Help for a Newbie w/ Dish 500 & getting a 921

[Skyburn]

I've been a Dish customer for about 3 1/2 years -- I originally went with one of the DHA plans where they came out, installed a Dish 500 and 2x301 receivers.

Since that time, earlier this year, I upgraded one of the 301s to a 510 DVR. So far so good -- but now I'm going to buy a 921 with the dual tuners to REPLACE the remaining 301.

I called Dish last night, explained what I intend to do, and pointedly asked "if I do this, I will need 3 total outputs from the dish (one to the 510, 2 to the 921), do I have all the equipment as far as the Dish itself is concerned that I will need to support 1x510 rcvr and 1x921 rcvr". The guy had me tune to channel 9900, it worked and he said "Yep".

Well...I don't think he is right. I went up on my roof, and looked at the dish. It clearly says "Dish 500" on the dish, and the LNBF (which I thought was what is known as a "dual dual LNBF" that can support up to 4 single-tuner receivers) says the following on it: BS1D1UP201M Digital LNBF Lot E13

... the receivers report this as a "500 Twin". So I unscrewed the LNBF and see that the two coax cables that are running into my house (1 to the 510, the other to the 301) are plugged into the only places where you could plug a cable into. One is plugged into the side that has "119" stamped onto the plastic, the other into the "110" spot. I guess, from reading other posts, that I'm connected to sats at 110° and 119°. (As an aside, what does that even mean? Does one of my receivers only get the 110 signal, and the other only get the 119 signal?).

So, what I'm asking here is, what do I need to do to support the following considering the equipment that I have:


1 510, single-tuner receiver
1 921, dual tuner receiver
the Dish HDTV Package
the Denver Locals I get already


My next guess is that I need a "switch" -- can I just go purchase a "44" switch, hook up the two cables I have connected to the 110/119 sats to the inputs of that switch, then pull 3 outputs out of that switch, 2 for the 921, and 1 for the 510? Does the 921 have to have a signal to both 110 and 119? How does that play into what kind of switch or LNBF I need?

Or, would it be a better idea to buy a different LNBF? If I do the switch, my guess is I can do that work myself. If I have to buy and install a different LNBF (which I don't have any problems doing; it seems simple enough), is it kosher with Dish that I do the install work myself, or do they have to do it since I'm "leasing" the dish?

Any help you guys have is much appreciated. Thanks in advance, and let me know if I can provide better/more information than I already have.
- Joe

[ctdish]

It sounds like you hava a Dish 500 with dual outputs and internal switching between satellites. Each receiver can get either satellite. This will not work with a second receiver and the 921 since you need three outputs. There are several ways to do this all require replacing all of the feeds on the dish. John

[Skyburn]

Is it possible to have a switch, then which takes as input ONE of the current cables I have coming off the dish, and splits out to two outputs (for the 921), then just leave the 2nd cable that I have coming off the dish as input into the 510? It sounds like you are saying that's not possible and I'd have to replace the LNBs...

[n0qcu]

You will need to replace your twin with a quad and run the second cable to where the 921 will go.

[markcollins]

Skyburn,This is correct about the quad head.I too started out with a 301 and 501 receiver.had a dish 500 dual lnb.I bought a quad lnb off ebay ,installed on the dish and ran the other two rg-6 cables(only needed 1 more,but while up there ran the other ).My receivers worked fine(other than 921 glitches ),I've also now bought a second 921 and used the spare cable I ran earlier.This set up seems to work for both 921's also.

[Skyburn]

Well, alright. Thanks to everyone for your responses. I'll look into getting a different LNB.

Thanks again.
- Joe

[Skyburn]

A Dish Pro Quad solved this for me -- thanks again for the pointers!

[markcollins]

Stay tuned for more helpful info now you're a 921 owner.you're adventures are only beginning.

[BobaBird]

Channel 9900 is a free one that comes from 110. It tells you nothing about your LNBs or switch(es) or, despite the message on the screen, even that you have a Dish 500.

The legacy Twin (it's not a "dual" folks, see the difference (http://www.switchinfo.info/lnbs.htm)) is maxed out at 2 tuners. You can cascade SW21s to add a 3rd satellite but there is nothing you can add to get more outputs. It has to be replaced.

The Twin has an internal switch to allow either receiver to get either satellite.

With a DishPro Twin you can add outputs by connecting it to a DP34 or DPP44 switch. Legacy and DishPro LNBs and switches can not be mixed.