bought a 1518 for use with Directv, R-22 dvr receiver. I've followed the set up instructions multiple times, ensured that I have a view of the southern sky, and attempted every troubleshooting suggestion I can find, but the 1518 will not lock on to a signal. I'm beyond frustrated. Please, please, please, do not post the process of setting up again ie - select 3lnb, multiswitch, etc. I can do it in my sleep. Tech support is not returning phone calls. What am I doing wrong?!!!

[Winegard Tech Help]

jazzzen,

I'm sorry for the frustration. Are you running your coax directly from the receiver to the antenna (not through a port) and searching the dish after picking the correct settings? Is the satellite dish actually moving? If so, you may want to pull the dome off and make sure the azimuth belt hasn't fallen off (check the rubber belt on the bottom of the assembly, it may slip off of the motor).

If you are having issues where it is not locking, you may want to check voltages on your coax cables to make sure 12VDC is making it to the antenna. To do that, use a volt or multimeter set to DC and use the positive probe on the center conductor and ground on the outside of the connector. If we aren't getting power then the LNB will not be able to detect signal.

The R22 is compatible. If you have placed in a call to tech, someone should be in touch with you at some point. We are extremely busy this time of year, so please be patient and we will assist you as soon as possible.

[jazzzen]

Thank you so much for the quick reply. I removed the dome and all seems to be intact and doing what it should be doing - except stopping when it's supposed to The signal meter shows no bars, so I suspect your idea that I may not have coax power may be the problem.

I have a satellite coming to help, and if that doesn't result in a signal then I will get a volt meter and check that out. Then, the question becomes - is that a receiver issue? I'm using the brand new coax that came with the 1518, so I hope it's not that.

I'll keep you updated. Thanks again.

[Winegard Tech Help]

jazzzen,

It does sound as if we either have an issue getting power to the LNB or with the LNB itself.

If we aren't getting power on the coax it is either a receiver issue or a coax issue. The easiest way to find out would be to hook up another piece of coax, or use a bent paperclip on the back of the satellite input jack of the receiver and run the same test (positive to paperclip, ground to threads on the jack).

Do keep in mind that the receiver must be configured for multiswitch to output power on the input jack, so if you've reset verify that it is not in SWM mode - it will not output any DC voltage at that point.

[jazzzen]

Hmmmm - Just can't get this baby to stop on the signal. I have the MP1 set up and am getting a signal through the same coax and receiver - and set up in the same location as the 1518 was. I don't have an incredibly strong signal - 62% ish, but certainly strong enough to work.

Any other ideas? Oh - and tech support did return my phone call, but at a time I was in the middle of something else and couldn't answer

Thanks again!!

[Bill Adams]

If you have not done so yet, you might want to try setting the antenna type to 18" round and multiswitch. Proceed to the signal strength screen and then the Signal Meter option. This should force the receiver to look for 101 only and show transponder 1. With that screen on your TV plug the antenna in and see if you get anything at all. I will apologize again but while you had the dome off, did you happen to verify that the dip switches are setup properly for DirecTV service?

[jazzzen]

Hi Bill - I have tried the 18" round. Just spins and spins. . . Then stops to rest Checking the dip switches was one of the things I did before I contacted tech support and verified again today when I opened it up to check the belt.
I'll put another call into tech support tomorrow when I will be around for the return call, but I'm leaning toward packing it up and returning it. Nothing better than the idea of plugging the satellite in and letting it do the work, especially given that I travel a lot. But my little rinky-dink manual may have to suffice. The frustration factor has severely impacted my ability to appreciate the potential . . .

[Winegard Tech Help]

jazzzen,

If you are using the same coax cable with the MP1 and are able to aim in on a signal, we could have a problem with the satellite antenna itself that we can take care of under warranty.

Please send me a private message with your phone number and a time (including time zone) that we can contact you tomorrow. You can send me a message through the following link: ucp.php?i=pm&mode=compose&u=4918

[Bill Adams]

Sounds like you have done it all!
Sorry to hear about your issue but Winegard will ensure that you get a working unit. It works great (when it works! )

[jazzzen]

Update - After talking with the tech support agent who had been helping me online, I returned the 1518 to the retailer, who happily exchanged it for a new one. The new one behaved better from the moment I plugged it in - found a signal and locked on. Thank you all for your assistance. I look forward to having a previously time consuming and a kind of frustrating task (setting up my MP1) become an easy and enjoyable one with the 1518.