What to do? No HD sig, need new receivers....

[vampirefish]

Well, the installer just left my house -- and I don't have HD!!! They couldn't get a 129 signal (which I was afraid of). Had the installer check to see if I could get a DirecTv signal (he installs for them as well) and he said no. I have just a small area that a dish can point through (between many, many trees) -- I currently have Dish 500 with my locals (out of Seattle). Then the installer went inside and checked my connection for the 110 and 119 and I have some transponders that aren't even locked on a signal. I found that interesting, since I haven't noticed any issues with a signal....however, in order for the installer to find the signal for the 500 (3 yrs ago) it took them 2 different appts to figure out something 'creative'...but they got it to work.

I DON'T WANT TO GO TO CABLE FOR HD... but I'm running out of options. I've been reading that Dish is going to change satellites (for locals) and that they are going to launch a new one. And it sounds like the Pac NW has issues with the 129 anyway... I'm hoping that HD channels will be moved to the 119 or 110 so I'd get that signal.

In the mean time, I have to return my VIP622 AND now I need to upgrade at least one of my older receivers (it's dieing).

Herein lies my quandry. Do I wait to see what happens with the newer sats? Upgrade my receivers now? Or just switch to cable (shiver ). I may not have my Dish signal in the next few years (unfortunatley, the trees will continue to grow )...so I don't really want to dump alot of $$ into hardware....

AND did Dish ever sell a dual tuner PVR receiver (i have a 501 single)? One I can find used? I'm thinking they didn't.

Ok, ok... alot of questions and WHINING... but I can't help it! I LOVE DISH AND I WANT MY HD!! wahhhhh

 

[mike123abc]

You will need to "see" 110, 119 and for HD either 61.5 or 129. 129 would be preferred in the NW. But, it is possible to sometimes see 61.5, it is just low to the horizon.

You might have to have a dish located in a different location just for 129. You can go about 200' in cable so maybe you could find a gap somewhere in the trees for 129 and leave 110/119 where the dish is now.

 

[vampirefish]

Ok, so I'm thinking I may keep my 622 and try to get creative ... Have posted a couple other topics and gotten much help (LOVE THIS FORUM)! Here's a few more questions (better in this topic):

The more I chew on this (and read through this forum)... the more I wonder if maybe I got (again) another installer that pretty much made his mind up once he walked into my yard. What does one do when it may be obvious that the installer did not try very hard to find the signal? The more I think about this.... the more I wander how hard he really tried.... ? I mean it did take 2 different appts to get my SD signals (when I moved into the place) but ONLY because after the first idiot left my house (sorry if this is harsh but it really frustrated me that he didn't want to do his job) I called Dish and basically demanded they send out someone who wanted to do their job...and guess what... the guy installed my Dish on a mast (in my yard), cemented the base and it was all good. Is that above and beyond the call of duty for an installer? Do I have to call Dish again?!

When the new installer looked at my existing 500, he first started to squak about how he didn't know that my dish was setup that way (placed in my yard, on a mast) and that he didn't have any of the right equipment for this type of setup. He immediately then started to moan about how he probably couldn't find the signal.

He then walked around my yard shooting his azimuth (or whatever that tool is that they use), with a grimace on his face. I followed him around and he was telling me that it didn't look good. He also did the same thing from the area of my exisiting dish (standing next to it) and said it was close but didn't think it would work.

He went inside to check my current signal strength (for the 110 and 119) and remarked at how low my 110 signal was (I think it was between 60-70 that day). It's actually been fluctuating between upper 70's and lower 80's since that installation day - I've been checking regulary! He continuted to explain to me how that was not good and that I probably won't have a signal in the next couple years (because of trees - makes sense, I know... trees grow).

He walked outside and stared around more (shooting his azimuth) so I asked him if he could place a temp dish (you know... to try and get a signal!) on my fence (next to my existing dish 500). He did and said he found a 129 signal but only at about 30 or so (he checked with his own tool - not through my TV). Shouldn't he have tried to replace my 500 with a SuperDish to see if it would work, or at least check the signal there from my TV (don't think he did this)...or at least try to see the 129 from that point? I know that the Seattle area has issues with the 129.... but this just doesn't sound right to me!

I'm thinking I should call Dish again to have another installer come out....? Not sure if they'd do it now or not... any advice would be great. Maybe I'm in denial... If ya'll think I am, please let me know... it's hard to stand outside of the box when you've been screwed with !

Prior to calling Dish... could I try to find the 129 with my 500 (just to see what my strength would be)...? Any info on the quickest way to do this... would be mucho appreciated. All I think I have to do (I think) is raise my dish a little (on it's mast) to compensate for moving it down (or up) to the 129...? or maybe I should look for the 61.5...? What would be the absolute minimal signal strength I'd want ?

 

[bhelms]

Hey, Vampirefish - Like I responded in your earlier thread "Question about 721 install", I believe the MPEG-2 "national" HD channels are on the E8 satellite at the 110 location. (Here's my resource, courtesy of TNGTony and others: http://www.dishchannelchart.com/) If that's true, that would give you at least 5 HD channels (plus several other premiums or PPV) that you might be able to receive with your current set-up. Why not call E* and ask if they would, given your circumstance, activate your 622 for the HD Pack ($30/mo.?) or whatever they would offer just to get those 5 channels? Of course you would not be able to receive any of the voom channels or any of the newer "MPEG-4" channels (headered as such or actual) or your HD LiLs that are on the 61.5 or 129 sats. but at least you might be able to get something. I don't think those MPEG-2 channels on E8 will move anytime soon, but I could be wrong on that. (Ask E*.)

You could certainly experiment with moving your D500 to try to get the 61.5 or 129 sats. Of course you risk losing what you currently have so make sure you know how to put the dish back in its exact current orientation. I don't think you'll lock reliably below about 70 due to the natural variation, but YMMV! Others who live in the NW have found solutions to the "weak" 129 issue, but I don't think the Superdish is the answer (wrong LNBs?) You're probably best with a separate dish for 129 vs. the D1000, but which is best I can't answer. A larger dish will certainly improve the signal strength.

Good luck with this - let us know if you have any success with E* given your particular circumstance...!

 

[osu1991]

If you are comfortable moving your dish you can certainly try to get a signal for 129. I have gotten 119 and 129 on a dish 500 before. You probably will want to take a marker and put a mark on the pole and the dish mount before you move it, to help you get it back where it is now,after you are done moving it for testing. If you could post some pictures of your line of sight, it might help others give you some advice.

 

[vampirefish]

Thanks, so take a pix from my dish... line of site??? Sorry, not exactly sure what type of pix to take?

 

[osu1991]

Take a pic behind the dish of where the dish is aimed at, to try and judge if trees or whatever might truly be obstructing the line of sight for the satellite signal. If they checked your signal for 110, there are a lot spot beams at the 110 location now, so unless you are in the coverage of that spot beam you will not have any signal or very little signal for those transponders. I still have 5 transponders that have readings of 105-110, but most are now in the80 to 90 range and the spotbeam with my locals is 77 right now. With the old sat at 110 I had readings 105-115 on almost all the transponders. So your 110 may not be as bad off as you have been led to believe.

 

[vampirefish]

Thanks, just got off the phone with Tech support to see if they can help me out or not. A Dish installer will be coming back out on June 10th to try again. A note is on the order to have the manager call ahead of time so I can ensure they know what kind of setup I have (they never called previously).

Took a while on the call, at first the Tech thought they "couldn't" just use the receiver I still have - that they'd have to send a new one with a new order! Anyway, after some research she figured out a way around it. WISH ME LUCK!

 

[bxl4]

I have a similar problem and have these questions:

Might one of the new dishes e.g. 1000.2 help because of the larger reflector?

Also, are there any replacement reflectors that could be added to an existing set up to gather more signal to better "see" through trees?

 

[vampirefish]

UPDATE: Installer came on Saturday... and in 2 minutes had found a line of site! I have my HD now!!! HURRAY!!! I now have 2 Dish 500's (one for the 119 and 110 and one for the 120).

 

[bhelms]

Congrats...!