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This is going to be long so I will apologize in advance:
My VIP722K (I own it) is starting to get flaky. IE: Sometimes it skips recording what is on my schedule and sometimes it records stuff I didn't ask it to.
So I want something newer.
I found a VERY good deal on a Hopper with Sling that has no outstanding balances.
Since I have always done my own installs I figured I could do the Hopper by my lonesome. But my research is giving me conflicting information.
Before I begin, here is my present setup: Only a single TV running on my VIP722K. I picked up a used Dish Sling adapter so I could watch my recordings on my tablet when the wife is hogging the TV. I have NO plans to expand my system since it's just the Wife and me (Kids are grown and gone) and with the Sling feature, I have no problem watching what I want.
I have heard that "yes, you can just deactivate and unplug your 722, call Dish and activate your Hopper without any issues." and "NO, you must install a Dish Solo Node between the Dish and the receiver even if you are only using just the Hopper.
I did hookup the Hopper directly to my existing (RG6) cable setup and the diagnostics showed a good connection to 110, 119 and 129. I have not checked the signal strength on any of them yet but will do so since the Dish has not been "adjusted" in over 10 years.
I also called Dish Customer service about deactivating the VIP722K and was told that I would be REQUIRED to have a technician come out for the small fee of $95 since I was installing "upgraded/different" equipment from what I presently have on my account.
I presently enjoy flex pack pricing and am under NO commitment with Dish since I own my equipment. While I don't want (or see the need) to have someone come out to "install" my system and (importantly) I don't want to get roped into a 2 year commitment because Dish came out and touched my system.
And so I ask: Can I simply deactivate my VIP722K, unplug it, hookup the Hopper and then call Dish to activate it without having a tech come out? Or will they block my activation? And can I simply use my existing cable (It's direct LNB to the receiver with a grounded lightning block in between) or do I have to install the node? That part is not that big of a deal as long as its simply a matter of ordering one from Amazon and putting it in place of the grounded lightning arrest block. Although I am not looking forward to climbing on the porch roof to add the additional RG6 cable from the LNB to the node.
If you made it this far, thanks for bearing with this long winded post.
My VIP722K (I own it) is starting to get flaky. IE: Sometimes it skips recording what is on my schedule and sometimes it records stuff I didn't ask it to.
So I want something newer.
I found a VERY good deal on a Hopper with Sling that has no outstanding balances.
Since I have always done my own installs I figured I could do the Hopper by my lonesome. But my research is giving me conflicting information.
Before I begin, here is my present setup: Only a single TV running on my VIP722K. I picked up a used Dish Sling adapter so I could watch my recordings on my tablet when the wife is hogging the TV. I have NO plans to expand my system since it's just the Wife and me (Kids are grown and gone) and with the Sling feature, I have no problem watching what I want.
I have heard that "yes, you can just deactivate and unplug your 722, call Dish and activate your Hopper without any issues." and "NO, you must install a Dish Solo Node between the Dish and the receiver even if you are only using just the Hopper.
I did hookup the Hopper directly to my existing (RG6) cable setup and the diagnostics showed a good connection to 110, 119 and 129. I have not checked the signal strength on any of them yet but will do so since the Dish has not been "adjusted" in over 10 years.
I also called Dish Customer service about deactivating the VIP722K and was told that I would be REQUIRED to have a technician come out for the small fee of $95 since I was installing "upgraded/different" equipment from what I presently have on my account.
I presently enjoy flex pack pricing and am under NO commitment with Dish since I own my equipment. While I don't want (or see the need) to have someone come out to "install" my system and (importantly) I don't want to get roped into a 2 year commitment because Dish came out and touched my system.
And so I ask: Can I simply deactivate my VIP722K, unplug it, hookup the Hopper and then call Dish to activate it without having a tech come out? Or will they block my activation? And can I simply use my existing cable (It's direct LNB to the receiver with a grounded lightning block in between) or do I have to install the node? That part is not that big of a deal as long as its simply a matter of ordering one from Amazon and putting it in place of the grounded lightning arrest block. Although I am not looking forward to climbing on the porch roof to add the additional RG6 cable from the LNB to the node.
If you made it this far, thanks for bearing with this long winded post.
14 Replies
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3055 views
You'll be OK without the terminators for now. Half the lazy techs I follow up never put them on. And as for the ooops, been there done that/ Fun watching that back cover go flying, ehh?? Oh and yeah, I have a Sunday Prime delivery coming tomorrow, too. New iPad, micro USB and C-Style braided, cable packs I've been needing 
R
Thanks for the confirmation on the terminators. And in retrospect, I probably should have just started out with the recommendations to get the Hybrid LBNF and Hybrid hub right from the start. Then again, it could have been the shiny new LBNF that got smashed.
After the incident with my existing one, believe you me, when the new LBNF goes in I am going to make DAMN sure my hold on it is good.
After the incident with my existing one, believe you me, when the new LBNF goes in I am going to make DAMN sure my hold on it is good.
R
Believe me, I did ponder it.
But in the end, the system is up, dish waived the tech coming out and my Hopper with Sling is running as of an hour ago. Final costs for the Hybrid LBNF, the Hybrid solo hub and the new cable was still notably less than what the service call would have been.
Still waiting for the program guide to finish populating so I can setup the scheduler for the programs we record.
Thanks everyone for the tips and info! Because of the help from this site, I threw out for the 1 year supporter paypal thing.
The smile is starting to form on my face......
But in the end, the system is up, dish waived the tech coming out and my Hopper with Sling is running as of an hour ago. Final costs for the Hybrid LBNF, the Hybrid solo hub and the new cable was still notably less than what the service call would have been.
Still waiting for the program guide to finish populating so I can setup the scheduler for the programs we record.
Thanks everyone for the tips and info! Because of the help from this site, I threw out for the 1 year supporter paypal thing.
The smile is starting to form on my face......
R
To finalize the install, my terminators arrived and were promptly put on the hybrid solo and my USB tuner got hooked up.
Weird thing about the guide: The local channels showed up but with no information. I figured they would populate overnight but that was not the case when I turned on the unit. I did a search on this forum and found a post regarding this and followed the suggestion to turn off the Hopper and wait 15 minutes and bingo, their were my local channels with info.
What's weird about this is.... why didn't it do it after the Hopper got turned off last night?
In any event, the only thing left "todo" is plug my external hard drive in and see if the hopper can read my recording from the 722. But that will be after work since I am heading out the door.
Weird thing about the guide: The local channels showed up but with no information. I figured they would populate overnight but that was not the case when I turned on the unit. I did a search on this forum and found a post regarding this and followed the suggestion to turn off the Hopper and wait 15 minutes and bingo, their were my local channels with info.
What's weird about this is.... why didn't it do it after the Hopper got turned off last night?In any event, the only thing left "todo" is plug my external hard drive in and see if the hopper can read my recording from the 722. But that will be after work since I am heading out the door.
Pub Member / Supporter
Pissed off at the crappy healthcare costs
My health Insurance renewal for 2027 just came in. Going from $827 a month to $1,187 a month. Deductible going up a $1k to $9,350. Max out of pocket also going up $1k to $11,000. Doctor co-pay of $40. Urgent Care co-pay $50. ER 50% coinsurance after deductible. That's all in network. Out of network is double, should it be needed.
Have to think about this. I'm really tempted to just go without now. I only go to the doctor once or twice a year. I pay out of pocket for Tirzepitide and can do without the Rosuvastatin (crestor) now. Really tired of spending over $10k a year and getting nothing out of it.
After years with Blue Cross I switched last year to Ambetter as my Blue Cross premium was going from $1200 to $1800 for a Silver plan and the Bronze plan was still going to be $1300 at BCBS. Ambetter was $827 for the same coverage with a Bronze plan. Didn't think it would jump this much so soon.
I'm guessing a Silver plan is probably over $2,000 a month for 2027.
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238 views
S
what about the welfare kings and queens
Yes.....they do. Which is why I am very careful when at a customer's house these days....you NEVER know what is going to set someone off. Polite dialog is a thing of the past.....which is why I like my dog so much
Staff member
HERE TO HELP YOU!
Cutting Edge
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....
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....
68683 Replies
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2681539 views
Staff member
HERE TO HELP YOU!
Cutting Edge
Some of the channels start next week.
investor.siriusxm.com
SiriusXM Delivers the Soundtrack to the Holidays with Its Festive Lineup of 25 Handcrafted Seasonal Music Channels
Lineup features channels produced and presented by celebrated personalities and iconic brands, including Jimmy Fallon, Hallmark,…...
investor.siriusxm.com
4 Replies
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174 views
Pub Member / Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
I figured some of the guys would be looking here for an answer. You'll need to use this link
I'll mention what happened over there. I don't want to cause Scott any issues or put him in a bad spot.
I'll mention what happened over there. I don't want to cause Scott any issues or put him in a bad spot.
7 Replies
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247 views
Now I have to go check out what happened now. Lol!I figured some of the guys would be looking here for an answer. You'll need to use this link
I'll mention what happened over there. I don't want to cause Scott any issues or put him in a bad spot.
Went and looked, not too bad...
Just let people know the address is satelliteretailer.com as DishRetailer.COM is not working.
Just let people know the address is satelliteretailer.com as DishRetailer.COM is not working.
I sent you a PM Scott. Doesn't really make any sense to me BUT....I've never claimed to be the sharpest knife in the drawer....though I just might be the most persistent.
Its an automated bot. Explained it to you in the PM.I sent you a PM Scott. Doesn't really make any sense to me BUT....I've never claimed to be the sharpest knife in the drawer....though I just might be the most persistent.
Pub Member / Supporter
America’s Fastest-Growing EV State Isn’t California—Not by a Long Shot
New data shows electric vehicle adoption is increasingly driven by state policies, electricity prices and charging access—not federal incentives
www.autoweek.com
The number-one US state for EV growth, according to the June 22 Yardi report?
Oklahoma.
It has no ZEV mandates and "minimal" incentives, Yardi says, but also has cheap electricity, high multi-car household rates (so, for example, a non-Lightning Ford F-150 pulls their trailers), and a consumer base willing to switch.
117 Replies
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1152 views
tomwellborn3rd (@wellborn.net)
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bsky.app
Never realized that Tesla is losing to BYD at manufacturing too, which IMO is Tesla's biggest accomplishment and area of innovation. Nice writeup about the state of play and how we got here though. I have no faith that we're moving any productive direction though sadly, most changes and efforts feel reactionary rather than rooted in making use of the time being bought by tariffs, with few exceptions.
So: how are the cars so cheap, and what is being cut to get there? The best public accounting comes from the Rhodium Group, which compared BYD, Geely, and Leapmotor against Tesla's Chinese operation, a fair comparison because it removes labor costs and shipping from the equation entirely. Their estimate is that BYD builds a car for about $4,700 less than Tesla builds a Model 3 in Shanghai, roughly 15 percent of the Model 3's price. The breakdown is the interesting part. Direct government grants account for about $292 per vehicle, which is 5 percent of the gap. The biggest single factor is vertical integration: BYD makes about 80 percent of its top-tier components in-house, against 37 percent for Tesla, and that eliminates roughly $2,369 per vehicle in supplier markups. Lower overhead, meaning cheaper engineering talent and administrative cost spread across enormous volume, accounts for another $1,719. And BYD pays its suppliers on 155-day terms, against Tesla's 60, which is worth about $214 per car in float. When people say the Chinese advantage is subsidies, the per-vehicle number says otherwise. When people say it is slave wages, the Tesla Shanghai comparison says otherwise too. The advantage is mostly that BYD decided, twenty years ago, to make its own batteries, its own motors, its own power electronics, and its own semiconductors, and Western automakers decided the opposite.
GM Is Coming for Tesla, Rivian, and China, on Your Phone and in the Car
GM’s latest tech preview details autonomous highway driving plans, AI-powered OnStar features, and new LMR batteries for future EVs.
GM said its next-generation vehicle architecture will provide 40 times more computing power and 30 percent less wiring than before and will expand from the 2028 Cadillac Escalade IQ to its high-volume SUVs, trucks, crossovers, and fourth-generation EVs, which will be powered by lithium manganese-rich (LMR) prismatic batteries
Despite the politicization and perceived consumer pivot away from EVs in America, GM needs to remain globally competitive, so it's doubling down on its fourth generation EVs, with energy-dense, cheaper-to-manufacture LMR batteries, more efficient motors, and state-of-the-art centralized computing architecture. With a stated goal of cutting the traditional four- to five-year concept-to-production time in half, GM is clearly challenging the concept of "China speed," which in the Chinese automotive industry can be as quick as 18 months from design to start of production. In the AI space, GM is smartly collapsing all of its marque-specific apps under the familiar OnStar brand, while providing more features—both on the phone and in the car—than it ever has before.
T
That's how Ford did it- vertical integration. He even set up a rubber plantation in S. Americatomwellborn3rd (@wellborn.net)
This author has chosen to make their posts visible only to people who are signed in.
Never realized that Tesla is losing to BYD at manufacturing too, which IMO is Tesla's biggest accomplishment and area of innovation. Nice writeup about the state of play and how we got here though. I have no faith that we're moving any productive direction though sadly, most changes and efforts feel reactionary rather than rooted in making use of the time being bought by tariffs, with few exceptions.
So: how are the cars so cheap, and what is being cut to get there? The best public accounting comes from the Rhodium Group, which compared BYD, Geely, and Leapmotor against Tesla's Chinese operation, a fair comparison because it removes labor costs and shipping from the equation entirely. Their estimate is that BYD builds a car for about $4,700 less than Tesla builds a Model 3 in Shanghai, roughly 15 percent of the Model 3's price. The breakdown is the interesting part. Direct government grants account for about $292 per vehicle, which is 5 percent of the gap. The biggest single factor is vertical integration: BYD makes about 80 percent of its top-tier components in-house, against 37 percent for Tesla, and that eliminates roughly $2,369 per vehicle in supplier markups. Lower overhead, meaning cheaper engineering talent and administrative cost spread across enormous volume, accounts for another $1,719. And BYD pays its suppliers on 155-day terms, against Tesla's 60, which is worth about $214 per car in float. When people say the Chinese advantage is subsidies, the per-vehicle number says otherwise. When people say it is slave wages, the Tesla Shanghai comparison says otherwise too. The advantage is mostly that BYD decided, twenty years ago, to make its own batteries, its own motors, its own power electronics, and its own semiconductors, and Western automakers decided the opposite.
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX2rbpCdM8M
Direct YouTube Link - Untitled Linux Show 277
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX2rbpCdM8M
Direct YouTube Link - Untitled Linux Show 277
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
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Lon.TV
Time for another AWESOME video from Lon Seidman of LON.TV!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxxD1-9EW3I
Direct YouTube Link - Rivulet on Apple TV is a Game Changer! Dolby Vision FEL, Lossless Audio
The Official LON.TV Website
Lon on Facebook
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxxD1-9EW3I
Direct YouTube Link - Rivulet on Apple TV is a Game Changer! Dolby Vision FEL, Lossless Audio
The Official LON.TV Website
Lon on Facebook
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5 views
I have Dish Hopper and Hopper Plus and also have Alexa Echo. I link the Alex skill to Dish and it asks me to enter the pairing code shown on the TV. I go into Dish Settings and there is no Alexa shown. Not sure what to do.
18 Replies
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874 views
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/soDYno5meV4
Direct YouTube Link - Google Renamed NotebookLM—Again? Why Its Product Names Confuse Everyone #shorts
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/soDYno5meV4
Direct YouTube Link - Google Renamed NotebookLM—Again? Why Its Product Names Confuse Everyone #shorts
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
0 Replies
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4 views
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iMg97Dp1i5s
Direct YouTube Link - Amazon Echo Event: 5 New Smart Home Devices Revealed
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iMg97Dp1i5s
Direct YouTube Link - Amazon Echo Event: 5 New Smart Home Devices Revealed
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
0 Replies
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6 views