Dish1000...Is the Dish500 discontinued?

[Mike500]

If my hunch is right, Dish is no longer making any more Dish500's. All new dishes being made are Dish1000. They are also no longer making standard non+plus DishPro twins.

When the current Dish500 inventory is gone, they will no longer be available, as Dish300's have not been manufactured for over two years. In the same way that they have installed Dish500's with only a single lnb, they will install Dish1000's with twins only, while leaving out the 129 lnb for those installs requiring only 110 and 119.

[Big Bob]

They didn't stop making dish 500s when the super dish came out.
Don't see why now would be any different

[larrystotler]

Not gonna happen. The 129 is a bad angle for the east coast, and since 70% of the US is east of the Miss river, the 500 will continue to be made and used. I can bet that they an't going to pay for me to install a D1000 out here in VA when it won't work most of the time due to LOS issues.

[Mike500]

Not gonna happen. The 129 is a bad angle for the east coast, and since 70% of the US is east of the Miss river, the 500 will continue to be made and used. I can bet that they an't going to pay for me to install a D1000 out here in VA when it won't work most of the time due to LOS issues.

Why has 129 got to work or you have to get line of site. The Dish1000 hardware costs no more to make than the Dish500 hardware. By that, I mean the pole, the protractors. the pan and the lnb holder. These components can do the same function as the Dish500. For 110/119, just place the Dish500 lnb and switch components on it.

This means that Dish no longer has to make and inventory Dish500 parts. It's a logistical matter. Dish no longer makes Dish300 parts or Dish300's. They just use Dish500's in their place. The Dish1000 hardware can serve the same way.

[Mike500]

They didn't stop making dish 500s when the super dish came out.
Don't see why now would be any different

The Superdish was a stopgap measure. The Dish1000 hardware components will perform the functions of the Dish500 and the Dish300. To keep making, stocking and inventorying the Dish500 protractor arms, pans and "Y" adapters would be a duplication that serves no purpose. The cost of making the hardware would be about the same. Inventorying both would be costly.

[Darkman]

Nick change to Mike1000 also maybe? :D

[Mike500]

When used for 110 and 119 for the Dish500 function, only the 110 and 119 lnb locations would be populated. This was like the original DirecTV triple lnb dish without the 110 sat c kit. It would not matter if there was no 129 LOS. The Dish1000 would do fine for the 110/119 Dish500 function. The receiver will identify it as a Dish500.

So, that's why they will no longer make Dish500 hardware components.

[larrystotler]

Yes, but with the Phase I/II dishes, you used the outside LNBs, which helped to keep the dish stable. Now, if they could use the Y bracket on the D1000, then maybe. Has anyone measured to see if they are the same distance. Also, the 18" dishes are made by many, and E* could have saved money by using them. When I did retailer referalls for E*, we ordered 18" dishes for $10 and haved $10 a dish off a D500 price and they worked fine. Also remember that ONLY E* uses the 500 design, and they have a good deal tied up in it. Also, consider the markets that have the locals on the 148. E* is NOT going to provide a D1000 and a D300 with a DP+44 when there is no need for it. I just don't see it happening anytime soon.

[Mike500]

The new "W" bracket is made stronger than the "Y" bracket on the Dish500. It uses two clamp bolts outside of the square tube. You no longer have to negotiate around the bolt in the middle, and the rectangular ridges on which the connectors hung up on, when you try to put it through the bracket are gone.

Dish has long since not carried the Dish500 in inventory. They evidently decided taht the inventory, storage and administrative costs involved are much more tan just using Dish500 even for single wing satellites. The sam would be probably true with keeping both the Dish 500 and the Dish1000 in production and inventory.

The hardware components of the Dish1000 appear to cost about the same as the Dish500. So, it is readily evident that the Dish500 hardware will go.

[Jacob S]

I agree wholeheartedly with Mike500 on this. They could quit manufacturing the Dish500's and have all future dishes be Dish1000's with or without the 129 lnbf included. The retailers would have the option to purchase without it and with a different lnbf configuration such as a DP twin instead of a DPP twin.

By making the Dish1000 in bulk having more of them instead of supporting two types of dishes, it will make it cheaper to make the Dish1000. The prices needs to come down a little for them as it is costing retailers about $10-15 more than a Dish500 (probably due to the DPP twin and extra 129 DP lnbf).

[peano]

Bell ExpressVu still uses Dish 500s, so I think they will have to continue to manufacture them.

[alebowgm]

Doesnt Expressvu in Canada not use the DP Dish 500s but only the orignal Dish 500s (not Twins or Quads, but the single LNB ones)...??? Saw it recently when I was in Toronto and that is what it looked like...

[peano]

Yup. Two duals on the Y-adapter. Bell is still using all legacy stuff.

[SimpleSimon]

Doesnt Expressvu in Canada not use the DP Dish 500s but only the orignal Dish 500s (not Twins or Quads, but the single LNB ones)...??? Saw it recently when I was in Toronto and that is what it looked like...
Remember, there's no difference in the DISH, just in the LNBs.

We're talking mainly about sheet metal fabrication here. ;)

In skimming the thread, someone suggested trying a Y-bracket. I don't think a D500 one would work - the arm mount is different, and the distances are likely also an issue. However, E* might be smart to make a D1000 Y-bracket. That would be an expensive way t give you a D500 that's better than the existing one, while letting them drop the D500 sheet metal. But then, they should start making the D300 again, so that customers that need two dishes can have a small second one. ;)

[larrystotler]

Yeah, but you still have the issue with Bell ExpressVu. They have no need of a 3 sat dish, and manufacturing both wouldn't be that big of a deal. They also may have contracts for the manufacturing of the D500 for a year or more anyway, so they probably won't just drop it anytime soon....