TR-40 Requires power recycling.

[prcasher]

Being retired and on a tight budget we were using a Slingbox Solo to view our Dish 522 back home and a TR-40 for locals at our snowbird mobile home in a senior park in FL. Seems I got a lemon Slinbox which failed a little after the warrantee expired so I replaced it with a Moonson Hava now I guess I'll also retire the TR-40, hate to because the wife likes the program guide as it mimics the one in the 522.

I'm kinda disappointed with these Dish offshoots but love our old 522.

 

[TheKrell]

Couple of comments. My Hava Platinum has been running fine (and it's always on) for years. Hope yours lasts as well!

If your TR-40 is on it's last legs, you might consider an HD upgrade. Current Dish HDDVRs (well, at least the 622/722/612) come with built in ATSC tuners, so you can retire the TR-40 and just go with the Dish HD DVR for all channels. You might be able to swing a free upgrade, with 2yr commitment.

Edited to add: Oh, sorry; went blind to where your equipment was. (You use the TR-40 but not your Dish receiver in the trailer.) Ah... The upgrade would still work, since the Hava can show you all channels (including OTA locals) on your 622/722/612 back home. If you want to view the locals in FL and not back home, then this would not work unless you moved your receiver back and forth between your two residences.

 

[prcasher]

I thought of moving the receiver back and forth but sometimes we like to watch the local news and sports.

 

[TheKrell]

If you got a free upgrade to a 612, 622, 722, or 722k with OTA module, you would be able to watch your OTA locals via the ATSC tuner regardless of where the receiver is located within the USA. All you need is an OTA (VHF/UHF) antenna as you have for the DTVpal, as well as the Dish antenna.

 

[prcasher]

Oops, I should have said watch local news and sports from back home. We cann't quite afford HDTV yet anyway. I see your a Forbidden Planet fan too.

 

[TheKrell]

Hehe, yes I am. If you want to watch locals at home, either there or via your Hava, then the one HD upgrade would do it. No need for the DTVpal in FL.

 

[prcasher]

Yes, but we cann't quite afford HDTV right now.

 

[TheKrell]

Well... There are plenty of SD outputs on Dish HD receivers, so that would not be a problem assuming you can get Dish to upgrade you for free even though you don't have an HDTV as yet.

The trouble with the 522 is that it has no OTA tuner. I was trying to kill two birds (upgrade to HD with menus that match the 522, while avoiding purchase of another DTVpal) with one stone.

 

[prcasher]

We use Dish locals (now free) up north do not have an antenna there. We do want to see the local news and sports from up north.

We use DTV box down south for locals and remote view the DVR from up north.

I really want to avoid any commitments and don't want to be tied in if we should change service or move to where service is provided by the community.

 

[TheKrell]

Well, I don't see a solution to your "dead DVTpal" problem, since the DTVpal is no longer being manufactured. They seem to be going for $75 on Ebay these days. If you can give up on the Dish DVR-like menus, then a number of other fairly cheap solutions are available, including another converter box, or an ATSC tuner stick for your computer. Converter boxes seem to be over $30 for new ones. I have personally purchased several ATSC tuner sticks for $15/ea. If you can handle watching TV on your computer (which you are presumably already doing when viewing your 522 remotely), then that would "work" if not ideal.

 

[prcasher]

Thanks, I've since installed another DTV converter box and wife will have to be happy with that. Just wanted to vent my frustration with the products.

 

[TheKrell]

Understand. The DTVpals were all but unique and came with a pathetically short 90 day warranty. If you found another converter box with any decent program guide at all, you did better than I! The 'pals were great! I for one don't understand why Echostar abandoned these products so quickly.

 

[prcasher]

I wonder. Also could have used a TR50 here but were not available when I was looking so bought Magnavox DVR from Walmart, wife can't live without DVR since we had the 522.

 

[Lifterguy]

Even though Dish is no longer selling the PAL DVR, it appears Echostar is still making the hardware and selling it through Channel Master. Just look for the Channel Master CM-7000PAL. It runs about $350 new. You'll find it on Amazon, Ebay, and Tiger Direct - among others. It has a 1 year warranty from Channel Master.

 

[prcasher]

Will keep it in mind in case the financial situation improves. A little expensive but worth it with the guide. Water under the bridge now since we're used to the Magnavox DVR which acts like a vcr having to use time/channel programing.