Help - Installing Dish this weekend

[calibro101]

Hi everyone,
I purchased a DN500 and a single dp lnbf off ebay, I plan to install it this weekend. I have the AZ and EL settings for my zipcode, 91107.

With respect to pointing the Dish, do I only need a compass and point where 61.5 reads ?

 

[calibro101]

ok sorry i think i answered my own question... AZ is the degree...

 

[TheKrell]

Yes, but I hope you realize that Sky Angel is going to ground (IPTV) as soon as they can foist their transponders off onto Dish Network! So you may not get many months of service for your trouble.

 

[calibro101]

Yes, but I hope you realize that Sky Angel is going to ground (IPTV) as soon as they can foist their transponders off onto Dish Network! So you may not get many months of service for your trouble.

I know... but Its my fault... ive been lazying around trying to get this done for the last 4 months and the wife finally layed the boom down on me... so i have to get it done..... married ppl will understand...

 

[TheKrell]

OK. The answer to the original question is, "Yes, you need a compass." If you don't get the dish within about 2 deg of the right angle, you will pick up precisely nothing. No signal at all and you have nothing to "peak". Set your receiver up for a Dish 300 (even though you have a Dish 500) to get the correct az/el pair for the dual (not twin) LNB.

Also, be aware (like I wasn't!) that the first few transponders show up with zero signal strength even though they're there. (I think they're broadcasting only HD programming on those low-numbered transponders.) Very annoying/confusing/counterproductive dish firmware policy, that. Set the SD receiver up for 61.5 starting with (from memory) transponder 8.

 

[Anole]

If you'll put in your zip code, this web page will give you aiming info for all the satellites up there.
There are two azimuth listings. Use the magnetic one, and your compass for proper alignment.

I don't get down to this area of the forum much, so I don't know if it's impolite for me to mention, but there's also Glorystar , which is free satellite programming.
If you can put up the dish for 61, you can probably put up this one.

And for general free to air programming of all sorts, there is a major FTA department here on SatGuys.
See this simple list for some of the available programming.

 

[catkoko]

Just do NOT prepay for more than monthly as you do not know when SA will shut off DBS and IF they would remimburse you if you prepaid

 

[bonscott87]

And don't forget Glorystar once SkyAngel gives up satellite. $200 for the dish and receiver, no monthly fees. See the Glorystar forum for details.

 

[laseradam]

Even when Sky Angel goes off the air you still might be able to pick up 3ABN with the Sky Angel Dish. 3ABN is a Public Interest channel on that same satellite.

 

[lumpkin666]

Do you think that Dish will continue allow the free public interest channels for those who had a lifetime SA sub? That would be awesome - and would have me looking to buy a bunch of discarded lifetime receivers

 

[Wescopc]

Do you think that Dish will continue allow the free public interest channels for those who had a lifetime SA sub? That would be awesome - and would have me looking to buy a bunch of discarded lifetime receivers

Yes

Take a look at this thread:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/skyange...deactivated-along-sky-angel-3abn-remains.html

Bob

 

[lumpkin666]

Yes

Take a look at this thread:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/skyange...deactivated-along-sky-angel-3abn-remains.html

Bob

That's a little different. They're talking about the free channels that are not even encrypted (i.e. nasa/goltv/angel1). I can get those with a regular FTA receiver. I'm hoping that they'll leave the entire public interest package intact (i.e. pretend that SA still exists eventhough their main channel lineup is gone), so that a SA receiver would get other channels that are public interest, but not encrypted. There are public interest channels which cannot be viewed on deactivated receivers, without a subscription - these are the ones that I'd hope still remain active.

 

[Wescopc]

That's a little different. They're talking about the free channels that are not even encrypted (i.e. nasa/goltv/angel1). I can get those with a regular FTA receiver. I'm hoping that they'll leave the entire public interest package intact (i.e. pretend that SA still exists eventhough their main channel lineup is gone), so that a SA receiver would get other channels that are public interest, but not encrypted. There are public interest channels which cannot be viewed on deactivated receivers, without a subscription - these are the ones that I'd hope still remain active.

If you will notice in my tests (in that thread) I was able to pickup PI channels that you do NOT get with a FTA receiver. Iceberg called them "fixed key" channels. 3ABN was one of those "fixed key" PI channels.
Meaning you will be able to receive it on 61.5 and 129 with a Dish receiver but not a FTA receiver - even if the Dish receiver is no longer is connected to an active Dish account.
Bob

 

[lumpkin666]

If you will notice in my tests (in that thread) I was able to pickup PI channels that you do NOT get with a FTA receiver. Iceberg called them "fixed key" channels. 3ABN was one of those "fixed key" PI channels.
Meaning you will be able to receive it on 61.5 and 129 with a Dish receiver but not a FTA receiver - even if the Dish receiver is no longer is connected to an active Dish account.
Bob

Maybe it's different depending on the account and/or PI channel. I have tried 2 different deactivated receivers and neither gets the PI channel that I want.

 

[bonscott87]

FYI that 3ABN is FTA on AMC4 at 101.

 

[Wescopc]

Maybe it's different depending on the account and/or PI channel. I have tried 2 different deactivated receivers and neither gets the PI channel that I want.

Which PI channel do you want?
Bob

 

[lumpkin666]

Which PI channel do you want?
Bob

I would like to pull in BYUTV with a "little" dish. I am getting it with a BUD, but I'm busy planting dishes/locations for permanent reception of channels, and this is one that I really want available to the whole family without the hassle of moving the big dish everytime someone wants to watch BYU. (It's a bummer that the moved from using satmex5 ku for the main feed)

 

[bonscott87]

DirecTV carries BYUTV. It's not free though.

 

[lumpkin666]

DirecTV carries BYUTV. It's not free though.

So does dish.. it's free with the public interest channels. That's my point. If dish keeps public interest free for SA subs after SA withers away, that would be perfect for me!
Before I pay for BYUTV, I'll plant a dedicated BUD, dedicate a cheap fta receiver to BYUTV, modulate the output to channel 20 (or something like that), and diplex it through my fta lines so that I can draw it back out that the TV by un-diplexing it .. but a few cheap old SA boxes would be cheaper/easier for me...

 

[Pepper]

If I had to bet on what Dish will do, I would bet they will begin charging a $5 "programming access fee" for previous sky angel receivers that don't also have a "qualifying" ATxxx or other (Great Wall, Latino, etc.) package, the fee they are currently waiving because sky angel is a "qualifying package" by their reckoning.

Give the PI's away for free, you gotta be kidding. PI's are for people who subscribe to something (except the few previously mentioned that are FTA).