$59 61.5 wing dish for Des Moines, IA HD locals. Opinions please ...

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EmpireState

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Original poster
Mar 1, 2008
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I just got off the phone with Dish. I've scheduled installation of a wing dish for the new Des Moines, IA HD local channels that are on 61.5. They're charging $59 for a 2nd dish plus no more than $29 extra for service because I'm on the protection plan. They say it shouldn't be more than that, but I still need to talk to the installer for specifics. No contract or extended service agreement. They also offered a 1 dish solution that would receive 110, 119, 129 and 61.5 but I said I wanted the wing dish for better reception.

Sound fair? Better deals I should ask for? Opinions welcome. --Thanks
 
$59 for parts and labor sounds very fair since you do not have to agree to 2 year committment. Also, you do need the second dish as there is no one dish solution for 110, 119, 129 and 61.5. One dish would cover 110, 119 and 129, but 61.5 is a separate dish unless you can get switched over to the Eastern Arc, which would give you 61.5, 72 and 77 (when 77 becomes avaiable).
 
garys said:
$59 for parts and labor sounds very fair since you do not have to agree to 2 year committment. Also, you do need the second dish as there is no one dish solution for 110, 119, 129 and 61.5. One dish would cover 110, 119 and 129, but 61.5 is a separate dish unless you can get switched over to the Eastern Arc, which would give you 61.5, 72 and 77 (when 77 becomes avaiable).
Click to expand...

I thought that sounded odd when the Dish guy on the phone offered to replace my current dish with a Dish 500+ (?) to cover all the bases. I had to ask about the wing dish and then he said that would be a better solution. Thankfully I read posts on SatelliteGuys. I assume I'll have to do a fair amount of troubleshooting with the installer to get this right.

I also have the problem of living in a townhome complex, which means the primary dish installer won't do it because they can't do an electrical ground. The prefered installer in DM just won't do it, they'll cancel the order. I need a cold water ground. So the CSR gave me 3 different companies to contact for further information. He didn't know which one of the 3 would be doing the install because he hasn't set that part up yet, only the scheduling. So I get to call all 3 and find out who has my work order. That seems a little hoaky. It's a journey ...


**Update: The phone just rang and it was the installer. Dish gave the work order straight to the company that won't do it even after I explained that they wouldn't do it. Even after Dish gave me the phone numbers of the 3 alternative installers they said might be doing the install. And they wanted to come tomorrow and not a week from Saturday like I had discussed with Dish. Now everything is cancelled. Time to call dish. Total elapsed time: 2 hours. Shenanigans.

** Update 2: Dish says I need to contact one of the 3 alternative installers directly and set up the wing dish install. Dish can't schedule it. Like I said, it's a journey. Any advice on pricing and other things to watch out for would be appreciated. --Thanks guys.


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Yep...along with Omaha, Lincoln, and anywhere else that's moving to EA. I've already scheduled mine...wish they'd add more than one channel in the Lincoln market soon, though... Really need CBS or Fox to be honest.... :p
 
superdorf said:
Hmm... So this means everyone here in DSM will need a second dish for HD locals?
Click to expand...


I asked the Dish CSR to inquire about Des Moines HD locals on a sat other than 61.5 in the future. He put me on hold and came back with the 61.5 offer only. He probably wasn't very well informed though, read my above post. I wouldn't put any weight on the info he gave me. My own intuition says 61.5 for local HD is our only option. The real question for us in DM is; should we try to transfer over to Eastern Arc entirely, or install a wing dish. I have no problem with my 110, 119, 129 reception and would like to keep it that way... but if Eastern Arc is the future of Iowa, then what? Should I be forward looking and try to get the full Eastern Arc shift because it will happen anyway in the long term? I don't want to have another installer out in 6 months or a year.
 
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I live in Des Moines as well. I'll give Dish a call tomorrow and see what I can get out of them and post back here if I hear anything different. From what I've read in other posts, Dish isn't moving any existing customers to E.A. Thanks for post. I just got online to find out how to get my HD locals.

My TV is in my basement so my little antenna doesn't get the best reception. Wife won't let me put one on the roof.

Thanks!
 
gilmoreisu said:
I live in Des Moines as well. I'll give Dish a call tomorrow and see what I can get out of them and post back here if I hear anything different. From what I've read in other posts, Dish isn't moving any existing customers to E.A. Thanks for post. I just got online to find out how to get my HD locals.

My TV is in my basement so my little antenna doesn't get the best reception. Wife won't let me put one on the roof.

Thanks!
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Look forward to hearing your results. I have a an antenna on the house, but it would be nice to record 2 local shows in HD at the same time.
 
Ok. Just got off the phone. Off topic, the woman that helped me, Jessica, was extremely nice and helpful.

I asked about getting Eastern Arc installed and was told that only new HD customers are getting that. I didn't push the subject any further. But, I did ask if my area was a single dish solution for the EA. She said that she didn't know, had no material for checking that, and wouldn't know untill going through the order process for a new setup. Does anyone have an answer for this in the Des Moines area?

So, in order for me to get HD locals, I'll need a second 20 inch dish installed according to this rep. But, their computer systems weren't able to recognize that I needed this install, so they are going to call me back. I'll post back later when I hear back. I have no pricing info or anything.
 
There is a single dish solution for the EA, but as the CSR told you, it is only for new customers, not for existing customers at this time. Being so, the only solution for existing customers at this time is the 2nd dish install. From what I've heard it isn't going to be until next Feb. that Dish will start allowing existing cust. to upgrade to the Eastern Arc.
 
This is so much crap!! I called a few months back to cancel my Dish as I was going to move to Directv to get my locals in HD. They said please wait as my Omaha locals will be turned on soon, so I stayed with Dish. Now, they announce that they are lighting up Omaha Locals, BUT, I have to get another dish??? This is so damn stupid. I have been a customer for over 4 years, and my bill is around $150 a month!

Is there any other way to get these besides getting a "wing dish"???
 
mraudit said:
This is so much crap!! I called a few months back to cancel my Dish as I was going to move to Directv to get my locals in HD. They said please wait as my Omaha locals will be turned on soon, so I stayed with Dish. Now, they announce that they are lighting up Omaha Locals, BUT, I have to get another dish??? This is so damn stupid. I have been a customer for over 4 years, and my bill is around $150 a month!

Is there any other way to get these besides getting a "wing dish"???
Click to expand...

No, you will need the wing dish as the channels will only be supplied on that one sat location. You can either pay $59 to have the dish added or agree to a two year committment and get it done for less or possibly for free.
 
I just got a call back from Dish. They said they are going to wave the $99 fee for installation because of my inconvience (their systems werent working well). I'm setup for an install on Tuesday, 10/28.

Sounds like $59 is a good price. It's too bad they won't install EA for us.
 
huskerpat said:
Does the wing use the same mast or are they going to want to drill more holes in my roof.
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They told me it was a new dish with new holes. But, that isn't what "wing-dish" implies. So, there may be some differences to what the CSR told me and what actually happens.

I'd like to know for sure though, because my wife may be opposed to more holes. I don't exactly like it, but I guess HD locals outweighs the holes.
 
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