Dish Tailgater Pro Locals....HELP!

[awbruen]

Alright - I have a technical question for the tailgating professionals on this board. I purchased a Dish Wally receiver and Tailgater Pro before this season. I have had no problems setting it up and getting all of the cable channels (ESPN, SECN, etc.) But no matter what I do, I can never get the local channels. The local channels don't even appear in the guide and when I type in the number (channel 3 for CBS, it doesn't work) I have spent hours on the phone with Dish every game day trying to get this fixed and it never works out. I am hoping to get it fixed for this weekend since the game is on CBS. I pay for and have the local channel pack, I have reset everything imaginable, and still have no luck. The most annoying part is that I can't mess around with it until it is set-up, and it is only set-up when we are in Auburn on game day since we keep it in Auburn. I would love to not have to waste hours of game day again trying to fix this!

Could it be a bad Wally box? A bad tailgater pro? I think not since everything else works, but I don't know.

I have also thought about just using an OTA antenna, but it seems silly since I PAY FOR and subscribe to the local channels package with Dish.

Any thoughts?

 

[tjboston5676]

Is the location of this setup in the same area as your main setup? Or is this the only setup you have.

If you have locals on your account at your house but travel to another area, then you won't get locals without dish changing them to the new zip code, if it's a different market. Then that would cause you to lose them at the house. But from what you are describing thus seems to be the most logical reason, is that you are outside of your viewing area for your locals.

 

[awbruen]

This is the only set-up I have...I have no home set-up. Which may be part of the problem? The home address on our account and the location where we are setting-up and using this tailgater pro are about 1/2 mile away from each other (maybe not even that far). I have it setup on our account for local channels based on the home zip code which is the same zip code for where we are setting up the tailgater pro. Locals are set for Columbus, GA.

Is there anything in particular I would have to initiate or set-up directly with King (the manufacturer of the satellite?) I have only gone through Dish thus far.

 

[Tvland1]

The locals for Columbus GA should be on the 61.5 sat..On your wally receiver are you receiving the 61.5 sat? I'm not familiar with the tailgater pro but they claim it receives 110,119,and 61.5 satellite..you could try blocking the satellite from receiving the 110,119 satellites and clear sky of the 61.5 satellite..Lawn chair or something like that. Use a satellite finder app so you know about where the satellite locations are.Once you have them blocked run the complete setup again..Your not receiving the 61.5 programming sounds like

 

[tjboston5676]

If locals are good on the account then the above answer is the only other thing. You aren't utilizing the correct satellites.

Since you need both the 119 and 61.5 then you need to pretty large field of vision. You need to have open sky all the way from SE to SW. So on a compass roughly 120°-210°

 

[awbruen]

got it - thank you very much! that makes a lot of sense. I have had a very clear view of the SW sky, clear view of the S sky but not as clear a view of the SE sky. It sounds like that may be the problem. The "shell" of the tailgater pro is clear and you can see the dish inside the unit. When it is calibrating and scanning for satellites, I can see the dish moving around and it eventually settles looking into the SW sky so I just assumed that was the most important direction. Am I right to assume that when I change the channel from cable (ESPN) to local (CBS) the dish might automatically move to point in a different direction? Does it make sense that satellite 61.5 would be more in the SE direction? also, when I set-up dish through the automatic set-up page, it is looking for satellites 110,119, and 129. is that a problem?

thanks again!

 

[NYDutch]

Does it make sense that satellite 61.5 would be more in the SE direction? also, when I set-up dish through the automatic set-up page, it is looking for satellites 110,119, and 129. is that a problem?

thanks again!

Yes, that would be a problem since it's not finding 61.5 and 129 no longer exists. Does the King manual say anything about a "hybrid" mode or similar?

 

[awbruen]

ok once again, thank you! that is very helpful as well. I will see if there is a hybrid mode or something similar. helpful to know that 129 doesn't exist any more which is why it can never find it. I will look for a mode that does not include 129 and hopefully includes 61.5

 

[Tvland1]

ok once again, thank you! that is very helpful as well. I will see if there is a hybrid mode or something similar. helpful to know that 129 doesn't exist any more which is why it can never find it. I will look for a mode that does not include 129 and hopefully includes 61.5

There's a possibility that they sold you a VQ4900 model that doesn't have the 61.5 eastern arc..The latest model is the DTP4900 which has the choice of mode for 61.5,110,and 119 satellite in the initial setup where it ask you what state your in..The VQ4900 doesn't have a mode choice and only ask what state in initial setup..I would try returning the dish or call King and ask them if there's any fix

 

[awbruen]

There's a possibility that they sold you a VQ4900 model that doesn't have the 61.5 eastern arc..The latest model is the DTP4900 which has the choice of mode for 61.5,110,and 119 satellite in the initial setup where it ask you what state your in..The VQ4900 doesn't have a mode choice and only ask what state in initial setup..I would try returning the dish or call King and ask them if there's any fix

It looks like I did get the DTP4900 and I do recall there being an option like you described at set up. I’ve asked Dish about this option many times as we tried to troubleshoot and they have always adamantly said to leave that alone. How weird is that? Especially if the 61.5 is what we need for locals?? I will give it a try tomorrow and report back!

 

[Jimbo]

It looks like I did get the DTP4900 and I do recall there being an option like you described at set up. I’ve asked Dish about this option many times as we tried to troubleshoot and they have always adamantly said to leave that alone. How weird is that? Especially if the 61.5 is what we need for locals?? I will give it a try tomorrow and report back!

The people at Dish, mostly are not going to know too much about the Tailgater type stuff ... its kinda a rare item, not used at most homes, where they are normally use to being asked about.

Your King Support is where I would expect the most help (outside of here).

 

[awbruen]

The people at Dish, mostly are not going to know too much about the Tailgater type stuff ... its kinda a rare item, not used at most homes, where they are normally use to being asked about.

Your King Support is where I would expect the most help (outside of here).

that makes a lot of sense as well, thank you all very much! I really appreciate all of the information and help!

 

[awbruen]

That did the trick! Thank you all very much for your insight and help!!

 

[KenDJR]

That did the trick! Thank you all very much for your insight and help!!

What did you do? Get a new receiver or find a mode that didn’t include 61.5?

We must tailgate somewhat close to each other, and based on your previous posts I live across the river from you, but I use Montgomery locals on campus.

No problem getting any channels but for the first time this year during setup my screen would say “could not find all satellites,” but I’d just go to view live tv and Montgomery locals, ESPNs and SEC would work.

But my main problem now is figuring out how to configure something so I can set the dish about 6 feet off the ground. Tired of my tailgating crew walking in front of the dish and blocking the signal.

Hadn’t used it since Oct(went to NMS disaster but didn’t set up a tailgate) and forgot to pay the Nov bill but Dish let me watch TV until the 2nd half of LSU/A&M Ohio St/Mich and then cut off my service. 30 minutes to get them and get the signal resent enough times that it worked. First setup of the season it NEVER works the first time. NEVER. Always have to call and get them to resend the signal. Been happening since 2014.

 

[awbruen]

What did you do? Get a new receiver or find a mode that didn’t include 61.5?

We must tailgate somewhat close to each other, and based on your previous posts I live across the river from you, but I use Montgomery locals on campus.

No problem getting any channels but for the first time this year during setup my screen would say “could not find all satellites,” but I’d just go to view live tv and Montgomery locals, ESPNs and SEC would work.

But my main problem now is figuring out how to configure something so I can set the dish about 6 feet off the ground. Tired of my tailgating crew walking in front of the dish and blocking the signal.

Hadn’t used it since Oct(went to NMS disaster but didn’t set up a tailgate) and forgot to pay the Nov bill but Dish let me watch TV until the 2nd half of LSU/A&M Ohio St/Mich and then cut off my service. 30 minutes to get them and get the signal resent enough times that it worked. First setup of the season it NEVER works the first time. NEVER. Always have to call and get them to resend the signal. Been happening since 2014.

It was actually 2 things for me...my biggest problem was that I would go through the set-up process, scan for satellites, it would say not all satellites found, I would move on and all I could get was cable channels (ESPN, SECN, etc.) and I could not get any locals (CBS, FOX, etc.)

the two fixes were...

1. on the scan for satellites page, I changed the type from the standard default (110, 119, 129) to "Hybrid" which is 61.5, 110, 119. I obviously kept the state as Alabama.

2. Also, very importantly, I had a very clear view of the SW sky towards 210 degrees on the compass. that is the direction the dish pointed in when I was getting all the cable channels, so I thought that was the most important view. But as someone mentioned above, I needed a better view of the SE sky towards 120 degrees on the compass. I realized that once I got my local channels working, when I tuned to one of the local channels (like CBS), the satellite would automatically turn and point towards 120 degrees on the compass.


These two items fixed all of my problems and everything worked seamlessly, including the set-up (no phone calls to support and very quick scan and set-up ons screen). In regards to your issue with the satellite on the ground, I use the KING TR1000 tripod stand which folds up and is very easy. people walk by it and as long as they don't stand right there, its a non issue. I see some people on campus with crazy high mounts to attach the tailgater satellite too, but that seems excessive unless you are in a small spot on campus with blocked views of the sky.

hope this helps!