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Tom J

Last reply Nov 13, 2013 · posted in DIRECTV General Forum

Tom's excellent install adventure

Backstory: I'm a nine-year DTV customer still using a triple LNB and HR10-250's. I thought I might join modern society and upgrade to a Genie with three clients. I expect that I'll be offered a free upgrade w/ installation, however, I want to install (mount) the dish myself. I plan on having the equipment installed and the dish aligned by DTV, but I wanted to do the dish myself. I'm retired now and have the time and inclination to do this. I've done some pretty extensive research on this but that said, I need some guidance on some things I'm not clear about and that's where all of your collective experience can help me. THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ALL YOUR HELP. Lets dive right in:

1. I have already mounted the dish in a good location with an easy 10-degree clearance. No issues there. I've read some conflicting information on mounting. Some people have said "no custom mounts at all" while others have said that it just needs to be mounted securely with 2 and 3-inch lag screws. While I did fabricate a "custom" mount, the dish is nevertheless attached directly to the house. The monopoles are attached with 4-1/2" lags into studs and the base uses all 3-inch lags that go into the rim joist or top plates. So, everything is into solid wood. My concern is that the tech may refuse the install due to the possibility that it would fail a QC inspection because it's "custom". I'm I being overly concerned? BTW, my market is OMAHA and i'm not sure who does the installs here.

2. Grounding. Oh yeah, I forget to mention I'm installing the ground rod and bonding it back to the service ground myself. With a SWiM LNB do you use a single or dual ground block? If dual, does the Tech run dual RG6 into the house or just cap off the unused port?

3. If you were installing this where would you place the ground block? The cable feed thru would have to be located below the mount.

Tom

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raoul5788

Nov 9, 2013

Check the first picture Joe, you can see the Phase III dish off to the right.

Joe Diamond

Nov 9, 2013

raoul5788 said:
Check the first picture Joe, you can see the Phase III dish off to the right.

Chip,
Missed that..............and the original installation is probably incorrect and maybe dangerous. Tom has done a good job with the dish mount. The Phase III mast is 1.66 and the Slimline or SWM use the 2.0 mast.

Still the unknown is where the electric box & ground bond for the building is?

Tom,............where is your breaker box? Somehow, if you want to ground that sucker the cable with the ground wire attached must proceed to the vacinity of the ground bond AND THEN enter the building.

Could you show a plan view of the structure?

Joe

Tom J

Nov 10, 2013

Joe Diamond said:
...Still the unknown is where the electric box & ground bond for the building is?

Tom,............where is your breaker box? Somehow, if you want to ground that sucker the cable with the ground wire attached must proceed to the vacinity of the ground bond AND THEN enter the building.

Could you show a plan view of the structure?

Joe

My understanding is that back-bonding or a supplemental ground is my only choice here. The wall that this is mounted on is the garage and there isn't an existing (exposed) grounding source within 20'

The service ground is original, 1976

Joe, I assumed the ground block would be located up near the dish and ONLY the #10 ground wire would come down to the ground rod. Is that not the case?

Hutch1814

Nov 10, 2013

Custom was a bad choice of wording. More like a customer install and just having you sign off. The custom install charges vary but only implies if the tech does the work

Posted Via The SatelliteGuys Reader App!

Joe Diamond

Nov 10, 2013

Tom J said:
My understanding is that back-bonding or a supplemental ground is my only choice here. The wall that this is mounted on is the garage and there isn't an existing (exposed) grounding source within 20'
View attachment 92545
The service ground is original, 1976
View attachment 92546

Joe, I assumed the ground block would be located up near the dish and ONLY the #10 ground wire would come down to the ground rod. Is that not the case?
View attachment 92547

Tom,
It is the other way around. The ground block is wanted close to the ground bond. The cable AND the ground wire run from the dish to the ground block. A service loop is made from the cable...but not the ground wire...and all are connected to the ground block. This is for static discharge before entering the building system.It is NOT lightning protection.

I have seen ground blocks at the dish. The reason for this is the installer assembled and wired the dish in advance of arrival. He could take the dish up ther ladder and mount it on the mast without working on the ladder. The ground block is also a good multiple connector.

See the drawings BROE posted.

HAVING LOOKED AT YOUR PLAN VIEW...........As an installer I would put the dish on the garage.The SAT line would run down to the ground bond / ground block. From there regular cable would wrap the building (neatly tacked) and enter the rooms where service was needed. Cable can be run under the first floor & brought up from a crawlspace or run through an attic area. The Phase III location looks like a road crew deal. It has worked fine for years but has never been grounded. Now is your chance to fix it.....without back bonding.............pretty sure those back bond rods go every 10 feet .............so go x8 for your cost.

Good job on hanging the dish.......know that many jobs are not ever grounded and work fine.

Joe

Tom J

Nov 13, 2013

Thanks Joe, the ground block close to the ground bond makes sense.

What is normally run from the dish to the ground block, single or dual coax? (for SWiM)

Hutch1814

Nov 13, 2013

Tom J said:
Thanks Joe, the ground block close to the ground bond makes sense. What is normally run from the dish to the ground block, single or dual coax? (for SWiM)

single with ground. It's a single coax with a copper messenger wire attached to it

Joe Diamond

Nov 13, 2013

Tom J said:
Thanks Joe, the ground block close to the ground bond makes sense.

What is normally run from the dish to the ground block, single or dual coax? (for SWiM)

Hutch has it pretty correct,

The SWiM designation answers the question; that is, Single Wire Multiswitch (SWiM). Just one wire from the LNB to the first receiver. A PI (Power Inserter) is added somewhere in the mix.
Also there is single or double RG6 w/ ground........and that can be copper............ Messenger is a bonded on wire used mostly by the cable companies to suspend their aerial drops. Messenger is steel and very strong. I used it to tie my ladders to my ladder rack ...&..have pulled vehicles our of mud with the stuff. The products are used interchangably but the copper grouind is not nearly as strong. Both are ok for the grounding function.

SO single rg6 with ground is it. If you encounter dual rg6 from a SwiM set up, one line is out of service. This makes an easy OTA run! Acquiring a single box of dual with ground can save money and space. Strip off the single with ground for the sat line and use the other line for interior runs. If this is your only project it could still work.

Save the messenger! It is better than duct tape. Any place you would use a nail or chain....messenger wire will do it.

Hope you drop the plans for back bonding,

Joe

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meStevo

Lifetime Supporter

Last reply 12 minutes ago · posted in The Sports Section

NFL 2026-2027 Season

Schedule drops tomorrow. Mandatory mini camps in June. Hall of Fame game August 6th.

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Foxbat

Yesterday at 6:19 PM

I guess even the patience of us laid-back Hoosiers has its limits:

Colts relieve general manager Chris Ballard of his duties

Colts Owner & CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon released a statement Monday announcing the news.

www.colts.com

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rvvaquero

Yesterday at 9:00 PM

Foxbat said:
I guess even the patience of us laid-back Hoosiers has its limits:

Colts relieve general manager Chris Ballard of his duties

Colts Owner & CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon released a statement Monday announcing the news.

www.colts.com

Be nice to see a Cowboy headline like that.

Reactions: dfergie, Mike0616 and osu1991

Mike0616

Yesterday at 9:35 PM

Foxbat said:
I guess even the patience of us laid-back Hoosiers has its limits:

Colts relieve general manager Chris Ballard of his duties

Colts Owner & CEO Carlie Irsay-Gordon released a statement Monday announcing the news.

www.colts.com

Can we expect to see a new coach if we say "pretty please?"

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Foxbat

Yesterday at 11:25 PM

Jeeez, Week 6, no lead is safe…

b4pjoe

12 minutes ago

rvvaquero said:
Be nice to see a Cowboy headline like that.

Yes the Cowboys owner needs to fire the general manager (himself), co-owner, Chief Operating Officer (COO), Executive Vice President, Director of Player Personnel, and President of AT&T Stadium (his son) and then he should jump off of a cliff. Only then can they recover.

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Scott Greczkowski

Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU! Cutting Edge

Last reply 36 minutes ago · posted in The Chit Chat Club

Song Name Game Part 3!

Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!

So let the game continue!

The last song was added by Bobby who posted...

One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters

CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!

Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game

Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.

Example:

Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow

Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio

Another example:

Ride the Lightning -- Metallica

Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne

Get it?

An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....

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dishstaller

Yesterday at 10:11 PM

Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix

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long_time_Dish

Today at 12:54 AM

With A Little Luck - Wings

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hwkn

Today at 2:44 AM

LITTLE Willy-Sweet

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ClarkGable

Today at 5:59 AM

Little Deuce Coupe - The Beach Boys

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gms49ers

36 minutes ago

The Boys of Summer - Don Henley

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Therm

Last reply 48 minutes ago · posted in DISH Network Support Forum

Am I the only one that hates what Dish did to their mobile app?

I thought I would come here and find lots of complaints about the update to the dish anywhere mobile app, but am not seeing any. It used to look just like the desktop webpage. Now you can no longer filter by sports channels or movie channels. Plus that they made it look like a big button telephone and you see fewer channels in the screen which requires more scrolling. Yes I realize you can look at sports then select which sport you want to look at, I just liked being able to see all sporting events in the guide with all other channels being filtered out. Am I alone in the wilderness on this?

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dishdude

Friday at 2:51 PM

I like the new look, it's a lot cleaner. I'm using it on one of those Onn streaming devices when I travel.

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Therm

Friday at 3:39 PM

dishdude said:
I like the new look, it's a lot cleaner. I'm using it on one of those Onn streaming devices when I travel.

Yes a lot cleaner, glossier, and less functional. Someone trying to justify why they are making a big salary. "See look shiny"

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navychop

Friday at 3:53 PM

"Big salary." Charlie. "?Big?"

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Tampa8

Friday at 4:01 PM

Seems in some ways better. Nicer layout, as others said maybe cleaner. Moving ahead in the guide is better.

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scoob83

48 minutes ago

Therm said:
I thought I would come here and find lots of complaints about the update to the dish anywhere mobile app, but am not seeing any. It used to look just like the desktop webpage. Now you can no longer filter by sports channels or movie channels. Plus that they made it look like a big button telephone and you see fewer channels in the screen which requires more scrolling. Yes I realize you can look at sports then select which sport you want to look at, I just liked being able to see all sporting events in the guide with all other channels being filtered out. Am I alone in the wilderness on this?

I think most are using it on a firestick or other device as an extra receiver, rather than their phone. Just a guess based on how I use it. 99% thru my firestick, 1% phone.

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dfergie

Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU!

Last reply Today at 7:35 AM · posted in TV Shows

Stargate SG-1 Discussion

Stargate SG-1 cancelled, Atlantis renewed

Monday - August 21, 2006 | by Darren Sumner

The future of Stargate is in question today, as SCI FI Channel has cancelled the long-running Stargate SG-1, Multichannel News reported today and a GateWorld source has confirmed. The news regrettably follows the airing of the show's milestone two-hundredth episode on Friday.

Stargate Atlantis, meanwhile, has been renewed for a fourth season, with the network hoping to see that the spin-off series can stand alone, according to a source.
Source Gateworld

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reubenray

Yesterday at 1:30 PM

I have gotten back into watching SG-1 and I have recorded most of the episodes to binge watch. What episodes are about the Antarctic or was this a movie? Also where could I watch the SG-1 movies?

osu1991

Yesterday at 2:00 PM

Watch Stargate SG-1 for Free Online | Pluto TV

Stargate SG-1 picks up where the blockbuster film left off as the SG-1 team sets out to explore the mysteries of the Stargate and the worlds beyond it in the pulse-pounding series which became a worldwide phenomenon and a science fiction classic. Stream Stargate SG-1 for free on Pluto TV.

pluto.tv

long_time_Dish

Yesterday at 3:47 PM

reubenray said:
I have gotten back into watching SG-1 and I have recorded most of the episodes to binge watch. What episodes are about the Antarctic or was this a movie? Also where could I watch the SG-1 movies?

Well, there are a couple involving the Antarctic. "Solitudes", S1 E17 (one of my favorites), Then, "Lost City', S7 E21 and E22. Then, in the SGA pilot, "Rising", S1 E1 and E2, it starts out in the Antarctic for about the first 20 minutes or so.

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reubenray

Yesterday at 3:54 PM

long_time_Dish said:
Well, there are a couple involving the Antarctic. "Solitudes", S1 E17 (one of my favorites), Then, "Lost City', S7 E21 and E22. Then, in the SGA pilot, "Rising", S1 E1 and E2, it starts out in the Antarctic for about the first 20 minutes or so.

Which one has O'Neil being Ancients? I am at the end of Season 8 now.

long_time_Dish

Yesterday at 8:36 PM

reubenray said:
Which one has O'Neil being Ancients? I am at the end of Season 8 now.

If I understand your question, O'Neill had the Ancient's knowledge in the "Lost City" two-part episode. That was when Anubis attacked Earth and there was a big battle over Antarctica.

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reubenray

Today at 7:35 AM

long_time_Dish said:
If I understand your question, O'Neill had the Ancient's knowledge in the "Lost City" two-part episode. That was when Anubis attacked Earth and there was a big battle over Antarctica.

Those are the episodes I am looking for. They are referred to a lot in the episodes I just recently watched.

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TFLEV

Today at 7:22 AM · posted in TFLEV

2027 BMW iX5 Walkaround & Review // They Have To Get This One Right!

Time for another AWESOME video from TFL Electric Vehicles!

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ca9w7HnuXg

Direct YouTube Link - 2027 BMW iX5 Walkaround & Review // They Have To Get This One Right!

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TVHabit

Last reply Today at 6:42 AM · posted in Free To Air (FTA) Discussion

Hybrid Dish setup

Picked up a sweet directv dish, mount, twin lnbs and a short cable.
Has anyone converted one to FTA? A Frankenstein of sorts...

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Brct203

Oct 13, 2026

would probably also work well for NHK on 101W and possibly for PBS on 99W. I used one for a while on 30W. Just keep in mind that because it's undersized for those satellites, it might work fine in clear weather but won't have much margin to account for signal degradation during rain/snow

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one_db_compression

Oct 13, 2026

If you can find one, the Shaw / Star Choice 75e ellipticals are great for use on 97, 99, and 101W. They are really just rebranded ChannelMaster 75 cm reflectors and use linear LNBFs by default out of the box.

Everyone else's mileage may vary.

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TVHabit

Sunday at 10:12 AM

I have read that some have converted this type dish but after giving it a good look, it's the lnb conversion that is the bottleneck. Does anyone have a picture of their attempt to configure the lnb? I watched a video on youtube from the save it for parts guy and he used duct tape! Guess it worked but I'm thinking something a bit more permanent!
Thanks to all for your interest and replies...

Titanium

Sunday at 3:38 PM

Many of us have used a universal LNBF mount (or get creative with L brackets and plumbers tape - perforated metal strapping). Use a few inches of aluminum tube (or a piece of 1x2" lumber) to extend the support arm (replacing the plastic mount used by DirecTV and Dish) to place the LNBF throat opening at the correct distance from the reflector, the correct height and at the correct angle. Nothing magical... simply place the new linear LNBF in the center at the same distance, height and angle as the current combo.
www.amazon.com/Universal-Single-Bracket-Holder-FTA-US/dp/B074L85WK2

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k4otl

Today at 6:42 AM

To add: 101W Ku seems to be (one of if not the) strongest for me, and if I only had Ku I definitely want 101W for the music mux, it's robust FEC and strong signal help a lot. I've thought about using a used Dish/DirectTV dish at my Dads to supplement his OTA (mainly for my benefit when I visit

)

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Peter Parker

Supporting Founder Lifetime Supporter

Last reply Yesterday at 10:34 PM · posted in DISH Network Support Forum

DISH Hopper 3 Software Version 713 Is Out

No idea what improvements might be involved.

24 Replies · 1121 views

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naptime

Sunday at 1:05 AM

I'm getting fabulous picture on Ch. 148 4k, but zero audio with H713. This is with a recorded show (Notre Dame game). Anyone else have this? Audio is fine on every other channel.

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jsmit86

Yesterday at 9:57 AM

naptime said:
I'm getting fabulous picture on Ch. 148 4k, but zero audio with H713. This is with a recorded show (Notre Dame game). Anyone else have this? Audio is fine on every other channel.

It's a known issue.
For a temporary fix, go into the menu, Audio, and turn Dolby Audio "OFF". You will have PCM stereo audio.

I was able to give the tech ops team some data logs so they could diagnose the problem, and they rolled me back to H708 temporarily. It fixed that issue.

They let me know that they understand what caused the issue, and it will be fixed within a few weeks in a new update.

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long_time_Dish

Yesterday at 3:57 PM

jsmit86 said:
They let me know that they understand what caused the issue, and it will be fixed within a few weeks in a new update.

Oh, you mean "soon"? :biggrin

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Almighty1

Yesterday at 4:07 PM

jsmit86 said:
It's a known issue.
For a temporary fix, go into the menu, Audio, and turn Dolby Audio "OFF". You will have PCM stereo audio.

I was able to give the tech ops team some data logs so they could diagnose the problem, and they rolled me back to H708 temporarily. It fixed that issue.

They let me know that they understand what caused the issue, and it will be fixed within a few weeks in a new update.

I guess they will be busy when lots of people start asking for rollbacks to H708 now that you mention that downgrades of software does exist because it will likely fix the OTA Single Tuner and the IR Remote problems in H710-H713.