Noob questions about install

[gflande1]

About to cancel Directv and pay ETF. Too many customer service issues and high price tag to move to new house. Anyway, plan on signing with Dish. Had them for 7 years with no complaints. Plan is to get one hopper and one Joey. Before I do, I have a couple questions.

1. Better to have Dish install or local company? I visited a local a few weeks ago. Says they offer all the SW promotions. Benefit is they will be my contact if I have any issues that require a visit. Pros or cons?

2. New house appears to have one coax coming into house that splits to different rooms. Plan on having cable modem installed in same room as hopper. Assume it will be easier to have new wire run from dish directly to hopper. Should I expect to pay for this? Easy access to wall from basement ceiling. Should I run conduit in wall to faceplate to make it easier for installer?

3. Single vs duo mode? What's that? Should I ask for one over the other. We will probably get another Joey in the future.

4 I will connect hopper directly to my Apple AirPort Extreme. What's the best way to get Internet to Joey if not wired to that room?

Thank you
Glen

 

[gflande1]

Forgot a question. I looked at http://www.dishpointer.com/ to figure out where I will have to install dish for a clear view. Which Sat does Dish look at?

I live on Stevenson Drive York PA. Currently Directv dish is pointed at 220 degrees, which would be a perfect spot in the yard for new house. Hopefully Dishnetwork is close to the same spot in the sky.

 

[Scott Agrella]

1. Better to have Dish install or local company? I visited a local a few weeks ago. Says they offer all the SW promotions. Benefit is they will be my contact if I have any issues that require a visit. Pros or cons?

Im internal so I'm going to refrain from commenting, use your best judgement and perhaps check reviews of the company you plan on going through if you decide to go that route.

2. New house appears to have one coax coming into house that splits to different rooms. Plan on having cable modem installed in same room as hopper. Assume it will be easier to have new wire run from dish directly to hopper. Should I expect to pay for this? Easy access to wall from basement ceiling. Should I run conduit in wall to faceplate to make it easier for installer?

This would be part of a standard internal DNS install, no additional cost and the wall plate and low voltage box can be installed by the tech. The new line would likely run to where your homerun box or junctions are located. Without trying to middle the matter the Joeys will be split from the client line on the node or tap. If the node is placed outside only 1 line will be needed coming into the house and a tap serves the function of filtering out the hopper and Joey frequencies. If the node is placed inside then 2 lines are required to enter the house.

>3. Single vs duo mode? What's that? Should I ask for one over the other. We will probably get another Joey in the future.

This is the exception to the last line above...a duo node is required for 2 hopper installations and requires 3 lines from the dish. If you are only getting 1 hopper then the solo node is used with 2 lines from the dish.

>4 I will connect hopper directly to my Apple AirPort Extreme. What's the best way to get Internet to Joey if not wired to that room?

If you have a direct Ethernet or WiFi connection to the Hopper it will distribute IP connectivity across the MoCA Network and no additional connection is needed. Moreover if your Internet was not located near or accessible to the Hopper there is a device called a Hopper Internet Connector which can be placed as a pass through on a client (Joey) line or on its own separate client line and connect via Ethernet to a router. The HIC then distributes connectivity through the MoCA Network.

5. As far as the satellites go I'm not sure if you are in a 77 market or not, many places on the east coast will receive all standard English HD programming from satellites 72.7 (Nimiq 5) and 61.5 (Echostar 16). In some cases Echostar 8 at 77 degrees is still used but in my service area it is only required for Latino programming. You will have to check dish pointer for the azimuth and elevation calculations for your area.

Hope this is at least somewhat helpful, I'm sure others will have something to add but this is the best I can do for 2:40 in the morning.

 

[gflande1]

Would I be better off with a two Hopper system? Its just my wife and I, so I dont see a problem with running out of tuners. Currently have two HD tvs, expect to add a third in the future.

If I went the two hopper route, I understand it would be $99 for the second Hopper and $7 for the additional outlet (same as having a joey). Is this correct?

Should I request that the node be installed inside or outside the house? Thought I read something about temperature being a problem.

Assume my install would be similar to the install on page 11 (single hopper) or 12 (dual hopper) of this document: http://gwdish.com/Hopper-Joey.pdf

Will MoCA allow all content (ie. Blockbuster) at the 2nd Hopper or Joey? Or do they have to be direct connected to get all access?

Thanks

 

[gflande1]

5. As far as the satellites go I'm not sure if you are in a 77 market or not, many places on the east coast will receive all standard English HD programming from satellites 72.7 (Nimiq 5) and 61.5 (Echostar 16). In some cases Echostar 8 at 77 degrees is still used but in my service area it is only required for Latino programming. You will have to check dish pointer for the azimuth and elevation calculations for your area.

That might be a problem, might be difficult to install where I want it. Anywhere else, it will be visable from road. I was hoping it would be 110, 119, 129

 

[Scott Agrella]

I'm not sure where you're HD locals come off of, if they were on the 129 then you could use a western arc setup like you wanted. They could very well be on both arcs so it wouldn't matter. But the further east you get the that 129 can be awfully low in the sky, your local retailer or dish should be able to tell you if you ask. I would find it myself but I don't have immediate access to that info.

 

[Scott Agrella]

The MoCA connection allows full functionality at all locations as long as one Hopper is connected. In a two Hopper setup I would prefer a HIC because it lessens the processing load on that one Hopper as it distributes the connection itself. Given that you have two TVs a single Hopper and Joey would be your install. I believe there was another thread on here explaining that 2 hopper installs require at least 1 Joey to be tied in. The freezing issue you mentioned is related specifically to duo nodes and has not affected solo nodes. I would generally install a solo outside at the ground source and run a single line into the house to a tap. If there is no external ground source then the node would go inside and be grounded to an appropriate source.

 

[lparsons21]

If you decide to get 2 Hoppers instead of 1 Hopper + 1 Joey, then use the local installer. Dish is a bit soggy about 2 Hopper no Joey installs but the locals don't have that problem.

 

[stardust3]

99% sure York PA is EA only.

 

[gflande1]

EA? East satellite? Assume that means not available on 129?

 

[3HaloODST]

Eastern Arc. What that means is that your HD locals are on EA which is 61.5/72.7/77. This doesn't mean that you absolutely cannot use Western Arc (110/119/129) however if you so choose to go with WA your HD locals will be missing (however you will still have SD locals.)

Sent from my iPhone 4S using Forum Runner

 

[stardust3]

Eastern arc satellites 61.5, 72.7 & 77.

Appears the Harrisburg dma HD locals are on 61.5, tp 30.

*The sd version is located on 110, tp18.

 

[sparc]

Would I be better off with a two Hopper system? Its just my wife and I, so I dont see a problem with running out of tuners. Currently have two HD tvs, expect to add a third in the future.

3 Tuners per hopper. Between recordings and live TV, what is the max number of tuners your family will use at one time?

2 or more Hoppers would give flexibility to those households who watch and record a lot of TV.

 

[gflande1]

Think three will be enough. A majority of what we watch is primetime network shows. The other stuff we watch is on AMC, HBO, FX, USA, and HGTV, which often air their shows multiple times throughout the week. So, for any reason one of those shows is skipped by priority, I think we will get it soon enough. I will just have to manage my priorities.

So we decided on one Hopper and one Joey. We are using a local company, which confirmed we are on the EA satellites. He said that we are not obligated until they start installing, so they will go over everything with us to make sure we are happy with the dish placement. Here are a couple snaps of the property. I was hoping to put in backyard near driveway (where the green dot is currently), however, that might be tight. Thinking we could go high on the garage, above the doors (on the side of the house) or in the bushes on the front right of the house. What you think? Not much obstructing, with the exception of the neighbors house on the left. Sounds like sats are high in sky, so I dont think its a worry.

 

[Scott Agrella]

Assuming there's not some enormous tree out of the picture, that's a great line of sight.

 

[garys]

As far as the angles on the attachments, the one from 72 should be the closest as far as angle. You should be able to change the aiming by finding Multi-dish on the drop down menu and use 1000.4 for the specs for the dish that will be installed.