Using the same Dish receiver at two sites

[WWCody]

I am a new member to this site but it looks as if it will be the right one to address some questions I have about using the Dish system. Here is the first one.
Will a Dish model 4900 receiver work with a Dish 500 antenna (witb twin LNBF at 110 and 119) at a different site from where it is normally used?
I have a second home. When I go there, I would like to disconnet my receiver from my main home and reconnect it to a similar Dish 500 antenna at the second site. Both sites use the same local channels that are part of the subscription. When I return to my main home, I would take the box back with me. Obviously, television reception would occur only at the site with the receiver.
Are there any issues with this use, aside from making sure I don’t damage the receiver? Note that I am not on contract for either the antennas or the receiver: they are each over 6 years old. Of course, I do have an active subscription and an up to date smart card. .
Thanks in advance for any advice.
WWCody

 

[Bobby]

Just do a switch test at each location when you first turn them on. Should work just fine.

 

[HIFI]

as long as both locations have legacy lnb's you should be fine after the check switch

 

[WWCody]

Thank you both for the speedy and clear replies.

WWCody

 

[bross]

You might want to give Dish a call and tell them what you want to do. They have a snowbird policy and will usually install a system at your second home for free.

 

[KAB]

You might want to give Dish a call and tell them what you want to do. They have a snowbird policy and will usually install a system at your second home for free.

That would require a separate accounts at each residence, obviously not desired.

 

[garys]

That would require a separate accounts at each residence, obviously not desired.

No, you can do this on one account as you are moving to another location for a part of the year. Only change would be if you have locals. This does not violate the agreement with Dish since the all the receivers on the account are at the same location and Dish knows where they are.

 

[bross]

That would require a separate accounts at each residence, obviously not desired.

Not anymore. With their new snowbird policy you can have service at two homes. Take your receiver back and forth, call them and they'll change your locals to whichever house you're at. They'll even install it at the second house under the Dishmover policy, usually for free. All at no additional monthly charge.

 

[Stargazer]

Dish Network will lock your account to where you are only allowed to have one receiver on your account if you don't watch.

 

[Mr Tony]

but it sounds like he is a "weekend warrior" where he has a lake house/cabin somewhere nearby (he mentions same locals)

just take the receiver to the other house and dont say anything to Dish. We've been doing this for almost 10 years now hauling a receiver to the cabin on weekends

 

[WWCody]

Thanks to Bross and Garys, I called Dish Network. The agent confirmed that they do have a snowbird option. Here is what I think I heard. I will confirm when I do the move.

For about $106 plus taxes plus a 2 year commitment plus one month of warranty service, I can
-first upgrade my existing legacy system so I have an HD receiver with DVR plus antenna that can receive the HD signals for my local channels;
-then exercise the move feature to get the additional antenna at the second location;
-then call to use the snow bird option each time I move the box. Presumably the call is needed only if I am using the call in feature or need some service. Once done I cancel the warranty service.

For this, I get no increase in monthly fees, new receiver for HD, new antennas at both locations and the option to move the box back and forth. Given that purchasing the antenna, switch and cable to do it myself at another location will cost me money, take my time, and present a risk of falling off the roof yet without the HD local channels to watch while I recover, going with Dish may make the most sense.

I will let you know what actually happens.

Thanks again,

WWCody

If you don't ask, no one has a chance to say "yes."

 

[sgarland14]

Hooking satellite up to Dish 500 from Dish Pro

I am doing something similar to WWCody. I want to take my receiver from home (which is hooked up to a Dish Pro receiver) and hook it up in our camper to a Dish 500. When I do that and run a check switch it says "the check switch test has found you have fewer satellites than previously detected". Can I click save on this and not lose anything. Or if I lose channels will I get them back when I hook back up to my home dish? Thanks for any help.

 

[ardeel]

assuming its connected correctly "fewer satellites" also means that a different switch (lnb) has been detected (could be one is a quad and one is a dual). If the lnbs are identical then this message means you have the receiver connected wrong or a bad lnb or an antenna alignment issue. Just select save and if both sats are confirmed, then all is well, you will have to do the sme thing when you get home

 

[sgarland14]

Thanks Ardeel. What if my 110 satellite isn't detected when I click save. Will I get it back?

 

[TheKrell]

You will get them back when you hook up your home dish antenna again.

 

[ardeel]

yes

 

[WWCody]

What actually happened: moving the receiver

This is the update I promised about getting two sites with one receiver. This is to help naive users like me get up to speed faster.

Thanks to the good advice from this forum, I asked Dish for an upgrade from Family Plan + Locals with an old receiver and a Dish 500 antenna to Family Plan + Locals with a 612 HD receiver (with DVR) and a Dish 1000 antenna. Cost was an $100 one time fee plus $6 more a month for the DVR (with some extra taxes) and a 2 year commitment. Given that I have the DVR and some HD channels, this seemed like a good deal.

I then called Dish for their Snowbird/Move plan. For no more money, they installed another 1000 antenna at the other site. The receiver/DVR I now move back and forth works perfectly at either site. In fact, the standard definition reception is superior to what I had before. This might be a result of the combination of a better receiver, a more carefully aimed antenna, and improved wiring.

I cancelled cable service at the other site so for less money I have better television. I have purchased some duplicate cables so I don't have to carry those around. Note that Dish does not seem to care about this. They would like me to tell them the telephone number that I connect up to when I move the receiver, but for the moment that does not seem to be an issue. If I had gone for the 622 receiver, apparently, I would either have to always hook up to a telephone or pay an additional $5 a month to use satellite band width to download the information.

One surprise was the information the installer told me, that I cannot use my house cable system to send HD signals to other TV's, just SD. Perusing other discussions on this forum indicated that, with the receiver I have, I could connect a second HD TV shwing the same channel if one would be connected to the receiver with an HDMI and the other with component cables. There is some limit on distance, up to 50 or so feet. Alternatively, I could buy a powered HD splitter and send signals over two HDMI cables or even over pairs of Cat 6 cables. I can now think about this option.

One final note: the Dish installers at both sites were excellent: patient with my questions, careful with the installation of antennas to get an aesthetic (that is, hidden) location, and providing a good path for the wiring.

Thanks again to all for the key leads.