61.5 HD Core Migrations Update

[dvrexpander]

I currently have 110/119/61.5. I have no LOS to 129. Installers say my environment with all the trees prohibit a unified (1000.2 or 1000.4) dish. I'm eventually gonna have to cut down/back some trees and have a pole mount about 150' from my house to obtain a full EA (1000.4) install. In the meantime, I'm not worried about not receiving the new HD, but I certainly don't want to lose my current HD.

One installer came out, and easily repointed my 61.5 wing at 72.7. Being uninformed we eventually realized I lost most of my current HD. So, long story short, we re-pointed it to 61.5.

It's gonna be a while before I can get around to digging the trench and cutting down the trees for the 1000.4.

What I tell people is if we can get a dish put up and its over 50feet away from the house that I'll run the wire and all they need to do is single blade a garden tiller... use that to quickly dig a trench and then just lay the cable in it and cover it up. Simple and saves a whole bunch of time. If I had room on my van I'd put a tiller in it just for that purpose!!

 

[patmurphey]

I currently have 110/119/61.5. I have no LOS to 129. Installers say my environment with all the trees prohibit a unified (1000.2 or 1000.4) dish. I'm eventually gonna have to cut down/back some trees and have a pole mount about 150' from my house to obtain a full EA (1000.4) install. In the meantime, I'm not worried about not receiving the new HD, but I certainly don't want to lose my current HD.

One installer came out, and easily repointed my 61.5 wing at 72.7. Being uninformed we eventually realized I lost most of my current HD. So, long story short, we re-pointed it to 61.5...

If 72.7 will solve your problem... I had no problem getting an additional wing dish for 72.7 along with the DP44 needed for 4 satellites (61.5, 72.7, 110, 119). I have no line of sight to 77. If you PM me I will get back to you with the phone number Scott posted in another thread that I used to get someone who understands and can make a decision.

 

[120inna55]

If 72.7 will solve your problem... I had no problem getting an additional wing dish for 72.7 along with the DP44 needed for 4 satellites (61.5, 72.7, 110, 119). I have no line of sight to 77. If you PM me I will get back to you with the phone number Scott posted in another thread that I used to get someone who understands and can make a decision.

I explored that option. I was told by an installer that the location of my current 61.5 wing dish is the only place a wing dish could go, so apparently the wing dish is gonna have to be either 61.5 or 72.7.

So does anyone have an answer to my question as to whether my HD will slowly start dropping off 61.5 bit by bit for a long period of time, or will the channels remain on 61.5 until everything is on 72.7? If it all happens at once, then I can simply re-aim when it happens?

 

[digiblur]

I explored that option. I was told by an installer that the location of my current 61.5 wing dish is the only place a wing dish could go, so apparently the wing dish is gonna have to be either 61.5 or 72.7.

So does anyone have an answer to my question as to whether my HD will slowly start dropping off 61.5 bit by bit for a long period of time, or will the channels remain on 61.5 until everything is on 72.7? If it all happens at once, then I can simply re-aim when it happens?

Here's the last thing I heard on the 61.5 HD migrations.

Please note that it is advised to delay making any changes to properties regarding the 61.5 HD Premium migrations until further notice. The situation is currently under study to ensure that the best solution will be implemented.

Before this, the last I heard that HD Premiums were going to move between July-Dec 2010 and the rest of the HD channels(not locals) in 2011. And one day you wouldn't just wake up and see them gone. There would be dual feeds of the channels with popup messages stating you will lose the programming soon.

So if you're happy with what you have now, I'd just sit tight. But if I were you and you have no LOS to 129, I'd figure out some way to handle your unique situation. I would try everything in your power to go 1000.4. You could do something like 61.5/72/110/119 (doubt you even need 110/119 unless you have MPEG2 receivers). But just remember that's an unsupported setup and could lose channels overnight if they have to move something.

 

[TheKrell]

One installer came out, and easily repointed my 61.5 wing at 72.7. Being uninformed we eventually realized I lost most of my current HD. So, long story short, we re-pointed it to 61.5.

It's gonna be a while before I can get around to digging the trench and cutting down the trees for the 1000.4.

I don't understand the problem there. If you can get both 61.5 and 72.7 from your current wing dish location, why not just put up the 1000.4 in that spot? 77 is very close to 72.7.

I also find it difficult to believe that you can't put a 1000.4 somewhere on the north edge of your roof. The elevation angle is what? 43 deg or thereabouts for DFW. This means that trees on the south side of your house would have to be both extremely high and extremely close to your house before they would get in the way. Or you have a very dinky house.

 

[whatchel1]

ck somthing out for us

Scranton is considered our locals. Works fine in SD on 119 (I was wrong, it's not 110). HD customers were set up with 119/110/61.5 even before Scranton HD locals existed. We were insulted when they ended up on a spotbeam on 61.5 that didn't cover us, but then this business of forcing people onto Eastern Arc started and now we have to make a choice between not having all the national HD or not having locals even in SD (or having half of the locals with an unsupported DIY installation.)

What is the most utterly mind-boggling and inexplicable is that, having announced that they want everybody switched to Eastern Arc, they didn't immediately put our locals on 77 where they have lots of space.

On 61.5 would you check your signal level on TP 7 and if you have SS there does it switch to spotbeam. Looking at the Goggle map for spotbeam and see what you think: SatelliteGuys.US - Subscription 61.5°W . If you are getting SS & spotbeam indication the installer may be going by some chart that isn't completely accurate. But only 1 way to find out is to ck the levels.

 

[digiblur]

On 61.5 would you check your signal level on TP 7 and if you have SS there does it switch to spotbeam. Looking at the Goggle map for spotbeam and see what you think: SatelliteGuys.US - Subscription 61.5°W . If you are getting SS & spotbeam indication the installer may be going by some chart that isn't completely accurate. But only 1 way to find out is to ck the levels.

It's been a known fact for a while that the spotbeam the Scranton HD locals are on do not cover the entire DMA. There's a long running thread going about the subject.

The maps for E12 are not accurate anymore. They were accurate at the time of launch but now since Dish bought the bird, all of the beams have shifted northeast.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

The problem is that the spotbeams on 61.5 aren't pointing where they're supposed to point. It looks like they moved them for greater coverage of New York or something. As a result, the beam carrying the Scranton locals only covers the parts of the market that are close enough to Scranton to get them OTA anyway. (The Williamsport translators, as far as I know, are still analog, and only visible from within Williamsport itself.) Meanwhile, the Philadelphia/Washington beam puts in a killer signal here, and the Buffalo beam is usable too, but while that would let you watch your network programs, it wouldn't do you any good for local news.

Got it. When I see LOS I think of impediments to seeing the sats, not the fact that spotbeam coverage is messed up....

 

[whatchel1]

Understand that

It's been a known fact for a while that the spotbeam the Scranton HD locals are on do not cover the entire DMA. There's a long running thread going about the subject.

The maps for E12 are not accurate anymore. They were accurate at the time of launch but now since Dish bought the bird, all of the beams have shifted northeast.

Digi I understand that but what can it hurt for him to ck his SS & if it switches to spotbeam? An example is the Dallas spotbeam (which that I found out & you corrected) covers a different area than was listed. Just having him ck to see what he is getting.

 

[Jim S.]

On 61.5 would you check your signal level on TP 7 and if you have SS there does it switch to spotbeam.

The signal strength varies anywhere between nothing and 12. Prior to about last November, it never even got near 12, it would top out around 7. I don't know what changed, but even though 12 is usable, it never stays there long enough to depend on.

There's already a big thread about this somewhere.

 

[whatchel1]

Fringe

The signal strength varies anywhere between nothing and 12. Prior to about last November, it never even got near 12, it would top out around 7. I don't know what changed, but even though 12 is usable, it never stays there long enough to depend on.

There's already a big thread about this somewhere.

You are on the fringe of the spotbeam. Sorry unless you went with something like a 30" you wouldn't get enough for a good reliable picture. That really stinks that spotbeam doesn't cover you.

 

[digiblur]

You are on the fringe of the spotbeam. Sorry unless you went with something like a 30" you wouldn't get enough for a good reliable picture. That really stinks that spotbeam doesn't cover you.

I remember in the thread for those locals that some areas worked with the 30... I bet you'd need bigger than a 30 to pull out that signal.

 

[will53033]

I currently have 110/119/61.5. I have no LOS to 129. Installers say my environment with all the trees prohibit a unified (1000.2 or 1000.4) dish. I'm eventually gonna have to cut down/back some trees and have a pole mount about 150' from my house to obtain a full EA (1000.4) install. In the meantime, I'm not worried about not receiving the new HD, but I certainly don't want to lose my current HD.

One installer came out, and easily repointed my 61.5 wing at 72.7. Being uninformed we eventually realized I lost most of my current HD. So, long story short, we re-pointed it to 61.5.

It's gonna be a while before I can get around to digging the trench and cutting down the trees for the 1000.4.

Since re-aiming the 61.5 at 72.7 was so easy, I intended to just wait until my current HD started migrating off 61.5. My biggest concern is to not lose FOX News HD and Spike HD or my HD locals (DFW DMA).

I suspect I know the answer to this, but will my HD slowly start dropping off 61.5 bit by bit for a long period of time, or will the channels remain on 61.5 until everything is on 72.7? If it all happens at once, then I can simply re-aim when it happens.

Also, what's gonna happen to my HD locals? I'm in the Dallas/Ft. Worth DMA and my HD locals are currently on both 61.5 and 110. Are there any plans to move my HD locals off of 110?

I understand my situation is not desirable, and some of you may simply say, "just get the full EA and stop fussing with it", but I will have to dig the trench and cut down the trees myself and I just don't really have the time for that now. DISH's moving around is upsetting a setup I've had for over 10 years. I've been a DISH customer for over 13 years.

I have the same situtation. My solution is to move to D*.

 

[dvrexpander]

Dish is scaring too many people with their letters they are sending out. People are thinking they are missing out on something that others are getting over them and its causing havoc. Most people have 61.5 for a reason and as I've said in another thread that's due to tree's causing a NLOS for 129 which around here is what most locals are broadcasted on in HD. I've seen and heard of many techs getting sent out to do re-points and will see no chance thus giving the home owner a reason to complain and yell at the techs.... its wrong and the CSR's need to start reading notes all the way back to the original install since many say why the 61.5 was put in place.

 

[Laddyboy]

Dish is scaring too many people with their letters they are sending out. People are thinking they are missing out on something that others are getting over them and its causing havoc. Most people have 61.5 for a reason and as I've said in another thread that's due to tree's causing a NLOS for 129 which around here is what most locals are broadcasted on in HD. I've seen and heard of many techs getting sent out to do re-points and will see no chance thus giving the home owner a reason to complain and yell at the techs.... its wrong and the CSR's need to start reading notes all the way back to the original install since many say why the 61.5 was put in place.

But 129 and 61.5 no longer have identical national programming, so subs with 110/119/61.5 installs do not have access to the same programming as subs with pure arc installs. So they are missing out compared to others. Perhaps E* will not go ahead with the pure arc migration and reverse itself, but as of this moment any sub with the hybrid install is out of luck.

 

[patmurphey]

I explored that option. I was told by an installer that the location of my current 61.5 wing dish is the only place a wing dish could go, so apparently the wing dish is gonna have to be either 61.5 or 72.7...

Is there really no room for a dish adjacent to your present wing dish? If there is call the number at the beginning of this thread and ask for a supervisors opinion. That is how I solved my LOS problem.

 

[cparker]

Wow.... just got out of chat online about migrating. "We can do this for you for the cost of a Technician Visit of $95....."
Huh?
You put new programs in my programming tier.... where I can't SEE them .... and now you want to charge me for new equipment?

Oh if I have the service plan it's only $15. Isn't the service plan like $6 a month? And now they charge you to remove it?

I know this has been bandied about before. It's just pissin' me off now 'cause it's ME!

Won't they eventually HAVE to change my equipment so I don't lose service?

 

[digiblur]

Wow.... just got out of chat online about migrating. "We can do this for you for the cost of a Technician Visit of $95....."
Huh?
You put new programs in my programming tier.... where I can't SEE them .... and now you want to charge me for new equipment?

Oh if I have the service plan it's only $15. Isn't the service plan like $6 a month? And now they charge you to remove it?

I know this has been bandied about before. It's just pissin' me off now 'cause it's ME!

Won't they eventually HAVE to change my equipment so I don't lose service?

I thought there was a special number you called where they were doing it for free?

 

[dishMIKE]

If there is please let me know!!! Mike

 

[drwatson618]

They came out and moved my 61.5 to 129 for free today. When I called, I told the automated system "advanced technical support." The guy wondered why I was directed to him, but he took care of me anyways.