EA & retain 110/119?

[navychop]

I have two ViP722 DVRs and a 508 DVR. I am considering giving up the 508. I have two 500 dishes (110/119/61.5). During our recent snowstorms, I lost sat signal for hours, twice, on 61.5. Getting at the dishes to clear them is simply not practical, esp since I am unwell lately.

IF for some reason I was to replace the 61.5 500 with a 1000.4 EA dish, how likely is it that the installers/Dish would allow the 110/119 dish to remain connected? Never lost sat signal during the snow with them. So I could retain an installed dish that is less likely to lose signal. Best of all was my OTA setup, which hardly lost a point on reception throughout all the snowstorms.

Granted, it is unlikely that I would shift the 61.5 to a 1000.4. The only near term reason I could see this happening is if Dish decided to NOT move the new HD at 72.7 to 61.5 (sat failure?). But all the same, anyone foresee any problems with such a setup, assuming correct LNBs and no 508?

 

[MikeD-C05]

You could have an eastern arc dish for your 722s and a separate dish 500 for just your 508 , but they wouldn't be hooked up in the same check switch matrix. If you don't mind two dishes and two different runs into your house for those two dishes, it would work.

 

[navychop]

Yep, but that wouldn't help with snow load (rare event) for ViPs. I'm not using separators anyway (maybe have old LNBs) so the runs are unique and easy.

I'm still searching, but it looks like bwinroc got just the installation I'm looking at. I'm wondering how it works, and if he's got 110/119 to all receivers - AND if I could keep the 508 also.

But thanks for the suggestion.

 

[navychop]

Well, the vote is in, in my household. For the 9, it "ain't worth" $99.

Dish will have to come up with some other incentive. Or BBC-A HD will have to put on Predator in HD (yes, I know they're cancelled) or some such similar. Good thing we never got hooked on Dr Who - we have too much to watch already.

But I might look into a dish heater or cover before next winter. That ought to guarantee little or no snow.

 

[Dah-Henny]

If snow is an issue, you might not like the .4 anyway. In NC, my .4 tilts pretty high in the sky, and collects snow & ice more so than any set-up I've ever had. I can get to the dish, but if you can't get to it easily, you'll have problems more than on a single 500 for 61.5.

 

[navychop]

Yeah, that's what I figure, since my 61.5 went out in the snow and the 110/119 never did.

Think a dish heater or cover would help?

 

[Dah-Henny]

Definitely a heater, or, I've been thinking about getting a couple of these: Amazon.com: Kat's 24025 25 Watt 1"x 5" Universal Hot Pad Heater: Automotive@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41JcQUaA0lL.@@AMEPARAM@@41JcQUaA0lL

 

[navychop]

On the dish or the LNB?

 

[stardust3]

Navy if 119/110 is important, have you considered a 1k2 and keep the 61.5 as a wing? That would be doable. I personally prefer the 1k2 vs 1k4.

 

[Dah-Henny]

I think that it sticks to the back of the dish. Someone has stated that the heater has some sort of sticky adhesive on it.

 

[TheKrell]

Yeah, that's what I figure, since my 61.5 went out in the snow and the 110/119 never did. Think a dish heater or cover would help?

I'm near you with an identical setup (except I sold my 501 last year). In our 3 snowstorms, the first one took out my 110/119 dish for several hours during which I was till able to watch HD off 61.5. Then, the next day we had 110/119 back, but 61.5 was out! I think the snow slumped off 110.119 becasue of the low elevation angle. But 61.5 took a lot longer to melt off. We never lost service during the 2nd snowstorm nor the big blizzard. Apparently the high winds did a good job of cleaning!

Anyhow, even though we have only VIP receivers at present, I like the idea of the two dishes at almost 90 deg angles behaving very differently. With an EA-only dish, the first snowstorm would have killed everything for a long long time. Plus I have a 301 and a 4900 in the closet.

 

[navychop]

Navy if 119/110 is important, have you considered a 1k2 and keep the 61.5 as a wing? That would be doable. I personally prefer the 1k2 vs 1k4.

Now that's something to consider. Have to check LOS. I wonder if Dish will "do it my way?"

 

[armandc]

Mine Works

:I got dish to install a dish 500 and point it at 72.7 so now I have 110/119/61.5/72.7

It works great!!!

Just have them add the 72.7 to your setup and save yourself a major headache

77 is just not worth it just keep your 110/119 and you will be all set

the channels will pull from 72.7 so you get the mpeg 4 advantage without the major headache of a full eastern arc.

Enjoy and hope it helps others
Armand

 

[navychop]

I'm just suspicious that I'll have to eventually do a "complete" move to the full EA, if I take half measures now.

But it really boils down to - will Dish or the installer give me any options? I just don't want to lose 110/119, even if they insist "one dish is better." And my two dishes are very close - might not be possible to put the larger 1000.4 next to the 110/119 500, if that's the approach I come to prefer. I guess I'll have to get the measurements of the 1000.4 and measure to see if it can fit where the 61.5 500 is now. And this is all at the peak of my roof, rear of the house, also very close to my OTA antenna & rotor setup.

Of course, your idea is simplest - new LNB/bracket and reaim.

 

[stardust3]

Why go through dish? Local retailer could probably help out. Cost on 1k2 is $65.00, simple dish swap $40-$60. No contracts, no haggling with csr's & you can have it your way. It would be worth checking out.

 

[navychop]

Last time I tried to use a local retailer, he said I had to use the guy who installed it when I joined Dish. That guy is no longer dealing with Dish.

But it wouldn't hurt for me to call someone else. But first I need to go up there when I'm better and the snow is gone, and measure to see what fits.

 

[tjachem]

:I got dish to install a dish 500 and point it at 72.7 so now I have 110/119/61.5/72.7

It works great!!!

Just have them add the 72.7 to your setup and save yourself a major headache

77 is just not worth it just keep your 110/119 and you will be all set

the channels will pull from 72.7 so you get the mpeg 4 advantage without the major headache of a full eastern arc.

Enjoy and hope it helps others
Armand

Do you have 2 dishes or 3?

 

[Dah-Henny]

He's got 3

 

[tjachem]

I wonder if this could be done (119/110/61.5/72.7) with two dishes. The existing 119/110 plus a dish 500 with dual lnb pointed at 61.5/72.7? I have seen some people setting a single dish 500 to 61.5/72.7.

 

[ggw2000]

I believe..

I wonder if this could be done (119/110/61.5/72.7) with two dishes. The existing 119/110 plus a dish 500 with dual lnb pointed at 61.5/72.7? I have seen some people setting a single dish 500 to 61.5/72.7.

I believe that there is a whole thread on trying a dish 500 for 61.5/72.7. It's either here or in the "technical" area..
Gerry