Why am I on a Local HD Spot Beam Outside my Range?

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SatelliteGuys Family
Original poster
Dec 5, 2009
36
40
VT & CT
I live in southeastern Connecticut. After looking at the Dish Channel Chart I see my local (Hartford) HD channels are sent via 61.5W, spot beam 3, which places me a tad outside the red oval. This explains why I always lose my local channels at any hint of bad weather while still received the channels broadcast over CONUS. So my question is to any Dish Tech on the forum is, “Why are local CT HD channels broadcast over a spot beam that only covers 2/3 of the state?” PLEASE tell me there are future plans to correct this. After all, there are spot beams on the 61.5W satellite that DO cover my entire state. Equipment: 1000.4 dish, (61.5, 72.7W 77.0W) VIP211K & VIP722 receivers.
 
In Northeast Ct I do not lose the Hartford locals any more than other channels on the EA. Maybe switching to the WA, where locals there completely cover CT would work for you?
 
Also note that Echo12 has been reoriented, supposedly a little bit, to the northeast from those spotbeam maps. In my experience with people in northern DE unable to get NY locals (they get Norfolk locals on TP 15 not NY), I think it's reoriented rather aggressively. This should put you well within the spotbeam, despite the map. Perhaps your dish needs peaking?
 
Tampa8, thanks for your reply. The spot beam 3 map for NE CT is between the green and yellow ovals so I would expect better reception in the NE. According to the 110W map I would get excellent reception on the locals but only in SD. …I’m paying for HD. But again, thank you for taking the time to reply.
 
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TheKrell, thanks for your reply. When was the reorientation? As for re-peaking the disk, I’ve had the problem since day one and the other channels come in much better. (Other than extreme conditions.) And I get the message, “Your local channels are unavailable at this time. Our technicians are working the issue. In the meantime you can watch other channels (which I can) by pressing the channel button up or down…. (Or a message close to that.) So the other channels come in fine. I didn’t have this problem went I lived in Vermont, but then I was on spot beam 2, which ironically covers the whole state of CT within the green oval. Seems like THAT's where I would have place the CT channels. …But I’m just a dumb ol’customer.
 
Tampa8, thanks for your reply. The spot beam 3 map for NE CT is between the green and yellow ovals so I would expect better reception in the NE. According to the 110W map I would get excellent reception on the locals but only in SD. …I’m paying for HD. But again, thank you for taking the time to reply.

I think you were looking at the NW part of CT, towards NY. I am in the North East side - near Mass. I would actually be further from the Red curve than you. I do not lose the locals, other than when I might lose all signals for a couple of minutes. I will add, I am not aware of any of my friends who have dish that have any complaints of losing the signal, in fact I don't remember a post before yours of anyone in this area with that particular problem.
 
Agree with Tampa8's observations. Your EA dish IMHO almost certainly needs peaking. The tech starts by pointing the dish at 72.7 which is aiming dead center on the dish. You could have low signal strength on 61.5 if the dish's skew is off. 77 is so close to 72.7 that channels you receive there (if any) won't be significantly low. Try getting a signals strength reading from the Point Dish screen and report back. The spotbeams are (at least around here) the strongest signals by far.

I don't remember when Dish bought Rainbow 1 and renamed it Echostar 12. But that's probably when it got reoriented, if not shortly before Dish turned on the spotbeams. While the old spotbeam maps showed good coverage of Connecticut using spotbeam 2, it's proably now pointed too far north to be of use to you.
 

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