Questions about purchashing a receiver

[The Other Tom]

Sorry for the uneducated (newbe) questions, but I want to purchase another receiver for my system. I've been looking on ebay and see a multitude of model numbers. Does the model number matter, ie, are all models compatable with my dish ?
I assume I need one with a purple card. Will a blue or yellow card not work ?
If I buy an additional dish as well to, say, use for tailgating, are there compatability issues I will have to deal with, or are all dishes compatable with all receivers ?
Thanks in advance. Still learning this stuff.

 

[TheKrell]

There is an enormous range of Dish receivers out there, depending upon whether you want SD or HD, and a DVR or not, or two tuners or not. There are also a few which have been made obsolete for one reason or another, so don't buy one of those!

One quick differentiator: receivers with 3-digit model numbers are DishPro compatible. Older receivers with a 4-digit model number cannot directly use a DishPro LNB and would need a DishPro adapter.

 

[boba]

Eastern Arc dishes require a MPEG4 receiver and purple card. Western Arc systems can use "all" receivers except discontinued models and should have purple cards.

 

[The Other Tom]

OK, thanks for the responses. A little more information..
I have a DishPro 500 dish, so I guess that means I need a receiver with 3 digits (like a 301 receiver). I assume that's the same as DP 301D, correct ?

I really don't understand what MPEG2 or MPEG4 mean. From boba's response, I need an MPEG4 since I live in South Carolina ?

I'm looking for a simple, single turner system (not HD, not DVR). Is ebay a good source, or is there another one ?

 

[bross]

You can get them on ebay, just make sure there aren't any charges against them. Ask the seller for the ROO number and call dish and ask if it's a clear ROO or you might not be able to activate it. With a Dishpro 500 dish you can use either MPEG 2 or 4, so don't worry about that.

 

[tinytim]

I am planning on moving and was asking about the procedure if reactivation was needed after the move. I asked about adding more receivers at the new home and was told if I ever add anything it has to be purchased from and installed by an authorized Dish Network dealer. Ive always bought my equipment from online authorized providers and have done the install myself. Do they have the right to not activate my equipment if I do not buy from a local dealer and want to install myself?

Regards.

 

[bross]

I've never had a problem getting receivers activated that I bought from individuals, but if the receiver was a leased unit that someone sold you, you won't get it activated. If you're moving, why not use dishmover? Take your receiver with you and they'll install it at the new house.

 

[tinytim]

If you're moving, why not use dishmover? Take your receiver with you and they'll install it at the new house.

I never heard of this service before. Thanks for the alert, Ill look into it.
Im heading south so I am not looking forward to getting on a roof at 100+ temps.

Thanks.

 

[TheKrell]

Yup; a 301 will do fine, as will a 311 or a 111. All are single-tuner SD receivers which can control your DishPro LNB and switches (if any).

 

[BobaBird]

... (like a 301 receiver). I assume that's the same as DP 301D, correct ?

Yes. There are 2 production versions of the 301, known as the 301D and 301E. They are cosmetically and functionally identical, but different enough under the skin that each has its own software.

 

[Mr Tony]

Yup; a 301 will do fine, as will a 311 or a 111. All are single-tuner SD receivers which can control your DishPro LNB and switches (if any).

I'd stay away from the 111.....if I remember right it barely has any connections on the back

 

[TheKrell]

I'd stay away from the 111.....if I remember right it barely has any connections on the back

Absolutely true; it has only the RF output. It has no component, svideo, or optical audio outputs as the Bell equivalent (4100) does. I read somewhere that it was supposed to handle 8PSK transponders, but mine does not. (My 301 also does not, but my 311 does.)

 

[The Other Tom]

Update:
Bought a 301 receiver from Craigslist. Called Dish on 3 separate occasions to triple check the R# and S# were valid and had no charges against them (I figure if 3 different customer service reps tell me the same thing, it must be true )
Anyway, we hooked it up last night and it works great. It came with the yellow card, which I thought was odd since most of the info I got said to use the purple card, but everything is fine. Thanks for all the help :up.

 

[Agonizing Fury]

Update:
Bought a 301 receiver from Craigslist. Called Dish on 3 separate occasions to triple check the R# and S# were valid and had no charges against them (I figure if 3 different customer service reps tell me the same thing, it must be true )
Anyway, we hooked it up last night and it works great. It came with the yellow card, which I thought was odd since most of the info I got said to use the purple card, but everything is fine. Thanks for all the help :up.

They should do this automatically, but you might want to call and ask them to mail you a G3 smartcard (the purple one) for it, as the yellow one will only work until Dish Network changes the encryption on your channels (which is supposed to happen "soon").

 

[joliger]

dishmover

I never heard of this service before. Thanks for the alert, Ill look into it.
Im heading south so I am not looking forward to getting on a roof at 100+ temps.

Thanks.

If I'm not mistaken, you are only supposed to move your in-house equipment, anyway. You leave your dish on your old house and a new dish will be installed at your new house, if needed (someone else may have left one there already). I think they are hoping this, but if not, they already have their dish on the roof of your old house and hope this will lead to a sale with the new owners on DN. They explained all this stuff on one of those dish educational channels once. Call them up and make sure I didn't misunderstand, but I'm pretty sure that is what they want you to do. I also don't think they want the possibility of you falling off the roof and getting hurt, or you damaging the roof. The dishes are cheaply made in China. A friend quit his service and all they wanted was the rented inside equipment returned. He was told to leave the dish and all wiring on his house. He might have been with DTV, but I think they work the same way in this area.

joliger

 

[joliger]

Update:
Bought a 301 receiver from Craigslist. Called Dish on 3 separate occasions to triple check the R# and S# were valid and had no charges against them (I figure if 3 different customer service reps tell me the same thing, it must be true )
Anyway, we hooked it up last night and it works great. It came with the yellow card, which I thought was odd since most of the info I got said to use the purple card, but everything is fine. Thanks for all the help :up.

As long as dish knows you have it and it has a yellow card, they will mail you the latest purple card. Did you let them install it? If not, you might want to call dish and explain what happened. I'm sure they will send you the correct card. As I understand it, only Some HD channels, porn, and international channels won't work right now on the older card, but that will VERY shortly be changing!

joliger