Two dishes?

[usmaak]

This seems to be my night for questions. I have one more.

I have a Dish 1000, with HD. The problem is that I don't get a very good signal on 129, which is where most of my HD channels are. The highest I get is 50 on transponder 12. But on other transponders, I get 20 - 30. 20 - 30 is fine for a nice clear day, but when I get rain, those channels keep dropping out. My SD signals are from 60 - 75, depending on satellite and transponder.

I've had dish out a few times in the last year to tune. They don't seem to be able to get all the signals coming in well at the same time. They can get me a little better signal on 129, but my signal on other satellites suffers pretty dramatically. I can get a better signal on the other satellites, but 129 goes down the drain. I was thinking that if they could put two dishes up, one for 129, and another for the other satellites, that I might be able to get decent signals for all channels.

Has anyone ever gotten Dish to do this for them? If so, what's the extra cost, and was it worth it?

Thanks

 

[Pepper]

Depending on your location, you'll get much better results with two dishes, one of them pointed at 61.5, not 129.

 

[usmaak]

Depending on your location, you'll get much better results with two dishes, one of them pointed at 61.5, not 129.

Isn't 61.5 better for southern areas? I'm in northern Illinois.

 

[scimini]

They put up a second dish, for 110 though, for me at no charge.

 

[Laddyboy]

61.5 is OK for northern IL. It's just to the SE instead of the SW where 129 is for you. The only drawback is that locals or your regional sports network (RSN) may be on 129, 61.5, or both. I assume you're in the Rockford DMA which I think doesn't have HD locals offered by E* as of now. I'm pretty sure the RSNs for your area are on both sats since I know the Chicago RSNs are on both sats and your RSNs would be the same I believe. I'm in central IL and get decent signal strengths on all sats with my 1000.2 dish, although with moderately heavy rainfall, the signals drop out. The new 129 sat is supposed to be in place by year-end so that may help with your problem. It'll have more power and shouldn't wobble in its orbit like the current 129 sat. I suspect the Rockford and Champaign-Springfield-Decatur HD locals will likely be beamed from the new 129 when it gets placed in service, although I don't expect to see them for until later next year since E* hasn't even made mention of them.

 

[usmaak]

61.5 is OK for northern IL. It's just to the SE instead of the SW where 129 is for you. The only drawback is that locals or your regional sports network (RSN) may be on 129, 61.5, or both. I assume you're in the Rockford DMA which I think doesn't have HD locals offered by E* as of now. I'm pretty sure the RSNs for your area are on both sats since I know the Chicago RSNs are on both sats and your RSNs would be the same I believe. I'm in central IL and get decent signal strengths on all sats with my 1000.2 dish, although with moderately heavy rainfall, the signals drop out. The new 129 sat is supposed to be in place by year-end so that may help with your problem. It'll have more power and shouldn't wobble in its orbit like the current 129 sat. I suspect the Rockford and Champaign-Springfield-Decatur HD locals will likely be beamed from the new 129 when it gets placed in service, although I don't expect to see them for until later next year since E* hasn't even made mention of them.

Hmm. If they're going to have a new 129 up there by the end of the year, I guess I can wait and see how it works. Maybe I can have them come out and try to retune the dish after it's up and running. They might have better results?

 

[JEFFinINDY]

Dish replaced my 1000.2 with two 500s at no charge.