Recently several of the major networks have upgraded their satellite delivery platforms. These new systems are from three incompatible vendors, but all have similar features — such as addressability and remote store and forward capabilities. They also have analog RF signals that are much more fragile than their predecessors. It is possible to have a legacy receiver working properly on a particular satellite dish while a new generation receiver shows a marginal signal (or no signal at all) from the same dish. Should you encounter this problem the first thing to do is remove any inline amplifiers or amplified splitters. Some of these amplifiers have increased the noise floor on a satellite feed to the point that the newer receivers can't recoginze the RF. Wherever possible, feed the new receiver with a direct feed off the LNB. Then split that signal to feed the legacy equipment.

Inline power for the LNB of a satellite dish should be provided by an external power supply if you intend to feed multiple receivers from it. This is also a good idea if you have a long (300' or more) cable run between the receiver and the dish. All of the new generation receivers have a selectable LNB power feed option, and it should be switched off if you don't use it. Selecting this option is easy:

Wegener Ipump

For the Wegener Ipump:
On the Front Panel:

Press the right arrow button until the display reads "LNB power." Press enter.

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IDC Max

For the IDC Max:
On the Front Panel: