Satellite TV - Dish Network

[DavidInWilmNC]

I'm thinking about going to Dish Network from Time Warner Cable.  TW's prices are high and the picture quality isn't as good as it is on the sat. tv's that I've seen in the past.  I can get two dual tuner receivers and dish for a package for around $35 (200 channels).  From what I can tell, service on an additional receiver is $5.  I can buy a receiver and antenna on eBay, for the bus, for around $50 or so.  I read somewhere that the new Dish Network receivers don't use cards now... or have them built in; I'm not sure which.  Has anybody had any problems with doing this?  I had Direct TV a few years ago for a short while and pretty much any receiver worked with any card as long as the card was valid and had service.  Any input, experiences, or suggestions would be appreciated!  Thanks!

David

[JerryH]

David:
We have Dish TV, our program provides us with (1) dual tuner receiver DVR and (2) stand alone receivers.  The stand alones DO have cards.  I leave (1) receiver in the bus, connected to a KVH L3 in-motion satellite. 
We used to have Comcast Cable TV (not digital service though).  But after high bills and crappy service, I switched to Dish and Verizon DSL.  We found the Dish picture quality better than Comcast cable.  I selected Dish rather than Direct due to channel selections.  KVH and others (I believe) prefer Direct TV over Dish TV.  But we did work out some bugs.
David, here's where we experience problems.  The bus is parked in a garage, with no signal.  With no power to the receiver and no signal for extended periods of time, we have to phone Dish TV and they re-boot or turn something on to get that receiver on again.
My suggestion ... get the service which provides an additional receiver.  Keep it IN the house for whatever other room TV.  When you're ready to travel, unplug it and take it with you.  This way, it's powered at home and receiving a signal from Dish, keeping it current.

Just my $0.02.
Jerry H.

[DuaneMC7]

I agree with Dave. We have three receivers at home and I just grab one of those when we travel. It works great and I have never had to call for assistance or a re-boot.

Good luck, Duane

[Hartley]

Dish doesn't need a phone line under normal use.
I have 3 receivers, One I keep in the bus on the King Sat aimed at 119 the others all
are in use all the time. The one in the bus goes in my living room normally but I have
everything in there apart anyway.

Unlike the "other" vendor Dish doesn't require a contract and arbitrarily shut off service just because they can.
( they also don't sue "extort"  everyone on the planet that is an X subscriber ).

Their receivers do need to be hooked up with a signal even when not in use to keep updated.

My suggestion would be to get an extra dish ( even an old single type ) and install it where you park
to keep signal up. Most of the "other" brand antennas will work, You only need to see 110 or 119 to stay
updated.

I get Top 180 with the movie channels package on 3 receivers for about $120 a month. Unless you use Interactive or
PPV you won't need a phone line "ever" they may charge you an extra $5 but it's worth every penny.

[jjrbus]

 I have Dish network. The new receivers do not have cards. On the plus side of this is, if you have problems you dont have to pull card, just push reset button!!
  I do know you can run into compatability problems with old receivers and new LNB's or old LNBs and new receivers. Better to go to a Satellite type store where they do service work. They  know what goes with what. Will cost you a few dollars more. But may save you some money and headaches. Also if you have some setup problems, you have somebody to call!!

[Skykingrob]

Hi David
We use dish ourselves. I have the 4 receiver package. 3 at my home and 1 at my lake home, 35 miles away. When we travel, I remove one receiver from the home to the bus and away we go. The only issue is as was mentioned, if any of the receivers doesn't stay in touch with the satellite signal, it has to be rebooted by the folks at the techcenter after about 1 month of inactivity.  I purchased an extra antenna from the installing satellite dealer for $50 that I used on our lake home. You could mount one on the outside of your bus shed and run a line to the bus when it is home or simply move the receiver back and forth which is simplier.
I will tell you, for us, there is less desirable programing on dish than direct but that is an individual thing. We get better signal on dish than direct and haven't missed the direct tv antics mentioned above. HTH

Rob
91 Prevost LeMirage XL
Missouri

[Len Silva]

As long as we're on the subject.... is there any way to add a twin LNB to an 18" Winegard dish? I would like to use my Dish 500 receiver in the coach.  Switching the Winegard from 119 to 110 is a pain and takes 2-3 minutes.

Len

[Nick Badame Refrig/ACC]

Hi Guy's

I have Direct TV, 5 recievers in the house and 2 in the bus. My programing is the exact same in the bus as the house when traveling.

Have been with Direct TV since 1995 and I can count on one hand the number of times that the picture has gone out because of a storm.

With any satelite system, they will work with 50% signal meter but if you want a picture in foul weather, 95%+ strenth always gives you a picture.

The better you aim them, the better they work. Don't always trust thoose "installers" to give you the best signal....Check it out yourself.

Good Luck
Nick-

[Hartley]

As long as we're on the subject.... is there any way to add a twin LNB to an 18" Winegard dish? I would like to use my Dish 500 receiver in the coach.  Switching the Winegard from 119 to 110 is a pain and takes 2-3 minutes.

Len

Len, In a word " NO "...

The Dish 500 system views TWO satellites at the same time by offsetting the LNB's so that each one looks at a different section
of the sky. This effectively reduces the viewable area of the surface of the reflector. That is why the reflector is oblong and tilted
at an odd angle. It's actually two dishes in one. ( panoramic view )

There are Triple Dishes out there that view 101,110 & 119 at the same time that have 3-LNB's mounted across the arm. They
electronically switch the different signals via programming inside the receiver. Cool but a pain to align.

My King also requires moving to another position to get signals from 110 and 119, There are other mfrs of antennas that have auto-select
but the prices go way up. I just go ODDS and EVENS and the program guides reset for whatever channels the satellite dish is looking at.

[JackConrad]

We now have Direct TV. We started with Dish Network. We had no issues with either company as far as service, billing, etc. Our reason for switching was because Dish Networks satelittes set lower in the sky (closer to the horizon) and we sometimes had difficulty getting a signal because of nearby trees. Campers next to us were getting Direct TV because their antennas were looking over the top of the trees when ours was trying to look through the trees. The number of satelittes you need to receive depends on you program package. Our program package (no HBO, Showtime, Starz, etc) requires only one sateliite so our Winegard single LNB is adequate. The only thing we lose is our local channels, (they are on the other satelitte), but we pick them up with a batwing antenna. There are options available for national ABC, CBS, NBC, etc. feeds.  Just "our way", YMMV  Jack

[DavidInWilmNC]

Thanks for the info, guys.  Unfortunately, my poor bus gets to park outside, with no shed or garage, and gets really nasty from oak trees and birds.  On the positive side, I find out that I have water leaks a bit sooner!  I called Dish Network directly and asked about additional receivers.  I can pick up a standard single tuner receiver for cheap and it'll add $5 to my bill.  The single tuner receivers don't need to stay plugged in to a phone (or require the extra $5 fee) as long as the dish is receiving a signal, which won't be a problem.  I called a couple of Dish resellers and they were a bit sketchy, to say the least.  They couldn't answer many questions and were less than upfront about what the packages included.  Once I weeded out the BS,  the prices were the same as what I got from calling Dish, so I'd definitely recommend dealing directly with Dish.  There's also no contract required, which will make or break a deal for me.

As to the dishes, I'm not planning on an automatic dish anytime soon.  I've seen some crank up sat. dishes that mount on the roof... are they pretty easy to aim vs. one on a tripod out beside the bus? 

David

[JackConrad]

David,
   We have the crank up Winegard. Pay the extra and get the one with the inside digital readout of the antenna elevation. Without it you will not know the elevation of the antenna. They include a chart with someting along the lines of "for 50 degrees, crank antenna 16 1/2 turns". This is OK as long as the antenna base is exactly level (how often does that happen). As you rotate the antenna to the correct azimuth (compass heading) the elevation will change if the antenna base is not exactly level, and it becomes extremely difficult to find the satelitte (the further off level, the greater the change). With the digital readout you can watch it and make slight corrections as neccessary as you rotate the antenna. With a little practice, it becomes very easy. We also record the azimuth and elevation at each place we use the antenna. the further north we get form FL, the azimuths change. By referencing our list, we have a pretty good starting point.
   One other thing, remember if you have trees in your signal path it may not get enough signal.  We carry a "ground mount" and a long length of coax for these occasions, such as when parked under trees in the shade. Jack

[DavidInWilmNC]

Thanks Jack.  That sounds exactly what I'm looking towards doing.  The roof-mount and the portable are what I had in mind.  I know that the antenna base won't be leve... hell, my bus is never level either!

David

[jjrbus]

 The last time I called Dish Network, they seem to be trying to have mobile systems specialists service reps. I was directed to one the last time I called. Much eaiser than trying to explaine why I have no phone line to my receiver ect!!

[Gary '79 5C]

Great info, I use a KVH in motion w/ Dish network and have had the same problems with inactivity inside a building. Had to get reset before a trip. I have written it all down in my Bus Log book ( KRS ref. April Fool Day thread ) It works great most times.
The 800 number people are very poorly trained, and mention a mobile application I receive an aurgument as to how it was not designed for this. Supervisor time Mam/Sir.
Once operating my wife can yell at the news talking heads instead of me...
Gary