Trees in way, Dish network still possible?

[pseudopod56]

I live in an apartment complex with trees and buildings blocking most of the area from our Patio.

I tried to have Direct Tv installed, but the tech came out and said it was not possible due to trees. Is Dish Network more forgiving? I have seen 3 other dish network dishes in our area, one only 3 doors down aiming through the very same trees, with a bit more of an opening. I also saw one pointed at the person's balcony wall, pointed almost North West. Is it possible to bounce the signal off a wall?

Another thing is that our complex gets dish network via a large "old school" dish and distributes this to us. The singal is analog, mono, and really bad, hence me trying to get Dish Network myself. Can you somehow bounce a signal from that main dish to a smaller dishnetwork dish?

Thanks,

 

[Liquidforce88]

If Direct can't get it, You probably won't get Dish either. You can try but don't get your hopes up. Also no you can't bounce the signal from the other dish.

 

[kavula]

Of course, you could, instead of bouncing a signal from someone else's dish, use someone else's E* dish that is installed and being used. BUT, your receivers have to be within 150-200 feet (cable length) of the dish, and you have to have your own account with E* (no illegal $5 extra receiver fees you pay to your neighbor). You would also have problems as a newbie figuring out the switches, etc. needed for installation. Alas, this is a bothersome solution. You might just be out of luck, but you can try a traditional installation first.

 

[KKlare]

Is a non-penetrating roof-top solution possible? Check with landlord, twice. He might like it if multiple users could fed from a single dish or dishes and switch(es) -- then to work out the logistics.
-Ken

 

[Mummyscurse]

When the Dish installer used his sighting tool, for the 61.5 dish installation, it looked like he would be able to just barely clear a neighboring Apple tree...very dense foliage from it's 30' height, nearly to the ground...and the new dish would only be 20' from it! When he aligned the dish, however, it ended up pointing right into the tree. There is no line-of-sight around it, or through it, whatsoever. Even so, I consistently get a signal strength in excess of 100 on my Dish 811's meter, and have yet to have the signal fail on any of the VOOM channels. Not sure what that all signifies, but it does work for me...

 

[bcshields]

The dish is reflecting the signal to the LNBF, it's complicated with a D500, and I'm not sure *exactly* how it reflects, but with a 61.5 dish the signal is hitting the center of the dish coming from directly above the LNBF. So whatever angle your LNBF is pointing at, aim higher, and there's where the signal is coming from.

Welcome to satelliteguys!

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Yes, while the dish appears to be pointing right at the tree, the satellite is actually above the tree. The signal comes down, hits the dish and is reflected to the LNB. The arm with the LNB is not the "pointer."

If a tree is really between you and the satellite, then you won't get a signal.

 

[TNGTony]

Just for the record, the signal comes from 22 degrees above where a Dish 300, or Dish 500 appear to be pointing (22 degrees above perpendicular to the face of the dish). On a Dish 300 the signal is coming directly above where the arm is pointing. The signal for a Dish 500 is not coming directly above the arm but in a v shape determined by the exact part of the country you are in. So, a Dish 500 *could* be pointing directly at a tree (narrow) and work because the signal is coming from around or over the tree.

See ya
Tony

 

[Stargazer]

Do you have broadband and a friend that has broadband? If so then you could use the slingbox. If the person already has a dish and an account you could use the same dish, but have your own account for your own receiver at their house.

If you have a neighbor that has a line of site that you get along with well then maybe he/she would let you have a satellite dish setup there with the receiver there as well and then run a wire to your house or wirelessly and use the DishPro remote with the antenna from the UHF antenna intput on the receiver connected to a coax running outside having the UHF antenna outside or with a diplexor on that line going to your house and diplex it back out at your house with the UHF antenna on one side of the diplexor. They just released a new 6.2 UHF Pro remote that I know works on the 942 but not sure if it does or will work with the other UHF Pro receivers such as the 322 and 522. It is supposed to have extended remote range. If the person already has a dish and an account you could use the same dish, but have your own account for your own receiver at their house.

I have also heard of someone running a cable 1000 feet using an RG-11 cable (something that is a bit thicker than the RG-6) but it was a bit expensive to do that.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

I'll buy that a signal can come from beside a tree, a narrow tree, when using a Dish 500 but not that it can come "around" the tree. If the tree fully obstructs the direct line between the dish and the desired satellite, then you will not pick up the signal.

 

[TNGTony]

Sorry for using the wrong preposition there. By "around" I meant from either side of a tree while using a Dish 500. (i.e. the signal from 119 would come from the right side of a tree and the signal from 110 would come from the left side of the tree while the dish 500 appears to be pointing directly at the tree. I did not for an instant mean that the signal actually defleced around the tree.

See ya
Tony

 

[KKlare]

Just for the record, the signal comes from 22 degrees above where a Dish 300, or Dish 500 appear to be pointing (22 degrees above perpendicular to the face of the dish). On a Dish 300 the signal is coming directly above where the arm is pointing. The signal for a Dish 500 is not coming directly above the arm but in a v shape determined by the exact part of the country you are in. So, a Dish 500 *could* be pointing directly at a tree (narrow) and work because the signal is coming from around or over the tree.

See ya
Tony

It might be a little more precise to say that if you drew a line square to the dish face from the center of it, then another line equally above that line as the LNB is below it, you would have the direction of the bird. So if the arm is 22 deg below (use the LNB) the bird would be 22 deg above square to it.
For me 148 and 61.5 with 27 or 26 deg elevation, as I remember, makes the dish look like it points at the horizon or close. On the coasts the opposing dish will look like it points into the ground.
-Ken

 

[SimpleSimon]

To simplify the correct information posted above, just read the Elevation/Azimuth from the neighbor's receiver. Make sure the correct zip code is set. Those numbers are the compass direction and angle to look at. Yes, it's already adjusted for magnetic declination (variance? I can't remember the right word right now).

There are settings for Dish300 vs. Dish500. Note the minor differences for 110 & 119 when you change from one to the other. The 500 gets pointed dead between the two.

 

[pseudopod56]

I am going to talk to the land lord again. The office people said no one can put anything on the roof, but who knows. I have a 100 foot tree and a 50 foot building right across. I don't think it is possible without getting on the back roof. The 20 degree over the dish might explain how one of my neighbors gets a signal with the dish pointed nearly straight at his wall.

The direct TV guy said he could make it work if he put it on my roof, but that we had no permission. I already put a digital antenna in the attic, I get CBS in HD perfect, but nothing else, and the maintiance guys didn't say anything about that even after putting traps up there. I wonder if I can sneak a dish on the roof as well... Hmmmm.