Dish Network Question: How To Switch Dishes

[56Nomad]

I just had Dish Network hook up satellite to the house. They roof mounted a 1000 PLUS dish and supplied a DISH 311 receiver. It all works great in the house. But I have an older 500 dish that I want to use with the RV when we travel.

Here is my question......

What do I need to do to make the switch?

I believe I need to start the process by:
1. Push menu button on the remote control
2. scroll and push #6(SYSTEM SETUP)
3. scroll and push #1(INSTALLATION)
4. scroll and push #1(POINT DISH/SIGNAL)
5. now I get the Point Dish screen showing Satellite 119 and Transponder 06 (signal strength 90-91)
6. next I push the (CHECK SWITCH) option which takes me to the Install Summary screen.
7. I have the choice of selecting the (Superdish) or (Alternate) options........

Am I headed in the correct direction?
Where do I go from here? I have the Bullseye satellite mount and and a hand-held satellite signal strength meter.

...........................OR...........................

I would imagine that each time I switch back and forth between the 1000 and 500 dish, I have to reprogram the receiver.

If I purchased another identical 1000 dish, wouldn't that eliminate the need for having to reprogram the receiver?

Thanks... from a first time satellite system owner....:

 

[SmityWhity]

You are doing good, you don't need help.

The Dish 1000 picks up 3 locations (119/110/129) and the Dish 1000+ picks up 4 locations (119/110/118.7/129). The Dish 500 picks up 2 locations (119/110), so if you have programming on the other orbital locations, you will not pick those up without a second dish while in the RV.

If the RV is not in the spotbeam(s) of your home location, you will not pick up any programming on those spotbeams; except....
...(a) If you subscribe to local channels and they are sent to you on a spot beam, you will not pick them up except when you are within that spotbeam which could be multiple locations in the country.
...(b) Also, I think some regional sports packages may be on spotbeams to various regions of the country, but I haven't researched this.

You should be able to pick up "The Weather Channel", "Headline News", and the TVGC, which is all anyone needs. And all the other CONUS broadcasts you are authorized to receive.

1. I'm not familiar with the Bullseye mount, but you really do want to make sure the mast (where the Dish 500 mounts to) is plumb (check level in at least 2 directions).
2. Menu, 6, 1, 1 (No need to scroll, it's either scroll or press the number.)
3. Set your skew and elevation according to the zip code you are visiting.
4. The Sat and Transponder will be the last one you were watching (?).
5. Change to Sat 119, Transponder 11.
6. Look for the bird adjusting the azimuth. Peak for center of signal.
7. Peak for the center of the elevation.
8. Change to Sat 110, Transponder 14.
9. Peak for azimuth and elevation if needed.
10. Recheck 119.
11. Check switch, remove any check marks (SuperDish and/or Alternate).
12. Click Test.

You should be good.

EDIT:
You shouldn't need the sat meter, use the one on the 311 (check switch).
And I would set up the 311 in your back yard and test the above theory first.
Before going on the road, you can get on the internet and look up zip codes for the cities you are going to.
http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/citytown_zip.jsp

 

[56Nomad]

SmityWhity wrote in part:

6. Look for the bird adjusting the azimuth. Peak for center of signal.
7. Peak for the center of the elevation.

Many thanks SmityWhity,

#6 and #7 will probably make sense once I start the operation in the back yard.
I'm not quite sure what your mean by "look for the bird" an "peak" for the center
of the signal and elevation ?

 

[56Nomad]

I would imagine that each time I switch back and forth between the 1000 PLUS and 500 dish, I have to reprogram the receiver.

If I purchased another identical 1000 PLUS dish, wouldn't that eliminate the need for having to reprogram the
receiver?

 

[SmityWhity]

Going back a couple of posts, in regards to #6 and #7.

You will probably have a good idea where south will be at when you park, and then where to swing the dish to for the approximate azimuth for your location. Therefore, set the dish as close as you can (with or without a compass), then with the mast bolts loosend enough to twist the dish east and west, watch the meter while adjusting the azimuth east/west until the receiver tells you it found Sat 119 (the bird).

Probably should of said "look for the bird BY adjusting the azimuth and watching the receivers point dish screen.

Recent post....
If you travel out of roughly your hometown, you will more than likely loose some of your programming do to spotbeams, so it will need reprogramming anyway. But you are not really re-programming, all you are doing is doing a check switch so that it can acquire the satellite signals and know which satellites you have access to, and then download the program guide to match your subscription with available satellites.

The hardest part will be at home, disconnecting the cables from the back of your receiver to put it in the RV; and setting up a dish at the camp ground, rest area, etc...

If you will be happy with the programming on 119/110, then I would use the Dish 500. If not and you want all of your programming, then you'll need a 1000+, but consider the following first.
...(a) The Dish 500+/1000+ dish pan is a lot larger than the Dish 500 dish pan.
...(b) It will be harder to setup and aim. (First try setting the 500 in your yard.)
...(c) It costs more, especially since you all ready have a Dish 500.
...(d) Even though you have an identical dish, you may still not get some of your programming because you are out of your spotbeam.

 

[Jared Twomey]

and to answer your question, if you bought another Dish1000+ to use camping, you would possibly still have to run the "check switch" when you moved it...

 

[Jordan420]

You can also request an RV waiver from dish to receive network programing for those times you are traveling outside of the spotbeam of your local channels

http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/programming/locals/rv_truck/

 

[56Nomad]

You can also request an RV waiver from dish to receive network programing for those times you are traveling outside of the spotbeam of your local channels

http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/programming/locals/rv_truck/

Their document says.....
If you are the owner of a Recreational Vehicle (RV) or a commercial truck driver, you can receive Broadcast Network Programming, including ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS and FOX. If you qualify, you can receive up to two network packages (ABC, CBS, NBC or FOX) from your choice of 5 cities, Chicago, Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, plus the national PBS channel.

That is great news....... thank you. As we have the Network Programing option, will this be an additional charge if we send the RV waiver to Dish Network?

 

[SmityWhity]

I don't know, but I thought you had to have a separate account for the RV, but maybe not. If so, maybe they will let you activate it and stop it during the year without fee's.

Another option I had started to mention was to go to Radio Shack and buy another 311 and put it on your account, maybe even mounting it permanently in the RV - but then I hear a lot of horror stories about Dad (Dish Audit Department) checking on phone line connections.

Maybe someone has more info/experience on the best way to have Dish access in a permanent home and a RV.
1 or 2 receivers, 1 or 2 accounts, different programming, etc...
I believe you can have a second account for a vacation home, which may be set up different than an RV/Trucker account.

Also, it's a little expensive, but there are antenna's that mount on the top of the RV that track the satellite (only 1, possibly 2 birds). But if you parked under the trees you may have to move the RV, instead of being able to move the dish.

 

[Jordan420]

As we have the Network Programing option, will this be an additional charge if we send the RV waiver to Dish Network?

It is $1.50/month per channel I believe