Upgrading to H3

[Matty_G]

I have a tech scheduled to come out on Monday to install a new H3 at no cost to me.

From what I've read it's likely he will have to install a completely new dish? I'm on the east coast in VA.

My biggest concern is keeping the recordings I have on my HWS. It's at 95% and my 2 TB EHD is at 90% I recently read about Oldmuttonhead's very pleasant upgrade experience:

Ack! Shows Missing In Manage Recordings

I assume that's more the exception than the norm. Can I be certain the tech will allow me to keep the HWS to transfer recordings? Will he walk me through transferring the timers? Since I have almost a week to prepare should I transfer the recordings to another EHD myself?

Also, it sounds like it's a very slow process to transfer recordings via Ethernet. If it indeed takes days will I still be able to record programs during the transfer?

Also again, my existing 2 TB EHD should connect and work just fine with the new H3?

Thanks,

 

[navychop]

Buy that EHD TODAY! It will take many hours of transferring, and you certainly need to be done well before the tech shows. Transfer in groups, not all at once. Ethernet takes even longer. You may have one or more corrupted recordings that will interrupt the transfer process.

Yes, you can almost always easily see the EHD from the new receiver. Although it supposedly is no longer necessary, I’d wait three days before plugging in the EHD to the H3.

I’d back up the timers to the remote before he gets there. Probably being done automagically. But the process is easy. I’m just not at home to list the steps.

 

[Partysox]

To backup timers go to diagnostics-tools-back up settings and navychop is spot on transfer your recordings before the tech gets there if you can.

 

[KAB]

Buy that EHD TODAY! It will take many hours of transferring, and you certainly need to be done well before the tech shows. Transfer in groups, not all at once. Ethernet takes even longer. You may have one or more corrupted recordings that will interrupt the transfer process.

Yes, you can almost always easily see the EHD from the new receiver. Although it supposedly is no longer necessary, I’d wait three days before plugging in the EHD to the H3.

I’d back up the timers to the remote before he gets there. Probably being done automagically. But the process is easy. I’m just not at home to list the steps.

Yep, get a new drive and start transferring. You have six days, which should be more than enough time.

 

[Jim5506]

And hang on to that old remote, familiarity is the best teacher.

 

[navychop]

ABSOLUTELY! Just hid it. You can restore after the tech is gone. The tech has NO RIGHT to take the old remote, whatever he says.

I have a huge collection of remotes, mostly unused, since I prefer Harmony.

 

[HipKat]

ABSOLUTELY! Just hid it. You can restore after the tech is gone. The tech has NO RIGHT to take the old remote, whatever he says.

I have a huge collection of remotes, mostly unused, since I prefer Harmony.

Or worded better, he has no need to take it -IF he has spares (most of us do) to use in place of it when he turns the receiver in. Returned receivers have to have remotes with them. Now, the chances of him not having a spare or his warehouse not having spares is extremely remote. Heck, I have to Hopper boxes in my garage full of old remotes

 

[navychop]

I’ve never had a tech show the slightest interest in my old remotes.

Dish can’t really clean and reissue them anyway, now can they?

 

[JSheridan]

I’ve never had a tech show the slightest interest in my old remotes.

Dish can’t really clean and reissue them anyway, now can they?

Yes they can. Believe it or not a lot of the remotes we've been seeing lately have been re-manufactured. LNB's too.

 

[navychop]

Gross

 

[Matty_G]

Thanks everyone for the advice...now the hard part. Finding an AC powered EHD. Can't seem to find any on Amazon for less than $100. How important is it that it's AC powered?

 

[Pepper]

Thanks everyone for the advice...now the hard part. Finding an AC powered EHD. Can't seem to find any on Amazon for less than $100. How important is it that it's AC powered?

It's important that it not draw too much power from the USB connector. Pick something here that lets you use any cheap SATA drive you can find.

 

[Matty_G]

It's important that it not draw too much power from the USB connector. Pick something here that lets you use any cheap SATA drive you can find.

Speaking of SATA... I have an old 500 GB eSATA, AC powered, EHD I haven't used for years. Would that work if I got an eSATA to USB cable?

 

[navychop]

Yes.

 

[Bobby]

but that 500 will probably not be enough storage if you have 95% on your HWS...

 

[KAB]

Thanks everyone for the advice...now the hard part. Finding an AC powered EHD. Can't seem to find any on Amazon for less than $100. How important is it that it's AC powered?

I highly suggest you use one of these, then get a 2G WD Blue internal drive for $60. You can hot swap any future drives you might get.

Amazon product ASIN B0012Z3MKW

 

[navychop]

Time is fleeting.

 

[HipKat]

Yes they can. Believe it or not a lot of the remotes we've been seeing lately have been re-manufactured. LNB's too.

And some of the reman'd LNB's look like they got drug down the street behind a tank. It's embarrassing

 

[joegr]

Time is fleeting.

Madness takes its toll

 

[Matty_G]

I highly suggest you use one of these, then get a 2G WD Blue internal drive for $60. You can hot swap any future drives you might get.

Amazon product ASIN B0012Z3MKW

Sounds good! But I'm really trying to keep costs down. That was my original reason for calling Dish. They can cut my bill in almost half, but they wanted a 2 yr commitment. I said I wouldn't touch that without new equipment. So here I am. I can get an eSATA to USB adaptor for $10. The old 500GB EHD I have is over 10 years old. I used it with a Scientific Atlanta Comcast box - those DVRs were horrible! Should I even trust it? It did power on last night, but nothing to connect it to to test. I know 500GB wouldn't fit everything; I'd have to trim some fat. People say I watch too much tv anyway.