Thread: What are my options?

Okay, I just moved from chicago down to Vincennes, IN, and I brought my Dish 1000 and 722k with me. I got the thing pointed correctly I think, but I am not getting any signal for 119, 110, or 129. The only thing i can think of is that I forgot to bring my switch with me (Not sure what model it was) so I just scooped one off a super dish that was already installed where I am now (DP34) is this the problem? what can I do? Do I have to track down a different switch?

Should I be getting at least something with this setup?

You could have gotten, and might still could get, a free Dish Move. Let them worry about it and figure it out.

Originally Posted by navychop

You could have gotten, and might still could get, a free Dish Move. Let them worry about it and figure it out.

I would, but I would rather not lose my chicago locals. I am basically out in boo foo here dish doesnt even offer abc

More experienced help will be around shortly. But the bottom line is if you're not getting anything from 110, 119, or 129 you're not aimed right. My suggestion is to bypass the switch and feed straight to the receiver. With a single receiver I don't know why you even need a switch, but I could be wrong.

Anyway, go from the dish straight to the receiver, go to the installation page, select sat 119 and SLOWLY move the dish left ~45 degrees (in small increments), then right ~45 degrees from the starting point (again in small increments). If you don't find anything, move the dish ~1 degree up, lock the tilts, and then move left ~90 degrees. Go another ~1 degree up, lock tilt, move right 90 degrees. Once you've gone up three degrees, go back to your starting elevation, then down ~1 degree. Keep the left/right thing going until you've gone down 3 degrees from the starting point.

Picture a square box. The center of the box is where the dish software tells you to start. I can almost guarantee it won't be right. Now you need a systematic way to look in that box. That's what I've described above.

Originally Posted by smurfnz28

I would, but I would rather not lose my chicago locals. I am basically out in boo foo here dish doesnt even offer abc

Ah, I thought it might be something like that. I'll leave suggestions to those more technically skilled than I, other than to say run a checkswitch.

Don't change the Elevation or Skew on the dish. You haven't moved far enough for those settings to be off enough to keep you from finding the birds (and it's probably already set at Sk 225 El 30). The mast, or pole needs to be plum as those settings are bogus if it's not. A 1000 dish could have a couple styles of LNB on it. If it has a twin (two eyes in one head) that says Dish Pro Plus then you will only need to run one wire from the dish to the receiver using a separator to feed each tuner. The single/dual (single has one output dual has two outputs either will only have one eye) will connect to the input of the twin. If it has a twin, or three singles/duals that all say Dish Pro then you will need to run a line from each of the outputs to the switch (if you have three duals you only need one line from each LNB). If the switch is a Dish Pro 34 switch then you will need a line to each tuner from the switch (don't use the separator). If on the odd chance you have a Dish Pro Plus 33, or 44 switch then you would only have to run one line to the receiver, and you can use the separator. If you lost the separator, or left it at your old house you can run two lines from the Dish Pro Plus equipment if needed.

If you don't have a meter to peak the dish you can use your receiver to peak by using the signal strength meter in the Point Dish screen. Use 119, and I prefer transponder 19. Once you have a lock check 110, and 129 (I use transponder 21 on both). 110, and 119 should be in the mid to high 70s, and 129 low to mid 70s on the transponders I recommended. Running a check switch would be a good idea once you get the dish peaked.

Dishpointer.com is a good site to help you determine if you have a clear line of sight.

Oh I almost forgot. Some of the older 1000.2 dishes said 1000 on the reflector. A 1000.2 has the .2 triple LNBF (three eyes in one head) on it. It is a Dish Pro Plus LNB, and would be wired like explained above as Dish Pro Plus equipment. With one wire from the dish to the receiver using the separator.

As far as keeping the Chicago locals. It may be a crap shoot. If they are on a spot beam there is the possibility you may not be able to physically get them. However IIRC someone once said on here they are on the Conas 119. If that is true then you should be fine.

Woo hooo! Figured it out. Everything works!

Good. Time well spent.

Fixed, but what was wrong? Do you get the locals still?