Fixing Dish Playmaker Problems (Dish Not Finding Satellites)
When you have exhausted all the fun things to do, sometimes camping out in the wilderness loses its appeal. That is why many RV owners have a satellite dish. Watching t.v. can shorten the night and make you feel like you are not alone. That is until you have problems with your satellite dish.
One of the more common problems is not with the dish itself. The problem is with the delivery of the voltage. If you buy a cheap cable to hook up the dish to your power supply, you may find that there is a lack of voltage making it to your dish. When that happens, it won’t work.
To learn more about this situation, just continue to read our article. It has the information you need to know about so you can get your satellite dish up and working. Take a few minutes to see how this information can help you.
Dish Playmaker Problems 101
Why is my Dish Playmaker Not Working?
There may be three reasons why your Playmaker is not working. The first is that the Playmaker is designed to work with the Dish system only. If you have a different set up this may be your main problem.
A second reason would be that you are using the wrong length of coax cable. The recommendation is for the cable to be no longer than 50 feet in length. Some people claim they have used longer cables with success but that is on a case-by-case basis.
The third reason would be a mechanical one. There may be something wrong with the mechanisms inside the dish operation system. When those mechanisms wear out, you may not be able to find the satellite you need.
Common Dish Playmaker Problems
There are two common problems most Dish owners are talking about. The first one is the type of gears Dish places inside its operating mechanisms. These are plastic and they can easily wear out on you.
This has been reported by more than one Dish owner. This does not mean that those gears will wear out within a year but over time they can wear out and cause problems. it is one of the first things you should check when you are not finding the satellite you need to use.
The second common problem is identified by the grinding noise your satellite makes. When you hear that noise, it is telling you that the operating mechanism is not getting the power it needs to work properly.
The cause of this problem will usually be found in the type of coax cable you are using. If you buy cheap cables do not expect to receive a lot of good service. Also, if you go beyond the recommended 50-foot length, then you may have problems.
Some adapting needs to be done to make cables longer than 50 feet work with the satellite dish.
Dish Playmaker Not Finding Satellites
There are several sources for this problem. One may be that your cable has been damaged interrupting the flow of electricity. Another issue will be severe weather. It is well known that bad weather interferes with satellite signals and that weather may not be that close to you.
A third reason may be that the equipment is failing, malfunctioning, or just refusing to work. This can happen a lot when equipment gets older. Finally, you may have misaligned the dish somehow.
It is said that a professional tech should do the initial alignment to make sure everything is in the correct spot. Also, it is possible that the dish or the equipment is not level. When it isn’t level, it will not find the satellite.
Check the level first before doing anything else to rule that possibility out. This is a fact that Dish points out in its Playmaker manual. The satellite dish should be within 3 degrees of level.
Which way do I Point My Dish Playmaker?
The Dish Playmaker owner’s manual states that you need to point the dish towards the southern sky. When you do that, make sure there are no obstructions in your way. The manual highlights the fact that satellite signals do not go through solid objects.
When you set up your satellite dish make sure that no trees, buildings, vehicles, or hills are in between the dish and the satellite. This ideal may not always be possible, which is why so many Dish Playmaker owners opt for longer cables.
The longer cable gets their satellite dish in the ideal location. The key, of course, is to make sure that the dish and equipment are all levels. It is not enough to have an unobstructed line of signal sight.
The lack of level throws the alignment off and helps the dish to miss the satellite.
What Satellite Does Dish Playmaker Use?
If you like freedom of choice, then Dish provides you with a limited amount of it. You get to choose between 3 satellites to target with your satellite dish. The owner’s manual only identifies 3 satellites you can use, 110 degrees, 119 degrees, and 129 degrees.
But you may have other options as the manual uses the words ‘includes’. You will have to talk to the Dish company to find out what other options you may have. These three satellites seem to provide the strongest signal to the southeastern and eastern seaboards.
They are not so strong in the west, north, southwest or the northwest regions of the country. The 61.5 W degree satellite is designated as the spare and it may be of use for some locations over the three already mentioned. Those three are the primary satellites for Dish services.
Check the manual to see the signal strength maps.
Dish Playmaker Installation Failed
The installation process can seem quite complicated once you read the manual. But check the simple things first. For example, you must connect the dish to the receiver prior to connecting the power to the receiver.
If you do this in reverse order, your system may not install correctly. Also, different stages take time to load. This is not an instantaneous process at each stage of the installation procedure. Sometimes the updates will take up to 10 minutes to complete.
During the process, you should not disturb or unhook the power supply. This will cause a reboot that can take up to an hour to complete. Even the acquiring of the signal may take up to 10 minutes so when you install your new Dish Playmaker, block out enough time to make sure you do it right.
Dish Playmaker Setup Troubleshooting
There are a dozen or more sources that may be the problem in this situation. The first ones you should check would be to see if there are any obstructions in the way or if the dish is level or not.
Then check your connections to make sure the cables and wires are all in the right spots. The length of your cable may be the problem or the quality of the cable may interfere with the setup. The owner’s manual says to use a cable rated at RG6 and not more than 50 feet in length.
If you have trouble in the setup process you can try turning the power off for a few minutes and then plug it back in. This will reboot the system and you can start all over.
Why is My Dish Playmaker Making Grinding Noise?
According to Dish itself, the grinding noise does not come from broken gears. Instead, it comes when the voltage is too low. The dish or the equipment just does not have enough power to move the satellite into the proper position.
The cause of this power problem usually has to do with the cable quality. If you bought a cheaply made cable, then most likely this is the source of the problem. Even though it may be an RG6 cable, it just does not have the proper components to do the job right.
Plus, the cable may be too long and the power drop off in that extra 10 to 25 feet may be significant enough to rob the device of the power it needs to operate.
Dish Playmaker Signal Strength
This will depend on your location. The primary satellites that Dish uses bring the far eastern side of the country the strongest signal possible. It gets a lot weaker as you travel west.
There was a spare western arc satellite that Dish uses but they do not talk about it or its signal strength in the manual. However, it seems that the newer Playmaker satellite dishes have upgraded technology.
According to Dish’s website, the newer models come with the OS2.1 technology that allows for better nationwide coverage. It seems to work with both eastern and western arc satellites to provide a strong signal no matter where you are at.
Also, make sure you are using a Dish receiver as that seems to be the only brand the Playmaker will work with.
Is Dish Playmaker Waterproof?
It is probably more water-resistant than waterproof. According to the warnings in the manual, you cannot place the dish in water deeper than one inch. If you ignore that rule, you could damage the electronics inside the dish.
The web page on Dish selling the Playmaker also does not mention that the device is waterproof. But since it has to be out in rough weather, chances are there is a high level of protection against rain, snow, and so on.
The dome is supposed to have UV protection on it as well. This protection protects the interior components from any damage due to sunlight. For the most part, under normal use, you should not have to worry about water coming inside to ruin your dish’s electronics.
The dome is made from one-piece plastic removing the issue that seams and joints can cause.
How To Reset a Dish Playmaker
The process is called a hard reset and this move should solve most of your problems with the dish. It is also the first step instruction given by Dish technicians. There are two ways to reset your Playmaker satellite dish.
The first is to unplug the power cord and wait ten seconds. After that time frame has passed just plug the cord back in. The second option is to press the power button. This is located on the left side of the receiver.
press and hold this button for about 10 seconds and then release it. This action should start the resetting process
Sometimes, you may find that the power button is hidden behind a door or plate. Just remove this door to access the power button. One thing you should know about the reset process. It can take a fair amount of time before it is completed.
Dish Playmaker Customer Service
According to the Dish website, you are given a lot of support by the company. There is a support web page that has lots of options for you to connect with and get help if you need it.
There are training videos, FAQs, and even a button to push for tech support and more. There is also a contact page you can access, its link is at the top of the web pages. However, pressing that link takes you back to the support page.
As for actual customer service, that will depend on the mood of the person you talk to or their instructions.
Some Final Words
The Dish setup seems fairly simple and straight forward. The key to using your dish is to make sure you are using the right cable and the right length of cable. If you have problems, there are plenty of RV discussion forums that discuss this system that may help you find the solution.
That is if you haven’t already found that solution in the information above.
