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| [GMCnet] Fwd: Fun Days [message #258992] |
Fri, 15 August 2014 23:56  |
Ken Henderson
Messages: 8726
Registered: March 2004
Location: Americus, GA
Karma:
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Senior Member |
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I've had too much "fun" the past few days to keep to myself:
On Monday evening, the GMC's new 28" TV arrived, per HER insistence
before we go to Chippewa Falls. I spent most of Tuesday and part of
Wednesday redesigning the wall mount to accept that set, replacing the
old analog-only 17" set. I won't bore with all the trivial problems
that cost me the little hair I had left. Won't even mention the two
mounting adapters I made that didn't work.
On Wednesday, the new Dish TV "Tailgater" antenna and receiver arrived
late so I didn't fool with it until yesterday afternoon. Setting the
receiver in the compartment and plugging in the power and RG-6 was
easy. But then the fun started. Connecting the other end of the 50'
RG-6 to the Tailgater's (TG) little "octagonal cube" (what the H... do
you call that shape anyway?), was easy too. But then the fun began.
With the TG positioned on the ground in a location that seemed to
provide the same clear sky view as that enjoyed by the fixed dish for
the house, I began the on-screen installation procedure. It's pretty
easy. Just enter the state I'm in and wait 5+ minutes for the system
to find the 3 satellites of interest, download the current channel
guide and any necessary firmware updates, and then register and start
watching.
'Cept it said something like "No satellites found"! OK, so, I move
the TG. Back inside, I unplug the receiver to reinitialize it, and
wait again. "No satellites found". OK, I fixed that by putting the
TG on the shed roof beside the RV shelter. "No satellites found".
Hmmm... OK, put it back on the ground a little way from the first
spot. "All satellites not found". Hmmm -- that's different. Read
some more documentation. No explanation. Try continuing the
on-screen procedure, since it would let me. Eventually, I found that
really should have read "Not ALL satellites found" -- it did find one,
sorta. But not good enough to use.
Now I'm getting desperate -- I REALLY don't want to have to call for
assistance nor return this thing. So, onto the top of the Land-Sea
container behind the RV shelter goes the TG. Now it's REALLY got a
good clear view of the southern sky, as all the documentation
requires. Back inside and wait another 5+ minutes to see "No
satellites found".
You get the idea -- I continued that process on a ladder, on top of
the greenhouse, standing on my head, etc, etc. "No satellites found".
Somewhere in here the day ran out and I went in the house, cranky as
all get-out.
This morning: OK, 100' north of the GMC's shelter there's the fixed
antenna for the house; it works great, so I'll just move the GMC back
there and put the TG beside that antenna -- I KNOW that's a good spot.
The GMC and I did a 40 mile test run about a week ago and it ran
great. But this time, the starter just spun and spun with no sputters
coming from the engine! So, I raised the hatch and removed the TB
snorkel. This time, lots of spinnie, but no squirtzie! Hmmmm...looks
like my old LOP switch problem has recurred. So I jumped that --
still no spritz in the TB throats. OK, fuel pump time. With a
trouble light attached to the pump leads, I soon learned that there
was 12 VDC reaching there during cranking. That sort of leaves the
fuel pump. No big deal; I've got a spare, as always.
The "spare" turned out to be a peculiar affair, about 1/2 the diameter
of all the others I've seen, which seemed to put out about 4 psi --
darned if I know why I bought it -- probably too cheeep to pass up.
The closest thing I had to another spare was marked "BAD hot". Hmmpf.
OK, I'm only going 100' and back; it can't get very hot in that time.
So I installed that one. Thank goodness for its location on the
outside of the frame rail.
Crankee --- AND STARTEE! Quick, back up behind the Dish antenna.
Crank the Onan to avoid plugging into the nearby 50A socket. Position
the TG on a ladder right beside the fixed antenna. Wait 5+ minutes
for "No sat...". I'm almost cussing by now. But I moved the ladder
and the TG to a still more certainly clear location and tried again:
"All satellites...". You gotta be kidding! But I went ahead through
the procedure and came to a screen beyond which I could only proceed
by calling Dish to register (for another $7 per month) the additional
receiver.
So, I called and got a guy who obviously knew nothing technical, and
was in a boiler room with 50 other reps shouting at the tops of their
voices at cranky old men who couldn't get their systems to work.
Finally, we got the two 10 digit numbers communicated which allowed
him to turn on the receiver for me. TA DA! Video! For a moment.
Then it said "HD signal lost, switching to SD". Then the screen went
blank. Well...After we exhausted his knowledge, he transferred to
some squeakly voiced furrin gal in another boiler room. After I went
through the whole miserable tale AGAIN with her, and she asked a bunch
of dumb questions, and we checked some hidden screen displays, she
gave up: "I'll have a local technician bring you a shorter RG-6 (than
the 50' that came with it, and less than the 200' it's supposed to
accept) to see if that helps." Me: "If that helps, I don't need this
thing -- the purpose for having it is to get out away from where I'm
shaded!" At any rate, she gave me the local technician's 'phone
number.
So, I called him, and repeated the tale AGAIN. Finally, I had someone
who knew SOMETHING! After a few minutes, he gave me the azimuth and
elevation of the 3 Eastern Satellites and the 3 Western Satellites
that Dish uses. THEN, he informs me that the Tailgater can ONLY
receive the Western Satellites. Mind you, all of the documentation
says be sure you have a clear view "TO THE SOUTH". The fixed antenna
is looking at the Eastern Satellites! Guess what: There are 100+'
tall pine trees all to the west of my 3 acres! OK. SO. MAYBE I'll
be in campgrounds not so afflicted. Tomorrow I'll drive to an area
that's clear to the SW and try again to be SURE that's the problem.
If that works, MAYBE I'll keep it. Maybe not.
With my cousin coming to spend the weekend in the guest house, I
needed to clear the GMC out of the driveway. Whaaaat? No start??? I
just fixed you, you stupid GMC! Sure 'nuff -- no squirtee no more.
Bah Humbug. I'll tend to you tomorrow.
So here I am, with it off my chest and the rest of you giggling your
fool heads off!!!
GOOD NIGHT!
Ken H.
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Ken Henderson
Americus, GA
www.gmcwipersetc.com
Large Wiring Diagrams
76 X-Birchaven
76 X-Palm Beach
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