Trouble receiving 129 with a Dish 1000.2

[MikeD-C05]

On Wednesday 12/10/08 the new Ciel Satellite is going to be launched to replace the wobbly echostar 5 sat at 129. So by early in January we should have a solid signal from 129 again, Barring any "lost in space" accidents like AMC 14 earlier in the year.

 

[Beckhamfam]

You should be able to hit 129 with a wing dish. It's hard to fine and the signal is weak now but will get much better around January. You may have to shoot between the trees, your wing dish can be a pretty good distance from your main dish to be able to find it. When I was trying to find 129 it took me several days until I bought a satellite meter. I had to use a 32" dish to get 129 but I live in the woods.

 

[Craigolio]

Hello -

I was searching for a solution to a very similar problem, and registered here because of the valuable feedback.

I am trying to fix my dad's setup in Middle Tennessee. He has a 1000.2 dish, and he has a Dish 500 pointed at 61.5 connected to the 'input' port on his 1000.2.

The problem is that neither the installer nor I could get it to 'see' 129. What is weird is that even with 61.5 being seen, my dad is unable to get his locals in HD (locals for him are Nashville locals, even though the dish is in zip code 38558.

The receivers give all sorts of strange error messages about 'do not call Dish network' or ' there is a satellite problem and we are working on it'. I will get the actual error messages and post them here.

But my question is: Could I take a spare Dish500 receiver with a twin lnb, point it at 129 (hopefully finding it) and plug IT into the 'input' port on the 1000.2? I would like to avoid moving the 1000.2 since it is a roof mount (through shingles), but I keep thinking if I could find SOME spot to hit 129 then all would be well. I just wonder whether the switch built into the 1000.2 would get 'confused' if I pump 129 into it, when it is expecting 129 to come from one of it's 'built in' lnb's?

Man, I hope I explained that right.

Thank you!

Craigo

 

[stevegd007]

I just saw this post and have to add I too have issues with the 129 an its trees in the way. I do get some good HD channels and a very few channels on the 129, an most of the 129 transponders have too low a signal strength to pull most all of the HD channels in. I get maybe like 1/4 of the the total HD channels. I am hoping to trim the offending tree when I get some money from tax returns...hopefully anyway....an hoping this would help. Other than that I am hopeing Dish has a fix in with a new satellite coming in late winter 09 or early spring. I have read here that something maybe in the work, but its slow coming.

 

[35LKSA]

I am new here. I was directed by someone from another forum. I have same issue with not being able to pick up 129 so I use my 1000.2 for 110/119 and setup my old Dish500 for 61.5. When warmer weather returns I will play with again after reading this thread. I will insure my post is plumb and play with the skew.

However, is there a difference in programming between 61.5 and 129?

Will I have to call Dish for them to do something if/when I do lock onto 129? or simply run the check switch.

 

[Laddyboy]

I am new here. I was directed by someone from another forum. I have same issue with not being able to pick up 129 so I use my 1000.2 for 110/119 and setup my old Dish500 for 61.5. When warmer weather returns I will play with again after reading this thread. I will insure my post is plumb and play with the skew.

However, is there a difference in programming between 61.5 and 129?

Will I have to call Dish for them to do something if/when I do lock onto 129? or simply run the check switch.

No difference in programming between 61.5 and 129 except for maybe one or two public interest channels and regional sports networks.

Running the check switch is all that's required.

 

[Voyager6]

I am new here. I was directed by someone from another forum. I have same issue with not being able to pick up 129 so I use my 1000.2 for 110/119 and setup my old Dish500 for 61.5. When warmer weather returns I will play with again after reading this thread. I will insure my post is plumb and play with the skew.

However, is there a difference in programming between 61.5 and 129?

Will I have to call Dish for them to do something if/when I do lock onto 129? or simply run the check switch.

to SatelliteGuys. Where in Eastern PA are you located? The angle for 129 is too low for eastern PA and you should be looking at 61.5 for HD.

 

[Laddyboy]

Hello -

I was searching for a solution to a very similar problem, and registered here because of the valuable feedback.

I am trying to fix my dad's setup in Middle Tennessee. He has a 1000.2 dish, and he has a Dish 500 pointed at 61.5 connected to the 'input' port on his 1000.2.

The problem is that neither the installer nor I could get it to 'see' 129. What is weird is that even with 61.5 being seen, my dad is unable to get his locals in HD (locals for him are Nashville locals, even though the dish is in zip code 38558.

The receivers give all sorts of strange error messages about 'do not call Dish network' or ' there is a satellite problem and we are working on it'. I will get the actual error messages and post them here.

But my question is: Could I take a spare Dish500 receiver with a twin lnb, point it at 129 (hopefully finding it) and plug IT into the 'input' port on the 1000.2? I would like to avoid moving the 1000.2 since it is a roof mount (through shingles), but I keep thinking if I could find SOME spot to hit 129 then all would be well. I just wonder whether the switch built into the 1000.2 would get 'confused' if I pump 129 into it, when it is expecting 129 to come from one of it's 'built in' lnb's?

Man, I hope I explained that right.

Thank you!

Craigo

The Nashville locals are on a 61.5 spotbeam so I would deal with getting 61.5 online and working and forget about 129 with a separate dish. I guess Nashville locals are still on a CONUS beam on 129. You should be receiving 129 with the 1000.2 anyway. Either the 1000.2 is misshaped, aligned incorrectly, lacks line-of-sight, or has a bad LNB. The installer needs to correct these problems, not you. He/she should never have departed without doing so. What does the Check Switch display show? Did your Dad ever get the HD locals from 61.5 or is this a new install?

 

[Craigolio]

The HD locals never did work. The install that is having problems is at my Dad's second home in a golf community near Crossville, TN. His main home is in Nashville, TN (about a 2 hour drive away). Dish seems to know that this is a second home, but we have been very reluctant to call them for help, because he really, really does not want to start having to pay twice for service when he can only watch tv in one location at a time . . . we even paid the installer ourselves, rather than have Dish send someone out. Anyway - that is why I am trying to solve it without an installer's help.

The installer said that the trees across the street from us are blocking line-of-sight on 129. I still think I could get it, maybe, and I am willing to dedicate more time to trying than he was. That is what prompted my initial question.

Per a phone call to my dad just now, the check switch shows the following details after running:

Port 1 Port 2 Port 3 Port 4
119 110 Good connection External LNB 61.5
Even&Odd Even &Odd No Signal Even&Odd
1K2 1K2 1K2 DP Dual
Reception verified Reception Verified Reception Verified

I had him check signal strength on 61.5, and low transponders come in about 55, while higher ones (such as 22) come in at 65. The Spot Beam 01 reveals a signal strength of about 66.

When tuning to a local, high def channel on his ViP722, a screen comes up with "Error 015" in the corner, and a message that says "Attention, acquiring satellite signal". IT reveals that it is trying sat 61.5 and transponder 22, and shows the progress as "0 of 5".

It then switches to the strange error message I mentioned earlier:

"Sorry for the interruption. There is no need to call us. We are working to have this channel back as soon as possible. You may still watch non-local programming."

It seems that 61.5 is correctly spotted, but that maybe the ViP722 is not looking to the 61.5 sat for reception. That is, it seems that maybe it is 'thinking' that HD locals should be on 129, and it can't see 129.

I sure appreciate your help thus far!

Craig

 

[Craigolio]

Sorry to post twice in a row, but I also just checked the channel lineup for 61.5 from a website called 'lyngsat'. It claims that the channel list was updated yesterday, and it does not list Nashville locals as being on 61.5.

It does list them on 129.

That would make sense as to why it is not working, but gets back to the original question of 'what happens if I plug 129 into port 4 on the 1000.2 instead of 61.5' (assuming, of course, that I can find some site on dad's property that can see 129)?

 

[Voyager6]

Sorry to post twice in a row, but I also just checked the channel lineup for 61.5 from a website called 'lyngsat'. It claims that the channel list was updated yesterday, and it does not list Nashville locals as being on 61.5.

It does list them on 129.

That would make sense as to why it is not working, but gets back to the original question of 'what happens if I plug 129 into port 4 on the 1000.2 instead of 61.5' (assuming, of course, that I can find some site on dad's property that can see 129)?

According to TheList! here on SatGuys, the Nashville HD locals are on TP13 from 61.5.

 

[Craigolio]

Interesting . . .

That list has some conflicting information. From living here, I know that Nashville locals consist of:

WKRN (Local ABC Channel 2)
WSMV (Local NBC Channel 4)
WTVF (Local CBS Channel 5)
WNPT (Local PBS Channel 8)
WZTV (Local FOX Channel 17)
WUXP (Local UPN Channel 30)
WHTN (Local CTN Channel 39), and
WNAB (Local CW Channel 58)

"The List" mentioned in the post above shows those channels as being based in cities such as Atlanta, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, etc. They are all listed as being on transponder 13 of something called the "Area 9 Beam" of 61.5

I had my dad check signal strength of all transponders on 61.5 in the Area 9 beam:

01 - good (roughly 60% signal strength)
03 - good " "
05 - good " "
07 - good " "
09 - only about 02% signal strength
11 - only about 02% signal strength
13 - only about 02% signal strength
15 - (15 is not in the Area 9 Beam, but) about 75% signal strength

So, we are clearly not getting a good signal from transponder 13. Is there any chance that careful realignment of the 61.5 dish will solve this problem? Alternatively, any ideas on the separate dish for 129?

Thanks for sticking with me!

 

[Laddyboy]

Interesting . . .

That list has some conflicting information. From living here, I know that Nashville locals consist of:

WKRN (Local ABC Channel 2)
WSMV (Local NBC Channel 4)
WTVF (Local CBS Channel 5)
WNPT (Local PBS Channel 8)
WZTV (Local FOX Channel 17)
WUXP (Local UPN Channel 30)
WHTN (Local CTN Channel 39), and
WNAB (Local CW Channel 58)

"The List" mentioned in the post above shows those channels as being based in cities such as Atlanta, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, etc. They are all listed as being on transponder 13 of something called the "Area 9 Beam" of 61.5

I had my dad check signal strength of all transponders on 61.5 in the Area 9 beam:

01 - good (roughly 60% signal strength)
03 - good " "
05 - good " "
07 - good " "
09 - only about 02% signal strength
11 - only about 02% signal strength
13 - only about 02% signal strength
15 - (15 is not in the Area 9 Beam, but) about 75% signal strength

So, we are clearly not getting a good signal from transponder 13. Is there any chance that careful realignment of the 61.5 dish will solve this problem? Alternatively, any ideas on the separate dish for 129?

Thanks for sticking with me!

It's possible the 61.5 dish needs a little tweaking. It's also possible I guess that Crossville isn't in the spotbeam. It's also possible the receiver is faulty. Is there just one receiver?

You can use the input port of the 1000.2 for another sat, but usually a single LNB (dual) is used and not a twin. Use the spare 500 w/twin hooked directly to the receiver to try to find 129 and go from there.

If Crossville is in Cumberland County it is in the Knoxville DMA and not the Nashville DMA which may mean it isn't within the Nashville spotbeam on 61.5. If that's the case, 129 would be your only option. Sooner or later the CONUS beam Nashville HD locals will likely disappear and go on a spotbeam as well. E* does allow subs to have two dish setups if they stop service at one address and start at another address. You just can't have two locations in service at the same time.

 

[35LKSA]

You'd never find my town on a map so suffice to say I'm just outside Allentown.

If I cannot get 129 (there are others who have said I wouldn't be able to too) I guess I'll get a 1000.4 LNB and go for 61.5/72.7/77. I do not want 2 dishes.

 

[Craigolio]

Got it.

Next time I get up there, I will climb on the roof and try to peak out reception on 61.5.

Do you have any thoughts on whether I could successfully point that second dish at 129 and plug it into the spare 'input' port on the 1000.2 lnb? Or will that 'confuse' the receiver?

I guess in a worst case, I could spend about $100 and buy a DPP44 and just add a THIRD dish (assuming mom doesn't put the kaibash on that idea!) I do have a spare dish and dishpro laying around . . .

I'd sure like to avoid that third dish idea though. I guess really if I go the DPP44 route, I could just NOT hookup the dead 129 feed from the 1000.2, and I could instead (hopefully) point the second dish at 129 rather than 61.5.

And since it is a new year (almost), full of hope, there is always the chance that when they fire up that new sat in the 129 location here in the next few days or weeks that all of a sudden 129 will "just work"!!

Come on Ciel2!! I'M COUNTING ON YOU!

 

[Laddyboy]

Got it.

Next time I get up there, I will climb on the roof and try to peak out reception on 61.5.

Do you have any thoughts on whether I could successfully point that second dish at 129 and plug it into the spare 'input' port on the 1000.2 lnb? Or will that 'confuse' the receiver?

I guess in a worst case, I could spend about $100 and buy a DPP44 and just add a THIRD dish (assuming mom doesn't put the kaibash on that idea!) I do have a spare dish and dishpro laying around . . .

I'd sure like to avoid that third dish idea though. I guess really if I go the DPP44 route, I could just NOT hookup the dead 129 feed from the 1000.2, and I could instead (hopefully) point the second dish at 129 rather than 61.5.

And since it is a new year (almost), full of hope, there is always the chance that when they fire up that new sat in the 129 location here in the next few days or weeks that all of a sudden 129 will "just work"!!

Come on Ciel2!! I'M COUNTING ON YOU!

Knoxville HD locals are on spotbeam 7 so I think Crossville may be outside the Nashville 9 beam.

You can add a 129 dish to the 1000.2 "in" port. Just be sure to uncable the existing 129 LNB on the 1000.2 or foil it over. I thought if you used the spare 500 to find 129, maybe that would give you an idea where you could reinstall the 1000.2. If you're not going to use the 61.5 dish, swing it around and try to find 129. It probably has just a dual LNB on it which would be easier. You could also use the spare 500 w/twin for 110 and 119. If it's a DPP Twin, it should have an input port for the other dish.

 

[Craigolio]

I'm with ya.

I'll just give it a shot. The thing is, I can't unwire the 129 lnb, because it is built into the lnb that came with the 1000.2 - That is, the switch is built into the lnb. and it combines 110, 119, 129 and the 'input port'. That's why I keep asking what happens if I plug in a 129 feed when the switch already thinks it is getting a 129 feed.

I'll just try it and see what happens. I'll report my findings once I am done for the benefit of others.

I ordered an inclinometer today (for $150!! - yipes!!) that I will use to try and find a spot that can see 129. I hope to sell the inclinometer when done.

Then, I suppose I could cough up another $75 for a DPP44 if I find 129 and I'll be done.

Thanks!

 

[Laddyboy]

I don't think it'll matter if you run another 129 signal to the LNB port on the 1000.2 if the 129 LNB on the 1000.2 isn't receiving a signal. You can always place foil over the 129 eye to make sure no signal is there. I think the LNB IN only accepts a signal from a DP Single or DP Dual LNB though, although I'm not absolutely sure.

 

[iwannarock1]

This month I finally bought an HDTV and added an HD package to my Dish Network account so I could make good use of it. I bought a Dish 1000.2, and the installer set it up and everything worked great. For various reasons, I needed to move the dish to get it off the building. quote]

1. If it worked great, why did you move it?

2. if you are reconsidering putting it back on the roof, apparently it's ok up there. So again, why did you take it off?

 

[Voyager6]

You'd never find my town on a map so suffice to say I'm just outside Allentown.

If I cannot get 129 (there are others who have said I wouldn't be able to too) I guess I'll get a 1000.4 LNB and go for 61.5/72.7/77. I do not want 2 dishes.

Just remember, that to use the Eastern Arc, you must have all VIP receivers and the new smart cards installed. You may have better luck receiving 129 when Ciel-2 comes online this month.