posted
July 2006- we were in San Francisco and had Tim Pendleton 'upgrade' our D2 4000 to a D3 7000. He sent a guy named Barry to our site in SF. Barry upgraded it. I asked him what I needed to know and he said just turn on the power, hit search and let it find the satellite.
After he left I tried the TV. Dish Network. Didn't work. I called Barry or Tim, don't remember who, and they said, "Oh, you didn't tell me you had Dish Network. The satellite you're on won't work with Dish you have to get Direcway. (they never even asked me which satellite I wanted, I also found out that the one they put me on doesn't work in Mexico, where we spend a couple of months in the winter) So I buy a Direcway receiver and it still didn't work. I called them again. Tim told me that Barry had forgotten to switch something or other. So we met him in Emeryville where he climbed up on the RV and installed whatever he had not installed.
We then started out and stopped in Vegas. This time I coudln't even get the internet to work. I called Tim. He said that Barry had forgotten something else and he made arrangements for us to go to Salt Lake. Along the way, we changed course, as is want among us RV'ers. We were anxious to get home. We ended up in Flagstaff where the man parked next to us also had a direcway internet connection, a tripod, and he was having problems finding the satellite and had called a local guy to come out. Tim kept telling us that whatever we now needed to add, or take away, I forget, we could do ourselves. Well, neither my husband nor I speak that language AT ALL. So when I found out that someone was coming that DID speak that language I asked him to call Tim and do whatever needed to be done. He did. And we were online and on DirecTv...for the last time. We registered for the Motosat rally thinking we could finally get it right. I was hoping to get Scott Whitney, who did a GREAT job on our intial install to work on it, but I didn't contact him soon enough. So we put our name on the list and three days before the rally was over we had someone working on it. They had to order some new part which took a day. I saw Royal Lamb on top of our RV and I thought AWRIGHT! We're going to be in business now! And we were, until we left Kerrville.
We returned home to New Mexico and I attempted to get online. No luck. I was finding our new satellite but the dish kept stowing. Can't remember the error, there have been so many. I called Motosat and they told me to download the new software. I did, and I noticed it was beta and that kinda frightened me, but it seemed to work perfectly...and it did. UNTIL we got to San Clemente, Ca. It took three times to lock on. Maybe that's normal. Then we had to move to a new site and I tried twice. The second time I tried I got the motorcurrent error. I called Motosat and the man I talked to said, 'They TOLD you to install the new software??". Yes, I said. So he said to re-calibrate it and call him back if it didn't work. It did. Great.
Now in Flagstaff and we got on FIRST time. Hoorah! Hoorah! HOWEVER, the TV works intermitently. I called Directv and they said I need to talk to an installer. So now what???
I just want to be able to sign on, maybe even if it takes two or three times and get internet AND TV. is that too much to ask? Am "I" doing something wrong?
I don't have an answer for you, but just to add some details to the timeline of events, when I was up on your roof the last morning of the rally, I:
1) ensure your BOW was in the correct position for your current axis (Internet) satellite
2) witnessed the intermittant TV and swapped out the DirecTV LNB
3) replaced the F connector (coax) for TV at the dish
So now you have a new DirecTV receiver, a new LNB in the correct position, and a new coax connection. Is there any chance one of the tall pines in Flagstaff is creating an obstruction to your line-of-site to the satellite (swaying tree in the breeze, could create intermittant outage of TV even if you are locked on Internet)?
posted
Scott, thanks so much for your reply. Damn, WHY didn't I wait for you to do the upgrade??? (Actually, I know why, you were going to be in Mexico and Gary really needed to be online and Ground Control coudln't get us reconnected to the D2) It's not like we just 'play' with this thing. Gary is still working full time and MUST have it for his correspondence with schools, Boston, candidates, etc.
As I understand it, the TV satellite and the internet satellite are different satellites. So, possibly there might be some interference from the trees on that satellite. We will know more when we get home tomorrow. We actually picked this particular site at the rv park because we had gotten on before at this site.
This still leaves the question of why I end up calling Motosat everytime I try to sign on. It finds the satellite but then stows. Or I get a motorcurrent error and have to recalibrate. Sometimes I just say, 'forget it'. Also, would like to know why when I call and tell them my version they are so surprised that someone there told me to download the beta version.
You know me, Scott. And you KNOW that all I want to do is press a button and have it go up, and I'll even tweak it or do whatever,which I had become quite adept at with the D2 (and a direct line to you) but I have lost all faith in Datastorm with this new install. You were so good about explaining the whole D2 to me. I knew how to work that one. I knew what to do if thus and so went wrong. I have no clue on this and Barry told me I didn't need to know anything, just press the search button...and pigs fly.
Yes, different satellites for Internet, Dish Network AND DirecTV. There are a total of 10 different birds in use with Hughes now, (when we originall installed yours, there were only about three in common use for Datastorms). Most Dish Network programming comes from two satellites and most DirecTV programming comes from one satellite, but they are all different satellites in different places in the sky.
You actually started with a D1 & 4000 modems. I don't think you ever had a D2. I didn't look to see what Barry upgraded you to, but I assume it was a D3 as it was only a couple months ago. Without watching the exact process in the D3's web interface, it is hard to say why it would give up a search and stow. If you can open your bookmark to the D3 controller when it is searching and let me know the status messages as it is searching and (hopefully not) stowing, then I can have a better idea what might be going on.
Regarding the TV in your current campsite, I am assuming you have changed satellites since last time you camped there. (last year?) Because being on a different Internet satellite, growing trees, slightly different orientation of coach etc, it is entirely possible that it is a line-of-site issue with your TV signal at the moment.
posted
Happened to me in the tall trees in Michigan's upper peninsula. I could not get Internet shooting through the trees but I could get DirecTV. Good thing, too. Or we would have gone to a motel to watch Tour de France
best, paul
As I understand it, the TV satellite and the internet satellite are different satellites. So, possibly there might be some interference from the trees on that satellite. We will know more when we get home tomorrow. We actually picked this particular site at the rv park because we had gotten on before at this site.
posted
A specific reason that the D3 will find the satellite and then stow is that it is not "finding" the modem. Most often this occurs because the modem and controller have power applied at the same time. The modem can't be seen until the top light comes on, and if the controller tries before that, you are in trouble.
My process: Turn everything on from a power strip, but if the controller comes on, turn it off. Wait until the second light is lit on the modem, then power the controller on.
There is a startup delay setting in the D3 controller, but I think it is easier just to know that the modem is ready first.
posted
Oh, I forgot to mention, your D3 should be on version 3.8.9. If it is not, then definitely, download it and update the firmware by the procedure below. 3.8.9 is not a beta and is very stable.
posted
Just thinking out loud here, but one thing that would make the system more user friendly (i.e. a future firmware revision) on a -48 Modem Not Found situation would be for the dish to NOT stow, but rather stop, and display a more user-friendly error message, maybe giving the user an opportunity to reboot their router and/or their modem, and continue the search....
quote:Originally posted by Dustyfoot.com: Just thinking out loud here, but one thing that would make the system more user friendly (i.e. a future firmware revision) on a -48 Modem Not Found situation would be for the dish to NOT stow, but rather stop, and display a more user-friendly error message, maybe giving the user an opportunity to reboot their router and/or their modem, and continue the search....
Far better, when in Hughes mode with a -48 and having found the satellite, would be for the controller to try to re-establish the network link. Even if it has to reboot itself.
Like it or not, many/most D3 users find the satellite by hitting the front button. They do not see errors.
If the dish performed the way you mention, it would stop on the satellite, just not fully peaked. The modem would try to cross-pol, but would probably fail because it would not have been told its new location by the controller (and might not be peaked well enough). The user would be sitting there looking at three lights on the modem and no idea why it went no further.
posted
Yeah, maybe my idea is no better than the user stepping outside with a cup of coffee, looking up, and wondering why they dish is sitting there stowed...
How would the router know to reboot itself? Or did you mean the D3 reboot itself? As long as it could recognize, after reboot, that it had done so due to a -48 err, and continue the search where it left off, after (hopefully) re-establishing link to the modem. That would be a better solution.
Bill, I didn't know the techs were installing beta code at the Rally. Susie, can you confirm what firmware version you are running? Do you have bookmarks on your Mac for the D3 controller and the modem, so you can easily check on their status via the web interface?
posted
Scott, Tim was installing the 3.9.1W on pretty much any system that was having a problem. When he first installed it on one of my customers the dish would search but would no longer skew! I never did hear what happened after that but I know that he did get the customer working (with a new modem). I am running the 3.9.1W on my system and it works just fine (no better, no worse) but the new software has usable tilt sensor information that has no value on a system as old as mine.
-------------------- Bill Adams Winegard Company Posts: 15681 | From: Traveling the Western US | Registered: May 2003
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posted
Originally posted by Dustyfoot.com: How would the router know to reboot itself? Or did you mean the D3 reboot itself? As long as it could recognize, after reboot, that it had done so due to a -48 err, and continue the search where it left off, after (hopefully) re-establishing link to the modem. That would be a better solution.
Yes, I meant controller - will edit my post. I don't know the details of the zilog processor and its embedded operating system, but there is probably some set of startup parameters that can be written to.
I would hope that a reboot wouldn't be necessary. There should be some sort of LAN repair command that would work.
In any case, the way it works now is buggy. If it starts a search with a -48, there is zero chance that it will have modem communication when it finishes searching, so why does it start a search at all?
posted
Scott et al, thanks so much for all the info.
FYI, Scott, it was the same camping site in Flagstaff that we had been to 7 days before. Neither Gary nor I remember if we were getting the TV the first time there. We seldom watch TV, but dammit, I'm paying fer the dern thing and I want to watch it IF I want to watch it! And I THINK my software is 3.8.9 but when "I" installed it, (it was not installed at the rally) I could have sworn it said it was beta. Maybe I'm wrong. (wouldn't be the first time, right, Scott?)...ie, thinking I had a D2. How did you EVER put up with me???
We just got home and I am on my home system, which as the gods would have it, is also Direcway, in fact we just added our Directv receiver in the coach to this account. When I click on the bookmark for Motosat it won't load the page. Seems like the controller must be powered on for it to load, is that right? On my way out now to try to set things up here in good ole Abiquiu.
Oh yes, an additional FYI: here is what I am talking about as far as ya'lls language:
"the details of the zilog processor and its embedded operating system, but there is probably some set of startup parameters that can be written to."
I know those who NEED to know, know what you're talking about, but darlin', it's Greek to me! I was seriously thinking about learning Spanish but methinks it might behoove me to learn Datastormese, or Motosatese or Hughesese. Whatever.
Also, and this might help those of you who NEED to know. Originally Barry put us on 89W. At the rally we were changed to 83W. Before it would find two or three satellites before it found 89, or maybe it wouldn't even find 89. Now, with the new software that I was told to install (and actually, quite proud of myself for doing it) it finds 83 first time, no others. But then it finds it and it stows...sometimes.
Okay, going out to check now. I'll write again from the RV...hopefully.
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