Understanding Spotbeams - Help

[Ahannas]

I am paying for DISH network in one of my homes but would like to use it in the other home too. (Sort of like installing a legally purchased PC game on two computers that I own) Since I am not using DISH in two places at once I don‘t see this as being dishonest. I thought it would be fairly simple to install my own dish at location #2 and bring my receiver with me. Now I’m beginning to wonder if this is possible.

I have a DISH 500 with DP pro plus twin LNB in both places. The homes are 400 miles apart. I have been able to get 110 but not 119. I could get about 20 channels (including locals from location #1) off of 110. A moderator has told me that 110 carries a "spotbeam for 119. I had no idea what spotbeams were until an hour ago. If I am correct, they are very narrow satellite beams directed at a specific market area. If that’s the case am I wasting my time? Is it impossible to get 119 in a location 400 miles away?

Now here’s the strange part. For the first 2 or 3 days I could get five local channels from location #1. Then they went away and I get a message saying “Sorry for the interruption, there’s no need to call us . . .” So here’s another question, if I could get locals for a few days they must have come from one of the transponders and not a spotbeam, right? But how can a broad satellite beam know that I’m getting #1’s locals in location #2?



Thanks

[sly]

ok you should be able to get 110/119 sounds like you just need to tweek your skew as for the missing locals dish might be having some trouble with them or there contract ran out and they are just doing trying to get a good contract that will not cost them too much(just being cheap) hehe

[bill of oz]

your dish isnt aimed properly....if the houses are 400 miles apart your dish settings (skew/rotation adjustment, elevation setting) will probably be quite different.....

[rudnisty]

First off all why do not You try www.dishpointer.com. For the second The "local channels" for the house 400 miles apart are not the same . The american stupid law may not allow You to subscribe locals not from Your home area . ( Your home area is considered that one, where your account is registered) So to be able to get them from another area You have to open another account with DN. One more thing . The transponder carrying Your home area local channels may have very narrow beam , what may make it either technically unreachable. Study www.lyngsat.com there are tons usefull information.

[myxlplk009]

Originally Posted by rudnisty

First off all why do not You try www.dishpointer.com. For the second The "local channels" for the house 400 miles apart are not the same . The american stupid law may not allow You to subscribe locals not from Your home area . ( Your home area is considered that one, where your account is registered) So to be able to get them from another area You have to open another account with DN. One more thing . The transponder carrying Your home area local channels may have very narrow beam , what may make it either technically unreachable. Study www.lyngsat.com there are tons usefull information.

the law you mention was only intended for analogue signals, there is actually no law regarding digital local channels. people need to contact there congressmen and senators and ask them to allow us the choice of the locals we recieve. after all we're paying for them in the sub price, which is also illegal. they shouldn't charge if you can receive them free, but they do.

[Ahannas]

DISH's menu includes a group of INSTALL pages. One of these is the page that tells me the azimuth, elevation and skew for my zip code. I have checked these with dishpointer.com and another site too. All three sources give me the same info (az=238°, elev=31.4° and sk=125°) and I've set my dish according to those numbers. I'm aware that they can not be the same as my dish in VA. (although it's an interesting coincidence that the compass direction is within two degrees)

What I don't understand is how I could get locals from VA (while in PA) for 3 days and suddenly they're gone - all five of them. I would understand this behavior is the locals were in a spot beam with a 100 mile radius of location #1. But if that's the case then I should have never gotten those channels at all.

It's all very confusing so I'm about to give up and call an independent installer. I've already invested a hundred dollars worth of anxiety into this thing. ;-)

[dirtywill2001]

did you hook the phone line up to the dn receiver?

[sly]

Originally Posted by Ahannas

DISH's menu includes a group of INSTALL pages. One of these is the page that tells me the azimuth, elevation and skew for my zip code. I have checked these with dishpointer.com and another site too. All three sources give me the same info (az=238°, elev=31.4° and sk=125°) and I've set my dish according to those numbers. I'm aware that they can not be the same as my dish in VA. (although it's an interesting coincidence that the compass direction is within two degrees)

What I don't understand is how I could get locals from VA (while in PA) for 3 days and suddenly they're gone - all five of them. I would understand this behavior is the locals were in a spot beam with a 100 mile radius of location #1. But if that's the case then I should have never gotten those channels at all.

It's all very confusing so I'm about to give up and call an independent installer. I've already invested a hundred dollars worth of anxiety into this thing. ;-)

sometimes if you hook up the phone and do a zip code change when in the setup screen it will know that you have moved your receiver. so what i would do is now that you have the dish setup and tweeked in run the setup and put in your old zip then run a check switch this should tell you if you are getting the sats and if the dish is installed correct after that you should be good if at sometime the receiver asks you to test the phone connection plug in the phone cord run test and then unplug. the reason the phone has to be pluged in is so dish can see if you have bought any movies or stuff the receiver will dial dish every now and then to check, if phone is not connected dish will charge you $5 extra a month, but if that is not a problem then dont hook in the phone cord unless it asks. as for getting an instalerl over that will cost you a min.of $100 for about 5 to 10 min of work on his part and you run the risk if he is with dish net of having to pay for another account but that is up to you. i would just run the check switch see if dish is setup right and go from there. if you need more help PM me. good luck.

[roscoep]

We are "Winter Texans" and bring our receiver with us every winter from IL. The first year, I said I was in Texas so I could get the locals here - Big mistake! My bill went up $3.66 because Texas has a state amusement tax. It took me until the next September to get my bill straightened out after returning to IL.
Move your dish wherever you want it and set it up for that area and get your locals off an outside antenna. The best thing to do is NOT contact Dish, as they want to know the address where the receiver is located.
I only have a cell phone, so my neighbor lets me run a phone cord to his place and I update my dual receiver that way once every 30 days. I figure I can use the $5 better than they can.
Look in the system info and it says when the last time your receiver called out. You have to wait over 30 days or it won't let you manually dial out - just don't wait too long after. IT WORKS FOR ME!
If gthe message " You must be connected to a phone line to avoid $4.99 charge" bothers you, Hook a little 12 volt DC wall cube to the receiver phone input and it will stop that message.
Cheers - roscoep1

[Ahannas]

Sly,
Thanks for the zip code idea. It never occurred to me that the satellite may be reading the zip code I put into the "point dish" screen. I'll set it back and see if it helps.

I'm already paying an extra $5 because I don't have a land line at Location #1. Actually, I was talking to a DISH installer who told me he's heard rumors that DISH is going to stop that protocol - too many homes are becoming cell phone only.

roscoep,
Thanks for your ideas. A 12v input to the receiver! Very Clever! But did you know that DISH has a "snowbird" plan? It's free, too! A neighbor of mine has it. Every time he switches homes he calls DISH and they switch his locals. It was my plan when I decided to drop cable and go with DISH. What I didn't know (until after I signed up) is that I was "ineligible" because I haven't been with DISH for 2 years yet.

Actually I called a local independent installer. He came out yesterday and told me that my dish had to be moved - too many trees. I knew the location was questionable but it was reachable for me. He pointed out a better (and higher) spot that I just don't feel safe working at. He wants $150 - less if I move the cable to the new spot and save him the trouble. I'm doing that today.

The fact is, I'm nearly 62 and really don't like ladders anymore. For you young folks who may see this, let me explain how this works. When you're young you are strong, agile, virile and can't afford to hire help. When you're old it's quite the opposite

[sly]

Originally Posted by Ahannas

Sly,
Thanks for the zip code idea. It never occurred to me that the satellite may be reading the zip code I put into the "point dish" screen. I'll set it back and see if it helps.

I'm already paying an extra $5 because I don't have a land line at Location #1. Actually, I was talking to a DISH installer who told me he's heard rumors that DISH is going to stop that protocol - too many homes are becoming cell phone only.

roscoep,
Thanks for your ideas. A 12v input to the receiver! Very Clever! But did you know that DISH has a "snowbird" plan? It's free, too! A neighbor of mine has it. Every time he switches homes he calls DISH and they switch his locals. It was my plan when I decided to drop cable and go with DISH. What I didn't know (until after I signed up) is that I was "ineligible" because I haven't been with DISH for 2 years yet.

Actually I called a local independent installer. He came out yesterday and told me that my dish had to be moved - too many trees. I knew the location was questionable but it was reachable for me. He pointed out a better (and higher) spot that I just don't feel safe working at. He wants $150 - less if I move the cable to the new spot and save him the trouble. I'm doing that today.

The fact is, I'm nearly 62 and really don't like ladders anymore. For you young folks who may see this, let me explain how this works. When you're young you are strong, agile, virile and can't afford to hire help. When you're old it's quite the opposite

about the age i hear you well good luck and let us know how things went.