Dish install questions

[ktm250rider]

Well comcast just bought att and are raising prices. Its time to get the Dish. I have a bunch of questions about the install. My plan is to get a package deal on the 6000 and 301 with both dishes and add an 8vsb later on. The 6000 would be connected to my 65819 and the 301 I would like to run two other TVs (1 in kitchen, 1 in bedroom).
1. Everything Ive seen you have to pay for the second (HD) dish. Is this normal or is it possible to swing a deal on a free second dish?
2. What should I be looking for in switches to accomodate my setup?
3. The best place to mount the dish is at the opposite end of the house from where my current cable enters the wall. Should I utilize these cables when connecting the TVs, or run all new ones?
More questions may follow, thanks for any help.

[Mark Lamutt]

Welcome to DBSTalk! :hi: :)

Where are you located? And are you planning on installing yourself, or having it professionally installed?

1. You *may* be able to get a free second dish, but it depends on where you are. If you are in a location that dish sends locals to on one of the wing satellites, you will be able to get a free second dish from them to receive your additional locals. Otherwise, you will probably have to buy it.

2. With the 6000 in the package, you will either need legacy switches or a legacy adaptor. My suggestion with 2 receivers and the 6000 would be to install a legacy twin LNB on your 119/110 dish and a legacy dual LNB on your wing dish and connect the lines together with 2 SW-21 switches. This won't allow for future expansion, but will be your cheapest option for equipment.

3. Ideally you want to run new good quality RG6 coax from your dishes to the switches and then to the receivers. You can probably get away with using your internal house cabling to connect the 301 to your two televisions that you want to connect to. I'd definitely run new cable to the receivers, though.

And, if you are somewhere where HD is being broadcast OTA, don't put off getting the 8VSB unless you absolutely have to. It's well worth it for HD OTA!

[ktm250rider]

Located in Goffstown, NH, just west of manchester. I qualify for CBS out of NY so I can get some HD over the sat. As far as OTA, its gonna be a try and see type of thing. Im not sure what I can bring in so I was gonna wait on the 8VSB.
Not sure about installation, may give it a go myself. I would imagine the install guy would end up using the inside cables to save his labor where i would replace.
Thanks for the help. More questions may follow.

[brentp]

Hey ktm250rider,

We're almost neighbors, we live in Hollis, NH. I'll try to help out here a bit.

'Free Dish' - Call Dish and ask if you are in the Boston DMA based on your zip code. We are here in Hollis, . . . my guess is that you will be too, but you need to ask and verify this. If you are, the good news is that the Boston locals have a few stations on the 61.5 Sat that are 'must carry'. What this means is that after you get your Dish 500 installed and you sign up for the locals, Dish will (very quietly) let you know that there are additional channels available with a second dish. The install will be free, will include the second dish and the switches that you need. This is how we got our second dish for the HD channels.

'OTA HD' - Like Mark said, you may really want to look into this now. There is a lot more HD available then you may think, . . . and if you like football, the SuperBowl will be on ABC this year in HD. Go to antennaweb.org and type in your zip. You should easily be able to get channel 9 from Manchester, the NH PBS station, WNDS, . . . and I would bet with a long range antenna and amp, you could get some of the Boston channels (assuming you don't have anything major blocking the path). We get all the Boston DT channels here crystal clear will a long range antenna IN OUR ATTIC and no pre-amp. If you get the 8vsb module with the 6000, I think you save a bit of money. Just my thoughts.

'Cables, etc' - Mark is right, run high quality RG-6 direct to your receivers and minimize splices, couplings, etc (only thing that should be in the path is a ground block). If you do have your DISH installed, the installers will likely do this (just tell them, casue that is the way they should do it). Most houses have RG-59 installed will home runs down to the basement where a distribution panel with splitters, etc are. That is not good for high quality signals, the cables do need to be direct. Try to keep the runs under 100', or you may need to get an amp.

Anyway, hope this helps.

[Bob Haller]

Well the 6000 is going to be obsolete very soon, I suggest you get a 508 PVR and wait a bit on the HD. Once you have a PVR you willl want it for HD as well.

PVRs change how you think about tv. If you ere close by I would invite you over for a demo. I cant say enoiugh aboiut this.

For HD the 921 is due out soon, a HD PVR. Your better off waiting, espically since there are so few HD channels up on E.

If you qualify klet them set uop your second dish, preferintilly go all dish pro for easier wiring.

Patience at this point will save you buying

[ktm250rider]

Thanks for the info. I thought about waiting for the HD PVR but I heard that it could be as long as 4th quarter next year for release. I can easly get the ch9 in manchester. I think ill be able to get boston stations with an antenea. Can I run two TVs off of 1 reciever?

[Mark Lamutt]

Yes, you can but you can only watch one program at a time. And if you want to run 2 televisions off a 6000, the added catch is that the 6000 will not output both HD and SD simultaneously - it's either one or the other. So, if you're watching HD on your HDTV, there would be no signal available to your SD television.

I agree with Bob about the PVR being something special. But, I wouldn't wait if you think you'll be able to get the HD OTA. It is so worth it, and we really don't have any idea when the 921 will be released. It could happen as early as Feb or March of next year, or it could be a year away. Our best guess is Q3-Q4 next year, but that's all it is - a guess.

I'm happy with my 6000/8VSB/8PSK system. I also will be first in line for a 921 when they come out (assuming that they won't be $2000).

[ktm250rider]

Yeah that was the plan. Since there are only two governing voices (son is on 11 months) we only need two different channels at any one time. Ill probably only run 1 tv off of the 6000.

Just verified, all cables are RG59 expcept the ones i added which are RG6.

[ktm250rider]

Brentp
Just checked antennaweb.org, goffstown can only get wuni in worcestor (sp). Any idea how accurate the site is. Bedford, Amherst, Litchfield can all get ABC, NBC in boston. It may be a try and see thing for me.

[Mark Lamutt]

In my area (Denver), antennaweb is not accurate at all. For what it's worth.

[brentp]

ktm -

Sorry about that :(

I looked up the Goffstown Zip, and there is something wrong there! I think if you use the town to the Northwest of you, . . . that would be a good indication. There are other websites out there that may help out as well (titantv.com is one).

Another indication is if you or any of your neighbors can get some of the Boston UHF analog stations (Fox25 and UPN38 are excellent ones to look at) from an OTA antenna clean. If so, there is a high probability that the digital channels can be received as well. All the Boston station's towers are in Needham right next to each other. The digital channels are all up and running and based on the information I can get from antennaweb for my location, they are easier to receive then the analog channels. So, . . . you might want to ask around if anyone nearby has an antenna on their roofs what they can get and how it looks.

One other option, and I hesitate with this one, is to ask the people at Sears and/or Radio Shack. I say I hesitate, because when I asked, they were really clueless about HD. One sales person told me (and this was the guy I was buying the Digital RPTV from), that there wasn't ANY HD broadcasts right now. If you do ask and get a negative answer, just remember that they may not be up to speed on the latest data.

BTW - the ABC Channel 9 tower is in a different direction. Given you are likely to need a highly directional antenna to get the Boston channels, you will likely also need to get a rotator or switch if you want to watch both the Boston channels and the Manchester ABC.

Other than that, it might come down to what you said, try it and find out.

As for waiting for the HD PVR, . . . it is a very tough call. I wanted the HD PVR, . . . but then with no idea about how long the wait would be (this was back in August), how much the 921 will be priced at (some say $1K- $2K), and what its features will be (we now know), . . . we opted to go with HD today and got the 6000. And, I must say, both of us here are very happy with did once we realized how great HD is and what we can get. We will get the HD PVR downstream and do something else with the 6000 (likely a second HD monitor).

Good luck, . . . keep us posted.

[ktm250rider]

OK, heres my deal
I can get a 6000 and 301 reciever with 1 dish and proffesional installation (199) for 400 bucks, plus shipping. I would then call dish to activate programming and tell them that I want local channels and HD. Would they then send me a free second dish. If the first is already installed, I have no problem (should have no problem) putting in the second dish.

brentp, I dont think any of my neighbors have antenna but Ill check. When ever they any of them are over the house they cant believe the size of my tv. I mean its only 65 inches. I think most of them think cable is the cats meow! I hope the snow melts off the roof soon, dont want to be up there installing a dish and have to tie off the the chimeny to keep from falling!!!

[Mark Lamutt]

Dish will set up a local installer to install the second dish for you. They won't let you do it yourself. Where are you finding that deal? It's pretty decent. And, if you haven't already, I'd check with www.dishdepot.com - they are really good to deal with.

[ktm250rider]

I got it here, www.allsat.com/6022.shtml (http://www.allsat.com/6022.shtml)

What about the dishes, do they have to be mounted next to each other. I think if I mount one on eithor end of the house I have my clearest shot. If not, the chainsaw may have to come out.

[scooper]

If you're using 2 (or even 3) dishes, they can go anywhere they can get signal for what they're pointing to.. not necessary to put them next to each other.

[ktm250rider]

Well, looks like Im on hold for the sat. Got the compass out today and looks like there could be a tree in the way. Problem is, its up by the road and power lines. Looks like ill have to wait till the leaves arrive to verify. My other option is to put the dishes on a post in the front yard. The only problem is that digging in my yard is quit a chore. It would probably be easier to get PSNH over here to take the tree down than to dig a 3 foot hole.

[Mark Lamutt]

Check your vertical angle as well - Use a protractor to cut the angle into a piece of cardboard, and then use your cardboard angle to see if the tree is really in your way. You may be surprised to find that it't not. Ot, you can verify that it is. Make sure you look from the height the dish would be at - about 2 feet above the rooftop.