Starchoice convert

[mojofilter]

I guess I'm one of the many SC converts since BEV started messing with their transponders. It's little frustrating to be back at square one, esp so close to the start of the hockey season.

SC doesn't seem to have a installation manual I can download, so I'm operating kind of in the dark here. Some questions (my eternal gratitude to any who can help):

1) I've got the DSR505, but a standard dish on the roof and a standard tv (for now). Do I need the elliptical dish to get a signal, or should the standard round dish I used with BEV non-HD receiver work ok? Currently I get 0 signal strength.

2) My sister brought the receiver down for me, but I didn't find a card in the packaging. BEV required an access card to get programming, but I can't remember if that was shipped with the equipment or only later.

3) SC supposedly will ship a dish out here (CA) if I need one, as part of the home-away-from-home deal. Do they require the original receiver and dish to be set up and activated in Canada before shipping another dish out here?

 

[Jumbo Dumbo]

A) Expressvu is a DBS service, SC is Ku band. You need KU dish - 2 single sat dishes with multiswitch to get all the channels - or SC elliptical

installation link http://www.starchoice.com/english/support/manuals/manuals.asp

B) SC is Digicipher encryption - no cards

 

[icstephen]

Also I have heard that some people are having a hard time getting a good signal in California on the new HD channels with the eliptical (you would need the 75E dish in Ca though if you decided to go with that)...I dont know if this will change or not in the future.

 

[mojofilter]

Thanks for the info everyone. Jumbo, I'm a little ignorant of the finer points of satellite technology, so please bear with my next question: can my single BEV dish pick up at least one of the SC satellites? I'm assuming that your recommendation to use two standard dishes or an elliptical is so that I can pick up both satellites (HD on one, standard on the other). But if all I need to get me started is the standard signal, would my single dish setup work?

 

[Mr Tony]

no the dish is too small. Starchoice requires a 30" dish minimum in the US....Canada can get by with a 24" but US needs a 30"

 

[Jumbo Dumbo]

A DBS dish LNBF cannot pick up Ku frequencies. You require a Ku Band or SC dish

 

[digiblur]

A) Expressvu is a DBS service, SC is Ku band. You need KU dish - 2 single sat dishes with multiswitch to get all the channels - or SC elliptical

installation link http://www.starchoice.com/english/support/manuals/manuals.asp

B) SC is Digicipher encryption - no cards

Never saw those before, LOL, the 205 and 207 look like the old Surfboard cable modem cases on their side. Guess they had to reuse the plastic molds for something.

 

[mojofilter]

Ok, thanks everyone. I guess I'll try to get SC to ship out another dish to my "home away from home"