Help

[mdasap]

I had Directv dish with Sony receiver. I dont subscribe to Directv anymore.

I want to get Asian channels, which are only available on DISH network.

Can I use my existing Directv dish and LNB, and just buy new Echostar receiver.

I am totally naive in this field and any help will be appreciated

Thanks

[dickn52]

Yes you can. The receiver is the only equipment unique to the companies. You will have to re-aim the dish however.

[bunkers]

If you want the asian channels and some of the regular channels then you would need two dishes.

You could use your existing D* dish, but may require a 2nd dish for the international stuff.

Check you local market for locals which are not on the 110/119 satellite location and if there are some on the other satellite, then DISH would need to provide you the 2nd dish free of charge.

[Geronimo]

You will also have a problem with the switches. The dishes are interchangeable but the switches are not.

[mdasap]

I have cable for local and american channels. So I want to use DISH only for Asian channels.

Where are switches, and how do I change them.

Thanks again

[Geronimo]

The switch may be an external box or it may be incorporated into the lnbs on the dish.

[Bob Haller]

In such a case, looking at 61.5 or 148 only he will not need a switch. Just remove whatever one is there.

Just curious why not replace cable altogether?

You arent elegible for subsidized equiptement. Need a receiver?

[mdasap]

Bob,

I am getting very good deal on Cable and so I want to keep cable for American and Local channels. But I cannot get Asian channels on Cable. Asian channels are available only on DISH network. I already have DIRECTV hardware, so I wanted to use that.

I have a round dish. There are no markings on the dish, so I dont know what make it is. The LNB has one output. On LNB it says "California Amplifier". I have a SONY receiver for DIRECTV. I dont know whether there is any switch inside the LNB. I wanted to know, if I can receive Asian channels just by changing the Receiver, and pointing the dish in appropriate direction.

Thanks

[HTguy]

You don't have a switch & you don't need one. Once you get a DISH NW receiver just connect it to the LNB & aim the dish at either 61.5 or 148 depending on your location.

That's all there is to it.

[KB]

Checkout http://www.lyngsat.com/t5.shtml which is a site for the channels on Telstar 5. A free-to-air ku system will pick up the channels beginning with transponder 11836, which is the first tp with free channels. The free channels are the ones in white shading, pink are fee based. If the channels you are interested in are free-to-air then vendors such as emantechnolgy.com, kusat.com, global-cm.net, and others can sell you the equipment and possibly line up an install if you need it. Keep in mind the vendors' warnings about these channels may not always be fta.
There is another satellite with mostly European and Arabic channels called Tarbs which has several fta channels now but will be going to subscription base in the spring with about 80 channels (including some American).

If the channels you want are not fta on Telstar 5 then all you need is an Echostar (Dishnetwork) receiver, aim your dish at the 148 or 61.5 locations, call Dishnetwork and subscribe. Last time I heard you did not even have to subscribe to any other programming, although they may charge you $5/month for an access/administration fee.

Good luck.