DISH Playmaker w/ Wally only 1 satellite?

[Tecnicoloco]

I was having the same problem 3 months ago with a rv customer,same set up as yours

The receiver could not lock on the 3 satellites in clear south view with no trees around

I took his receiver to my bench and let it upgrade for 24 hours with a 1000.2 Dish Turbo HD and that solved the problem

 

[Neutron]

Dish is sending me a replacement Wally.


Sent from my iPhone using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[JayStil]

DISH receivers are an absolute mess for camping. A switch check with my 1000.4 and 211k receiver takes over 20 minutes, a majority of that on test "4 of 4". What can it possibly be checking for that long?

They need to change to a check box menu where you tell it what dish/lnb setup you have. Or at the very least remember the previous configuration. It's just crazy for the receiver to have to go through every possible combination to figure out what antenna you're using.

 

[Brussam]

That would be fine IF the person knew what dish they have. From this Forum, that is often in question.

Also, what if you are is a situation where you can't get a full shot of the satellites. Recently I was in a campground where the only spot I could get a shot through the trees, got me 119 and 110 only. How would I indicate that?

I agree that timing out on every tuner/satellite/transponder combination is slow but it offers the best chance of getting something

 

[JayStil]

I finally gave up and got a Pathway X2. It's saved a lot of blood pressure points for sure. It's nice to arrive on a spot, hook the X2 up, then hook up water / lower awning, etc. and have TV working before I finish.

 

[TexasRanger7]

Hey guys,

I'm having a similar issue. I posted it yesterday before I saw this thread.

I could really use the help.

I used the 25' cable with a 6' extender for inside the cabin.

I purchased Dish's Wally & Winegard Playmaker to use the Pay As You Go option for my hunting cabin.

I did everything according to the installation guide but the have the following issue.

The Check Switch Status Progress 058 screen will run showing a progress bar at about 30%. (It doesn't say 30%, I'm estimating) I reran the scan several times but no further progress than 30%.

I decided to move the Playmaker outside thinking that some trees could be blocking the view of the southern sky. (I used the compass on my phone to make sure I was in the correct direction.)

I re-scaned and the Check Switch Status Progress 058 screen ran at about 75%.

I moved the Playmaker again to on top of my truck thinking getting it up higher would help. It did and I did the scan again and the Check Switch Status Progress 058 screen ran at 100%. However, it didn't give me the next step. It keeps going back to select state and scan options.

I am wondering what I should do. Should I make a stand to get the Playmaker 6' or 8' up in the air?

I need some expert advice.

I uploaded them to my Google Photos to view. https://goo.gl/photos/RXzqyhfFLVRnEFFd6

 

[rvvaquero]

Maybe the Wally is like the VIP211 receiver and need to be initially set up on a full dish before they will work on the portable dish.

 

[TexasRanger7]

Maybe the Wally is like the VIP211 receiver and need to be initially set up on a full dish before they will work on the portable dish.

I'm not sure. I spoke with tech support for an hour yesterday. They kept saying it is usually an easy setup. They gave me a phone number to outdoor services but were closed.

When they say a clear view of the southern sky, how clear? I'm just wondering if I need to buy the Winegard ladder stand and attach to a 6' or 8' poll.

 

[JayStil]

I'm not sure. I spoke with tech support for an hour yesterday. They kept saying it is usually an easy setup. They gave me a phone number to outdoor services but were closed.

When they say a clear view of the southern sky, how clear? I'm just wondering if I need to buy the Winegard ladder stand and attach to a 6' or 8' poll.

Are you setting this up in Georgia or Texas? The Playmaker only sees the Western Arc. In Georgia that's around 230 degrees, or 50 degrees west of due south. You might have to move the unit if you don't have a clear view of the southwest sky.

Even in Dallas you're looking at approx 215 degrees so it's still southwest.

 

[TexasRanger7]

Are you setting this up in Georgia or Texas? The Playmaker only sees the Western Arc. In Georgia that's around 230 degrees, or 50 degrees west of due south. You might have to move the unit if you don't have a clear view of the southwest sky.

Even in Dallas you're looking at approx 215 degrees so it's still southwest.

I''m from Texas but live in Georgia. I'm setting it up just East of Atlanta in a town called Union Point.

I was using my compass app and trying to line it up directly South.

I put a link to Google Photos in my original post. Do you think I should buy a stand and get it up higher? Will getting the satellite higher up help with receiving a signal?

 

[JayStil]

I''m from Texas but live in Georgia. I'm setting it up just East of Atlanta in a town called Union Point.

I was using my compass app and trying to line it up directly South.

I put a link to Google Photos in my original post. Do you think I should buy a stand and get it up higher? Will getting the satellite higher up help with receiving a signal?

You're closer to needing directly West than directly South. Go to the Dishpointer website and put in your address. Choose the 119 satellite. It'll show you where you need a clear view. Higher would possibly help if you're semi blocked to the southwest, but it's not all that likely.

 

[TexasRanger7]

Hey guys. So I've made two trips back out to my hunting cabin with no success. I was on the phone with Dish tech support and they said I need to lock on to 110,119,129. I seem to be able to only lock on to one or maybe two.

I've spent nearly 12 hours with close to 30 resets and scans with no luck.

I did get sound but no picture a few times but that was with just 119 locked on.

What do you suggest?

Is there a satellite guy in the Atlanta area you know or could recommend that I would be happy to pay and meet out at my cabin to help me?

 

[TexasRanger7]

Update: Fix

Okay. So what I just did went against the manual but I took a 25' cable and used an extender to make 75' cable. I then positioned the Playmaker to a better position and it fixed everything.

So, I guess you can go longer than the 25' cable they send you. Lol