# Yet another Spectrum Tuning Adaptor / Bolt problem



## upstater (Feb 5, 2020)

About a month ago I noticed that I could no longer tune to my premium stations. After some digging around I noticed that I was also missing many other SDV channels. So, I headed over to the Spectrum office to pick up a new tuning adapter and cablecard. Got them paired up with the Bolt and found that I had the exact same problem - missing stations. I have since switched out both the TA and cablecard again to no avail. Same problem. 
I need to mention that my life-timed Bolt TA/cablecard setup was stable for a year. Prior to that, I was using the exact same cablecard and tuning adapter for my Premiere for 8 or nine years. I've had 3 Spectrum truck rolls and the techs have not been able to diagnose a problem. My signal strength values from the TA and cablecard are within the "normal" range. One last interesting observation: my Bolt can "see" some of the SDV channels when the TA is not connected to the Bolt (unfortunately not my premium stations). I actually get fewer channels with the TA connected...
I am beginning to wonder whether my lifetimed bolt has a problem or whether the issue is something on Spectrum's end.
How do I diagnose whether it's the Tivo?


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## Willy92 (Oct 12, 2018)

Call your cable company and ask them to look at/reflash your tuning adapter. Mine has to be done every couple of years or so.


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## UCLABB (May 29, 2012)

upstater said:


> About a month ago I noticed that I could no longer tune to my premium stations. After some digging around I noticed that I was also missing many other SDV channels. So, I headed over to the Spectrum office to pick up a new tuning adapter and cablecard. Got them paired up with the Bolt and found that I had the exact same problem - missing stations. I have since switched out both the TA and cablecard again to no avail. Same problem.
> I need to mention that my life-timed Bolt TA/cablecard setup was stable for a year. Prior to that, I was using the exact same cablecard and tuning adapter for my Premiere for 8 or nine years. I've had 3 Spectrum truck rolls and the techs have not been able to diagnose a problem. My signal strength values from the TA and cablecard are within the "normal" range. One last interesting observation: my Bolt can "see" some of the SDV channels when the TA is not connected to the Bolt (unfortunately not my premium stations). I actually get fewer channels with the TA connected...
> I am beginning to wonder whether my lifetimed bolt has a problem or whether the issue is something on Spectrum's end.
> How do I diagnose whether it's the Tivo?


It's a TA problem on Spectrum's end. Keep after Spectrum to fix the issue.


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## upstater (Feb 5, 2020)

Spectrum came out again yesterday and essentially told me the problem must be the Tivo. It certainly feels like they're finished.
I contacted Tivo and they can't see the cableCARD in the Bolt which perhaps means there is a pairing issue. The cableCARD says that its ready (and all the internal diagnostics seem within specs) and as far as Spectrum is concerned it's paired. Tivo wants to do a 3-way call with Spectrum cablecard support. I'll post the results of that next step.


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## Chuck_IV (Jan 1, 2002)

It’s not TiVo. It’s Spectrum and changes need to be made at your head end. Most likely it is because they moved some channels to SDV and the tuning adapter now doesn’t know how to handle that. It has something to do with the frequencies and what the TA is expecting. 

I and several others(in surrounding towns) went round and round with Spectrum for a couple months when they moved 20+ channels to SDV to support internet speed upgrades. Eventually the others got theirs fixed because one person had a connection to someone at the head end. But their fixes didn’t completely fix things for me, in a different town. I still had 9 channels out and no amount of techs or calls to support worked.

I finally put a complaint into the BBB and within a week I got a call from my Spectrum’s head end telling me it was a problem on their end and and after only a day of waiting it was fixed. 

If you get frustrated with Spectrum’s poor support methods and going round and round, try a BBB complaint. You will be amazed at how fast things get fixed. 

It’s sad that it takes this but it does work(had to do it twice so far and both times things were fixed within a few days/week). 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Teeps (Aug 16, 2001)

A complaint to the F.C.C. will get their attention too.


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## My Cape is a Recliner (Oct 5, 2019)

That should be on Spectrums end. Make sure you are speaking with the cablecard section. When my tech was here and had to call in to work with them, he asked for "the TIVO section", and they connected him right to em. I wouldn't trust anyone else to know what's going on.

I had a similar problem, and as already stated it was a pairing issue. I have the CISCO TA, and I searched and found the support page for it. It had a flashing light on the front and 1-8 lights were all different diagnostic codes that helped me figure out what the problem was. Solid light meant it was functioning properly, perhaps yours has that.

Last, Once its paired you need to run Tivo's SETUP, TWICE. The first time is so the TiVo can find the TA. The second time is so the TiVo can properly run the setup with the TA connected from the start.


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## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

A solid light doesn’t guarantee the Cisco TA is working correctly. I had one for ten years and every month or so it would stop working but the light was still on solid. Power-cycling the TA was required. Many forum members have their TA’s on lamp timers to power-cycle them, in many cases as frequently as once a day. Usually after power-cycling the TA I had to also cycle the USB connection and sometimes restart the TiVo. It has to say “Channel List Received: Yes” in TiVo diagnostics. The TA solution for SDV tuning was not designed for human use — at least not as implemented by Spectrum and formerly by TWC.


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## thehepcat (Jan 9, 2002)

dlfl said:


> A solid light doesn't guarantee the Cisco TA is working correctly. I had one for ten years and every month or so it would stop working but the light was still on solid. Power-cycling the TA was required. Many forum members have their TA's on lamp timers to power-cycle them, in many cases as frequently as once a day. Usually after power-cycling the TA I had to also cycle the USB connection and sometimes restart the TiVo. It has to say "Channel List Received: Yes" in TiVo diagnostics. The TA solution for SDV tuning was not designed for human use - at least not as implemented by Spectrum and formerly by TWC.


I like the lamp timer idea, maybe a smart plug would work too. I've had so many Spectrum techs & Managers to the house, I've basically given up ever getting all my channels. My Bolt seems to have fewer issues that my Roamio FWIW.


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## mde8965 (Dec 8, 2019)

I’ve had my TA on a TP-Link Kasa smart plug which is plugged into a UPS. I set a schedule on the smart plug to turn off the TA at 2am every Sunday morning and turn it back on at 2:05am. So far so good. 
I’ve considered putting the TiVo bolt one a smart plug too and having it boot once a week too, but I’m not having any issues so don’t want to mess with it.


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## Chuck_IV (Jan 1, 2002)

mde8965 said:


> I've had my TA on a TP-Link Kasa smart plug which is plugged into a UPS. I set a schedule on the smart plug to turn off the TA at 2am every Sunday morning and turn it back on at 2:05am. So far so good.
> I've considered putting the TiVo bolt one a smart plug too and having it boot once a week too, but I'm not having any issues so don't want to mess with it.


I've had issue in the past with my Bolt and rebooting the TA when it is connected. It would never recognized the TA after it came back online and even a Benoit wouldn't fix it. I would have to disconnect the TA, reboot the Bolt and the reconnect the TA.

This was on TE4 and I'll back on TE3 now so I don't know it this still holds true. When so have issues, I always disconnect the TA first, then let it reboot and once the solid light appear, I reconnect it. This works every time.

My two Roamios(one basic and one plus) never had this issue. I can just reboot the TA in place and they will be recognized when they go solid, even when they were on TE4.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Teeps (Aug 16, 2001)

dlfl said:


> A solid light doesn't guarantee the Cisco TA is working correctly. I had one for ten years and every month or so it would stop working but the light was still on solid. Power-cycling the TA was required.
> 
> Many forum members have their TA's on lamp timers to power-cycle them, in many cases as frequently as once a day.
> Usually after power-cycling the TA I had to also cycle the USB connection and sometimes restart the TiVo. It has to say "Channel List Received: Yes" in TiVo diagnostics. The TA solution for SDV tuning was not designed for human use - at least not as implemented by Spectrum and formerly by TWC.
> ...


The need of rebooting a Tuning Adapter started with S3 TiVos when tuning adapters were first foisted upon, us, unsuspecting users.
The problem caused to S3 TiVos' by the tuning adapter is the GC (garbage collection) routine would not complete. When that happens the dreaded SO3 error is produced. It was discovered that removing the tuning adapter for a few hours daily would allow GC to complete, and the SO3 error would clear.
My S3 w/tuning adapter is still connected to a lamp timer.
The smart socket sounds interesting I might give one a try.


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## dlfl (Jul 6, 2006)

Teeps said:


> The need of rebooting a Tuning Adapter started with S3 TiVos when tuning adapters were first foisted upon, us, unsuspecting users.
> The problem caused to S3 TiVos' by the tuning adapter is the GC (garbage collection) routine would not complete. When that happens the dreaded SO3 error is produced. It was discovered that removing the tuning adapter for a few hours daily would allow GC to complete, and the SO3 error would clear.
> My S3 w/tuning adapter is still connected to a lamp timer.
> The smart socket sounds interesting I might give one a try.


However, just to be clear, the need to periodically power-cycle some TA's also is there for later model TiVo's and has nothing to to with GC or SO3 errors. It's a problem specific to the TA, not the TiVo. Clearing it doesn't require removing the TA for a few hours, just power-cycling it. I had the problem with a TiVo HD and even back then (in my case at least) it wasn't related to GC or SO3. It continued just the same when I switched to a Roamio. Happy to say it ended completely when I cut the cable recently and turned in my TA!


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## Teeps (Aug 16, 2001)

dlfl said:


> However, just to be clear, the need to periodically power-cycle some TA's also is there for later model TiVo's and has nothing to to with GC or SO3 errors. It's a problem specific to the TA, not the TiVo. Clearing it doesn't require removing the TA for a few hours, just power-cycling it. I had the problem with a TiVo HD and even back then (in my case at least) it wasn't related to GC or SO3. It continued just the same when I switched to a Roamio. Happy to say it ended completely when I cut the cable recently and turned in my TA!


Agree.
This is true, the premier xl4 I have will lose channels too without a T/A reboot at least once a month.


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## thehepcat (Jan 9, 2002)

Well, my Wemo smart plug arrived today.....as did the green screen of death after I plugged the power strip back in. I'm in the 3 hour holding pattern now. Fingers crossed.


UPDATE:: Roamio came back on after about 2hours. I think I must have unplugged it a second time before it had restarted all the way from the first unplug. Patience is indeed a virtue.


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## upstater (Feb 5, 2020)

I came home yesterday from work and magically everything was working again. All my SDV basic channels are coming in and my premiums are too. Absolutely random. I guess Spectrum did something on the head-end that fixed my issue? 
I'll take it.


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