Thought there might be someone here that might be able to give me some help.

I have a Sony satellite Direct TV system. About 7 years old.

I'm having a reception problem on a few channels, especially the History channel. It is pretty consistant but no real pattern.

My signal is real strong on all the transponders.
Signal is 90- 96.
The mounting of the dish is real solid and no trees in the way.

I have never had rain fade and always have had excellent reception.
This problem has become evident in the last couple months.

Another problem might be related. When I tune to a station, sometimes it takes a few seconds before the picture appears.
I don't remember this before and I think it used to appear instantly.

Do you think it is the receiver or the LNB and how do I diagnose which one may be the problem?

have same system , same age and mine works fine , have a new never used lnb, dual head, free if you want to try it.

or just call direct tv like i did and whine to get the new package with free dish and throw old stuff away!!!!!

When was the last time they sent you a new card? My guess is your card is going south. If you call direct Tv they will send you a new card. Does your reciever get hot? When you pull your card out & it looks like it has been run over? If so then your receiver is getting to hot. Need to make sure it gets plenty of air.

Other thing could be your LNB ( part on dish) is going bad. I had a coach that had perfect signal strength but could not get a picture. Both Directv & Sat dish company were blaming each other for the problem. After about 2 hrs of trouble shooting I changed out the LNB & perfect picture.

1. Make sure your LNB is clean and free from dirt and moisture.
2. Check all coaxial cables to make sure terminals are tight at connections.
3. Un-plug the receiver unit for 2 minutes or longer and then plug it back in.

Saber,
I think I will call Direct Tv and see what they say.
May take you up on trying the LNB.

Turbo,
They sent me a new card about 6 months ago.
I will check the condition of the card.
Sets by itself with nothing on it so I don't think it is overheating, but I haven't felt if it is hot......I will check that.

Devil,
I think the LNB is clean and moisture free. I checked for moisture about a month ago and seemed ok.
I did check the cables and they are ok too.
I will try the un-plug idea and see if that works.

Thanks for the ideas................I will try them and let you know.

All you need to do is throw that system away and get cable!

MPally why would we do that..... So that we can not only have crappy picture quality but also sub standard survice

I would check your LNB and see if that is ok. Radio Shack used to sell them. I am not sure if they do any more or not.

Let us know what it is.

Jon

If you know someone else with Directv you could take your receiver over to their house & try it. If it works then you know problem is either LNB or wiring. In the last year we have replaced more LNB's then we have since we started doing Directv.

Call Direct TV and they will re-hit your card. If you have a HU card with the football player on it, DO Not send it back to Direct TV !!! Send it to me !!! These cards have hidden talents if you know what I mean.....Wardey

I would check your connections for corrosion or mositure. I have worked on a few of these and that could be the problem. The receiver sends voltage (13 and 18vdc) to the LNB depending on if it is an odd or even channel.

Good luck with it.

Wardly good luck with trying and to get the HU card to last for very long. I had my H card working on EMU for over a year. I never got an HU card to work for more than a day.