Need help installing dish & VIP211z

[tex_toby]

I already have Dish account at my house and am planning to add a second dish to my shop across the yard (tied to the same acct). I have ordered a VIP211z receiver from Amazon and am waiting upon its arrival. A friend gave me a dish in which I am hoping will work with the receiver I ordered, although I am not exactly sure which model it is. It is a black oval dish that says DISH HD on the oval and the LNB says DPPLUS and has a three LNB cluster. The dish will only be controlling the 1 receiver that I ordered. I've installed a dish antenna before, but it was probably 10+ years ago long before HD was around. If I understand correctly, it is more difficult to align the new HD dish's as they have to find several satellites. Here's what I need to know:

1. Will the dish antenna I was given work with the receiver I ordered?
2. Any tips/tricks to align antenna to receive HD channels? I know to find my azimuth & sku by zip code.
3. There are three separate coax cables coming from the LNB cluster (1 for each). Do I need to use all of those since I am just going to one receiver, or just one? Is there a diagram or written instructions somewhere that will show me what needs to hook up where?

Thank you in advance for your assistance!

 

[harshness]

1. Will the dish antenna I was given work with the receiver I ordered?

Yes.

2. Any tips/tricks to align antenna to receive HD channels? I know to find my azimuth & sku by zip code.

If you're doing it by zip code, you're not doing it optimally. Use dishpointer.com and pick out the actual location of the dish. The setup isn't much different from the DISH 500 other than the aiming parameters are for 119W instead of 110W. It is imperative that the mast be plumb.

3. There are three separate coax cables coming from the LNB cluster (1 for each). Do I need to use all of those since I am just going to one receiver, or just one?

Just hook the ViP211z to any one of the outputs. No diagrams or power inserters are required.

 

[ChadT41]

Quick question. Those 3 LNB's, are they evenly spaced or 2 together 1 apart?

 

[tex_toby]

Quick question. Those 3 LNB's, are they evenly spaced or 2 together 1 apart?

3 evenly separated

Thank you all for the responses!

 

[ChadT41]

Ok, your dish system is a 1000.2WA system, you will want to go to the website mentioned earlier, dishpointer.com, and put in your address, and select the dish system 1000.2WA... It will be towards he bottom of the list. Once selected, it will give you a line on google maps showing what your line of sight would appear as. Honestly, pointing the 1K.2 dish is not much harder than the 500. Make sure the center LnB is on 119 and go from there, with the exact angles on that site... Make minor adjustments after. Plug the 211z into port 1 and run a check switch test, and see what everything says. Should have 110,119,129 in that order

 

[tex_toby]

Alright, so I mounted the dish yesterday and hooked up to the brand new receiver. The receiver immediately wanted to download new software, but I have not yet dialed in the dish to point accurately. I need to use the dish pointing feature of the receiver to get it aimed properly, but I can't get past the download new software screen. Is there a way for me to update the software using the internet?

 

[harshness]

I need to use the dish pointing feature of the receiver to get it aimed properly, but I can't get past the download new software screen.

Try pressing the menu button. This has worked with other models.

Is there a way for me to update the software using the internet?

No.

 

[tex_toby]

Alright, so I mounted the dish yesterday and hooked up to the brand new receiver. The receiver immediately wanted to download new software, but I have not yet dialed in the dish to point accurately. I need to use the dish pointing feature of the receiver to get it aimed properly, but I can't get past the download new software screen. Is there a way for me to update the software using the internet?

After a bit more reading on the internet, I have learned that a computer update is not possible. It must be updated via a dish antenna. Others with the same problem are told to hook up to their house dish to receive the update or else take to a dealer to get the update. Another note was that it wouldn't work if you hooked up at your house if you had a hopper setup because it uses a different software. I DO have a hopper setup (2 hopper receivers, 2 joey receivers and 1 non-hopper receiver). If I plugged this new receiver in where my other non-hopper receiver is, would that work? I really don't want to have to take it to a local dealer to update. Any help and direction you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Jim5506]

If I plugged this new receiver in where my other non-hopper receiver is, would that work?

YES.

 

[ChadT41]

I beleive to get to the point dish screen, to run the check switch or see sig strength, press menu *#*

 

[tex_toby]

I beleive to get to the point dish screen, to run the check switch or see sig strength, press menu *#*

Thank you for the response. I tried that, but with no luck. I will hook it up to my existing house system tonight to try and get the software update. Once updated, I should be able to get to the aiming screen to get it pointed in the right direction for my shop. Thanks again!

 

[harshness]

You may need to disconnect the Hopper node entirely (not just one cable) and plug the ViP211z directly to a line coming in from the dish.

 

[JSheridan]

You can't do anything with 211K's or 211Z's until they authorized. You have to hook them up to a working dish and let it go through the wizard and get it authorized on your account. It should work on the line that you have your non Hopper receiver to get that done.

 

[uriel0818]

To bypass the download press * # * # i would press them a couple of times until it gets to the check switch screen

 

[tex_toby]

Alright folks - I was able to hook my receiver up in my house and download the software update, no problem. Now I have brought the receiver back to my shop and ran a check switch with it hooked up to the dish it will use daily and the Check Switch on the screen says "None." I haven't been able to get a signal whatsoever. Does this mean the LNB on my dish may be bad? Again, the dish was given to me so I don't know anything about its history. It looks to be in great shape and looks pretty new, but shouldn't I see something other than "none" after I run the check switch? Sorry for so many questions. I really appreciate your help. Thank you.

 

[Bobby]

Did you align the dish?

 

[tex_toby]

Did you align the dish?

Yes I did based on dishpointer.com

 

[harshness]

It seems like the receiver should report the switch type even if it doesn't see any satellites.

Are you sure the cable, connectors and connections are good throughout?

 

[tex_toby]

Yea, that's what I thought too which makes me wonder if something is wrong wit the LNB. This is a simple hookup with only one coax running out of Port 1 in the LNB to the SAT IN on the receiver. There are no connectors in between and the coax is brand new. Connections are snug on each end. I would think whether it's pointed correctly or not, it would still read what type of switch is connected after the check switch routine.

 

[osumike]

Just to be sure, which port is the cable connected to on the lnb that's running to the receiver? Just make sure it's not connected to the IN port, the one furthest to the right. And when you're running check switch, does it start out at 1 of 4?

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