Problems with new Hopper interface to align dish

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Wolfpackers

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Mar 12, 2017
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All over the USA
Hello, I've been experiencing issues with setting up my portable dish (DPP 1000.2) ever since the new interface was released. I found the new "point dish" screen, but most times it will not allow me to select a satellite or provide me with the audible tone so that I can lock in on the satellite. I am a Dish customer and am using the EA. I am currently traveling in my RV and have two hoppers. At times I am unable to even view recordings from the DVR. I do not have a meter to use as I have always relied on the "point dish" screen and have been doing this for over 4 years now.

Anyone had this issue and found a solution ?

Thanks.
 
I have a Hopper, but as suggested, I use a meter to aim my 1000.4 dish. I find that a lot quicker, especially when I set up the dish 100 feet or more away from our motorhome to get a clear arc view.
 
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From the beginning, 11 years ago, I have never relied on the receiver for aiming the dish. Too many times I had to position the tripod far from the trailer.

Early on I used a Accutrac 22 Pro for aiming a DPP 1000.2. When the battery burned out I changed to a First Strike FS-1 which had the advantage of satellite ID identification.

With the Hybrid LNBF for the Hopper 3, I had to acquire a Super Buddy as the FS-1 could not work. Expensive but the Super Buddy really does a good job. I have the tripod dish locked in before I even attach the cable to the RV.

If you are going to RV, get good tools to make your satellite setup easy. This year, we are making 58 stops and 35 of them require using the tripod because of wanting the EA Locals. Some of the 23 other stops may need the tripod too because of trees. Otherwise we use a Winegard Trav'ler when we can.
 
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Ok, you got my curiosity up. My Hopper2 with the updated CUI was connected to our 1000.4 and dialed in on the eastern arc. I flipped the A/B switch to change to the Winegard RM-DM46 manually aimed crank up dish on the roof using a DPP Twin LNB. Going to the Hopper dish aiming page in "Settings", it still showed the 1K4 EA sats, but zero signal level as expected. I then cranked up the roof dish to the approximate elevation for the 110 sat, and rotated it towards the azimuth for this location. The meter soon came alive showing a 13 signal level and a lock on 110. Further tweaking the azimuth and elevation brought it up to a solid 68. I then ran a "Test Installation", and when it was complete and saved following the expected "fewer satellites" message, the status showed the 110 sat with a signal on the three tuners. I'm only getting the programs available on 110 of course, and the EPG did update to that listing. So, it appears that the diagnostics meter can still be be used for aiming. I can't test EA aiming here though due to the tree cover from the roof.
 
Last edited:
The Super Buddy is $400-$500. I'd recommend a Pathway X2 first, but it won't work with Hoppers.

Might be cheaper to get the X2 and a couple Wallys.
 
navychop said:
The Super Buddy is $400-$500. I'd recommend a Pathway X2 first, but it won't work with Hoppers.

Might be cheaper to get the X2 and a couple Wallys.
Click to expand...

I use a "Smart Tracker" digital meter I bought on eBay several years ago for about $50. It doesn't lock on the EA sats, but it does tell me when I've found the sat I've set it for. The WA sats do lock...
 
I only do portable aiming about 7-8 times per year for football games, but I just use a cheapo <$10 meter from walmart/amazon. As long as you start in the general area it works perfectly fine. Only takes a couple mins to aim the dish.

Example of what I'm talking about:
Amazon product ASIN B000MTXFXS
 
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Wallys. A Hopper 3 has 16 tuners and acts as a central video center that can drive multiple Joeys with attached TVs. In my case two. The Hopper 3 can display four channels at once and each Joey can watch a different channel. No way that two Wallys can perform that. Whatever is recorded is available to any TV.

Then with the functionality of the Hopper 3, the X2 fails to provide the three satellites at once reception.

That is the Dish functionality I want and I use a Super Buddy to aim the Hybrid tripod dish. My choice.
 
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Yes. The Hopper 3 uses Hybrid system, not DPP so the LNBF gets replaced and the duonode gets replaced with a solo hub. Cabling is the same, except from LNBF to hub uses only 1 cable running from port 1 on the LNBF instead of 3, like with a duo node
 
Brussam said:
I originally put a Hybrid LNBF on my Trav'ler but change back to the DPP LNBF and added a DPH42 switch. Works better. The tripod has the Hybrid LNBF.
Click to expand...
You make an important distinction about the DPH42 switch. The Hopper 3 is, indeed, a Hybrid system but you have two ways to go hybrid. You can use Hybrid LNBFs or the 42 switch which has all the hybrid electronics built into it. The 42 switch allows for many dish configurations using DPP LNBFs.
 
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The Hybrid LNBFs use the same satellites. The difference is the multi-switch in the LNBF head uses a difference multiplexing scheme. The DPP LNBF multi-switch does a 2 into one coax multiplexing. The DPH Hybrid LNBF does a 16 into one coax multiplexing.

The DPH42 switch takes the LNBF feeds from the DPP LNBF head and does the 16-to-1 multiplexing for the Hopper 3.
 
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I moved the RV today, just set up the dish and according to the Hopper screens, I am only getting sat 61.5 and not 72, but I am getting all of the channels, locals and upper tiers. Does this sound right ?
 
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Brussam said:
The Hybrid LNBFs use the same satellites. The difference is the multi-switch in the LNBF head uses a difference multiplexing scheme. The DPP LNBF multi-switch does a 2 into one coax multiplexing. The DPH Hybrid LNBF does a 16 into one coax multiplexing.

The DPH42 switch takes the LNBF feeds from the DPP LNBF head and does the 16-to-1 multiplexing for the Hopper 3.
Click to expand...

Would I still need two heads, one for EA and one for WA if I changed to the H3 and a Joey ?
 

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