Reactivate old receiver-get new card for free??

Mr Tony

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Supporting Founder
Nov 17, 2003
1,668
6,063
Mankato, MN
I have an old receiver that has been deactivated for a while and I want to get that back up and running. Issue is it has the old blue card. If I reactivate that receiver (its still showing on my account as deactivated), will they send me a new card and if so, is there a charge?

Unit powers on but the only channel I can see is 101. Everything else either gives me the “smartcard not authorized” or black screen (in the case of NASA, Angel One)

Its an old 5000…yes I know I can upgrade but I liked having the OTA tuner integrated into the unit.
 
Thats the way it works for us. Retailers.

Csr will activate receiver, but programming won't come on until you get the new (free) card.
 
Dish doesn't seem to care about the Yellow cards. When my 721 went from blue to yellow they must have sent me about 4-5 cards before I activated.
 
I have activated older receivers before and they sent new cards free of charge. Make sure you get a tracking number or something though, since my first one got "lost" and it took 2 weeks for another one to show up, in the mean time I couldn't watch anything :(.
 
I currently have a box active so its no biggie. I'll just have to wait for them to send me the new card.

First I have to let the software update.... I noticed I'm a couple updates behind :)
 
Tell them that you want the card shipped via UPS. USPS will lose it. Done had it happen to me (another bad USPS experience where they lose/stole the item). The card will cost nothing and there is no charge for S&H. I've replaced some without any problems.
 
Iceberg said:
I currently have a box active so its no biggie. I'll just have to wait for them to send me the new card.

First I have to let the software update.... I noticed I'm a couple updates behind :)
I believe you can let the software update with that old card you have .. or even cardless (just if want to do it cardless - would have to have the receiver there on the menu on "Do NOT ask if want to receive s/w" option.. so would need to set it up that way before hand) ..
If go cardless .. just power down the receiver with remote i believe.. and wait for it to start s/w download...

...Or can just do it with that old card in instead :)
 
I'll just let it update with the card in it. This receiver has close to current software in it (I use to hook it up to let it download software) :)
 
Oh.. OK.. - if "close to current s/w" is on it - it will be somewhat easier to d/l the newest one :)
 
OK I bought a 721 with a blue card from Ebay. they activated the receiver and sent me a blue card. I was able to get a few channels with the blue card activated, like Univision.
 
Stargazer said:
Tell them that you want the card shipped via UPS. USPS will lose it. Done had it happen to me (another bad USPS experience where they lose/stole the item). The card will cost nothing and there is no charge for S&H. I've replaced some without any problems.

I've had the opposite experience. I haven't had any problems with USPS but I have had UPS deliver packages to 4 different houses in my neighborhood. One was my 508!