Want to learn more about Dish Tech

[Grentz]

Does anyone have any good links that explain more about how the Dish technologies work?

I am mainly curious in:
1) What the main orbital slots are and what each is used for
2) What the dish types are and what is required for what service
3) How their multiswitch/single wire technology is installed and comes together

I am mainly a Directv guy and know way too much about Directv tech even down to what channels are on what TPs, but kinda want to learn about the Dish side of things as well. Example simple abbreviated answers to my questions above on the Directv side (I would love a link that describes these things more in depth on the Dish side though):
1) 99/101/103/110/119 - 99/103 is HD content, 101 is main SD satellite, 110/119 are some locals and old HD
2) 18" Dish = 101 only for SD installs, Slimline 3 = 99/101/103 for HD, Slimline 5 = 99/101/103/110/119 for HD that need locals from 110/119
3) WB68/WB616, SWM

I have done some looking and searching, but not come up with a really clear guide so to speak. LyngSat gets a bit old after awhile :lol:

[Kent Taylor]

Does anyone have any good links that explain more about how the Dish technologies work?

I am mainly curious in:
1) What the main orbital slots are and what each is used for
2) What the dish types are and what is required for what service
3) How their multiswitch/single wire technology is installed and comes together

I am mainly a Directv guy and know way too much about Directv tech even down to what channels are on what TPs, but kinda want to learn about the Dish side of things as well. Example simple abbreviated answers to my questions above on the Directv side (I would love a link that describes these things more in depth on the Dish side though):
1) 99/101/103/110/119 - 99/103 is HD content, 101 is main SD satellite, 110/119 are some locals and old HD
2) 18" Dish = 101 only for SD installs, Slimline 3 = 99/101/103 for HD, Slimline 5 = 99/101/103/110/119 for HD that need locals from 110/119
3) WB68/WB616, SWM

I have done some looking and searching, but not come up with a really clear guide so to speak. LyngSat gets a bit old after awhile :lol:

Your avatar states "Ready to Test!" Just out of curiosity, what does that mean?

[Grentz]

Ready to Test Beta Equipment and Software ;)

I have been an avid tester of technology products in the past for my day job (both closed and open betas), and now try to be very active in the CE program here on DBSTalk.

[James Long]

Does anyone have any good links that explain more about how the Dish technologies work?

I am mainly curious in:
1) What the main orbital slots are and what each is used forEastern Arc: 61.5/72.7/77 - MPEG4 System for Eastern US including HD and SD locals for many markets and a complete copy of all regular package channels in MPEG4
61.5 is also used alone as a second dish satellite for some HD channels and HD locals for many markets in the eastern US. A decent spotbeam satellite is at 61.5 to deliver HD and SD locals.

Western Arc: 119/110/129 - MPEG4 HD / MPEG2 SD System for Western US including HD and SD locals for most markets
129 is the "mirror" of 61.5 providing basically the same national HD. RSNs and local channels vary. Ciel-2 just arrived at 129 and it's spotbeams will deliver HD and SD locals.

Dish500: 129/110 - Classic MPEG2 programming. 110 is the home of DISH Latino and many HD channels (MPEG4 HD, of course) SD customers usually have a Dish500. Newer SD customers in Eastern Arc markets will have an Eastern Arc dish and all MPEG4 equipment

International: Most channels are now exclusively on a FSS satellite at 118.7. Receiving these channels requires a "Plus" dish.

Out of service: 105 and 121 FSS satellites are not used to serve normal customers. 148 DBS is being vacated.

2) What the dish types are and what is required for what serviceDish500 is two satellite orbits ... generally 119/110 for SD programming
Dish1000 or Dish1000.2 is three orbits ... 119/110/129 (adding HD)
Dish500 plus a wing dish for 61.5 is two orbits on one dish and a third orbit on the other ... 119/110/61.5 (adding HD)
Dish1000.4 is Eastern Arc ... 61.5/72.7/77 --- Eastern markets SD/HD in MPEG4
Dish1000.5 is Eastern Arc in certain areas where a 1000.4 won't work.

Dish500+ (plus dish) is a Dish500 with a third LNBF for 118.7.
Dish1000+ (plus dish) is a Dish500+ with a fourth LNBF for 129.

3) How their multiswitch/single wire technology is installed and comes togetherOnly multiswitches at this time. Some LNBFs have built in multiswitches (1000.2/1000.4/1000.5 and several variants of LNBFs for Dish500). The newest DishProPlus LNBFs serve one dual tuner receiver per output (or one single tuner) and have an additional input on the LNBF for a second dish. DishProPlus multiswitches like the DPP44 take up to four orbital locations and send them to up to four dual or single tuner receivers.

One cable from the multiswitch or LNBF to each receiver. No SWM type stacking.

Older DishPro technology serves one receiver per run. Two runs are needed for a dual tuner. Even older legacy setups exist but should be upgraded not discussed. :)

[Grentz]

Thanks for all the info James! Exactly what I was looking for. Kinda confusing with the two sets of sats that add a lot more orbital positions to contend with.

So for most it will be either an Eastern Arc (Dish1000.4/.5) or Western Arc (Dish1000/.2) dish to get all the HD and SD channels in the main packages correct?

Is there a map of where the cutoff/coverage is of the different dishes?

[BattleZone]

All the info you could want is here:

http://www.dishuser.org/




Eastern Arc info here:

http://www.dishuser.org/easternarc.php


Eastern Arc Map:

http://www.dbstalk.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=15242&d=1219285314


In general: "Dish 500" means standard def, while "Dish 1000" means HD. "Plus Dish" (500+ or 1000+) means International. So, there are 4 "single dish" options for most users:

SD = Dish 500 [119/110]
HD = Dish 1000 variant (1000.2 for Western Arc [129/119/110] or 1000.4/1000.5 for Eastern Arc [77/72.7/61.5])
Int'l w/SD = Dish 500+ [119/118.7/110]
Int'l w/HD = Dish 1000+ [129/119/118.7/110] (or Dish 500+ and a "wing dish" pointed at 61.5 for folks in the Eastern Arc areas).

DirecTV's 101, 110, and 119 are high-powered, DBS-class satellites, as are Dish's sats at 61.5, 72.7, 77, 110, 119, 129, and 148. All of these could be picked up with an 18" dish.

118.7 is a medium-powered FSS-class satellite, as is DirecTV's 95 sat, so a larger dish and a different LNB are needed. Because 118.7 is more-or-less the same place as 119, Dish designed a custom, one-piece LNB that picks up both locations and frequency bands. This LNB is only available on the Plus dish, just as 95 is only available on the WorldDirect dish. The 500+ and 1000+ are really the same dish; the 1000+ simply adds an extra LNB to pick up 129.

[BobaBird]

1) http://www.dishuser.org/satellites.php
2) http://www.dishuser.org/dishes.php
3) http://www.dishuser.org/swconfig.php

[Grentz]

Thanks for the additional info guys.

[ZBoomer]

Eastern Arc Map:


Nice map; it seems we are in the EA area, but as far as I know they aren't installing EA dishes here. Actually we're kinda right on the line.

[James Long]

The map is the maximum extent of EA, not today's market list. :)