two 1000.2 dishes for eastern arc

[FrankieFF]

Howdy

New to the forum, but liking it so far.

Anyway, I recently had dish installed at my home in Alexandria, VA zip 22312. I have the black dish with two lnbs looking at 72 and 61.5. I have access to another identical dish for free (friend purchased home with one attached) and was wondering if there was any way to increase my signal strength using it. Maybe peaking one dish on each bird ?

 

[Bobby]

I wouldn't worry about it. If you are not experiencing any rain fades there is no reason to think any further. Increased strength will not make your picture any better.

 

[TroubleshooterMike]

Keeping it as a spare is about all you can do with it really... Your HD locals come of the 61.5 so if you don't have signal issues I would not worry about, also

 

[FrankieFF]

I have had some rain issues on occasion with hard rain which is what got me thinking about it. Would is boost my signal level at all and if so, would that fight rain fade during severe rain ?

 

[FrankieFF]

Also what would be considered a good signal level for my area ?

 

[ChadT41]

Anything over 45 is a good signal in most cases. Average in the area, not sure about... But 45 gives you a bit of wiggle room. I know mine hover around 60 in my area.

 

[FrankieFF]

at what signal level do they start to break up ? I know a few of mine on 61.5 are at 45 on a sunny day

 

[ChadT41]

There are different answers.... The simple one, I say you need to do something if it gets under 35. 28-30 is usually the pixelation and stuttering phase. 25 is complete signal loss.

 

[FrankieFF]

Oh wow I'll loose picture at only 25 ?! I was thinking it was zero !

 

[ChadT41]

No, but to be fair, the point scale goes to 125 and I'm wondering if that was on purpose.

 

[Troch77]

Back when I had Dish in 2007, the signals used to go up to the 90's - 115.

Then the VIP'S got a software update and then it was like now 40-70.

Not sure why, but the seem too low, Because I've also noticed the signal seem to go out prematurely over even Directv's KA.

And that shouldn't be that way on KU system.

Techs claim that's normal, But if I could point a Plus dish and Get a better signal against rain fade I would do so.

 

[FrankieFF]

I'm wondering what can be done to get the best signal possible, more so just to see how high I can get could it . You know, for fun Does anyone think that two 1000.2 EA dishes peaked on different sats could be used with one cable from each feeding a node solo ?

 

[JSheridan]

I'm wondering what can be done to get the best signal possible, more so just to see how high I can get could it . You know, for fun Does anyone think that two 1000.2 EA dishes peaked on different sats could be used with one cable from each feeding a node solo ?

One cable from each feeding the node will not work. You can point each dish at a separate satellite but you would need to feed both dishes into either a DPP33 or a DPP44 and then to the node. After all that you'll probably notice very little if any signal improvement.

 

[harshness]

I have access to another identical dish for free (friend purchased home with one attached) and was wondering if there was any way to increase my signal strength using it. Maybe peaking one dish on each bird ?

This is a diminished returns scenario. The gear required to use two dishes would be a little spendy and fairly complicated.

I'd bet that when all is said and done you'd be looking at a 5-8 point improvement.

IIRC, the other guy's scale goes to 100 but anything less than 35 is "lost" on their scale.

 

[harshness]

You can point each dish at a separate satellite but you would need to feed both dishes into either a DPP33 or a DPP44 and then to the node. After all that you'll probably notice very little if any signal improvement.

I'm pretty sure you can't feed a DPP33 with a DPP LNB. DP single, DP dual or DP Twin for that guy. I don't imagine any of those would work particularly well with a 1000.2EA without some complex (or extensive trial and error) mounting bracket fabrication.

 

[JSheridan]

I'm pretty sure you can't feed a DPP33 with a DPP LNB. DP single, DP dual or DP Twin for that guy. I don't imagine any of those would work particularly well with a 1000.2EA without some complex (or extensive trial and error) mounting bracket fabrication.

I'm sure you can. We've done it many times. You just have to have the correct ports from the LNB connected to the switch.

 

[harshness]

According to this Echostar document from May of 2008, it wasn't intended to work:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/attachments/dpp33-switch-pdf.25645

LNBF/SWITCH CONNECTIVITY
• Provides inputs for up to three orbital locations.
• Compatible with all DISH Pro LNBFs.
• Not compatible with DISH Pro Plus LNBFs (e.g. DPP Twin, DPP 1000.2 LNBF); instead, use any DISH Pro LNBFs.
• There are no trunk ports to add other switches to this switch.
• Can be trunked onto the right side of a DP34 switch or DISH Pro Plus 44 switch.
• Not compatible with the DP21 Switch.
• Not compatible with legacy LNBFs/switches.

As I said, it appears that it is uniquely compatible with DP sources. I'd go with what Echostar says unless I was willing to experiment; certainly not something I would recommend for someone else.

 

[JSheridan]

Things apparently have changed since 2008. They work fine. We had an install a couple of weeks ago where it would have been nearly impossible to run another wire from a K2EA dish to the basement to convert a single node to a dual node to add a second Hopper. We put in a DPP33 and it worked great, just like the dozens of others in the past and the one here in my office. That's the facts from our experience which you can take or leave, totally up to you.

 

[harshness]

We had an install a couple of weeks ago where it would have been nearly impossible to run another wire from a K2EA dish to the basement to convert a single node to a dual node to add a second Hopper.

How does adding a DPP33 create five or six bands from four? It seems like there could easily be a situation where all six tuners might need more than two double-stacked cables from the LNB can deliver.

 

[Jim5506]

The ONLY way to increase signal is by having a larger reflector, like the guys in Alaska and the Caribbean do since they are on the edge or even outside the footprint of the dish satellites.
Feeding two lnbs pointed at the same satellite is more apt to hurt signal than help as they must be absolutely synchronized (cables exactly the same length) or signals will cancel each other out. This is much more critical at satellite frequencies that OTA TV - satellite has a very short wave length so a small error can be catastrophic.

The only way to assuredly reduce rain fade is to do what the cable companies do, use a 12 ft or larger dish with a single lnb at the focal point.