Looking for advice on a configuration and private vs. Dish Network installer

[graffron]

Part 1
I will be returning back to Dish Network sometime soon, (I switched from E* to Comcast a while ago.) I still have all my old E* equipment since I purchased and installed it myself. The old setup had:
311 as the main receiver
301 as the second receiver
Dish 500Twin which is still installed, pointing to 110/119. One cable from the dish to the 311, and one from the dish to the 301

I want the new system to have
A DVR: (522 or 625 or ??) as the main unit able to record 2 different shows at once (The Moto 6412 has really spoiled me!)
301 as the second receiver (it is worth the extra $5/mon to have the 2nd receiver that is independent from the DVR)
Some type of dish or dishes aimed at 61.5, 110, and 119. (I'll be getting locals, live in Norristown, PA (near Philadelphia) and will be entitled to the 61.5 for free)
Switches and cables to support the 3 different feeds
I will settle for SD (not HD) for now.

I'm looking for comments.
I see that E* has a promotion on now until 1/30/06
1. Which is better for the main unit? A 522 or 625 or? MY TV has component and Svideo.
2. Should I use my old 301 or get the new 322 or???
3. What should I get for the dishes 18" Dish or 500Quad or what?
4 Should I let the installer use any existing items? Dish, mast, cables, etc.

Part 2
Note to moderator: If this part is not appropriate, please let me know, and I'll remove it.
From reading the posts, it appears I have a choice between a local retailer or go thru Dish Network. By querying dishnetwork.com, in addition to Radio Shack and Sears, there are 4 retailers listed.
What do I look for in a private retailer?
Are there any professional associations or groups that 'good' installers support?.
Are there references I should look for? Are there any in this forum?
Or lastly, will I save anything if I install it myself (assuming I'm allowed to). Will I get a better job if I do it myself? I live on a windy hill and in January it get gets cold (Chill factor is near zero tonight) If I do it myself I can choose a warmer day.

Thanks for your help
Ron

 

[mikethedishguy]

There is no benifit of installing it your self, so I would allow eather dish or the retailer to do the install. As to what parts, it would depend on how many out puts you would need. or want. If you have a 625 (dish on demand is the only difference between the two) the best equipment to use is a DPP twn. Only one line needs to be run from the dish and if the wire is RG6 in good shape using the existing line should work. The DPP twn can be used for 1 duel receiver and 1 duel or a stand alone(301,311,5xx,811 or any other legacy). The dish doesent ware out so let him use it if he wants. And if you have any doubts about the installer tell him what you would like to see done. Most installers who have been in the business will generaly listen to your sugestions if they are not unreasonable.

 

[Stargazer]

See if any of your friends, family, someone you know, or a neighbor has Dish Network and ask them who they went through and their opinion of that person that installed and sold the system to them. I personally recommend going through a local retailer as you should get better service instead of directly through Dish Network.

 

[AndyOI]

If you go through a local retailer they will likely let you do the install yourself. When we signed up through one years ago they told us Dish pays them for install costs, but if they didn't actually do the install they made more money. So they gave us $100 to do it ourselves. On top of a free system we gained $100 lol.

 

[Stargazer]

If you require a SuperDish then I do not think they will let you install that yourself. Personally I install all of my systems to make sure they are installed and activated correctly. Do not forget that you would need supplies like the wire and connectors in order to install the system and it has to be RG-6 rated at 2200 MHZ (2.2 GHZ) or higher. Everything has to be DishPro compatable.

 

[Dish Dude]

Go with a 625, 625 or a 625, 322 DHA agreement, as far as retailer or dish network installer, depends on your area and if you are willing to pay for extra labor or equipment to get your system to run correctly. As far as your old 18" dish, pretty much obsolete in any market, only hits one sat. As far as if you are in an area that dish provides locals in, you will end up with either a 500, 1000 dish, super dish or a wing satellite( 2 dishes), whichever way you go retailer or DNS, let them do it, they get paid to do the work, if you want to help out, pull a minimum of 3 cables to the location you want the dish( providing line of site) see references found on here for azimuth and elevation and what dish you will need for your zip code.etc,etc

 

[graffron]

Thanks to all who responded. I'll let you know how I make out
Ron

 

[Van]

You should not have to pay "extra" to have your system work right, there may be a charge for you as a returning previous customer and you may not qualify for the new customer promo's specialy if you had an outstanding balance that was never addressed. Having your system installed by a private or directly employed installer can be a gamble either way as to wether it gets done correctly. In my opinion one is a bigger gamble than the other. If your only going to use 2 tv's then go with the dual tuner dvr 522/625, there really isnt any big diference between the 5xx and 6xx except for video on demand and that isnt anything like what is on cable so it doesnt matter wich you get in my opinion. If your going to be going the way of HD then I would get a 942 HD DVR dual tuner or wait and get the 622 when it comes out.

There is one undeniable benefit to you doing your own install and that is that you will know every single part of the system and have the satisfaction and peace of mind in knowing that it was installed the way that you wanted it and if it ever goes bad then you know where to find the guy that installed it.

 

[Dish Dude]

Van, you know any retailers that don't charge for 4.0 and 6.0 remotes to centrally locate both receivers? in the case of you can't use the DPP technology, as in the case of SD markets where I would charge the customer the full price of the 44 plus to get them going but eat the costs on 2 remotes to ease my install time

 

[Van]

Thats an out of scope installation that goes beyond the covered standard installation of a 1 - 4 television install which of course there would be a need for specialized equipment. But honestly how often does any technician run into just such a situation unless they create it themselves? For all my time as an installer Ive only had 2 times that I found a need to centrally locate a receiver or receivers due to installation restrictions placed on me by either the structure or by the customer. But now that there are other ways to bypass allot of the hassle with centrally locating receivers you can almost always get away with using nothing more than a few diplexers and splitters and occasionally the need for a IR/UHF upgrade kit or a second UHF PRO remote though it is rare.