VIP 211K and 1000.4 Eastern Arc

[Jakester3]

Hello, for the last couple of years I have been using a VIP211K and a tripod mounted 1000.2 on western arc for my RV. I am in SW Pennsylvania. While at a campground a few weeks ago I happened to be next to a dish installer who came over while I was setting up my dish. He said I should be using eastern arc when he noticed me eyeing up where I was setting the dish to miss the trees. He aslo said they quit using western arc setups a few years ago around this area. Sometimes its tough, if not impossible, to hit 129 at the campground due to trees and topography depending on the site we are on. Well he said I could use eastern arc with the 211K and the 1000.2 by changing the LNB, even said he would have given me a eastern arc LNB if he had one with him. Anyway I went ahead and bought the 1000.4 eastern arc dish. One of the first things in the manual it says is its only compatible with receivers having a circled A logo on the features label. Where is the features label? On the box that was in the landfill 2 years ago? I can not find a circled A anywhere on the 211K. Prior to purchasing the 1000.4 I sent dish customer service an email, along with the serial numbers and smart card numbers etc from the 211K and asked them if it would work on eastern arc with a 1000.4. They sort of provided a non answer which said. "You are more than welcome to use either western arc or eastern arc depending on your location". What I am planning is using either western arc with the 1000.2 or eastern arc and 1000.4 depending on what campsite or campground we are at, possibly even just getting a western arc LNB for the 1000.4 and changing LNBS instead of whole setups as needed. I guess my question is this, are there 211K's that for whatever reason, older version, smart card, software etc, will not operate eastern arc? Or am I good to go. I plan on setting it up over the weekend so would really like to know before I waste my time.

Thanks
John

 

[robstudio]

Yeah that circled A caused me some stress before install as well... fear not, it will work no problemo... all vip series receivers work fine on either arc.
Happy dish pointing!
And to Satellite Guys!!!


Oh... and be sure you re-do your check switch test when changing dishes.

 

[Jakester3]

Thanks, maybe I can take this a little further. Is it possible to use the 1000.2 Western Arc LNB with the 1000.4 setup ( mounting bracket and arm) or even the 1000.2 arm and LNB on the 1000.4 dish and backing assembly? I have not had time to dig my 1000.2 stuff out of the camper yet to compare it but I read somewhere that the 1000.4 has some kind of keyed assembly or something. I also think I read about some kind of mod. And as usual I can not remember where I was reading the stuff and can not find it again?

Thanks
John

 

[TheKrell]

Both WA and EA LNB assemblies exist for the 1000.4 dish. Another item of interest is the partial EA (61.5/72) LNB that IIRC fits on a 1000.2 dish.

 

[Jakester3]

Both WA and EA LNB assemblies exist for the 1000.4 dish. Another item of interest is the partial EA (61.5/72) LNB that IIRC fits on a 1000.2 dish.

Thanks, I was aware of that although from what I have read on Ebay the WA 1000.4 LNB's are going to get "hard to get" real quick. Now I do not know how true that is but I did notice the 1000.4 EA LNB's only are all over Ebay, and the 1000.4 WA LNB's only are sparse and around double the price. I would really like to use my existing 1000.2 WA LNB with the 1000.4 EA assembly if possible. Then I would not have to carry both dishes around, which would be an issue with my wife as she says I am nuts anyway and she is right. Not to mention shelling out another $50 or so which can be better spent elsewhere like on adult refreshments while camping. And also I would bet the farm in a year or two I'll need a 1000.5 or a 1000.6 or 1000.10 or something. Funny how that works.

Thanks again
John

 

[rvvaquero]

I use the 1000.4 EA dish, which is what Dish sent me. I was concerned that when I went to New Mexico/Colorado for the summer I would need the WA, so I bought a WA lnb. So far, I haven't needed it. I'm in Western Colorado now using EA with good signal.

What you might do is check Craig's List wherever you are for a WA setup. I've seen them really cheap. I see the dish hanging on vacant property all over the West. You probably won't need it unless you go to the Northwest.

 

[boba]

You should really get the 1000.2 EA LNB it looks at only 2 satellites so it is easier to setup. The 1000.2 is smaller than the 1000.4 so easier to store. And no 1000.2 and 1000.4 LNBs are not interchangable.

 

[Jakester3]

You should really get the 1000.2 EA LNB it looks at only 2 satellites so it is easier to setup. The 1000.2 is smaller than the 1000.4 so easier to store. And no 1000.2 and 1000.4 LNBs are not interchangable.

Well I intend to stick with the 0.4 for the RV, storage is not an issue. I really like the fine tuning cam for azimuth and the elevation adjustment setup. It seems the 0.4 backing assembly and those adjustments are rock solid. Those were the pain with the 0.2. I used to put grease on the tripod mast to get it free enough to fine tune the azimuth. That made a heck of a mess when packing it up. I need to have both the capability to use EA or WA. I never know when I go to another campground or site what I will be dealing with in regards to alignment once the leaves are on the trees. So I guess if the 0.2 WA LNB will not work with the 0.4 I'll need to buy the WA LNB for the 0.4. Although I know a few days ago I was reading a thread somewhere, I think it was on this forum, that said you could make the 0.2 WA LNB work on the 0.4 dish by cutting a tab off either the bracket or arm or something. I think it said something about it being a DN installer trick used when short of parts or something along those lines. I searched a few times and have yet to find it.

 

[robstudio]

Yes you can remove the tab and put a 1000.2 lnb on a 1000.4 dish/arm... if that's what you're asking... The 1000.4 lnb head would fit on a 1000.2 dish as well but the .4 requires the larger dish size to receive good signal.
The 1000.4 is indeed a nice dish. Super easy to fine tune elevation without the dish flopping about.

 

[Jakester3]

The tab

Yes you can remove the tab and put a 1000.2 lnb on a 1000.4 dish/arm... if that's what you're asking... The 1000.4 lnb head would fit on a 1000.2 dish as well but the .4 requires the larger dish size to receive good signal.
The 1000.4 is indeed a nice dish. Super easy to fine tune elevation without the dish flopping about.

Thanks, I knew I read it somewhere. Now maybe someone could tell me what tab? The large one that is like 1 1/2 long that bends back inside the arm? Or part of the plastic LNB mounting bracket? In any case I will learn the hard way later when I dig the 0.2 out of the camper and get it side by side with the 0.4. Sort of like building a 1000.4.2.E.W. I'll probably be the first to make contact with aliens.

 

[Jakester3]

Thanks, I knew I read it somewhere. Now maybe someone could tell me what tab? The large one that is like 1 1/2 long that bends back inside the arm? Or part of the plastic LNB mounting bracket? In any case I will learn the hard way later when I dig the 0.2 out of the camper and get it side by side with the 0.4. Sort of like building a 1000.4.2.E.W. I'll probably be the first to make contact with aliens.

I assume it is the center half round tab, on the plastic LNB 1000.4 bracket, without the screw hole which slides into the LNB?

 

[robstudio]

Correct. Break off centre tab and you're good to go.

 

[Jakester3]

Thanks, It works

Well I finally had the time to start messing with the new equipment.


Above is the 1000.2 WA LNB ON the 1000.4 Dish.



The 1K.2 WA LNB on the 1K.4 Arm Bracket



Hello WA. I did get a little more signal with the 1K.4 dish than I used to get with the 1K.2 Dish. And I did not have to put out the cash for the actual 1K.4 WA LNB.



Close up of the center tab on the 1K.4 bracket removed after I changed the 1K2 WA LNB over to the 1K4 EA LNB. Just sliced it off with a utility knife. There is no half round slot on the 1K.2 LNB. And the 1K.4 arm is around 2 to 3 inches longer than the 1K.2.



The 1K.4 EA setup as purchased.



And hello EA. Thanks everyone for the help and comments. Now I have two options out in the woods, EA or WA. If I can't find a spot to make one or the other work I guess that means I should not be watching TV at the campground. The only thing I did notice is on EA is I do not get the Pittsburgh locals in SD along with HD like I do on WA. There not listed on the satellite and channel maps either. Thats weird.

Thanks again
John

 

[MikeD-C05]

Eastern arc doesn't have sd locals if they are already in Hd. This non duplication is intentional on DISH's part on eastern arc.

 

[garys]

Since you need mpeg4 for EA, there should be no reason to supply both sd and HD.

 

[Jakester3]

Well I still use WA at home, and will be using it at the campground most of the time. What was nice about having them both on WA, SD on 110 and HD on 129 was in the rare instance we get a bad enough thunderstorm, with torrential rain, 129 was the first to go out and we could still get the locals in SD on 110. Since there is not much worth watching on those locals anyway, I guess you can't have everything. The main point of having the dish at campground anyway was for the weather channel, and something for the niece and nephew if the weather turns crappy or they get bored.