DTV customer considering switching to Dish

[morry holdings]

Been with DTV for 20 years, but I'm not happy since ATT acquired them. But before I switch to Dish, I need to know if I can get a signal at our vacation site in Virginia. Presently, I have a DTV dish set up that feeds 2 tvs in our RV. I set it up each spring and bring it home in the fall. This is in addition to service in our home in North Carolina.

Anyway, before I contact Dish to order a package, I need to know if I can get a clear signal in Fancy Gap, Virginia, 24328. The DTV coordinates are 219 degrees and 44 degree elevation. Does someone have the coordinates for Dish? Is there a link that shows the coordinates for each zip code? Thanks for your help.

 

[comfortably_numb]

Your locals are on the 129 W satellite (Western Arc). You'll need a clear view of 3 satellites to make Dish work at your location: 110, 119, 129. You can find the correct aziumth and elevation for those by putting in your exact address and zip code at www.dishpointer.com

 

[JesseTheDishTech]

You should be good, just call into dish!

 

[JesseTheDishTech]

Your going to need a clear view of 204 at 44 degrees. 217 at 48, and 228 at 30 something rough estimates as don't have inclonomiter

 

[stardust3]

129 is very low on the horizon in that part of the country, especially compared to ATT.

 

[comfortably_numb]

129 is very low on the horizon in that part of the country, especially compared to ATT.

Yes. Surprising to see Roanoke is on WA.

 

[stardust3]

Yes. Surprising to see Roanoke is on WA.

Elevation is 24.3 according to dishpointer for fancy gap versus 42.4 on ATT 101. Quite a big difference.

 

[stardust3]

Your going to need a clear view of 204 at 44 degrees. 217 at 48, and 228 at 30 something rough estimates as don't have inclonomiter

Welcome to the forum.

You realize dish coordinates are not the same in every part of the country?

 

[morry holdings]

Not sure it's going to work at our RV site. It's at Utts Campgound in Fancy Gap, Virginia 24328. I was able to drag the Dishpointer line of site to the location of our DTV dish. They use 99, 101 and 103 as their primary satellites and we set the dish at 119 degrees and 43 degree elevation and get a great signal between 90% and 100% on our transponders. We have a clear line of site that goes over the clubhouse and misses the tall trees to the west.

It appears that the Dish TV satellites, 110, 119, 129, are located between 231 degrees and 245 degrees and the elevation is only 37 degrees which appears to be blocked by the tall trees to the west of the office. I might be able to have a local Dish dealer come check it out. Also there's a couple of people that have Dish, but are on the hill with clear view. I'll check with them and check their dish settings. Our site is on the edge of the woods. Not looking good unfortunately.

 

[stardust3]

It appears that the Dish TV satellites, 110, 119, 129, are located between 231 degrees and 245 degrees and the elevation is only 37 degrees which appears to be blocked by the tall trees to the west of the office.

37 would be your highest elevation on 110 & 24 your lowest on 129. So in reality you need to be clear from at least 22 and up to have decent service.

 

[stardust3]

If local channels are not important or you can pick them up on an ota antenna. 61.5 and 72.7 are also dish satellites that would give you everything except locals. They come in much higher on the horizon and more back to the SE. An ota antenna can easily incorporate locals into the dish stb for a seamless viewing experience. That is of course if you can get an ota signal at that location .

 

[morry holdings]

If local channels are not important or you can pick them up on an ota antenna. 61.5 and 72 are also dish satellites that would give you everything except locals. They come in much higher on the horizon and more back to the SE. An ota antenna can easily incorporate locals into the dish stb for a seamless viewing experience. That is of course if you can get an ota signal at that location .

Those 2 satellites are clear and at 157 degrees and 173 degrees and the elevation is 43. Do they provide all the available channels including HD? We wouldn't get the locals if they're only available on the 129W satellite. I might get some with the antenna on the RV.

 

[stardust3]

Those 2 satellites are clear and at 157 degrees and 173 degrees and the elevation is 43. Do they provide all the available channels including HD? We wouldn't get the locals if they're only available on the 129W satellite. I might get some with the antenna on the RV.

Yes they would provide all available channels including hd with the only exception of local channels.

 

[morry holdings]

Your going to need a clear view of 204 at 44 degrees. 217 at 48, and 228 at 30 something rough estimates as don't have inclonomiter

Those are different settings than I got from Dishpointer. I was told that I needed "a clear view of 3 satellites to make Dish work at your location: 110, 119, 129." But if I can get the same programming w/o the locals at 61.5 and 73 it would work for everything but the locals.

 

[comfortably_numb]

I was told that I needed "a clear view of 3 satellites to make Dish work at your location: 110, 119, 129." But if I can get the same programming w/o the locals at 61.5 and 73 it would work for everything but the locals.

Eastern Arc has 2 satellites (3 in a few select markets) while Western Arc has 3. The typical install for your zip code would be Western Arc, but as stardust3 mentioned, you can get by with Eastern Arc if you don’t need or want locals. And you’ll likely save $12 per month by not having them.

 

[stardust3]

If you go that route once your installed you can do a virtual "move". That's another subject but you could get locals from another market that way. Not subbing to locals is a $12 per month savings so that is worth considering also.

 

[stardust3]

Those are different settings than I got from Dishpointer. I was told that I needed "a clear view of 3 satellites to make Dish work at your location: 110, 119, 129." But if I can get the same programming w/o the locals at 61.5 and 73 it would work for everything but the locals.

Those settings he gave are likely for his location in TX.

 

[morry holdings]

Ok, thanks for all the help. I also am checking the settings for our home in North Carolina. It looks like I may have similar issues there, especially with the low elevation setting and availability of locals. Maybe I can get someone from Dish to check it. However, when I chatted with them, they wanted me sign up first and then have the installer tell me if there's a problem. That seemed backwards to me. I'd rather have someone do a site check and tell me before I order. Any ideas on that?

 

[HipKat]

Ok, thanks for all the help. I also am checking the settings for our home in North Carolina. It looks like I may have similar issues there, especially with the low elevation setting and availability of locals. Maybe I can get someone from Dish to check it. However, when I chatted with them, they wanted me sign up first and then have the installer tell me if there's a problem. That seemed backwards to me. I'd rather have someone do a site check and tell me before I order. Any ideas on that?

Don't sign up first. If it can't go in, the tech gets hit with a Cancel, which is a metric that hurts the tech and his company/office

 

[JSheridan]

Ok, thanks for all the help. I also am checking the settings for our home in North Carolina. It looks like I may have similar issues there, especially with the low elevation setting and availability of locals. Maybe I can get someone from Dish to check it. However, when I chatted with them, they wanted me sign up first and then have the installer tell me if there's a problem. That seemed backwards to me. I'd rather have someone do a site check and tell me before I order. Any ideas on that?

Call your local Dish retailer, if you have a good one.