Challenge - Show me an online link that defines what is a "Dish Pro"

[DonJuane]

What is a Dish Pro? After 4 hours I don't find it in Google or the DN Wiki. Many conflicting bits of information appear that confuse me. I own 2 units marked "Dish 500" that are a single-head style that have no marking on the LNB head at all (the shape is the same as some I see advertised as "Dish Pro" but all of the single head models I see online have a big "DP" stamped on the rear of the LNB "head" and mine does not). As an example and my only personal reference to figuring this out, I look to what I have here at my home. I have access to 2 dishes, a production and a spare here at my home. Both are the style of being solid block head LNB with 4 coax connectors inside (they are not like the old style of LNBs that have coax coming out of both the 119/110 that require the combiner to feed the RG6 into the home).

So what constitutes something being a "Dish Pro" (in reference to getting a Dish Pro Separator 123254 to work with it). Again, I own two "dish 500" units that both have a solid-block-style LNB but neither have any kind of stamp on them at all, faded or otherwise with the words "Dish Pro" or the large black letters "DP". The concave dish part on both of these says only "Dish 500" .

Note: One of the LNBs has visible with a magnifying glass this number on a small sticker facing the actual dish: BSID10P20M
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They DO NOT look like this:

Winegard DS-5005 20" Dish 500 Antenna, Dual LNB

They DO look like this but with there is no "DP" stamped on my units (or faded image of it either):
Amazon.com: Dish Network Dish 500 Satellite Dish Assembly w/o LNBF: Electronics




Thanks!

 

[KAB]

DishPro Products : DISHSTORE.NET

Sound like you might have old legacy:

http://www.dishstore.net/index.php?cPath=6

 

[RandallA]

Here is more info on DP LNBs and switches:

https://rweb.echostar.com/departmental_content/TechPortal/content/tech/equipment/dish_pro.shtml

 

[Dah-Henny]

Yep, if the LNB's have no markings/logos, they are legacy LNB's.

 

[DonJuane]

I believe I have it. I found this link today :DISH Network Dishes : LNB : 500

After a day of research it also appears that these facts are true:

- In the "double headed LNB 2-satellite receiver" category this is a unique multi-single-stage LNB that people call "Legacy". It is the oldest made and must have a combiner device named SW 21 (or other model if more than 2) to connect the two twin LNBs into a single coax that will enter the home.
- In the "square headed LNB 2 satellite receiver" category there can be 3 different types of LNBs
- What people call "Legacy" is a unit that has simply "Dish Network" stamped on the back (no ink), and the plastic goggles that face the dish appear as an oval, like a welder's goggles
- What people call "Dish Pro" is a unit that is very similar and has in black ink "DP" stamped on the back and the two circular plastic receiver covers appear detached, resembling a pair of binoculars
- What people call "Dish Pro Plus" is a unit that is very similar and has in black ink "DP Plus" stamped on the back and the plastic receiver covers appear detached, resembling a pair of binoculars

Note that some might say this is overkill but there are a lot of these units apparently that have been sun bleached and/or painted over. Regardless I hope this helps others in my previous situation.

Second subject and my catalyst this time for landing here; I am assuming at this point that a splitter or the device part number 123254 that works to split a signal for a 2 channel receiver can only work with a head (LNB) marked "DP Plus".

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Caveats:

I discovered several other things during my research and testing this week. Now I have re-aligned several dishes during my lifetime, normally post-windstorm and ad-hock but finally gave up recently after typically spending 8 or more hours on this task when an antenna swap-out is involved. I recently purchased a small meter to detect the signal, hoping this would help. I thought I was home free but when I used it a few times to upgrade an antenna, I never could figure out why the inline meter needle was off and on, working sometimes and sometimes not. Apparently (speaking as only someone with click-experience), there is only a signal in the line available to drive an inline meter when the receiver at the end knows this is the right "switch", so you may be doubly frustrated in lining up an antenna because if the antenna is a different model than the receiver last disconnected, it has been my experience that there will be no signal on the meter, even if you are dead-on the satellites. I also discovered that the switch-type seems to be undetectable by the receiver unless the antenna is exactly aligned and only a near perfect alignment will allow the receiver to learn what kind of switch it has. A catch 22. So what I have done when helping a friend or neighbor swap out for a different antenna model number, is I have to take a small TV and a receiver on the roof, as well as having a meter in line. First I align the dish with the compass, then keep running the check switch routine over while tweaking the antenna, doing this over and over until I get the switch recognized. Only then can I seem to utilize the meter to fine tune the signal. Of course by this point I really don't need the meter because I am the idiot sitting on the roof watching TV ;-)

Finally and to expand on that, the whole concept of a "switch" (opposed to splitter or combiner) seems kind of archaic even by "legacy" standards; that is, why anything would have to switch off and on, and particularly today when you can have multiple receivers sharing the same antenna. Perhaps the "legacy" technology could not handle the concept of dual signals passing down the line, the hardware to handle it was significantly more expense and perhaps today it is something that has remained due to backward compatibility. My understanding of it now - "strange but workable" ;-).

 

[KAB]

And you have spent time on all this for why? I could have made it a lot easier for you. DishPro Plus...Good. Legacy...not so Good.

 

[DishSubLA]

All Dish Pro equipment is labeled so. That should make ID easy for you.

In short, DishPro (and devices labeled Plus, as well) utilizes Band Stacking Switch (BSS) technology while DirecTV has adopted Channel Stacking Switch (CSS) technology, their version of "Dish Pro". Now, knock yourself out silly .

 

[Mr Tony]

DishPro has a giant black "DP" on the LNB
DishProPlus if i remember says "DishProPLus" on the LNB

anything else would be legacy

 

[vash1090]

Fun Fact: I bet you have LNB drift