Replace DirecTV with FTA - how easy?

[dzinkin]

(No, this isn't about how to avoid paying my DirecTV bill. Relax.

I have a DirecTV (Phase III) dish that is no longer being used because I returned to cable a few months ago. I'm looking into the possibility of switching the dish out for a simple FTA setup pointed at IA5, with no motorized dish or other complexities. However, I'm not terribly handy with power tools (I'm a computer tech/network admin so the tools I typically use are smaller and I live in a condo, so I want to make the switch as easy, quiet and pain-free as possible. I'm assuming that I can use the same cabling as it's all RG-6. The DirecTV dish is in my balcony area, on the wall just outside the door to the balcony.

Am I biting off more than I can chew? Or is this something that I should be able to accomplish easily? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[PSB]

A Winegard DS2076 Dish will fit right on the same DirecTV pole/mast (As will many other brands of dish) . (Depending on clearance) I have done this switch over many times. Always a good idea to run fresh cable but the RG6 you have right now will work well. Then all you have to worry about is the pointing of the dish!

http://www.dmsiusa.com/ds2076.htm

You will need a Linear Ku LNB also of course!

 

[dzinkin]

I should have mentioned that I'm in the Rochester, NY area -- will the Winegard be large enough?

 

[Mr Tony]

yes it should be fine. I use one and I'm in Minnesota

 

[PSB]

The ALL American made Winegard dish works better than many slightly larger dish! You always want to get as big a dish as you can get, but this dish will get you 99% of the FTA channels, 99% of the time. GREAT dish from a GREAT manufacturer. An you will not get an easier swap!

 

[dzinkin]

Wow, sounds as though it'll be easier than I thought. I just put a couple of new-in-box DirecTV DVRs on eBay -- when/if the $$$ comes in from those I think I know what my next purchase might be.

Just might be checking back in sooner or later (hopefully sooner)... for now, thanks much for the help.

 

[kurtsat]

Thought "Bigger Dish" always better...? Sounds like it's better than my GeoSatPro 90cm dish, no?

The ALL American made Winegard dish works better than many slightly larger dish! You always want to get as big a dish as you can get, but this dish will get you 99% of the FTA channels, 99% of the time. GREAT dish from a GREAT manufacturer. An you will not get an easier swap!

 

[PSB]

I mentioned the ALL American made Winegard DS2076 as this is the dish I use for ALL my installations done to local and NEC code, the OP was looking for an EASY swap out and I have a lot of experience swapping out DirecTV dish for the Winegard 2076 as it uses the exact same mounting pole diameter!

Hope that clears things up for you

You may also have noticed this line from above!

"You always want to get as big a dish as you can get"