Dish and Camping

[fire_317]

I have a Super Dish setup with a DP34 switch, a Dish 3900 Receiver and a PVR721 receiver that is my home setup. I have my old Dish 500 dish and LNBs (119/110) and I want to take that camping with me using my 3900 receiver. I have a SW21 switch and I found that the 3900 receiver does not recognize that switch. When the installer came out to upgrade my to the Super Dish (for locals) he replaced a SW42 switch with the DP34 switch and he left me the SW42 switch.

I do not want to have my locals while camping and the DP 34 switch will stay home and hooked to the PVR721 to record shows while I am camping.

Will the 3900 receiver work with the SW42 switch? It used to before I got the Super Dish. I am wondering if a sowtware upgrade may have changed it so it won't be recognized. Do I need to take the DisoPro Apapter he hooked up to the 3900? Could that be why the SW21 switch is not recognized?

Thanks
Dan

 

[mike123abc]

You cannot use a DP adapter when using legacy switches like a SW21 or SW42. But, if you want to take a single dish you do not need a switch, you can get most of AT200 with a single LNB/18" Dish that is easier to point.

 

[fire_317]

You cannot use a DP adapter when using legacy switches like a SW21 or SW42. But, if you want to take a single dish you do not need a switch, you can get most of AT200 with a single LNB/18" Dish that is easier to point.

OK Take the DP Adapter out of the mix...I want my AT250 to work at my campsite using my 3900 receiver and a Dish 500 dish with 2 LNBs and using a SW42 switch. Will it work?

If not, what do I need to get my 3900 receiver and my Dish 500 dish to work?

 

[Van]

If you dont want your locals then you dont need a switch, just run a line from the 119 lnbf to the receiver, if you want the locals then you need the switch. You will need the zipcode for the location your going to to input into the point dish screen to get the settings for your dish and the compas readings so you know where to point it, now all you have to worry about is if you will have a line of sight.

 

[fire_317]

No locals needed while camping.

What about the 110 satellite? anything on that I need to worry about? I did try the dish and receiver with the SW21 and SW42 switch and the receiver just won't recognize it. Says unknown hardware or something like that. So I did take the 119 LNB and place it direct into the receiver and I was able to get spot beam signal only on transponder 7 and 9. signal strength of about 50 to 70 and it said i was locked on 119. When I tried to goto any other transponder (like 11), no signal at all. Am I just not pointed in the right direction?

I was camping only about 30 miles from my house and when I put the zip code in, the settings were basically the same as my home zip code.

Also, I assume if I don't use a switch, I don't need to do a check switch, which is where I was at where it was saying it did not recognize my switches.

thanks for your help!

 

[oljim]

Why not use a Legacy twin on the D500 and forget about switches and your old single LNBs

 

[Jared Twomey]

without the DP Adapter in line both the SW21 and SW42 switch SHOULD work with it. And yes, even if you do not use any switches, and just hook up the 119, you should still run the check switch.... so that it doesnt think it is on the DP34 anymore

 

[Van]

Well personaly the only thing I might take camping is a radio but thats me.

Spot beams will be stronger in strength than other signals so your dish is out of alignment and needs tuned in. Im not sure what the channels are in the 250 and what comes off of the 110 for that package, you might want to google dish channel line up and check one of the links on the google page wich will tell you what comes from where.

 

[dfergie]

I go camping all the time and bring a dish... (1000 when I bring dishnetwork) in my case. Do a switch check without the dish hooked up, then hook it to your dish and do another switch check...

 

[boba]

What do you have for LNBs on the dish 500 because you say SW21 & sw42 we assume you have 2 Legacy LNBs on the 500? You may have to run a check switch with nothing connected to the 3900 to clear the matrix I believe it sees the DP34 as a SW64 thru the DP adapter.

 

[STEELERSRULE]

I go camping all the time and bring a dish... (1000 when I bring dishnetwork) in my case. Do a switch check without the dish hooked up, then hook it to your dish and do another switch check...

Since you don't need/want locals(and PPV I would assume) why not just invest $105 in a Dish Pre-paid system(called DISHNOW/YA!) found at Radio Shack.

For that price you will get a receiver, Dish 500 satellite dish(plus assembly materials), and a remote.

You then buy a pre-paid card at Radio Shack(in $40 increments now. I don't think they offer the $30 anymore, but that is only because I have not seen them anywhere). Or you can a Greendot pre-paid card and use that to reload the service. I think the minimum to put on it is $20, but I could be wrong. I have never used one before, so it may be less. Plus there may be a service charge, which would be bogus IMHO everytime you add money to the card.

Anyway, you then have access too:

AT Family pack
AT 100
AT200
AT250

And any premium channel(HBO/SHOWTIME/CINEMAX/STARZ) which can be purchased alone. No AT pack is neccesary if you just wanted a premium.

Again, you just load it up with the card. You are tied to that programming until the card runs out, but I think you can ADD programming(just can't lower it while the card is in use. After the card expires, you can again choose whatever you want) with just another card if you want.

It is nice one room system set-up. At least IMHO.

 

[dfergie]

When I go camping, I go with either Dish HD or Direct HD roughing it...

 

[fire_317]

Yes 2 legacy lnb's. Good news is I got it working with the SW21 switch. I found out my locals are on the 119 satellite. So with my Dish 500 dish with the Legacy LNB's and my 3900, I get everything I normally get. Which brings up my next question, Why did I have to get the big Super Dish? I googled the dish channel line up to see if there is anything on 105 that I use, and there is nothing. Now I am asking, because the installer mounted the Super Dish on a 6 X 6 post without cement and the weight of the dish has pulled it over some and out of alignment. I have a rachet strap on it keeping it in line. He also put it right behind a small tree, which has of course grown. Since I get everything I need on the Dish 500 dish, I want to put that back in service and can put it where there is no obstructions. I don't plan on having HD programming at this time and will deal with that later when that time comes. I assume I need to upgrade the LNB's to a Dish Pro single unit LNB that handles 4 receivers (I have the 3900 and the 721 dual tuner). At that point, I can buy a new dish on eBay with the new LNB. Is that how you all would go?

Thanks for all your help!!

 

[Kru83]

Yes 2 legacy lnb's. Good news is I got it working with the SW21 switch. I found out my locals are on the 119 satellite. So with my Dish 500 dish with the Legacy LNB's and my 3900, I get everything I normally get. Which brings up my next question, Why did I have to get the big Super Dish? I googled the dish channel line up to see if there is anything on 105 that I use, and there is nothing. Now I am asking, because the installer mounted the Super Dish on a 6 X 6 post without cement and the weight of the dish has pulled it over some and out of alignment. I have a rachet strap on it keeping it in line. He also put it right behind a small tree, which has of course grown. Since I get everything I need on the Dish 500 dish, I want to put that back in service and can put it where there is no obstructions. I don't plan on having HD programming at this time and will deal with that later when that time comes. I assume I need to upgrade the LNB's to a Dish Pro single unit LNB that handles 4 receivers (I have the 3900 and the 721 dual tuner). At that point, I can buy a new dish on eBay with the new LNB. Is that how you all would go?

Thanks for all your help!!

you will need Dish pro plus lnbs for your 721,
here is 1 one ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/DISH-Network-50...1QQihZ001QQcategoryZ32844QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem