Potential customer - question, re: ATL locals in HD and equipment

[joebeenimble]

I live in deep southwest Georgia (basically Tallahassee, Florida). I have been trying to decide whether to make the move to Dish for quite some time. I really want to sign up with Dish, but it doesn't offer NBC, FOX, ABC, etc in HD in my area (and I don't want to fuss with an OTA setup).

So... if I sign up with Dish, I will want to move to Atlanta right away.

My questions are as follows:

1) will I be able to get a sufficient 129 signal in deep southwest Georgia (any people in the Tallahassee area with experience in this regard?),
2) what equipment should I request to insure that I am able to pick up Atlanta HD locals as well as all other programming (SD and HD);
3) will that equipment be available to me since I am in a non-HD local area?

Thanks a ton,
Joe

 

[moltomateo]

Put your new potential address in here and see if it tells you what you can get, its mostly based on zip code: local qualification.

1) 129 is a CONUS signal, in other words national. It is not a spot beam so you should be fine.

2) HD programming you'll need a ViP 211 receiver or a ViP622 receiver. The first is a single tuner hd receiver, second is a dual tuner dvr hd receiver. Good promotion on the latter. The sat install will correspond with your area. For example, some customers have HD locals on 118.7 like me in Pittsburgh. But it is included in the initial install.

3) If you don't live in an area with HD locals, you can't get HD locals over sat. HD is available anywhere though. See lakebum's post about the "moving" suggestion.

 

[lakebum431]

3) If you don't live in an area with HD locals, you can't get HD locals over sat. HD is available anywhere though. HD Locals are spot beams just like SD locals.

Wrong. The HD locals that are on 129 are CONUS. The OP is talking about "moving" so obviously he knows what the deal is there. If you want the ATL HDs then you will want to make sure that you get either a Dish 1000 or a Dish 500 and a second Dish pointed at 129. I think that they will install a 1000 for you in south GA. Just sign up for an HD package and you'll get what you need. Then you can "move" to an Atlanta address and add locals and you'll be good to go.

 

[sbturner]

Good Question

I live in Adel and have the same dilema. I got another Dish installed on my on dime at 61.5 last year and figured that when the Atlanta HD channels went up they would be on that location. Then they put them on 129. I couldn't believe it. I could have the dish repointed but I don't know if 129 is doable where I live. If you try it let me know if it works.

 

[moltomateo]

Thanks for the clarification.

EDIT:: "MOVE" addressed in separate topic. thanks! Not so bad an idea!

 

[lakebum431]

You should be able to hit 129 unless there are a bunch of very large trees. You can easily use the single dish to hit 129 (in fact your signal strength should be pretty strong).

 

[izod]

As I've said before - they NEED to move Atlanta locals to 61.5

 

[Dawgfan]

I'm in NE GA. My initial install was a 1000. The installer couldn't get 129 from my post on the ground. He reinstalls my old 500 with new lnb's and a wing 500 to 61.5 and used only one lnb. I didn't like the setup or the programming so I moved and installed a chimney strap mount antenna kit from Radio Shack, works great with a piece of 1.25 inch pipe. I mounted a 500 dish with a Dish 500 I adaptor on the chimney for 129. I get ~ 80-90 on the signal indicator on the 622 receiver for 129. The Atlanta networks in HD are great.
If I were starting over I would purchase and own the equipment instead of doing the lease.

 

[joebeenimble]

Thank you all for your insight.

Lakebum: the only 129 CONUS map that I can find shows that the CONUS signal cuts off (or weakens) somewhere in north florida or south georgia... the detail on the map is not that great. Does anyone know from experience if you can get a strong 129 signal in N. Florida? I have a clear view of the southern sky and live on a bit of hill.

 

[lakebum431]

You're right about the fact that it isn't actually CONUS because of Florida, but actually it is central and south FL that it doesn't work in (from what I have read here, not from personal experience). But I do have a couple of friends in Thomasville GA (about 45 mins north of Tallahassee in case you don't know where that is). That get 129 with no issues at all. So I think you'll be good to go.

 

[joebeenimble]

Thanks

That is EXACTLY what I needed to hear. I live in Thomasville.

Thanks again for the help.


...SBturner - if Thomasville is covered by the 129 Conus beam, Adel definitely will be.... it is further north. You are good to go too.