So, you are getting Dish TV just fine and want to dig up an old STB just for the previews even though Dish does not allow H3 and older hoppers on the same account. OK, here is my solution:
You need a DVR that is associated with your account but can be put in a closet and then allowed to funciton on your account when you feel like digging out that old DVR. Do the following:
1. Cancel your Dish account and services.
2. Go to the TiVo website and order as many TiVo DVR's and Mini's (Mini's are TiVo equivilant of a Joey) you want. Some TiVo's are OTA only or Cable only or OTA and Cable capable, but not simiultaneously so.
3. Best value is to pay All-in for your DVR's so you can store them in closet immediately. Also, you will save a great deal of money buying the All-in Plan instead of the very steep montly charges, in addition to the cable montly charges for Cable Card and Tuning Adapters or whatever else the cable cos. try to improperly charge you. TiVo, with a cable TV subscription, is the most economical option of all, and it sounds like you would also like to save money, not just have access to a few lously "previews" once a month.
4. Confirm your Activation of your account and all equipment on-line. TiVo will create your account and associate all equipement you order as long as you order them from TiVo and not a 3rd party, otherwise you have to activate all that stuff on your own on-line.
5. Now you can put as many of your TiVo DVR's in the closet with your Hopper DVR, but you can dig out that old TiVo DVR anytime you want and "re-activate" or your the TiVo servers will recognize it and you can use in a short time, after a few software updates.
6. It is best practice, however, to dig out your old TiVo DVR's at least every 6 months so that your DVR is up to date and will not fall victim to DEACTIVATION/No longer supported TiVo DVR model due to policy and business decisions because your TiVo DVR was not always connected to your active account because it was sitting in the closet with the roaches. Also, digging out your old TiVo DVR every 6 months OR LESS can also allow your DVR to be eligible to upgrade to NEW DVR model at a great cost savings.
7. Also TiVo is releasing thier own "firestick" like streaming device. This sounds like just what the doctor ordered for you because you don't need a DVR to put in the closet and pull out and labouriously re-connect whenever you want the freebies.
Honsetly, it my not be worth the trouble just to have access for a few weeks to Dish's measly "free this month" junk channels. If you are really steamed about Dish and really want those channels, then upgrade your current package with Dish or just go to cable and pay their prices--USING A TiVo, of course, with all its advantages and very low costs.
Setting up a new TiVo on cable systems today is a BREEZE and so easy to do with great support from all the cable companies who will help you and do all the work for you by sending out highly knowledgable techs because they all value you as a customer more than any other industy in the world. In fact, Comcast; Spectrum; et al. all have the highest customer satisfaction ratings on the planet because they are there for you and love providing you with their monthly free channels (well, they don't have free channels every month, but at least they care about you), and they LOVE for you to put their boxes in the closet because they do charge you the box fee every month, even if you don't use the box and it is NOT connected to the system, but you can pull it out of the closet and start using it anytime you want for those non-existant every month plate of free channels, but I'd say, judging by your ire, it may be worth it to you. In fact, it may be the perfect solution, so join the over 1 million (and decreasing) TiVo owners and lovers who would not have it any other way so that they can put the DVR in the closet, and then pull it out for occasional use again, especially for those not-offered every month Cable TV free previews.
Let us know how the change to the better option goes. You won't regret it.