Any homeowner can troubleshoot and repair Direc-tv and Dishnetwork satellite systems with most of the tools they already own .

I installed and did service work on these systems for 4 years and most of the problems were cable or lnb,(end of the dish) related and almost every one has to do with satellite signal strength.

 First thing , what is the problem? no signal at all , signal comes and goes, out for very long time after a rain ,  some channels work others don't !

NO SIGNAL /SIGNAL COMES AND GOES --

The first thing to do is check the position of the dish,(has it been moved?) even the smallest movements can have massive effects on signal quality!   Anything in front of the dish? (trees, bushes, that sort of thing.) Check your grounding block and lnb cable connectors for corrosion or rust , this happens when low grade connectors are used that let moisture get inside. Check the cable , is it the right size? RG-6 should be used for all satellite systems , this is the best cable to use smaller size cable such as RG-59 will work for some time but you will see signal problems later!!! Check the cable for any way water can get inside, cuts , cracks , dog bites (yes dog bites! For some reason dogs love satellite cable though after one time they usually don't do it again after they get shocked by 18 volts dc in the mouth!!) 

 SIGNAL OUT FOR A VERY LONG TME AFTER A RAIN --

This is a classic sign , check the LNB lens for a crack or bad seal , water may be inside of LNB , if so replace the LNB. check the cable and connectors as described under no signal.

SOME CHANNELS WORK OTHERS  DONT --

 Check your receivers installation menu under signal check that you are getting signal on even and odd numbered transponders and on all satellites, dishnetwork 110 , 119 and direc-tv 101 ,110 ,119. if not check your LNB as described above. rarely is it the cable, but it is not impossible , most times this is the LNB or the receiver.

 If you can troubleshoot a system then you should have no problem installing one! 

JUST MAKE SURE THE DISH MOUNT IS LEVEL! then follow the instructions in the manual that came with your system, mainly the grounding of the system . This is the most often overlooked part of satellite install but probably the most important , not just for system protection but for home protection from lightning strike!!!

 USE A SURGE PROTECTOR! (bet you have one on your $500 computer , what about your $1000- $2000 +  home entertainment system? Panamax has in my opinion the best surge protectors on the market !

USE COMMON SENSE , IF YOU DONT THINK ITS RIGHT LOOK AT THE MANUAL

 Another tool that make homeowner repair easy is a cheap satellite meter from EBAY , Better than running back and forth from dish to television or the old  "how about now " buddy system !!

 That is the basics of satellite repair, this should help point you in the right direction to your problem, but there are times when the pro's get stumped , there was only 1 system that I could not make work in my 4 years and that was a Primestar to Direc-tv change over (remember those?) the primestar worked perfect but the direc-tv would not even after a whole new system was installed and I mean the entire system . I eventually gave up and reinstalled the primestar and turned it over to technical support , turnes out they lived very close to a radio station and it was over powering the direc-tv .

Did the guide help ? at the bottom please answer yes or no .

 GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY EBAYING!