Instructions for Adding the 61.5 - revised 05/04

[ScooterS]

Larry S:
Thanks for the advice. I hooked it up on 3A (and then tried 3B). Checkswitch doesn't find anything on the third port.

Not sure if it will work without 2 connections on the 3rd port of the LNBF or whether the used LNB is toast.

Can you confirm that I don't have to be locked on the exact satellite location when I do the checkswitch for it to work? I'm pointed in generally the right direction, but obviously can't get it perfect until the switch is happy.

Anyhow, unless there are other ideas, I'll wait a few days until the new dual LNB gets here.

Thanks for trying!

 

[geekgranny]

Just a quick confirmation for granny here please. I have three (3) E* cables coming off a Quad 500 and one (1) V* cable coming into my living room . E* receivers are 501, 510, and 811 with Everything Package and HD. I also have in my "parts" box among several old E* switches a couple of unused SW21's (still in original boxes). ... So all I have to do is: Run the V* cable and one E* cable into the SW21 and then one cable from SW21 out to the E* 811, right inside amongst the cable mess behind the HDTV??? Nothing else to do except have E* activate the V* package?

If this is correct what a fabulous Mothers Day gift to me!!!!!

 

[Barry Erick]

Receive my ebay purchase of the dp21 and have it on my dp34 now. The dish and lnb's have been shipped and I have the tracking numbers from PayPal and they arrive Tuesday.

The dp works fine.. I did not have a RG6 juper long enough for how I mounted this, so instead of moving the switch one inch closer, I put a less-than-2-foot RG59 jumper in to test before moving the switch. I could not believe the loss in this for the banked transponders. I would expect great loss on long runs, but for 2 feet? I went from 114 on 119 to 54! After that I moved the switch so the RG6 would reach and have excellent readings on everything.
Barry

 

[Dish Dude]

amazing what the wrong sized and rated cables will do huh?

 

[BFG]

I was playing around outside trying to get an old D* dish pointed at 61.5 by itself.

The dish I thought I was getting was an old E* dish with a D shaped adapter but that turns out to not be the case.

Before I started playing with it, the switch configuration that was stored on my 811 was a DP Quad.

So is there anything I need to do to clear out the receiver so it can see a direct feed of a single legacy LNB directly into the receiver?

I did the switch test with superdish option (the help screen said select that if using legacy) and it ran 50 tests and at the end it had two number 1 and two number 2 with default in the sat row and x's in the polarity.

I think the LNB I was using is so old that it may be dead...

 

[larrystotler]

Thanks for the advice. I hooked it up on 3A (and then tried 3B). Checkswitch doesn't find anything on the third port. Not sure if it will work without 2 connections on the 3rd port of the LNBF or whether the used LNB is toast. Can you confirm that I don't have to be locked on the exact satellite location when I do the checkswitch for it to work? I'm pointed in generally the right direction, but obviously can't get it perfect until the switch is happy.

You MUST be getting a singal from a legacy LNB or it will not be seen. Run the LNB DIRECTLY into a receiver and try tuning it it that way. Use trans 31 on the 61.5. Once you have a signal, try reconnecting like I suggested and you should now see the other sat.

 

[larrystotler]

Just a quick confirmation for granny here please. I have three (3) E* cables coming off a Quad 500 and one (1) V* cable coming into my living room . E* receivers are 501, 510, and 811 with Everything Package and HD. I also have in my "parts" box among several old E* switches a couple of unused SW21's (still in original boxes). ... So all I have to do is: Run the V* cable and one E* cable into the SW21 and then one cable from SW21 out to the E* 811, right inside amongst the cable mess behind the HDTV??? Nothing else to do except have E* activate the V* package?

Yup. Just like you said.

 

[larrystotler]

BFG - the receiver will NOT see a legacy LNB when it does NOT have a signal. You are on the right track. Now that the switch matrix is clear, you just need to connect to the LNB and try to get the signal. Try Trans 31. That should be a good conus trans. If you have problems, nail the 110, and then try moving the dish east and adjust the elavation accordingly. Up here, the 61.5 is almost at a right angle to the D500. Not sure how much different it would be down south where you are tho.

 

[kevcar0603]

Hey Larry I just looked at the different transponders and they do come up for 61.5. A check switch does not see 61.5 but I get a signal on some transponders to about 90. It says wrong sat. I have a Voom dish and a Dish 500 with DP lnb and an 811. What is the minimum signal strength to lock on?

 

[ScooterS]

Here is the latest update on my adventures to try 61.5 with a LEGACY SINGLE LNB...

I hooked-up the Legacy 61.5 Dish 300 direct to my 501 Receiver. (I bypassed my 921 and SW-64). I was able to get a good lock on the Satellite. I ended up with a 95+ signal in Austin, Tx.

I then tried Port 3A on my SW64. I was unable to get a good checkswitch that saw the new dish.

I moved the 61.5 connection to Port 3B. I was able to find the new 61.5 dish with a checkswitch. Interestingly enough it showed a good connection to both even and odd transponders.

I immediately got the "Goldfish Channel" ((HD Demo Channel)) with no problems.

I called dish and had VOOM added. I immediately began receiving the program guide for VOOM channels.

However, as I suspected, I get an error when I try to tune in any of the Voom channels. They are on the odd transponders and I can only receive the even ones.

I will put the project on hold until I can get my new DUAL LNB.

... so long until then....

IMPORTANT LESSON LEARNED:
With a legacy LNB, you must be pointed (accurately) at the satellite when you do the checkswitch. I initially tried to do the checkswitch without a good signal and could not get any readings.

 

[mitch672]

Try moving the LNB back to port 3A, that should get you the odd transponders.. Don't worry about what checkswitch is saying, now that you have the sat locked in, it should work just fine. You got the HDTV DEMO channel because its on an EVEN transponder (port 3B)

Mitch

 

[larrystotler]

Just hook the line to Port 3A and DON"T do the check switch. It SHOULD work that way.

 

[BFG]

Just for clarifications.

If I'm running a legacy LNB directly into a receiver do I or do I not have to worry about what the check switch is at (since I'm not using a switch)

Also I think I read this but wasn't sure. Is there something about me not being able to simple add an I adapter and DP LNB to a directv dish? I think I read that the focal point would be off and it wouldn't work?

 

[Conner Dain]

Success!!!

Preface: I'm a former VOOMER. I signed up April 29th, Friday night after reading the crawl at the bottom of VOOM saying Dish would be carrying VOOM channels. Installed set me up Sunday with everything I needed...except a second dish.

I read the information here and elected to "somehow" add a second dish to get 61.5. last Friday (May 6) I thought it was worth a try to get Dish to add another dish for the one "must carry" local I wasn't getting. They agreed with no problem. Install set for Sunday morning.

Sunday comes, the installer comes and he has no problem setting the disk to 61.5....except HE CAN'T FIND IT. He tunes it to the must carry channel, and I climb onto my roof, armed with a compass, pliers, crescent wrench, and the azimuth and elevation information from Sat Guys.

I find 61.5 THE VERY FIRST TRY. (After following the directions of connecting the sat straight to my receiver and doing a check switch.) After tuning it in, I reconnect everything to where it should be, check switch on both receivers and there are my beloved VOOM channels on the program guide. I make the call to Dish and I fully expect to be VOOMing soon!.

I could not have done ANY of this without the excellent information from this forum. THANKS TO ALL!

 

[ScooterS]

I moved the cable back to 3A and still no luck!

Tried it before and after a checkswitch and also powered down/up the SW64.

Not a big problem, since my Dual LNB SHOULD be here in a few days. However, It has made an interesting science project. We've had thunderstorms off and on all day so I will stay off the ladder for a while. I don't want to become part of a science project myself! Thanks guys for all of the help.

BTW... I had no problems getting the Voom Package added to my existing account. It was on before I could hang up the phone and tune for the channels.

 

[BFG]

Sweet! I finally got an old DirecTV LNB locked on to 61.5 @ 102 Strength.

Now hopefully all I need as an I adapter and DP LNB and I'll be all set.



We I'm watching the HD Demo Channel and Have the Voom Channels in my guide

I guess I could go ahead and order them, and just leave my dish 500 disconected until I get a DP LNB

 

[larrystotler]

BFG - You will have to either cut the arm shorter after measuring the length of the adapter, or you can take a pair of snips, and cut a notch so that the DP LNB will fit. Putting the I adapter on will definately change the angle of the dish, so you would have to adjust the elevation at the very least and it may drop your signal somewhat.

As for the checkswitch, you have to clear the switch info of a DP receiver to use a legacy LNB or switch. With a legacy switch setup, if you disconnect the D500 and plug in the 61.5, you shouldn't have to do a check switch to see the 61.5 since you wouldn't have any switching involed, it would just see the 61.5 back instead of the 119.

Conner Dain - that's why we are here. At the very least I hope this thread has been able to answer a lot of questions without the need to post for an answer.

 

[jsb_hburg]

Hello,

I am going to cobble together my Dish HD farm: a V* dish already pointed for 61.5 and a D* dish for 110 (surplus item to be installed). I am awaiting my 811 and two SW21's.

My question is whether it is okay to connect the 110 dish to the SW21 while adjusting the 110 dish for optimal signal strength. Or is it required to have a direct connection between the 110 dish and the 811 to adjust the 110 dish before connecting the 110 dish to the SW21's.

 

[willyryu]

Hello all! First time poster, long time lurker. Hope to get a little help with this 61.5 install. Current configuration includes 3 dp34 switches looking at 110, 119 and 148. Installer came out today as scheduled with a dpp44 and a dish for 61.5. After checking current installation, which took 15 minutes, he said he would have to change out all 3 dp34 with 3 dpp44 because you cannot cascade a dp34 off of a dpp44. Is this true or not? By the way I have 1 921, 3 721's, and 1 508, and of course need 61.5 for additional hd. And yes Dish already has my $99.95. Thanks for any help.

 

[joshschuler]

not for sure about jumping from dpp44 to dp34, but I'm pretty sure you can use a dppseperator w/dpp44, so you would only need one more dpp44 and 4 dppseperator's.

that is, unless you can jump the dpp44 to the dp34, or vice versa.