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Scott Greczkowski

Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU! Cutting Edge

Last reply Jan 19, 2014 · posted in DISH Network Support Forum

Retailer Chat Recap - 1/14/2014

Hey guys I am tuned to the Retailer Chat and like normal I will report anything of interest for our consumers here at SatelliteGuys!

Stay Tuned!

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david_jr

Jan 17, 2014

dangue said:
You're picking and choosing rationale to make it work with different pricing. The hopper only works with one tv unless you pay for additional hardware, so why is it $12? DVR? Whole home? Those should ostensibly already be covered in the account level fees that are already higher than Dish's standard DVR fee.

Dish isn't using some standardized method for calculating fees, they're charging what they think will allow them to maximize profits. I dislike that the fees are going up, but I understand it. I do, however, think that since the Hopper is immediately assessed a whole home fee, a Joey should come free of monthly charges as part of the base Hopper price. If the hopper user doesn't want/need a Joey, give him a monthly credit for the whole home portion of the fee. Unfortunately, that pricing seems much too logical and reasonable for Dish to adapt. But just imagine what kind sub numbers they could draw if they could advertise two outlets included in the base Hopper price. Like the VIP line, only better because both outputs are now in HD.

As for the virtual Joey, they have no hardware expense associated with it. They could entice people into getting them if there was some sort of price break, say $5/month max for the VJ. Or heck, combine the two ideas and tell all new Hopper clients they get a VJ as part of their Hopper base price. He'll, cross promote with Sony and offer a PS3 or PS4 for new sign ups rather than an iPad.

There are a bunch of possibilities where Dish can put its best foot forward to the consumer while still coming out ahead financially. Their current announced fee structure makes people grumble, why not roll the dice and aim for improved word of mouth?

Some well thought out ideas there, but I'm not sure Dish is looking at this the way we are.

MikeD-C05

Jan 18, 2014

david_jr said:
Some well thought out ideas there, but I'm not sure Dish is looking at this the way we are.

DISH is definitely not looking at it the way he is or I am . At one time they seemed to want to attract new subs with promos like" Free dvr for life" and "Free HD for life." Now it is just make as much money as the market will allow. I am afraid that like the content providers, they are just going to ride this train till it eventually implodes. It is all about the $$$$ now. The customers are just incidental.

Scherrman

Jan 18, 2014

MikeD-C05 said:
DISH is definitely not looking at it the way he is or I am . At one time they seemed to want to attract new subs with promos like" Free dvr for life" and "Free HD for life." Now it is just make as much money as the market will allow. I am afraid that like the content providers, they are just going to ride this train till it eventually implodes. It is all about the $$$$ now. The customers are just incidental.

I have really seen a change in direction on how Dish wants to attract customers ever since the Hopper came out. Dish now thinks that innovation is key. Their focus is on making a superior product and experience that people will enjoy so much that they are willing to pay for it. They do still have affordable, basic solutions for customers but it's not their focus anymore.

I think it's funny because I can remember when many people on here would complain that Dish was falling behind and was focusing too much on being affordable and wasn't providing all the programming and innovations like DirecTV. I remember people saying things like, "DirecTV goes after the high end customer and that's what makes them more successful. Well, not it seems Dish is trending that way and look what we have, people complaining about prices and how Dish needs to go back to more affordable packages.

I'm not saying either type of person is wrong in their complaints, I just find it humorous. You're going to piss customers off no matter what you do.

MikeD-C05

Jan 18, 2014

Scherrman said:
I have really seen a change in direction on how Dish wants to attract customers ever since the Hopper came out. Dish now thinks that innovation is key. Their focus is on making a superior product and experience that people will enjoy so much that they are willing to pay for it. They do still have affordable, basic solutions for customers but it's not their focus anymore.

I think it's funny because I can remember when many people on here would complain that Dish was falling behind and was focusing too much on being affordable and wasn't providing all the programming and innovations like DirecTV. I remember people saying things like, "DirecTV goes after the high end customer and that's what makes them more successful. Well, not it seems Dish is trending that way and look what we have, people complaining about prices and how Dish needs to go back to more affordable packages.

I'm not saying either type of person is wrong in their complaints, I just find it humorous. You're going to piss customers off no matter what you do.

Well I think that is my point. At one time they were about Low prices and Innovation at the same time. The FEE less dvrs like the 501/721/921 receivers were at the time, cutting edge and they charged NO DVR fees for having them. Then they moved from that, to DVR FEES PER dvr receiver and did away with all reasons for subbing to AEP.

So now they may make the greatest Dvrs out there now with the hoppers and joeys :virutal/wireless/ and now the super joey, they are making it only affordable to the richer sets of people with a lot of disposable income. Most Average Americans do not have all that disposable income anymore with wage increases being far and few and most just staying flat. That to me is just plain Wrong. After the GREAT RECESSION, I would think that they would want to appeal to the mass amount of their customer base and keep prices as low as they can and stop inventing new FEES , Raising the prices of the FEES and even bringing back long dead fees (hd fee $10.00) . DISH built their company on the lower priced programming leader, a leader in technology and innovation. They have abandoned the lower middle class and lower classes for the higher dollar subs. So in effect they are all about the money now.

I can stand the programming going up ,because I can always drop down to the lower programming packs to avoid them, but the constant increases on additional receiver fees, like the once grandfathered 2nd hopper fee, the dvr fee going up that was grandfathered, this is all on DISH. These fees are created because they are pure profit for DISH. They are charged at the price they want to charge, because they can .

When we all went with the additional hopper because they said it would stay at $7.00 a month- just like the joeys, I knew then we shouldn't trust them. They waited less than 6 months and hiked the price and we screamed on this web board and they relented and now 6 months later they are reneging on that promise and we are all having to pay more. This all leaves a bad taste in most people's mouths. If I had a lot of disposable income to throw away like before the 08 Recession, I wouldn't mind so much ,because I really like the hoppers ,but I don't . And I am sure I am not alone in that sentiment. And why it might be "funny" to you that DISH just can't seem to win in trying to please their customer base between those who want innovation and those who want affordability: Why can't we still have both innovation at affordable prices ? Why does it have to be either ,or?

If this is the path that DISH is taking from now on , I can assure you that they will continue to lose subs or stay at the same 14 million subs or even lower , that they have been at for years now. While you might add one or two richer subs that can afford all your fees and "innovation", they will lose a lot more of the lower priced subs, who will be priced out of the game. IN effect they will start losing total volume of subs ,but they might get their average cost per sub up a month due the higher DISH FEES and the ever increasing cost of programming. Either way it is no way to "grow" your customer base.

dangue

Jan 18, 2014

MikeD-C05 said:
Well I think that is my point. At one time they were about Low prices and Innovation at the same time. The FEE less dvrs like the 501/721/921 receivers were at the time, cutting edge and they charged NO DVR fees for having them. Then they moved from that, to DVR FEES PER dvr receiver and did away with all reasons for subbing to AEP. So now they may make the greatest Dvrs out there now with the hoppers and joeys :virutal/wireless/ and now the super joey, they are making it only affordable to the richer sets of people with a lot of disposable income. Most Average Americans do not have all that disposable income anymore with wage increases being far and few and most just staying flat. That to me is just plain Wrong. After the GREAT RECESSION, I would think that they would want to appeal to the mass amount of their customer base and keep prices as low as they can and stop inventing new FEES , Raising the prices of the FEES and even bringing back long dead fees (hd fee $10.00) . DISH built their company on the lower priced programming leader, a leader in technology and innovation. They have abandoned the lower middle class and lower classes for the higher dollar subs. So in effect they are all about the money now. I can stand the programming going up ,because I can always drop down to the lower programming packs to avoid them, but the constant increases on additional receiver fees, like the once grandfathered 2nd hopper fee, the dvr fee going up that was grandfathered, this is all on DISH. These fees are created because they are pure profit for DISH. They are charged at the price they want to charge, because they can . When we all went with the additional hopper because they said it would stay at $7.00 a month- just like the joeys, I knew then we shouldn't trust them. They waited less than 6 months and hiked the price and we screamed on this web board and they relented and now 6 months later they are reneging on that promise and we are all having to pay more. This all leaves a bad taste in most people's mouths. If I had a lot of disposable income to throw away like before the 08 Recession, I wouldn't mind so much ,because I really like the hoppers ,but I don't . And I am sure I am not alone in that sentiment. And why it might be "funny" to you that DISH just can't seem to win in trying to please their customer base between those who want innovation and those who want affordability: Why can't we still have both innovation at affordable prices ? Why does it have to be either ,or? If this is the path that DISH is taking from now on , I can assure you that they will continue to lose subs or stay at the same 14 million subs or even lower , that they have been at for years now. While you might add one or two richer subs that can afford all your fees and "innovation", they will lose a lot more of the lower priced subs, who will be priced out of the game. IN effect they will start losing total volume of subs ,but they might get their average cost per sub up a month due the higher DISH FEES and the ever increasing cost of programming. Either way it is no way to "grow" your customer base.

The one thing I disagree with is you classifying the additional fees as pure profit. Their reported margins don't support this characterization. More likely, the increased fees are helping to shift part of the programming cost increases onto subs that want service to multiple TVs. This allows them to keep prices down for subs that are really price sensitive and only have one TV.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

MikeD-C05

Jan 18, 2014

dangue said:
The one thing I disagree with is you classifying the additional fees as pure profit. Their reported margins don't support this characterization. More likely, the increased fees are helping to shift part of the programming cost increases onto subs that want service to multiple TVs. This allows them to keep prices down for subs that are really price sensitive and only have one TV.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

So you think that the arbitrary way they price their additional receiver prices is fair? I mean $17.00 for a 2nd 622/722, $10.00 for a 2nd 612 or 522,now 12.00 for a second hopper . I mean your are still paying the same price for the 1st hopper as you are the 2nd hopper ,even though they call the first hopper the dvr fee. Why not come up with a more uniform pricing for all receivers and stop with all the different prices? And the fact that at one time it cost only $4.99 a month for a second or third receiver and now it cost anwhere from $10.00 to 17.00 ? I just don't see how this isn't just pure profit for DISH . At one time they had the tv 2 connection fee if you didn't plug your receivers into a phone outlet and that was on each of your receivers . Then there was the dvr fee per dvr receiver. And how do you classify the $10.00 HD fee that was once HD FREE For LIFE? PURE PROFIT and GREED is what it is and you can't tell me it isn't . These fees are made up by DISH and they are charged by DISH ,because they can . PURE & Simple.

dangue

Jan 19, 2014

MikeD-C05 said:
So you think that the arbitrary way they price their additional receiver prices is fair? I mean $17.00 for a 2nd 622/722, $10.00 for a 2nd 612 or 522,now 12.00 for a second hopper . I mean your are still paying the same price for the 1st hopper as you are the 2nd hopper ,even though they call the first hopper the dvr fee. Why not come up with a more uniform pricing for all receivers and stop with all the different prices? And the fact that at one time it cost only $4.99 a month for a second or third receiver and now it cost anwhere from $10.00 to 17.00 ? I just don't see how this isn't just pure profit for DISH . At one time they had the tv 2 connection fee if you didn't plug your receivers into a phone outlet and that was on each of your receivers . Then there was the dvr fee per dvr receiver. And how do you classify the $10.00 HD fee that was once HD FREE For LIFE? PURE PROFIT and GREED is what it is and you can't tell me it isn't . These fees are made up by DISH and they are charged by DISH ,because they can . PURE & Simple.

I think the pricing of their receivers is anything but arbitrary. They determined prices based on receiver capabilities and stuck with them. However, after the introduction of the Hopper, they never revised the pricing structure of the older receivers, and that's why there is no longer any uniformity and clear logic in the pricing. But, better the current state than Dish deciding that the Hopper should cost more than a 722. And, when you compare receiver pricing to the competition (especially cable), Dish's pricing isn't at all out of line.

Quite simply, it is not pure profit because their margins are low for the industry at around $5 per sub per month. If these fees were in fact pure profit, their margins would be much much higher per sub per month. So yes, these fees are a good revenue stream for Dish, but it's not pure profit. They're a way of shifting costs to people that want more outlets and bells and whistles as part of their viewing experience. It lets Dish be competitive in terms of package pricing, which they have decided makes better business sense than having all these costs simply included in programming prices.

As for fairness, I don't think that enters into the equation at all. No one is forcing anyone to sub to Dish, let alone have 4 Hoppers and 3 Joeys (or any random combination that would be hot hard by the pricing changes). I have two hoppers and a Joey and it works great in this household. But if pricing were an issue, I have the option of dripping receivers or packages until pricing was no longer an issue (or I could pay the remainder of my ETF and churn).

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TheKrell

Jan 19, 2014

Kool-Aid? Is this a reference to Jim Jones's death cult?

Scherrman

Jan 19, 2014

As much as everyone complains about all these receiver fees you're still going to find that Dish while home solution is the same if not cheaper than the competition.

Every time I bring up cost to Dish they always tell me the same as above.

MikeD-C05

Jan 19, 2014

dangue said:
I think the pricing of their receivers is anything but arbitrary. They determined prices based on receiver capabilities and stuck with them. However, after the introduction of the Hopper, they never revised the pricing structure of the older receivers, and that's why there is no longer any uniformity and clear logic in the pricing. But, better the current state than Dish deciding that the Hopper should cost more than a 722. And, when you compare receiver pricing to the competition (especially cable), Dish's pricing isn't at all out of line.

Quite simply, it is not pure profit because their margins are low for the industry at around $5 per sub per month. If these fees were in fact pure profit, their margins would be much much higher per sub per month. So yes, these fees are a good revenue stream for Dish, but it's not pure profit. They're a way of shifting costs to people that want more outlets and bells and whistles as part of their viewing experience. It lets Dish be competitive in terms of package pricing, which they have decided makes better business sense than having all these costs simply included in programming prices.

As for fairness, I don't think that enters into the equation at all. No one is forcing anyone to sub to Dish, let alone have 4 Hoppers and 3 Joeys (or any random combination that would be hot hard by the pricing changes). I have two hoppers and a Joey and it works great in this household. But if pricing were an issue, I have the option of dripping receivers or packages until pricing was no longer an issue (or I could pay the remainder of my ETF and churn).

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

Alright, I can respect your viewpoint but I simply don't agree over DISH's motivation over the pricing of their additional receivers.

dangue

Jan 19, 2014

MikeD-C05 said:
Alright, I can respect your viewpoint but I simply don't agree over DISH's motivation over the pricing of their additional receivers.

Trust me, I'd love for prices not to rise.

MikeD-C05

Jan 19, 2014

Scherrman said:
As much as everyone complains about all these receiver fees you're still going to find that Dish while home solution is the same if not cheaper than the competition.

Every time I bring up cost to Dish they always tell me the same as above.

Sadly this is true. DISH is the lesser of the two evils or cheaper ,but the costs are still way out of line for all the entertainment industry . These ever increasing costs for additional equipment, added to the ever increasing programming costs ,are both pushing the cord shaving, cord cutting and the eventual collapse of the entire sat/cable model we have known for years.

dare2be

Jan 19, 2014

MikeD-C05 said:
Sadly this is true. DISH is the lesser of the two evils or cheaper ,but the costs are still way out of line for all the entertainment industry . These ever increasing costs for additional equipment, added to the ever increasing programming costs ,are both pushing the cord shaving, cord cutting and the eventual collapse of the entire sat/cable model we have known for years.

The sooner, the better.

navychop

Jan 19, 2014

TheKrell said:
Kool-Aid? Is this a reference to Jim Jones's death cult?

No, no, no. It's a reference to "drink the Kool-Aid" and believe Apple is perfect. Or similar such.

As in, see my HWS setup, drink the Kool-Aid and order a Hopper setup for yourself.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

MikeD-C05

Jan 19, 2014

dare2be said:
The sooner, the better.

I know you are right about rushing the collapse of the sat/cable model ,I just wish we didn't have to be the collateral damage in the fall out.

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TWiT Tech Podcast Network

A moment ago · posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network

iOS Today 825-826

Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_t6DHoWkL4

Direct YouTube Link - iOS Today 825-826
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed

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MartyDe

Last reply 6 minutes ago · posted in Over the Air Television By RabbitEars.Info

ATSC 3 converter boxes

Interesting article about the work being done to develope an ATSC 3 converter box. Yes it does mention affordable.

Pearl TV Issues Progress Report on Low-Cost 3.0 Converters in Advance of NAB Show New York

Group has secured lower pricing from key tech players to make less costly boxes available

www.tvtechnology.com

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Scott Greczkowski

44 minutes ago

Hopefully they are better then the current highly insecure junk boxes that are out now.

Reactions: FTA4PA

navychop

30 minutes ago

DEATH TO NEXGEN!

TRG

20 minutes ago

17 years ago the US turned off analog OTA signals in favor of digital broadcasting. Now the push is ATSC 3 "Nextgen TV". But nobody seems to be able to agree on DRM implementation protocols. People don't want to hook their TV up to the internet in order to watch over the air TV. At least I don't. With all the data they collect about your viewing habits the box should be given away at no cost.

navychop

6 minutes ago

Comb your hair.

meStevo

Lifetime Supporter

Last reply Today at 11:33 AM · 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

Reactions: Mike0616 and rvvaquero

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: Howard Simmons, dfergie, Mike0616 and 1 other person

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?"

Reactions: Foxbat

Foxbat

Yesterday at 11:25 PM

Jeeez, Week 6, no lead is safe…

Reactions: Mike0616

b4pjoe

Today at 9:22 AM

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.

Reactions: rvvaquero, Howard Simmons and Mike0616

rvvaquero

Today at 11:33 AM

Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson had an argument about who was responsible for the dynasty building of the early 90's Cowboys.

The rest of us figured it out in about 3 years, Jerry has had over 30 years but still can't admit it. It's all he lives for, to show everyone he can put together a winner. I don't think he can. His kids only know what he taught them.

Reactions: b4pjoe

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dfergie

Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU!

Last reply Today at 11:14 AM · posted in The Chit Chat Club

Gas Price Info With National Gas Temperature Map

Stumbled across this ... http://www.gaspricewatch.com/USGas_ZipSearch.asp
I found no local prices, although it did show stations at my location...
Added these to this post...
USA National Gas Temperature Map
State By State Gasoline Taxes
Gas Buddy

Ethanol Free Stations

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Bobby

Sunday at 10:27 AM

Regular$5.999
Premium$6.399
Diesel$7.999
at Costco, Rohnert Park.

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dishstaller

Sunday at 12:32 PM

Bobby said:
Regular$5.999
Premium$6.399

Odd that out there, Prem is only 40 cents higher. Here it's a full dollar more.

Last night it was about $4.17 gas, $6,19 diesel.

harshness

Sunday at 2:04 PM

dishstaller said:
Odd that out there, Prem is only 40 cents higher. Here it's a full dollar more.

On the West Coast, a 40-cent differential is common. It used to be 30 cents before the prices rose above $3.

A "full dollar more" sounds like it may be boat gas (non-alcoholic), which is a whole different discussion.

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Foxbat

Sunday at 9:43 PM

Here in Indiana, the difference between Regular and Premium is usually a dollar, but some charge even more:

Reactions: dishstaller

dishstaller

Sunday at 10:06 PM

harshness said:
A "full dollar more" sounds like it may be boat gas (non-alcoholic),

Both non-ethanol and prem run about the same....buck more. When we were up in TN it was a buck more up there as well.

harshness

Yesterday at 9:34 AM

In Oregon, our premium boat gas is about a dollar more than our corn premium. Several stations only offer the non-corn premium grade.

Bobby

Today at 11:14 AM

Regular$5.899
Premium$6.299
Diesel$7.999
at Costco, Rohnert Park.

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Scott Greczkowski

Staff member HERE TO HELP YOU! Cutting Edge

Last reply Today at 11:11 AM · 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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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

Today at 8:59 AM

The Boys of Summer - Don Henley

FTA4PA

Today at 10:15 AM

Summer In The City - The Lovin' Spoonful

Reactions: gms49ers

Bobby

Today at 11:11 AM

Gonna Send You Back To Georgia (A City Slick) - Timmy Shaw

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Howard Simmons

Lifetime Supporter

Today at 11:07 AM · posted in Movie Talk

November 1963

Can't wait to see this:

John Travolta & Robert Carlyle Lead New JFK Assassination Movie in November 1963 Trailer

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TWiT Tech Podcast Network

Today at 10:32 AM · posted in TWiT Tech Podcast Network

America’s $10 Trillion AI Boom Is Starting to Crack #shorts

Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!

View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ET_7F3I6C5s

Direct YouTube Link - America's $10 Trillion AI Boom Is Starting to Crack #shorts
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed

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TvMind

Last reply Today at 10:22 AM · posted in C-BAND Satellite Discussion

SES 1 101° W Horizontal "Issues" a.k.a "I want my M(e)TV"

Howdy folks long time no write.

Issue(s): Horizontal transponders (esp. Weigel mux) breakup/mosaic/sputtering audio, JTV less so (but received perfectly up until a month or so ago.
Vertical is fine (Daystar). Up until recently couldn't even get any signal on Weigel Mux but JTV was perfect.

What I did to improve things: A slight westward move improved reception but only slightly (approx 72 on the micro HD, sorry no dB to post). I removed the 3-way C-Band splitter and used a 2-way to get a 1-2 db signal gain ( the power port goes to the Startrak - the micro HD doesn't have enough juice ! (1st clue) even after swapping the switching power supply it came with with a heftier linear 12 V supply (less RFI too !).
I have had issues with the uHD before signal breaking up that a reboot would clear up (clue #2 = dying tuner?) - FYI, I reinforced the IF input and removed all flux from the pcb completely with a Flux Removal Pen (MG Chemicals Cat No. 4140-P) which definitely makes a huge difference.

I went outside and pushed and pulled reflector slightly and no improvement. Pole (actually tower in yard - the neighbours love me..NOT) is plumb, checked with carpenters level. Dish was last peaked in 2017 or so, after overhauling 24" Von Weise, new Acme, fresh grease, etc. Focal length, f/d ratio etc meticulously adjusted. One panel has a tear so planning to repair that this weekend when my cousin comes over ( to help me out (old guy here) forecast calls for sunshine.

What has changed: My utility company has installed new high tension line poles (one smack dab in the middle of 101°W target! But they put it in last year and reception (of JTV (HOR) at least) was fine, BUT when they came out to transfer the wires over this year from the old (sawed in half) pole that's about when the troubles started (coincidence?), but again Daystar (VER) was fine. I always had this pole in the light of sight of 101° before with no issues. (fyi my zenith sat 74° is unobstucted, but can't test)

In the meantime Weigel mux is trying to break in MOSTLY in LATE at night (less cell usage?) (audio not video except for a frame here or there) so don't know what has changed with this mux which suddenly "woke up". I have never had to fuss with dish moves on this satellite ( the slightest move +/- motor clicks loses lock, wheres normally on C-band I can go significantly wider east or west and still have a strong signal ( have these gone "spot beam" or narrower somehow and what is the slight difference in Az listed on Lyngsat to 100.9° affect things ( isn't that the declination i.e. requiring a tweak of declination?).

Long story short (too late, ha), if I had another DVB-S2 box to try and / or a newer more stable PLL lnb ( I have been meaning to upgrade many a time but never got arround to it) I could determine if it's my antiquated receiving equipment, or my dish/feed alignment ( doubtful as it tracks everything from 55 °W to 133 ° W nicely.) or the dreaded 5G! (BUT only on HOR and not VER?).
I read another post where the OP (with his smaller 7.5 footer) played around with the illumination to peak desired transponder and reduce qrm on interfering/ stronger xpndrs (even on 103° W). So will play with that too - and cut away the RG-6 a and pull up a fresh section with new PPC and coax Seal. Open the throat cap see if any cobwebs are there and check servo operation (also changed in last maintence 10 years ago).

Finally, this will probably be the last chance I get to play with the BUD from the looks of it (providers leaving, auctioning off rest of spectrum imminent above 4.0 Ghz, and to keep the peace with neighbours so it would be nice to have that mux back for the long, cold and dark winters to comfort this old man before I call it quits and buy a VHF/UHF/FM Yagi and get MeTV, H&I from my Vermont local stations (checked at a friends today and they come in nicely - except ABC) .
Only one guy in town (Montreal) I may be able to get a receiver or PLL lnb from to try (RPS Sat) so hopefully with elimnate that as a possible culprit. Be nice to pick up a cheap or used PLL lnb to try w/o 5G BPF (money is tight )

Like others I couldn't care less about "tv" (well maybe just a liitle or a lot) it's the challenge that excites me , I can get MeTV other ways OTA (no pirate crap).

So what do you guys (and gals) think ?. p.s. I don't have a spectrum analyzer and there are def/ cell towers nearby (half a Km or so away).
Oh and time permitting will hammer out dings too and wire damaged mesh on one section for an extra dB or two. Hesitate to touch Declination, Elevation and pole mount but will play around with those a little too... Why is this mux for finicky suddenly ?(8psk, 5/6 fec, beamwidthetc.. man wish they went back to VER I think everthing would be fine! For the engineers out here does 5G QRM affect one poliarization (HOR) more than another (VER)? I understand the strong interference swamps out the input mixer/local oscilator in the hapless old C-band lnb (I think it at time affect KU too esp. LPB on 101°W KU - incidentally thos were weak or "gone' but are back almost at the time MeTV improved..hmm Terrestrial interference?

Any thoughts or suggestions ( cheap or free solutions please) greatly appreciated. Cheers.

p.p.s. Micro HD can't display Decades and Toons but records them fine so I can watch on another box/media player (Ali chip set issue). Another reason to upgrade.

Anybody interested in a nice C/KU system free ? (for next Spring/Summer 2027)

[Sami 10' mesh, Corotor II+, Eagle Aspen (very old) C-band lnb, Norsat Ku lnb, Channel Master C/Ku (H/V) switch, Startrak 400 Analog receiver w/ motor control, Geosat uHD DVD-S2, CW600S for Mpeg-2]

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cyberham

Sep 30, 2026

With the microHD connected this afternoon and tuned to the Weigel mux, I can receive the mux well.

My conclusion is that the sensitivity of the receivers in descending order of sensitivity is as follows:

V9 Prime (best)
microHD
Edision osmio4k+

Either the V9 or the microHD could be used to watch Weigel but the Edision really could not with my given dish situation, at least during the daytime. At night, the signal is stronger here and then maybe the Edision could be used.

Titanium

Oct 1, 2026

What is the SNR readings for these transponders? Is the signal breaking up due to low SNR or interference?

Did you inspect the feedhorn throat and wave guide for wasp nest or other blockage? Good SNR with frequent drops in decoding ( loss of SQ readings) could indicate interference from 5G.

TvMind

Oct 13, 2026

Appreciate you checking. I should be picking these up with the tenner so still not done tuning up the bud - fell off ladder last week and hit my head!

Started over from scratch, N/S alignment, El/Decl extreme West sat, played with feed f/d checking everything and getting nice signals but still 101 west is PIA. New lnb was defective and returned it. My old one is fine but would have liked to A/B with a better lnb.

Thought it was the servo there because I was out and set everything up by the dish and flipping to HOR made a strange noise -BUT ONLY on 101 W ! All other sats skew is fine..hmm ( I have the skew almost perfect, use "Arrow" template on Zenith Sat (well nothing on 74 W to check with but Nimiq 5 at 72.6 W is closest and luckily picking up R- Pol channel from Canada to test with. Anyway picking up a new servo to try (the obvious polarity culprit).

Q. Back in the day PAS9 (74 W) was used but now I have to use closest zenith sat (Nimiq 5). I can't perfectly peak on that one which is 1 degree off (N/S alignment error). I used my trusty Brunton compass and even true noon shadow off pole to hit south.

I did have to peak extreme west by rotating mount ever so slighty so tracking extreme pretty good, but top and middle can use an elevation tweak (esp. Ku) to bring them back to where they were. No fun as the weather has been miserable and still dizzy from fall.

Oh and the Freesat V8 is crap (the tuner pixelates when the uHD is solid!) but love that SCART connector for S-Video out ! (I record to my Pio DVR and burn to DVD classic tv shows).

Stay tuned

cyberham said:
With the microHD connected this afternoon and tuned to the Weigel mux, I can receive the mux well.

TvMind

Oct 13, 2026

Titanium said:
Did you inspect the feedhorn throat and wave guide for wasp nest or other blockage? Good SNR with frequent drops in decoding ( loss of SQ readings) could indicate interference from 5G.

Thanks for chiming in here. No wasps (or hornets nests) but good suggestion.

I am getting 70 and over Quality on uHD which is good but as you say the signal drops out (70 to 0 ) occasionally and much worse by day (even JTV which I used to get solid is a mess in the day. Again Daystar (VER) is fine but still not what it used to be.

I will will either have to get a BPF or go VHF/UHF for these channels but not giving up just yet!

p.s. Isn't there something between your feedhorn/lnbf BPF model and Norsat's 1500$ BPF and 5G filtering lnb's? Heck almost ready for a diy (reverse engineer) job here (microwave BPF hack) Ah where is Radio Electronics when you need it! If it wasn't for losing Ku I'd buy your lnbf in a heartbeat! Are these hard to add Ku to?

Titanium

Wednesday at 1:19 PM

Our LNBFs are integrated with the feedhorn and no KU option. Maybe install an inline waveguide BPF such as:

www.ebay.com/itm/158077455896
www.ebay.com/itm/960059145385
www.ebay.com/itm/158007483799

brownsfan1

Yesterday at 9:22 PM

TvMind said:
Howdy folks long time no write.

Issue(s): Horizontal transponders (esp. Weigel mux) breakup/mosaic/sputtering audio, JTV less so (but received perfectly up until a month or so ago.
Vertical is fine (Daystar). Up until recently couldn't even get any signal on Weigel Mux but JTV was perfect.

What I did to improve things: A slight westward move improved reception but only slightly (approx 72 on the micro HD, sorry no dB to post). I removed the 3-way C-Band splitter and used a 2-way to get a 1-2 db signal gain ( the power port goes to the Startrak - the micro HD doesn't have enough juice ! (1st clue) even after swapping the switching power supply it came with with a heftier linear 12 V supply (less RFI too !).
I have had issues with the uHD before signal breaking up that a reboot would clear up (clue #2 = dying tuner?) - FYI, I reinforced the IF input and removed all flux from the pcb completely with a Flux Removal Pen (MG Chemicals Cat No. 4140-P) which definitely makes a huge difference.

I went outside and pushed and pulled reflector slightly and no improvement. Pole (actually tower in yard - the neighbours love me..NOT) is plumb, checked with carpenters level. Dish was last peaked in 2017 or so, after overhauling 24" Von Weise, new Acme, fresh grease, etc. Focal length, f/d ratio etc meticulously adjusted. One panel has a tear so planning to repair that this weekend when my cousin comes over ( to help me out (old guy here) forecast calls for sunshine.

What has changed: My utility company has installed new high tension line poles (one smack dab in the middle of 101°W target! But they put it in last year and reception (of JTV (HOR) at least) was fine, BUT when they came out to transfer the wires over this year from the old (sawed in half) pole that's about when the troubles started (coincidence?), but again Daystar (VER) was fine. I always had this pole in the light of sight of 101° before with no issues. (fyi my zenith sat 74° is unobstucted, but can't test)

In the meantime Weigel mux is trying to break in MOSTLY in LATE at night (less cell usage?) (audio not video except for a frame here or there) so don't know what has changed with this mux which suddenly "woke up". I have never had to fuss with dish moves on this satellite ( the slightest move +/- motor clicks loses lock, wheres normally on C-band I can go significantly wider east or west and still have a strong signal ( have these gone "spot beam" or narrower somehow and what is the slight difference in Az listed on Lyngsat to 100.9° affect things ( isn't that the declination i.e. requiring a tweak of declination?).

Long story short (too late, ha), if I had another DVB-S2 box to try and / or a newer more stable PLL lnb ( I have been meaning to upgrade many a time but never got arround to it) I could determine if it's my antiquated receiving equipment, or my dish/feed alignment ( doubtful as it tracks everything from 55 °W to 133 ° W nicely.) or the dreaded 5G! (BUT only on HOR and not VER?).
I read another post where the OP (with his smaller 7.5 footer) played around with the illumination to peak desired transponder and reduce qrm on interfering/ stronger xpndrs (even on 103° W). So will play with that too - and cut away the RG-6 a and pull up a fresh section with new PPC and coax Seal. Open the throat cap see if any cobwebs are there and check servo operation (also changed in last maintence 10 years ago).

Finally, this will probably be the last chance I get to play with the BUD from the looks of it (providers leaving, auctioning off rest of spectrum imminent above 4.0 Ghz, and to keep the peace with neighbours so it would be nice to have that mux back for the long, cold and dark winters to comfort this old man before I call it quits and buy a VHF/UHF/FM Yagi and get MeTV, H&I from my Vermont local stations (checked at a friends today and they come in nicely - except ABC) .
Only one guy in town (Montreal) I may be able to get a receiver or PLL lnb from to try (RPS Sat) so hopefully with elimnate that as a possible culprit. Be nice to pick up a cheap or used PLL lnb to try w/o 5G BPF (money is tight )

Like others I couldn't care less about "tv" (well maybe just a liitle or a lot) it's the challenge that excites me , I can get MeTV other ways OTA (no pirate crap).

So what do you guys (and gals) think ?. p.s. I don't have a spectrum analyzer and there are def/ cell towers nearby (half a Km or so away).
Oh and time permitting will hammer out dings too and wire damaged mesh on one section for an extra dB or two. Hesitate to touch Declination, Elevation and pole mount but will play around with those a little too... Why is this mux for finicky suddenly ?(8psk, 5/6 fec, beamwidthetc.. man wish they went back to VER I think everthing would be fine! For the engineers out here does 5G QRM affect one poliarization (HOR) more than another (VER)? I understand the strong interference swamps out the input mixer/local oscilator in the hapless old C-band lnb (I think it at time affect KU too esp. LPB on 101°W KU - incidentally thos were weak or "gone' but are back almost at the time MeTV improved..hmm Terrestrial interference?

Any thoughts or suggestions ( cheap or free solutions please) greatly appreciated. Cheers.

p.p.s. Micro HD can't display Decades and Toons but records them fine so I can watch on another box/media player (Ali chip set issue). Another reason to upgrade.

Anybody interested in a nice C/KU system free ? (for next Spring/Summer 2027)

[Sami 10' mesh, Corotor II+, Eagle Aspen (very old) C-band lnb, Norsat Ku lnb, Channel Master C/Ku (H/V) switch, Startrak 400 Analog receiver w/ motor control, Geosat uHD DVD-S2, CW600S for Mpeg-2]

I had the EXACT same problem happen to me with 101w, MeTV mux (Weigel). Working great when about 3 weeks ago I started to get the pixelating, especially at night. Sometimes Jewelry TV would also do it, sometimes not. Tweaked my dish. I have a Titanium 240 feed with the 5G filter 4.0-4.2 band pass. Every other satellite is working fine. Something on their end for sure. Power reduction? My signal seems fine like always. Running a Winegard 8.5 ft dish using a GT Media UHD V8. I'm sure my receiver isn't maybe sensitive enough for lower signal levels. Frustrating here too. I'm in the Canton, Ohio area. Thanks!

arlo

Today at 10:22 AM

To me it looks like all of the intelligent things to diagnose the problem 'on the cheap' are being done.
I have my own thoughts of lnbf's using an external filter between the feed and coax. It would be cool to see what Brian could add.
Do his units have the filter before the actual LNA chip in the circuit? In other words, signal is focused at the lnbf throat. The probes for h & v polarity send the signal to.......filtering......then to the lna IC......
Or probes, lna, then filtering. Makes sense to trap the bad stuff before amplification to me.

On the cheap sometimes leaves questions. Enosat and El Bandido both use dvb-s pci cards and TBS USB receivers.
With those, and software. Signal analysis becomes sort of easy. Or tapping into your coax with a dc pass splitter, decoupling capacitor, and using a spectrum analyzer. Tuning across the LO band. Finding signal spikes. Digging deep.

Still making my decision on a (most probably) TBS PCIe tuner card. But I have tapped into my coax with my ancient but quite impressive HP spectrum analyzer and tinysa.
I don't have 5G interference so far that I know of. But have my suspects because I'm only able to snag signal from 131W in the winter when the leaves drop. But out of curiosity do scan it in the fall. And seem to be getting a signal that 'shouldn't' be there and a scan shows no channels. Far as I got.

An idea pops up to rig up an LNBF on a stick. Along with the tinysa and power supply and do some rogue signal searches. War Driving, of sorts. But. I wouldn't think that a chinabox, firmware based receiver would be of much help.
From what I see scanning across the frequency band. 5G cell transmission is always on and is very wide spectrum.
Whether anyone is actually using talking, texting, watching stupid human tricks on YouTube Makes no difference. The RF is there. So why would a C Band setup come and go? And what if you dumped the corotor and went modern voltage controlled polarity?

Another thought. Since you've learned the optimal position to place the scalar to illuminate out to the dish rim. And peaked the feed. There's most of a roll of aluminum flashing out in my garage that would most definitely wrap around my dish perimeter. That and a bag of large binder clips from the office supply. wally world. Ideas?

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Today at 9:52 AM · posted in BooredAtWork.COM

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Therm

Last reply Today at 8:46 AM · 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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Reactions: dishstaller

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.

Reactions: charlesrshell

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"

Reactions: charlesrshell

navychop

Friday at 3:53 PM

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

Reactions: charlesrshell and dishdude

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.

Reactions: KAB and charlesrshell

scoob83

Today at 8:46 AM

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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