Same Account, Multiple Houses

[DDeming1]

Okay, I recently purchased a lakehouse on a local lake about 15 miles from my current residence. The previous owner left two DirecTV recievers, remotes, and everything. I turned the TV on, popped in a valid access card, and I see a "Searching for Satellite Signal" message ! (BTW, The access card came from my home reciever.) The next day, I bring the home reciever to the lakehouse, plugged it up correctly, double checked my connections, and turned it on, and put in the access card, and I see a "Searching for Satellite Signal" message!! What can be wrong?!?

 

[uboatcmdr]

Hmm, could be the dish aimed in the wrong direction, the LNB might be bad, the connections could be corroded or the wires themselves might be no good. Could be simple or could need to be completely re-installed. Start with the simple things first, plug your receivers up to the wires and start checking the lines at each connection with a voltmeter (voltage should be 13-18v DC, testing with one lead on the center wire and the other lead on the outside of the connector). If you have voltage all the way up to the LNB then the lines are good, if you have no voltage the lines or a connector are bad. Check the site for the direction and elevation the dish should be aimed to: http://www.rca.com/directv/zip_code_selection Just enter the zip code for the lake house. If you aim the dish in the proper direction and still get nothing on the receiver's signal meter then it is possible the LNB is bad. Check more than one transponder (both odd & even numbered ones) and see if you have signal on any of them at all. The easiest way to test the LNB is to take it and try it on the dish at your home (putting it on your home dish which is already properly aimed would quickly tell you if it works or not, that is if they are both the same type of dish). Or you can bring the LNB from home and try it on the lakehouse's dish.
BTW, you can't just plug the card from one receiver into another and everything work. The access cards have to be matched up with the proper receivers (they way they are listed in D* computer system) for them to work correctly.

 

[boba]

For $20 Directv will sell you a new card to use in the old receivers.

 

[DDeming1]

Well...

For the price of finding the problem and re-activating them ($??), Buying access cards ($40), and buying a package ($40) AND price for an additional reciever ($5), I could get a 4 room system for FREE and pay only $40 for a reciever, why go through the hassle?

 

[Mr Tony]

you cant just move an access card to different receievrs...they are married to each other.

 

[Mr Tony]

if you have an account with Direct, miove one of your receivers to the lake house and see if it works there

 

[uboatcmdr]

For the price of finding the problem and re-activating them ($??), Buying access cards ($40), and buying a package ($40) AND price for an additional reciever ($5), I could get a 4 room system for FREE and pay only $40 for a reciever, why go through the hassle?

You could do that if you open the account under a different name and social security number than your current account is under. The only way to save by doing that is to close your current account. Otherwise you will be paying for two accounts instead of just paying $4.99 per month for the extra receivers at the lake house. The only way around having to get the new cards at $20 a pop is to carry one of your home receivers back & forth. But regardless you are going to have to figure out the problem witht he system at the lake house before any receiver(s) will work there.

 

[fluffybear]

If you are searching for Satellite, you have one of a couple of issues

1) Your dish is not aimed correctly
2) you have a bad coax cable running from the dish to the receiver
3) you have a bad reciever

If you were having a prolem with the access card in the reciever, you would receive a message informing you to install the correct access card.

While you can not just MOVE the access card between units, you can call D* and they will sell you a card for $20 and if you get the right CSR and have been a good customer, they will waive the $20. It never hurts to ask.

There is nothing wrong with you having a second receiver on your account at your cabin as long as your don't not occupy the cabin on a regular basis, D* has no problem with it. I have beenw ith D* for over 10 years and they know we have vacation property and have a receiver there and it is mirrored on to my primary residence account.

If all you want to do is move your access card between the receivers then what you need to do is call D* when you get to your cabin and inform them youa re at your cabin and need to reauthorize the access card for that receiver. When you get back home, call them again and they set everything back.
I know quite a few people who do this very thing and D* has no problem provided you keep them in the loop. My parents for a good example snowbird between California and Northern Minnesota (here in N. MN for 3 months a year) and all they do is take their access card from their receiver in CA. and bring it with them to their cabin. When they arrive, they call D* and they reauthorize the card and change their locals to Duluth. When they arrive back in California, they call D* and they reauthorize the card for that receiver and give them LA locals.

My first suggestion is figure out what is wrong with your signal. Chances are good your dish may have moved just a enough to lose the signal or you have a bad run. After you have fixed that, Call D* and ask about getting a dedicated access card for that receiver. If they won't give you the access card for free ask them if there is any promotions they will offer you right now. You might be surprised they might offer you something like FREE HBO or Showtime for 6 months which will make up for the $20 you had to pay for the card..

 

[pyrr]

The only way you would be able to do this is if your phone number was the same. The way i have heard this works is when they have the same phone number. Also when you just move your access card, it wont work because they have it set up with your current reciever and serial number.

If you just set up a new reciever you will unforunately be charged the full price because it's not at the same location.

 

[Mr Tony]

The only way you would be able to do this is if your phone number was the same. The way i have heard this works is when they have the same phone number. Also when you just move your access card, it wont work because they have it set up with your current reciever and serial number.

If you just set up a new reciever you will unforunately be charged the full price because it's not at the same location.

its been done numerous times...heck, fluffybear says they are doing it. We do it with Dish
3 receivers at one location
1 receiver at lake house
one account

 

[silversurfer]

The only way you would be able to do this is if your phone number was the same. The way i have heard this works is when they have the same phone number. Also when you just move your access card, it wont work because they have it set up with your current reciever and serial number.

If you just set up a new reciever you will unforunately be charged the full price because it's not at the same location.

It has absolutely nothing to do with the phone number. D* has no way of actually telling where your receivers are located especially with the number of cell phone only households and VOIP users.