Chicago Locals & Sports in Lansing, MI

[Matt Johnson]

Hi All,

I'm a life long Chicagoan that is currently in the Lansing, MI area while my wife completes a medical residency here at Michigan State.

Currently have Comcast and tired of not being able to see Chicago sports. I'd also rather watch Chicago news on WGN and have no need for the local channels here - they are awful.

I've done some research and it seems that the Chicago TV channels are carried on Spot Beam 22, as are the locals for Alpena, MI way to the NE of me and also Grand Rapids about 70 miles west. According to the spot beam map I am well covered and in the green area at my location. Sports channels (Fox Sports Chicago, Comcast Sports Chicago) are covered nationally.

My question is if I list the "billing/service" address for Dish Network as my parents house (they don't have Dish only Comcast) could I receive Chicago TV locals and sports channels since I can get the spot beam at my location? If so, this would be a big deal to me!

I've taken a look at the prices and even if I kept Comcast for Internet only Dish is still cheaper.

Just looking to see if I am missing anything here. Hoping to get all Cubs, Hawks, Bears and Bulls games, along with the comedy of WGN morning news.

 

[AZ.]

Will you be there for 2 years?

Go with a sling box?.....

 

[Matt Johnson]

Yes, two more years. I've looked at Slingbox at my parents house but it doesn't look like the quality is that good and some messing around to do with players that don't have ads. That's why I am considering this. The prior owner of our house had Dish.

 

[ChadT41]

If you "move" you service address after installation, and you are covered by the spotbeam
Map, then you should be fine. If you are signing up for Dish, PM me and I will give you a referral code as well, to save $50 more. Now can't tell you how well you will receive the sports, as you may be blacked out of quite a few.

 

[Matt Johnson]

If you "move" you service address after installation, and you are covered by the spotbeam
Map, then you should be fine. If you are signing up for Dish, PM me and I will give you a referral code as well, to save $50 more. Now can't tell you how well you will receive the sports, as you may be blacked out of quite a few.

I'm trying to replicate the service I would get back in Chicago at my address in MI. There wouldn't be any blackouts. All of our games are televised somewhere on either a local station, Chicago sports network (Fox, CSN) or nationally on ESPN. I'll PM you if I go for it, just reading into a few more things. I may even ship to my parents house so the install and service address are the same and bring it back with me to MI to ensure there are no issues.

 

[Matt Johnson]

Can anyone tell me why there are multiple spot beams that carry Chicago channels? According to the listings they can be carried by spot beam 22, 19 and/or 55. Usually each channel is on at least two spot beams, but might differ which two spot beams depending on the channel. They all appear to overlap my area with spot beam 22 being the strongest.

 

[Matt Johnson]

Just figured it out...depends on if I am pointing towards 61.5/72.7/77 Eastern Arc or 119/121/129 Western Arc. Need to get it facing to Western Arc for the good coverage of Spotbeams 22/A11

 

[Matt Johnson]

Is this worth pursuing...Marked my location. I was up on my roof and the prior Dish installation from the last owner was Eastern Arc. My channels are on 61.5 Spot Beam 55. I used the Satellite finder app and don't think Western Arc is an option for me due to trees, even though the spot beam would be better. Here's what the 61.5 Spot Beam 55 looks like for me for reception:



I checked the channels on the spot beam for any overlap and they are in use in WV and NJ. NJ spot beam 2 gets no overlap at all in my area. The WV spot beam 32 is the last bit of fringe. I'm thinking I have a decent chance at least?

 

[king3pj]

It's much easier to set up the install with your Lansing address. That way you get free, professional installation. Then in a couple days you can do a chat with Dish support online. Tell them you had to move and you got everything installed and working at the new place yourself but you need to change your service address because you are getting the wrong locals.

I did this for my parents the day after they had their Dish system installed because they live in an area where Dish and Directv provide Detroit locals even though Flint is much closer and cable carries Flint. My dad had always had Flint locals and wasn't going to switch to satellite if he had to lose them.

When they wanted to upgrade to the Hopper/Joey system I did the Dish chat and "moved" them back to their home address so the installer would show up at the right location. A few days later I chatted again and "moved" back to to the address that qualifies for Flint locals.

My guess is that these CSRs know what is happening especially when you do it soon after installation but they just don't care. The two addresses I kept switching my parents between are less than 3 miles apart and qualify for different locals. Just make sure you pick an address in Chicago of someone you know who hasn't had Dish recently and isn't planning to get it any time soon.

The only thing I'm not sure about is which arc they will put you on. The installer will set your Dish up with whichever arc Lansing's HD locals are on. If that isn't the same arc Chicago uses you might only get your locals in SD or not at all.

The Chicago sports channels will work fine either way and you can always plug an antenna into your Hopper to record Lansing locals in HD if you only get Chicago in SD.

 

[Matt Johnson]

The only thing I'm not sure about is which arc they will put you on. The installer will set your Dish up with whichever arc Lansing's HD locals are on. If that isn't the same arc Chicago uses you might only get your locals in SD or not at all.

First of all, thank you for this very helpful post. I'm spending a lot of time and research figuring this all out. Lansing locals are on both the Eastern and Western Arcs. But they will install Eastern as that is where the HD is for Lansing as you noted. SD only for Lansing is on the Western Arc.

If I can get a Western Arc setup I know there will be zero issues assuming I can receive it without tree obstruction as Chicago channels are on the 129°W Spot Beam 22 (Ciel-2 Dish) as are Battle Creek and Grand Rapids. Lansing is squarely in the best reception area for this.

If I do the Eastern Arc I am looking at the 61.5°W Spot Beam 55 that I referenced above, which is a bit outside of best reception but might work ok. Either Eastern or Western Arc get HD for Chicago.

I have my parents address in Chicago I can use. They have Comcast and will not be getting Dish. That's my plan for the billing address.

 

[Claude Greiner]

You are right on the edge of the Chicago spot beam.

We have an office in Chicago and a Directv showroom box.

We did a show in Jackson Mi and Chicago locals work fine.

Take the box to Detroit to do another show, and no locals.

Considering Lansing is about the same distance from Jackson as Jackson is to Detroit. I would say you got a 50/50 chance for locals

 

[Claude Greiner]

I'm sorry, I didn't realize this was the non directv forum.

I think it would work on Dish.

 

[Matt Johnson]

Sounds like the only way I'll know for sure is to try it and hope for the best. Based on this map for the Eastern Arc which is how they will install here in Lansing I should have a decent shot at it.

That being said, I do have a Dish Network HD Dish on my roof from the prior owner Eastern Arc...perhaps I should try to get a receiver vs a new install and see if I can get it to work...if it doesn't I don't want to be stuck with something I can't return.

 

[king3pj]

Sounds like the only way I'll know for sure is to try it and hope for the best. Based on this map for the Eastern Arc which is how they will install here in Lansing I should have a decent shot at it.

That being said, I do have a Dish Network HD Dish on my roof from the prior owner Eastern Arc...perhaps I should try to get a receiver vs a new install and see if I can get it to work...if it doesn't I don't want to be stuck with something I can't return.

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You could buy your own receiver and install it yourself to avoid a contract while you are checking it out. I haven't had Dish for a few years but I think the 211 is the cheapest HD receiver you can buy but it isn't a DVR.

The only problem with going that way is I think you miss out on the new customer promos if you don't sign a contract and let them do the installation. I'm not positive on that but someone like ChadT41 could probably let you know since he used to work for Dish.

 

[ChadT41]

You nailed it. New customer promotions are only available at the beginning before the account is set up with a contract. That said, if willing to fight hard, the OOP has been applying credits in the back system of a case can be made as to why. No guarantees on that though.