choosing a switch

[rmquest]

hello folks, am I glad to find this forum!

After talking with dish network tech support, I am told that I need a switch without which I won't get any American Programming. When I got this super dish installed two years back (by dish network themselves) I wanted only a few international channels and because of that it seems the guy installed the dish locked to sat 121 (or so I am told by them now). They didn't install the switch.

The result is I now get only channels from sat 121, and no other satellite. The check switch comes up 'no switchbox detected' (naturally, I would think!).

Currently the setup is that from the dish, it goes to a DishPro adapter. From the adapter it goes into the receiver. I am told that I need to have a switch installed between the dish and the dishpro adapter, they told me to get DP 34.
They say without this, I will never get anything from sat 119, 110 or 61.5 which is required for American programming. (america's top 100 etc).

Okay, now my question is, which is the cheapest switch which i can buy for this purpose? I just need the single room setup, no additional rooms.

I see that DishPro 21 is a lot cheaper. Will that work for my purpose?

Thanks a lot for your suggestions!

 

[Mr Tony]

welcome

You would need a DP34 to combine the 110,119 & 121 satellites together so you can get both the INt'l programming and the regular Dish programming at 110/119

 

[boba]

hello folks, am I glad to find this forum!

After talking with dish network tech support, I am told that I need a switch without which I won't get any American Programming. When I got this super dish installed two years back (by dish network themselves) I wanted only a few international channels and because of that it seems the guy installed the dish locked to sat 121 (or so I am told by them now). They didn't install the switch.

The result is I now get only channels from sat 121, and no other satellite. The check switch comes up 'no switchbox detected' (naturally, I would think!).

Currently the setup is that from the dish, it goes to a DishPro adapter. From the adapter it goes into the receiver. I am told that I need to have a switch installed between the dish and the dishpro adapter, they told me to get DP 34.
They say without this, I will never get anything from sat 119, 110 or 61.5 which is required for American programming. (america's top 100 etc).

Okay, now my question is, which is the cheapest switch which i can buy for this purpose? I just need the single room setup, no additional rooms.

I see that DishPro 21 is a lot cheaper. Will that work for my purpose?

Thanks a lot for your suggestions!

DISH told you the truth you need a DP34 switch. The switch name tells you it is compatible with Dish Pro technology/ that it will take 3 input locations 121,119,110 for a superdish/ and has 4 outputs (DP34). The unknown information is do you have the LNBs for 119 and 110 and did the installer aim the dish for all three or just for the internationals you were subscribing to.

 

[rmquest]

thanks for the replies.

To buy the DP34 (used), I think ebay is the cheapest.

I intend to set this up without having their tech on site because that will cost me more. I have the dish on the balcony of the apartment. So after buying this, I assume I have to run three cables from the dish (there are three places on it from where I can take the cables, I think. Of the three, one is presently used) to the DP-34. And then just one cable from the DP-34 to the DishPro adapter, correct?

As you have guessed, I don't know much about these. But I think I can manage.

Also, what sort of cables should I buy?..regular coax cables?

And after installing the DP34, does it require any activation (?) or something from Dishnetwork's side?

Thanks a lot.

 

[Todd Humphrey]

Your idea is correct. Three in, one out to your adapter (if you have a legacy receiver, otherwise you do not need the adpater), Run a check switch (menu, 6,1,1) and then call dish to add your programming if your switch test passes.

Check this list of Dish Network Receivers to see if yours is legacy or dish pro type.

 

[rmquest]

Mine is model 2800, discontinued as it shows in the link you posted. But what does this mean?

Thanks!

 

[boba]

A 2800 is a Legacy receiver and DISH long ago stopped producing Legacy receivers, that is why it is discontinued. You will need a dishpro adapter for it to work with dish pro LNBs and switches. If you don't already own a DP adapter buying a DP 301 receiver can be as cheap.

 

[rmquest]

One thing which I missed asking earlier is,

Boba asked me in the earlier post " did the installer aim the dish for all three or just for the internationals you were subscribing to ?"

I would think he probably aimed it only for the international channels. Is there some way I can know if it's aimed for all three? If I buy the DP 34 switch, hook up all the cables and if the check switch shows all the three satellites, then that means it's aimed correctly, right?

Thanks!!