Thread: 3100s Missing Even Transponders after DP34 Install

(Posted to 6100/9200 forum but really a 3100 issue, so reposting here)

Because of a recent move, I'm stuck with a situation where I can really only have two cables coming into the house off the dish, NWS I have four receivers - two 6100s and two 3100s. Learned from various DHC forums that one option to feed four receivers from two cables is a Dishpro Twin/Dishpro 34 set up, so I got both and installed them yesterday. Both 6100s work fine after install, but both 3100s are getting odd transponders signals only. I've "check switched" and hard rebooted both 3100s several times to no avail. I'm pretty confident it's not a cable/connection issue, because I've hooked up a 6100 to all four cables and everything's fine, and I've hooked both 3100s up to all four cables and get the same "odd transponder only" result everytime. I'm also pretty sure its not a "legacy" issue, as I understand 3100s to be DP compliant receivers.

Any thoughts as to what the problem might be?

Do the 3100s identify the switch?
Its possible Bell had DishPro support removed from the 3100 software but it was certainly there a year or two ago.
The 3100s have the newest firmware right?

I have seen this numerous times. All worked fine before the switch was installed. Assuming all your LNBs are dishpro compliant and your IRDs are all dishpro...which you indicate they all are...

Possible #1
One or both of your cables is giving you a problem. Take a look at the connectors and see if the copper connector has any white on it...if so cut off the ends and crimp on new ones.

Possible #2
The IRD to connection #1 is putting out a week signal. DP34 switches are powered by the voltage coming in from IRD on input #1.

Possible #3
You actually have a dishpro Plus LNB. Many of these LNBs were factory defective.

Possible #4
Beats me!! Never failed to fix this problem by #1 or #2!!!

Good luck and let us know what ends up working.

Vis

Are you using rg6 cable for all conections/

where the 6100 is working......remove it and connect the 3100. Do a check switch at this point.

Are you using a seperator as a splitter in your set-up........it really only works well by providing two inputs from one cable for the 9200.

i don't think a separator works with DP equipment. You would need to use just the twin or get a DPP44 switch.

Thanks for all the responses - I'm at work now, but I'll try some of the suggestions later at home.

I can confirm the following:

1. The 3100s both seem to be recognizing both the DP Twin LNB and the Switch. I can't recall exactly what shows up on the "info" screen after I run check switch, but there is reference to "DP34" and "DP LNB". In addition, around the middle of the info screen are three boxes with two boxes marked to indicate signal is being received and the third box indicating "NC", which I take to mean "no connection". These boxes seem to me to confirm the 3100 is reading the DP34, which has input cables from the dish at position one and two, but not three.

2. Both 3100s show E540 as the software version, which I understand to be current.

3. I do NOT have RG6 cable from the DP34 to the wall - house is thirty years old and is wired with the RG59. I will try to connect a 3100 to the DP34 with RG6 tonight to see if this solves the problem - if it does, I'm up the proverbial creek because it will be a supreme PITA to try to pull RG6 through the house.

4. As per my initial post, both 6100s work at all locations and neither 3100 works at any. I ran a check switch every time I did a new connection.

5. It is definitely a DP34, not a DPP34.

6. I am not using any separators, just the DP Twin LNB and the DP34.

DP equipment will NOT work with RG-59. I think it says so in every dishpro manual, with every piece of dishpro equipment.

What dishpro does, is "stack" the even transponders on top of the odd's.
that puts odds at 950-1450 MHz and evens at 1750 to 2250 MHz. (I think it reverses them too, making it incompatible with directv equipment)

Yes, that's 2.25 GigaHertz. That's why it tells you to use only 'high quality' 'Digital' satelitte cable. Quad sheild RG-6.

Sometimes, you can use the old cable to pull the new cable through walls, if its not nailed down inside the walls. Splice the new cable onto the old, making the junction as small and as smooth as possible. only way to find out is too give it a try.

I ran new cables on the outside of the house, drilling through brick to install new outlets.

Not home yet to try to see if the 3100s work with RG6, but I'm thinking the RG59 is the most likely explanation. I'll also check the connectors, but I was pretty careful with the install not to twist or bend anything and the cables worked fine before the install.

Just out of curiousity, if it is the RG59 causing the problem, why doesn't it affect the 6100s?