Trying to figure out what spot beam...

[Sonnie Parker]

and transponders the Birmingham, Alabama locals are on.

According to http://www.lyngsat.com/packages/directvusa101.html right next to each Birmingham local station and listed under the "BEAM" column is "Atlanta". I suppose that indicates that the channel is on the Atlanta beam but maybe I don't understand how these charts work.

How can I determine the transponder numbers for these locals?

Thanks!

 

[slacker9876]

You could go into your signal strength while you're watch that channel and it should default to the TP you're on. Finding it on Lyng Sat is more trouble than it is worth ... and not worth explaining.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

Well I'm not actually subscribed to D* at this time... but I'd be a little south of the Nashville 6 spot beam so I'm hoping they are on the larger Atlanta 22 beam.

Looking at the map the Atlanta beam doesn't look like it would cover all of the B'ham area. The Nashville spot beam looks like it would cover more of the proper B'ham area.

Here's the map:

I'm hoping the map is old and wrong and the B'ham locals are on the Atlanta spot beam 22 and not Nashville 6 or that maybe Nashville 6 has a larger area than is shown.

 

[Greg Bimson]

Beam 6 carries transponders 18 and 28. Transponder 18 is for Nashville; transponder 28 carries Birmingham and Huntsville. And I do believe that the spot-beam is larger than shown on the map.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

Any idea why the LyngSat link in my first post shows the B'ham, Huntsville, and Atlanta locals on the Atlanta beam (22) and the Nashville locals on the Nashville beam (6) as of 7/8/04?

That's why I wonder if the above map might be a little out-dated and they have moved the B'ham and Huntsville locals to a different beam.

How can it be verified for sure?

 

[Greg Bimson]

Lyngsat is simply a user-driven community. People record their observations, and send them in. The people that have sent their observations in are incorrect.

I am one hundred percent correct.

When you go to a retailer, simply check the signal strength while a Birmingham local channel is tuned in. It will tell you which transponder you are tuned to. And Birmingham is on transponder 28.

 

[CablerMN]

Her is another "user-driven" spot map ... may be of help FWIW:

http://www.scottandmichelle.net/scott/dtv.html

 

[Sonnie Parker]

Yeah... I looked at that map and it shows a much larger coverage area from those same beams. I really liked the transponder strength maps included and they appear to be from user input as well.

 

[Greg Bimson]

The difference is that the map Sonnie posted is from actual FCC filings regarding service of the DirecTV 4S spot-beam satellite. The only issue with the map is that some of the beams may be larger than they appear.

This is affectionately known as the Morgan map. Walter Morgan used this map in his rebuttal against the DirecTV/Echostar merger. The centers of the beams are correct, but the sizes may not be correct.

 

[Saddlesitting]

O.K. Guys

I live in Central Texas (No Locals yet (soon)) I have been suffering for years over this problem. I can get the local OTA but not through Directv. I am able with an aftermarket antenna to pick up Dallas broadcasts better than my local channels.

According to the maps I am in the Dallas Spot beam. (I am between Dallas and Austin. On transponders 12 and 20 my signal strength is 100.

If I call and provide Directv with an address in the Dallad Market. Can I get the Dallas Locals?

How far do I have to go to fool Directv? Should I disconnect my recievers over night and then call or should I just call them?

I appreciate your feedback.

SS

 

[Saddlesitting]

One other thing.

I don't believe I would need another / different satellite dish I should be able to get the Dallas channels of the old oval dish right?

Thank you

SS

 

[Saddlesitting]

I placed a call to a local installer. (Anonymously) He claimed that it wouldn't work because Directv can tell where the satellite is pointing. And where my feed is coming from. Is this true? Have other people gotten away with it?

SS

 

[GutBomb]

I placed a call to a local installer. (Anonymously) He claimed that it wouldn't work because Directv can tell where the satellite is pointing. And where my feed is coming from. Is this true? Have other people gotten away with it?

SS

I do that. I live in central illinois and get chicago locals because my locals are not available. I leave my phone plugged in. I said "i pay for the service for my kid who's in college." then i gave them a chicago address for "my kid in college" for the service and kept the billing address as my address.

They don't (right now) check the caller ID on daily calls, and there is no way they can tell by where the satellite is pointing. if you lie within the dallas spotbeam you can get the dallas channels.

(btw, this technique of getting out of town locals is usually called "moving")

 

[Mr Tony]

I do that. I live in central illinois and get chicago locals because my locals are not available. I leave my phone plugged in. I said "i pay for the service for my kid who's in college." then i gave them a chicago address for "my kid in college" for the service and kept the billing address as my address.

They don't (right now) check the caller ID on daily calls, and there is no way they can tell by where the satellite is pointing. if you lie within the dallas spotbeam you can get the dallas channels.

(btw, this technique of getting out of town locals is usually called "moving")

I dont even tell them why I'm changing the address.

Just call Direct and change your address but tell them you want your bill sent somewhere else.
-Change the address to one in the Dallas DMA (this is much easier now with Pegasuck out of the picture)
-Keep billing address as your house
-Leave phone number the same as what Direct has it as
-Enjoy locals!

When your locals become available, move back

I live in Minneapolis but have the Duluth, MN locals

 

[Saddlesitting]

Thanks guys

I could care less where the bill is sent. I pay on-line anyway. The address would be for my folks house who are currently with Dish. I will place a call later today and hope for the best. Thanks again

SS

 

[Sonnie Parker]

I don't think the address really even has to be a legit address... I know a couple of people who use boggus addresses with Dish and get away with it. Not sure about Directv... I don't really know how or why they would verify whether an address is valid/legit anyway as long as they have a mailing address to send your bill to. Obviously the billing address would need to be legit.

 

[Mr Tony]

Sonnie
The address has to be verified by the USPS....all it has to do is fall in the range of what they say
If the USPS says 101-199 Main St...just pick an address that is in the range but not necessarily a house there

 

[Sonnie Parker]

That must be how these other folks are getting around a true address.

I know one fellow who picked a county road and made up a number and it worked but it could have well been a number between valid numbers.

lol... Amazing!

 

[Mr Tony]

I just tried running one on Dish's address broker

I used a bogus house # on the street I live on and it worked. Usually it has to validate with zip+4, and this one did.

Amazing indeed

 

[Sonnie Parker]

Yeah... on Dish's and Directv's eligiblity for locals page (Directv only requires the full address when checking for distant locals) I just put in a boguss address that couldn't be found on MapQuest and it qualified. Not sure... they may have a different system to check addresses to see if they are actually legit.

But you know... with all the new E911 addresses (at least here in Alabama) there are some address forms online that do not recognize these new addresses. It might recognize Route 1 Box 332 but it wouldn't recognize the new E911 of 332 County Road 1185.

Same thing with the phone companies or 411. When we call to get a phone number for an address at my business it will sometimes not be listed under the new E911 address but we can give the old address and get the phone number.