SuperDish Just Installed - Now Some Questions 4 U All!

[SophieTheDog]

Hello Everyone! This is my first post but I've been visiting this site for the past 4 months nearly every day! Thank you for all the great info!

Just got a 105 SuperDish with 522 and 322 and DP34 installed yesterday.

Questions:

1. How much signal strength should can should I be expecting for the 105 satellite? In the install screen 110 and 119 are around 100 strength but 105 is in the 40s to 50s. The receiver still locks on to the satellite (red to green). Is this the nature of the FSS 105 or is the SuperDish just not aimed correctly?

2. The EPG for the local channels only goes 1 to 2 hours into the future and then shows "Info not available" for everything else into the future. I found this to be the case on both the 322 and the 522. All the regular channels (on 110 and 119) have full EPG info for the future. What is causing this?

3. The 522 allows the user to start the recording X minutes early and end X minutes late. Is this feature only on a the 522? Have the 501, 508, and 510 DVRs been software upgraded with this feature?

Thanks in advance!

 

[lime4x4]

Mine is due to be installed Feb 7th.. I was wondering if they took your old dish with them?
Sorry i couldn't help with your question

 

[SophieTheDog]

No old dish to take - new, 1st time customer.

 

[Stargazer]

A signal strength in the 70's or 80's is acceptable, probably about as high as you are going to get it, depending on where you live. If it is going back and forth between red and green then that is not normal, you could be borderline on getting a signal lock in the 30's or 40's. If you can get the signal in the 40's you will have some rainfade issues where it will want to go out everytime it wants to rain or sprinkle. If you get the signal in the 50's then that would be better and not as suseptable to rain-fade but would go out if you had a downpour, it may not even take a downpour to knock the signal out if it is in the 50's. If you are on the borderline of the footprint then perhaps 50's is the best signal you can get in. What is your location so we can have an idea of what we can expect? Different areas will get different signal strengths.

 

[SophieTheDog]

Central Illinois

 

[boba]

The signal sounds low on 105 but where are you located? 105 is an old satellite that will be replaced next year, in testing DISH found the signal in states on the outside of the US did not receive a strong enough signal to use the 105 satellite for local channel broadcasts. Because 105 is an FSS satellite it is not as prone to rainfade as 110 or 119 so a lower signal will work more reliably than on a DBS satellite frequency.

 

[ROLLTIDE]

Don't let them take your old dish

 

[lime4x4]

When i called to get the super dish they never said anything about taking my old one i was hoping to keep my current dish 500 dish pro cause it's only about 2 months old...Just to play it safe i'll put my old 500 twin legacy dish up before they come..

 

[Bruno]

Well as a dealer we are not making any money to install these super dishes. If a person around here even wants a local retailier to install a Super Dish they are paying extra and giving up there old dishes. That is suppose to be part of the deal when installing the super dishes. If i had someone refusing to give up there dish i would not install it and let DNSC do it in a couple of months.

 

[Bruno]

When i called to get the super dish they never said anything about taking my old one i was hoping to keep my current dish 500 dish pro cause it's only about 2 months old...Just to play it safe i'll put my old 500 twin legacy dish up before they come..

Hell ur legacy twin is worth more to most than the DP LNB.

 

[Stargazer]

I have also heard that the installer/retailer has permission from Dish Network to take the old dish as part of the payment for doing the upgrade seeing that there is not much money being made and a lot of money put out up front to do the upgrade. The shipping on the dish alone is about $20 out of pocket to the retailer. The pole could be another $5-$10 easily, then you have the wire, wire ends, trip to the customer's house, and the cost of labor. Poof, the money is gone, or there is not much left at all, and all to the mercy for Dish to reimburse for the dish and pay the install amount for getting the dish put in.

Bruno, how much extra are you able to get for doing the SuperDish upgrades? Some are on waiting lists around here until March as of a few weeks ago, its probably April or May now.

 

[JBKing]

(2) As far as the 1-2 hour guide for your 'new' local channels, I experienced the same thing. I tried to force the EPG download, but couldn't make it do it. Even E* tech 'support' couldn't get it either. I just had to wait until the regular download that night to see the full EPG. You should have it in the morning.

 

[lime4x4]

Well i called dish directly to have the super dish installed cause it's the only way to get my locals

 

[red hazard]

Ku Band Rain Fade

The signal sounds low on 105 but where are you located? 105 is an old satellite that will be replaced next year, in testing DISH found the signal in states on the outside of the US did not receive a strong enough signal to use the 105 satellite for local channel broadcasts. Because 105 is an FSS satellite it is not as prone to rainfade as 110 or 119 so a lower signal will work more reliably than on a DBS satellite frequency.

All those satellites are in Ku band and are subject to rain fade. There is no substantial difference in vulnerability as radio frequencies above roughly 7.5 Ghz are all susceptible. Rain rate zones do not differentiate between 11.7 GHz and 12 Ghz. Further, FSS are limited to less transponder transmitting power than DBS, hence the need for a larger dish reflecting area on 105 and 121.

 

[Stargazer]

In regards to the EPG only showing a few hours of programming then showing "Info Not Available" after that period of time, it takes longer before the EPG gets the extended guide information for the local channels. About a day or so later you should see that the locals gets two days of guide information as well.

 

[cinemaandsound]

SuperDish signal strength

It depends on whre you live. I am in Virginia and the maximum signal will be about 75 on the 105 sat. This is confrimed by DISH.

 

[prowler]

leave your sat. power on for at least 24 hours to get 100% of the program download. I don't know much about the Illinois area but all the superdishes I have installed in Kansas(about 90) are topping out at 52-56% according to dish this is as good as it gets till the new bird gows up. The FSS lnb does receive a different signal reading than the 110 or the 119.
And yes guys we have to pick up the old 500's as part of the compensation for the upgrade but you may be able to re-purchase the 500 from the retailer.

 

[Stargazer]

I am curious of how cheap one could get some used Dish 500's now with the twin lnbf/dual lnbf's with sw-21's after seeing how many extra Dish 500's there should be as a result?

 

[Tlewis]

I have installed several Superdish 105 in central Illinois. In Sangamon county we can almost always get sig. strength in the mid 60's a few times 71-75. It is very important to have the pole very plumb and no obstructions like trees or buildings to interfere. A signal strength in the 30-40 will take long time to change channel and be subject to rain fade quite easily.