Just wondering

[mikerich]

Hello all,

I apologize in advance if this question has been asked, I did try to look and I did see some varying results but just would like to be sure .

So here’s my situation ( which will be a bit all over the place so I apologize in advance yet again)

So I’m from Canada and have an old Starchoice elliptical satellite dish ( before we left them it was receiving signals from satellites Anik F1 and F2)- so quite a few years ago.

The dish it self we haven’t used for quite a few years , so I was wondering if it’d be possible to somehow repurpose it to either get the dish to work with DirecTV or even Dish Network?

Right now we actually do have a portable satellite antenna, the pathfinder X2, and after trying for hours all I’m getting is satellite 119 on the western arc for dish network and I can’t seem to get anything for the eastern arc, and I was outside for hours moving around the antenna.

I’m in Fredericton, NB and when getting the 119 satellite my signal strength is 40-54, and there’s nothing in the way of that reception, only issue is with respect to the eastern arc I do have a huge pine and fur tree in my back yard, so as I mentioned I did try to move my pathfinder x2 around all over my back yard and no luck, I mean I would’ve expected to at least get some signal for the eastern arc satellites, even if my signal isn’t great.

We bought the X2 because normally we’d be in Maine camping for the summer and part of fall, up due to the current situation we’re unable to cross the border, but where we stay they apparently have the cottage prewired for a satellite dish( they don’t have the dish anymore) but as stated the wiring is there and I guess other renters brought their own portable dishes with them.

We were just looking to perhaps use the Starchoice dish we’ve now back and fourth but we weren’t sure as I mentioned if we can use it , or what we’d need to do in order to get it to work with either provider?

One thing I did want to quickly ask was with regards to perhaps just buying a new dish network dish( if I absolutely have to) is there one that’ll work universally for both west/ east arcs?, and for receivers I only have a Wally but would like to get a hopper 3 if I can or if directv the genie depending on the outcome of the above.

Thanks in advance for your help

 

[raoul5788]

Holy crap, it took 14 years for your first post?
I moved your post to the Dish section as it seemed the best place to get an answer to your questions. Good luck!

 

[Gobucks]

I have a question for you guys. It was asked to me today and I didn't remember.

Can Dish install and use the cables that are already installed in the house? They had Time Warner cable.I had to have two holes drilled for mine. This person doesn't want any holes drilled. Thanks in advance!

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using the SatelliteGuys app!

 

[HipKat]

I have a question for you guys. It was asked to me today and I didn't remember.

Can Dish install and use the cables that are already installed in the house? They had Time Warner cable.I had to have two holes drilled for mine. This person doesn't want any holes drilled. Thanks in advance!

Sent from my SM-G950U1 using the SatelliteGuys app!

Yes, as long as the cable is up to specs and not damaged

 

[TheKrell]

Yes, as long as the cable is up to specs and not damaged

My tech reused my RG6 from the dish into my attic, and my old DirecTV RG6 which I had removed from the house and fished down inside the walls to my basement. He didn't test but it works great.

 

[mikerich]

Holy crap, it took 14 years for your first post?
I moved your post to the Dish section as it seemed the best place to get an answer to your questions. Good luck!

guess I’m a true old timer in some degree - tbh I completely forgot I even made my account here, and a friend reminded me and than I discovered my old account still was active, only thing is I still can’t believe it’s been 14 years. Makes it a bit sad

 

[mikerich]

But yea, I just wanted to see if I can use my old starchoice dish to get dish or directv?

Here’s the starchoice dish I’ve now , it does have a dual lnb, and as I mentioned in my first post i was receiving 2 satellite signals at the time.

I also uploaded the satellite coordinates for dishes west/ east arcs just to see if based on the environment( trees ) if I should expect some severe signal loss?

from what I was told Dish seems to work with a signal strength of 20%, with that portable antenna I’m getting between 40-55% but on 119.

Right now I’ve a Wally unit hooked up to it , works great but I’ve noticed the switch check takes for ever is there away to simply by pass it, especially if the receiver let alone the antenna didn’t move?

I just wasn’t sure depending on the dish I’ve got from starchoice if I can get dish working with it or directv( if I changed the lnb) or if I can simply move the dish and try pointing it at dish or directv satellite(s)

thanks again, I hope someone may know

 

[pattykay]

...

We bought the X2 because normally we’d be in Maine camping for the summer and part of fall, up due to the current situation we’re unable to cross the border, but where we stay they apparently have the cottage prewired for a satellite dish( they don’t have the dish anymore) but as stated the wiring is there and I guess other renters brought their own portable dishes with them.

...

Is your Pathfinder X2 hooked into the pre-existing wiring? Make sure that there are not any splitters, switches, or other such equipment between your dish and receiver. This is the most important piece of advice when it comes to re-using existing cabling, especially if it was previously used for a different service provider.

...

One thing I did want to quickly ask was with regards to perhaps just buying a new dish network dish( if I absolutely have to) is there one that’ll work universally for both west/ east arcs?, and for receivers I only have a Wally but would like to get a hopper 3 if I can or if directv the genie depending on the outcome of the above.

...

Any newer-model Dish Network dish (1000.2 or 1000.4) will work for either arc. You just need the specific LNB that is intended for use with that model of dish and that arc. 1000.2 dishes and LNB's are easier to find, since that is the standard installation. The 1000.4 has a larger reflector, which may help in your case if you can find a spot where it can actually receive a signal. The 1000.4 Eastern Arc LNB is also the only LNB that is designed to combine the 77 satellite with the 61.5 and 72 satellites. (The standard installation is 61.5 and 72 only.) This may be important in your case, since 77 is the satellite that you have the best shot at receiving, judging by your picture.

The tricky part comes when you want to upgrade to a Hopper 3. The Wally will work with either type of LNB (DPP or DPH) but the Hopper 3 needs a hybrid (DPH) LNB to work properly. DPH LNB's are only available for the 1000.2 dish, since they were never manufactured for use with the 1000.4 dish. To convert the signal from a DPP LNB to a hybrid signal for use with the Hopper 3, you would need to add a DPH42 switch.

...

Right now I’ve a Wally unit hooked up to it , works great but I’ve noticed the switch check takes for ever is there away to simply by pass it, especially if the receiver let alone the antenna didn’t move?

...

If the Check Switch is taking forever, that means that it is either not finding a signal, or it is not recognizing that you are using at least a DPP LNB. The Check Switch for older legacy LNB's takes at least 38 steps, if I remember correctly. With a newer LNB, there should be one short test to determine which type of LNB you have, and then the Check Switch zips quickly across the progress bar with only four tests. Your Pathfinder LNB is definitely a newer LNB, so something is not being detected correctly by your Wally. Any other splitters or switches in-between the dish and receiver can interfere with the signal, so that is the most important thing to check, if you have not already done so.