Apartment 'Pre-Wired' - Pre-paid an option?

[OneGigabyte]

I'm moving to an apartment (a garage turned in to an apartment) that was, as told by the landlord, previously served by Dish Network. I've been told that the satellite is still there and everything is wired as the last person left it, they just took their boxes. Is it possible to just bring in one of the prepaid receivers purchased from RadioShack or Online and hook it right up and have a chance of success?


Also, if I were to purchase one of these receivers, whats the process of getting one installed if in fact the above doesn't work.


I should note that I've only visited the place twice, and both times I've not been able to ascertain what model of satellite is used. Its even possible that the satellite out back is the person who lives in the house (landlord), but I've been told several times by them that I should just be able to bring a receiver and have things work. Can more then one account beam off of one satellite dish?

Thanks.

 

[CowboyDren]

It should Just Work... Assuming that the old dish has not been knocked out of alignment and is not in use. If you get a receiver, and it doesn't just work, fixing the alignment is a DIY job or can be hired out via Craig's List. If the landlord is using the dish, there are ways around that, too. At worst, if you can handle signing a contract, there's almost always a free installation service from Dish or a private contractor. As long as you have a different mailing address from the landlord, you can both have service contracts.

 

[OneGigabyte]

Signing the contract is not such a big deal, but because of the situation I'm more inclined to do the prepaid since theres no contract involved and I can pick the programing dependent upon what my interests are - and I can stop if I'm not in town (which is about a few months a year).

The reason I ask about the dish it self is because I was told by one person you can share a dish, and then told by a Dish Network person online that it's one dish one person. That added to the prepaid bundle that always comes with a 500 series dish, I thought I would ask if I could use any dish, and then make sure I could hook up to my landlords if it's not the last persons dish but the owner's dish that I saw nearby in the grass.

Thanks.

 

[CowboyDren]

The standard twin-LNB D500 system that most Dish customers are using can feed two dual-tuner receivers (a total of four tuners) without any special equipment. The LNB itself, mounted on the dish, has one input (for a "wing" dish) and two outputs. The 1000.2 and 1000.4 high-def dishes, which spot three satellites, have one input and three outputs, which allows them to feed three dual-tuner receivers.

Assuming that the landlord has a Dish 500 antenna, a standard Dish Pro Plus (DPP) Twin LNB, and they only have one receiver, it's technically possible to use their existing gear. If they already have two 311s, or two 625s, or a 625 and a 311, and both of the LNB's outputs are in use, some additional gear may be necessary. The easy solution is to swap their Dish 500 for a 1000.2, which is a high-def dish for seeing satellites 110w, 119w, and 129w. The big drawback is that you'd have to aim the dish (which is DIY if you're so inclined) and it costs about $100 plus shipping...unless your landlord upgrades to HD at the same time that you install your receiver.

The hard and expensive solution is to add a multiswitch, which is $120-180 in hardware and really should be done by a pro. By adding a network of multiswitches, you can expand this capacity by a good margin. Honestly, I'd much rather just screw another D500 onto the roof or outside wall of the apartment, which is what Dish would prefer, just to avoid the hassle. There's no reason that you can't install and point a dish by yourself, especially if you have a hand from the consenting landlord.

In your situation, I'd go ahead and sign the lease, and we can give you a list of questions to ask the LL about his rig. Then we can tell you exactly what is and isn't necessary to get your rig up and running. I'm totally with you on choosing Dish Now! It's the best fit for your lifestyle.

 

[sca]

might work, might not..its ultimately cheaper just to call dish and order service.

 

[STEELERSRULE]

I'm moving to an apartment (a garage turned in to an apartment) that was, as told by the landlord, previously served by Dish Network. I've been told that the satellite is still there and everything is wired as the last person left it, they just took their boxes. Is it possible to just bring in one of the prepaid receivers purchased from RadioShack or Online and hook it right up and have a chance of success?


Also, if I were to purchase one of these receivers, whats the process of getting one installed if in fact the above doesn't work.


I should note that I've only visited the place twice, and both times I've not been able to ascertain what model of satellite is used. Its even possible that the satellite out back is the person who lives in the house (landlord), but I've been told several times by them that I should just be able to bring a receiver and have things work. Can more then one account beam off of one satellite dish?

Thanks.

Try to find out. If it is a Dish 500, then it is most likely pointed at 110/119 satellites(but no guarantees).

If it is, and the Dish is still in alignment, then setup is simple. Buy a DP301 refurbished prepaid botry to use Saudon, who advertises here, since his boxes already come with the new G3 smartcard installed).

Get the box connected to the Dish via the cable, call the automated number, go through the first time setup, and your ready to go.

Also, use the GreenDot MoneyPak's for loading and adding programming, NOT the prepaid Dish pins. Because if something were to go wrong, and you could not add programming or the such, the GreenDot MoneyPak people will FULLY REFUND your moneypak(including the $4.64, or more in the service charge), while with the prepaid pin, you are SOL, and stuck losing the $40 altogether since there is no refund.

Just my 2 cents.