Thinking about subscribing, need help.

[textmex]

I've been poking around the site trying to find the info I need, but I couldn't sort it all out so I'm posting a new thread. Let me just say alot of you really
know your stuff, but I still don't understand alot of the threads!

Here's the deal. I live in Rochester, NY, but I'm a huge Pittsburgh sports fan (Steelers, Penguins, even the Pirates). I don't currently have a dish, but I need to figure out a way to get all these games at home (I'm in the process of spending a lot of time and money on a new basement with a giant HDTV, so my wife said I can't go to the bar to watch the Steelers anymore!)

So this is what I've determined from poking around this site: I'm only going to go with Dish network if I can "move" my service to Pittsburgh and get all the Pittsburgh local channels and Fox Sports Pittsburgh at my house in Rochester. Otherwise, I'll be forced to go with DirecTV and pay for all the sports packages. Am I assessing the situation correctly?

If so, how do I make sure I can successfully "move" and get the Pittsburgh channels at my house? I don't have a dish at my house to test a signal and I don't understand other posts about dish angles by transponder settings and such.

Any help would be MOST appreciated.

 

[Kikkenit2]

Mapquest says 284 miles to Pittsburgh. I doubt you can transfer your local location that far. Move back! Just kidding. D* and lots of money it is. If no east coast experts show up here post this at dbstalk.com.

 

[ccg3]

Bad News, There is no way to get all the Pittsburgh sports from Dish. your only choice is to get the baseball package and NHL package, which will not get you all the games. At this time we don't know what will happen with the Baseball package and dish. If you decide to go with Dish PM me and I will send you a club dish card.

 

[kstuart]

Mapquest says 284 miles to Pittsburgh. I doubt you can transfer your local location that far. Move back! Just kidding.

I think that all the answers above are wrong.
Many people have received signals from a lot further than 284 miles. There was a thread about a guy in Eugene, Oregon who was receiving San Francisco locals.
According to:
http://ekb.dbstalk.com/E10spots/e10spots.pdf
you are within the spot beam for Pittsburgh (in fact, it looks like it might actually be the same spot beam as Rochester).
Hang around for someone more knowledgeable to answer whether the Pittsburgh spot beam can be received in your area.
PS If you do "move" to Pittsburgh, you will not be able to get New York channels - all your local channels will be from Pittsburgh.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

It will all depend on the spotbeam, in terms of whether you can physically pickup the stations you want.

 

[Kikkenit2]

I think that all the answers above are wrong.
Many people have received signals from a lot further than 284 miles. There was a thread about a guy in Eugene, Oregon who was receiving San Francisco locals.
According to:
http://ekb.dbstalk.com/E10spots/e10spots.pdf
you are within the spot beam for Pittsburgh (in fact, it looks like it might actually be the same spot beam as Rochester).
Hang around for someone more knowledgeable to answer whether the Pittsburgh spot beam can be received in your area.
PS If you do "move" to Pittsburgh, you will not be able to get New York channels - all your local channels will be from Pittsburgh.

I admit I was wrong. That S09 spotbeam covers both those cities easily. Does that provide all the channels he needs though? I was right about that link (maybe). Does it offend regulars here to call out the other site? Thanks for the correction stuart.

 

[osu1991]

The Pitt Hd locals are on 118.7 so they are conus for the big 4 networks. The pitt sd locals are on transponder29 spotbeam 9 and the rochester sd locals are on transponder27 spotbeam 9 so I would say yes also that you can get the pitt stations in Rochester.You will need the dish 500+ dish if you want the hd locals also.

 

[textmex]

Thanks for all the help. I want the HD and SD local Pittsburgh channels (plus Fox Sports Pittsburgh). I don't care about any of the local Rochester channels or the local sports networks either.

I think I am ready to pull the trigger on this. Do I need to make any special arrangements when I order? osu1991 mentioned a 500+ dish--I don't know what that means. Do I have to specifically request it? Or do i just call Dish Network and arrange for installation?

 

[kstuart]

If I were a new customer, I would read the thread at:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/showthread.php?t=86747

and then PM him. Include a link to this thread in your PM to him, so he can read about your situation.

Remember that you will first have to setup everything as a Rochester customer. Any "moving" has to be after everything is setup and you are sure it is finished and working right.

 

[Marty43]

The Pitt Hd locals are on 118.7 so they are conus for the big 4 networks. The pitt sd locals are on transponder29 spotbeam 9 and the rochester sd locals are on transponder27 spotbeam 9 so I would say yes also that you can get the pitt stations in Rochester.You will need the dish 500+ dish if you want the hd locals also.

will Dish install a a 500+ for him in Rochester, since he really does not need that as a Rochester customer?

 

[osu1991]

Probably not, he will probably have to buy that afterwards, and switch them out.

 

[textmex]

Thanks to everyone who replied to this thread. I got the dish (actually it's two dishes) installed on Thursday using the retailer recommended by kstuart^. In order to get the 500+ I had to order the Chinese package, which I plan to cancel in the next couple days.

I have to wait a couple more days before I call Dish to "move" to Pittsburgh. In the meantime, is there someway for me to check the strength of the signal I'll be receiving from Pittsburgh to make sure this is going to work? I gather from browsing other threads that I need to change a transponder setting or something, but I have no idea how to do that. Anyone that can help?

 

[osu1991]

The HD locals and FSN Pitt are conus so you should get those no problem. to check the sd locals use menu 6 - 1- 1 and change the sat to 110 and the transponder to 29 and see what the signal level is.

 

[textmex]

Thanks, osu1991. Will check that signal strength when i get hom from work. What is the minimu signal strength needed to be considered acceptable?

 

[KAB]

Around 76.