DirectTV via Kingdome Problems

[ITResC@gmx.com]

I am back from a summer touring Alaska and western Canada. I am currently in west central Washington State. As has been amply defined in this forum and others our DirectTV viewing was cut off after traveling into British Columbia, i e no signal. I was prepared for this and shut off the Kingdome 9760/9762 satellite mounted on the rear roof of my class A motorhome. Since returning to the lower 48 I have been unable to get a satellite signal from DirectTV. I have only subscribed to standard definition broadcasts and the receiver only is installed, no HD, no DVR. The service has been paid up to date, I have confirmed with DirecTV C/S that my account is still active. My kingdome searches and finds the 101 satellite, locks on successfully, but the Kingdome controller reports signal strengths of mid 40's to sometimes low 60's. On the satellite setup, for transponder signal strength, I show transponder reception on every other transponder at 70+. I get no TV reception. DirectTV C/S tells me I can't get a signal if the Kingdome controller is only showing 40-60 signal strength, that I need 70+ and it must be Kingdome's problem. But the transponders signal fall into this range. I have set the Kingdome controller to 1-Northwest on the location grid displayed in their manual.

I have recalibrated the Kingdome according to User Manual instructions with no improvement and I have changed physical location (this started in Mount Vernon WA and continues into Centralia WA) I have talked with other RVers in the same parks and many are getting a signal successfully with their Kingdome.

DirectTV then goes on to say they can't help any further because I'm in an RV. They will only send a technician to a bricks and sticks house. I put a call into King Controls, (Kingdome) but they called me back while I was traveling so we didn't connect.

I am hoping someone out there can help identify some possible solutions or ideas to get me back onto the DirectTV system?

Cathe

2005 ALFA See Ya Gold

[tbutler]

Welcome back to the US Capt Cathe!

We don't have a Kingdome, ours is KVH. When we went to Alaska we suspended our service for two months as we left the US. When we returned we called DirecTV and had them reactivate the account. We couldn't get signal so called them again. They had us re-set our receiver (unplug-wait a minute-plug in). That didn't work so I called them back and told them of the problem. They then reactivated the account again and viola, we had TV!

I don't know if this will work for you or if it even relates to your problem. I don't even know why this worked for us. Good luck!

[Guest BillAdams]

Can you get a picture on channel 100 or 201 when you are seeing the 70+ signal strengths?

If you did not use the receiver for over a month, you need to let DirecTV know this and AFTER you have the King Dome locked onto 101 they must reactivated the receiver. You need to ask them to "resend the programming" or "send the receiver a hit" since it has been off-line for so long.

[SPMAJohnson]

We use direct tv and had a problem recently. We did not use our direct tv for about a month and when we turned it on there was no tv service. I called them and was told that if we do not use it for a certain time period, it does not update. If it does not update then the service is turned off. It must be plugged in and used in order for the updates to continue. He told me if it happens again, I must call and ask them to turn it back on. Just a fact of having a satelite dish I guess. It happens in our home with our one receiver in the spare bedroom. If it's not used, I have to re-program it. Hope this helps.

[Guest BillAdams]

Just as an aside, the DirecTV service works very well in Canada. We had service in BC and all the way East across Canada up to Lake Louise, Banff, Calgary and back into the US. That was with a dome. If we had been using an open face antenna, service should be good as far N. as Jasper and possibly Edmonton.

[dave952]

Is it possible the Dome is dirty & needs to cleaned???

Just A Thought

[Guest BillAdams]

It's hard to know anything when the original poster never returns.

[JohnQFWB]

I have the King-Dome model 9702 (High Profile) and Directv, and experienced a similar problem twice. I think our models are of the same basic "model line." Once after the RV Tech worked on a windshield wiper washer problem (he had to get to it via the backside of the entertainment box containing the King-dome controller). What happened was he accidently toggled it off of the DirecTV satellite (101). Drove me crazy figuring and correctly that one out. My controller is the manual one that can toggle up to 5 different Satellites/Positions. The last time was after a trip from NW Washington down to Utah & Arizona. It worked fine until our last leg of the journey which lasted over a 1,000 miles. If you go to your manual, look up the different "Zones", i.e., bands of distances going south to north, and the instructions for programming the starting position for searching. On my 9702, you hold the search button down a set number of seconds for the appropriate Zone to start searching in.

[Ramon]

I just completed a trip out West and had a problem getting Satellite 119 for my Dish receiver using my Kingdome Stationary Model 9702-LP-B.

It seemed that everyplace that we stopped overnight after Gillette, WY the Kingdome couldn't lock on to 119 unless I called Dish. The foot print of 119 is suppost to be good in the lower 48 and all the way up to Alaska. The crowning blow with Dish was when we were in Frazier Park, CA and the Kingdome wouldn't lock on to 119 - called the Dish Tech and was told that he would move my address to Frazier Park - I was then able to receive 119.

That is just part of the story - when I got home - received a bill from Dish with the Frazier Park address - Dish had call my local telephone company and taken me off my bundled program. Called Dish and asked them about them calling my telephone company and asked Dish to put me back with the bundled program - can't do that - what is going on with Dish?

Ramon Van Sickle

Zionsville, IN