Satelites Direct TV question

Jayctoy, If I might make a suggestion. Call DirecTV, I believe they will have some one come to you home and install a new oval dish with a 4 port LMB for, I believe, $50.00. You will be required to agree to a new one year contract. Then run new RG6 coax, one from each port of the 4 port LMB, to each receiver. In fact I would ask Directv If their sub contractor, who will install the new dish, can install the new cable and what would be the additional charge.

Regards Jim

Old CATV wiring used to be RG48, I think, and RG6 is lower loss. Still, might be worth looking to see if you have a splitter or multiswitch. If you don't have a multiswitch, then the best cable in the world isn't going to fix your problem.

I think standard for most cable/coax applications is RG59, whereas everything I've been seeing for satellite has been RG6. I never realized using RG59 could drop half the channels, it seems odd to me. But definitely give that a try, as to rule out any possibilities.

I'm having the exact same problem. I do run RG6 throughout the house, and have a quality SPAWN multi-switch. I've had an installer our to repair this once, and have to have them come back. The issue is the that even a small tear in the shielding can degrade the signal. In my case, that tear may be exposed to the elements which creates moisture in the cable. Some channels can get by with lower signal, but others will drop out and not be able to lock. If you find amother problem, please post your findings. Thanks!!

Last summer I received new access cards from DirecTV. I had got the sonys I was using at that time in 1997. Up to that point every thing had been just fine. This was my first card change. No big deal, just follow the easy step by step directions. About a couple of months later I started having problems. No HBO, A banner would come up on my screen saying call this phone number to purchase this programing. I called Directv, which is a pain in the butt, and as I was explainning the problem to them they turned it back on. They didn`t really give me an explanation why it happened.
At that point I really didn`t care. A week or so later It happened again. I called them again. By the third time, with even other problems I called them again. By this time I was pissed. Takes for ever to get through on the phone!
This time I asked to talk to a tech. I wanted to find out what was going on. The tech explained to me they were upgrading their system and they were aware of the problems trying to keep the old satellite units like mine working.
Short answer he recommended that I upgrade. So I did. I think it cost me $150.00 for two new receivers and a new oval dish with a 4 port LMB.I did have to agree to a new one year contract for that price. My old dish was the round dish with the dual LMB. It wasn`t capable of receiving the
digital signal from the three satellites. "Sat A" 101* transponders #1 to 32, "Sat C" 110* with converted transponders #8 #10 #12, and "Sat B" 119* with transponders #22 to #32.

Unless you have this newer dish and LMB I don`t think you will ever get it to work right. Not to mention receive all the cannels available that you are already paying for.

Jjott, it is digital, nice thing, you have a picture or you don`t. Nothing like cable. No snow.