Keeping p4 active

[Paul Bunyon]

How long can you keep a P4 card out of service. without having to call DTV to get it reset. a friend of mine has a p4 for backup and I forgot to tell him to keep swapping it in and out.. But I do not know how often it has to be done to keep from going invalid..his card now says insert valid card.. what do you tell DTV when you call...

[RoyBoy]

How long can you keep a P4 card out of service. without having to call DTV to get it reset. a friend of mine has a p4 for backup and I forgot to tell him to keep swapping it in and out.. But I do not know how often it has to be done to keep from going invalid..his card now says insert valid card.. what do you tell DTV when you call...
I do not know how long, but it has happened to me and I call DTV and told them I was out of town and unplugged the receiver. They adjusted the receiver on the spot. I was getting - call extension 721, not authorized. They will fix it right away.