Satellite Troubleshooting
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Believe or not,troubleshooting a satellite can be easy or hard. It all depends if you how & what to look for fixing the problem. The basics troubleshooting techniques never change. The following will give you a detail description of what to look for when you are fixing your satellite system:

a) No Reception: No Reception: The first thing to check is your cable from the dish to receiver. Make sure all connections and connectors are tied. While checking this out, check to see if there are any cuts in cable. If the everything is fine, the next procedure to follow is to check dish condition. Check and see if the dish is solid. Next step to follow is the LNB or dish head. Sometimes, the LNB might be defective. If none of these things seem to make a difference in your reception, you best bet is to check your receiver. For this, you have to take it to a place where it can be tested. Lots of times, people forget that a satellite receiver, might be bad. So, please take that in consideration too.

b) Signal Cuts In Out: Most of the times, a loose dish causes the signal to cut out. if that's the case, you need to retune and find more signal. A Satellite finder could be handy in this situation.

If that's not the problem, replacing cable ends might do the trick. If that doesn't work, the next step to change LNB. And subsequently, run a temporarily cable. If after, checking all the above, the receiver still looses signal, then you will know, the receiver is the problem.

c) Missing Channels: Most of the time, missing channels is due to faulty cable or LNB. If none of these make it work, then your next best in troubleshooting is your tune up dish to get higher signal. For some satellite systems like Star Choice it could be due to the Network Data Status Code in the receiver is wrong. In plain English, this means, your receiver has been programmed wrong from Satellite Company. So, the easiest troubleshooting option you got here is to phone your satellite provider and tell them to send you another Signal Hit with the proper Signal code.

d) Static or snow on the TV: This is the easiest problem to fix in satellite receivers. Most of the times, the problem is the tv is tuned to the wrong channel. 99% of the time, the TV MUST be either on Channel 3 or 4 to get picture. Otherwise, only Static will show up. Other times, the Static is produce due to the fact, the VCR is on. So, turn off VCR and picture should come back to normal. 1% of the time, the Satellite Receiver is connect using RCA or Patch cords. So, you need to set your TV to Video or Component Video. How do you do that? By looking at your TV remote control. The majority of remotes have a button with label called Input or Video or TV/Video. This button allows you to switch between videos on TV until you get the picture. If after doing all these nothing works, then you need to replace the cable and test it again. If the problem persist, your receiver must be defective. This problem rarely occurs.

e)Missing picture or sound: Believe or not, most of the times, the easiest way to get back either video or sound is to unplug the receiver for 10 to 15 minutes. In other words, disconnect, totally, you the power from the satellite receiver. Then, connect it back and let it rest for 5 minutes. Nine times out of then, you will get the receiver working normally. The reason for it, is due to the fact, satellite receivers build a charge of power over time. So, a way to release the extra charge is by disconnecting it from the wall outlet.


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