changing 61.5 to 129, need some help

[chriscpmtmp]

I need to get 129 soon for my RSN in HD. When I added 118 last year for HD locals, the installer said 129 was behind a big tree, so we left 61.5. I have a spot on a second chimney that I though I could see 129. I have and extra dish 500, so I thought I give it a shot.

A couple of issues. First, my elevation is 22.9. I think I remember the installer telling me that made a single dish pretty much flat to the ground, which it is. The LNB gives it the slight angle. Does that sound right?

The other thing is that to mount the LNB on the 500, I had to use the plastic y thing made to hold two LNBs. Is this ok? The plastic think moves the LNB out a little, so I think I need it, but doesn't this change my angle?

Finally, if I'm running a dp44, to test 129, can I just plug it in where 61.6 was - without doing a check switch?

I have the thing mounted, so I think I'm down to aiming and adjusting. I have a satellite finder box, so I think I can finish this if I get some help with these questions.

[BobaBird]

A couple of issues. First, my elevation is 22.9. I think I remember the installer telling me that made a single dish pretty much flat to the ground, which it is. The LNB gives it the slight angle. Does that sound right?Yes. With the LNB mount being below the center of the dish, the signal received comes from 22.5° above where the dish appears to be pointing.The other thing is that to mount the LNB on the 500, I had to use the plastic y thing made to hold two LNBs. Is this ok?Yes. You can get an I-adapter to center the LNB if you like, that gets you a few more points of signal. Set the skew to 90.Finally, if I'm running a dp44, to test 129, can I just plug it in where 61.6 was - without doing a check switch?Use the same port of the DPP44 (there is no dp44), AND do the check switch.

[chriscpmtmp]

I've been working on this for a while and needed to call out an installer. The sport I thought would work really doesn't. Its a higher chimney and set back, but its too far to the right side of my roof. I can get 101 through 119, but not 129. We tried 3 places.

I was looking at the calculators and see that very few places have such a low elevation (22.5 degrees). It looks like the further east, the worse this gets.

I would have thought they would put this channel on the sport beam for 118. It really isn't very sharp to use a national satt for a local channel.

Is there any chance that if enough people complain they will do some rearranging? Withe MPEG4 issue next month, this may be the time.

[dishjim]

I need to get 129 soon for my RSN in HD. When I added 118 last year for HD locals, the installer said 129 was behind a big tree, so we left 61.5. I have a spot on a second chimney that I though I could see 129. I have and extra dish 500, so I thought I give it a shot.

A couple of issues. First, my elevation is 22.9. I think I remember the installer telling me that made a single dish pretty much flat to the ground, which it is. The LNB gives it the slight angle. Does that sound right?

The other thing is that to mount the LNB on the 500, I had to use the plastic y thing made to hold two LNBs. Is this ok? The plastic think moves the LNB out a little, so I think I need it, but doesn't this change my angle?

Finally, if I'm running a dp44, to test 129, can I just plug it in where 61.6 was - without doing a check switch?

I have the thing mounted, so I think I'm down to aiming and adjusting. I have a satellite finder box, so I think I can finish this if I get some help with these questions.

Check out this site: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/AltAz.html

take the PM time for 22.9 at your location, any spot in the sun at that time of the afternoon should have line of site to 129.

[Lincoln6Echo]

I need to get 129 soon for my RSN in HD. When I added 118 last year for HD locals, the installer said 129 was behind a big tree, so we left 61.5. I have a spot on a second chimney that I though I could see 129. I have and extra dish 500, so I thought I give it a shot.

A couple of issues. First, my elevation is 22.9. I think I remember the installer telling me that made a single dish pretty much flat to the ground, which it is. The LNB gives it the slight angle. Does that sound right?

The other thing is that to mount the LNB on the 500, I had to use the plastic y thing made to hold two LNBs. Is this ok? The plastic think moves the LNB out a little, so I think I need it, but doesn't this change my angle?

Finally, if I'm running a dp44, to test 129, can I just plug it in where 61.6 was - without doing a check switch?

I have the thing mounted, so I think I'm down to aiming and adjusting. I have a satellite finder box, so I think I can finish this if I get some help with these questions.

Wouldn't a Dish 1000(.2) solve most of your problem(s) here?

[Jason Whiddon]

Wouldn't a Dish 1000(.2) solve most of your problem(s) here?

I'd not go that route. He's setting it better by having a dedicated dish for 129. Its so weak that many 1000.2 setups are not so hot on 129.

I have a 1000.2, but recently added a 500 with I adapter solely for 129 and greatly improved my SS. Still aint great but its better. I have no LOS of 61.5 :(

[chriscpmtmp]

Wouldn't a Dish 1000(.2) solve most of your problem(s) here?

The problem is the 129 location is obstructed by a tree from where the 1000 dish is. 101 (that I used to use for DirecTV) through 119 all get a line of site over one tree and between two others. Its sort of goofy luck that they even work, since all the threes are huge.

I did get a response from Dishnet when emailing Ceo@echostar.com. They said they would try to get it on 61.5, but have no plans. I bet the more people that email the better.

On the idea of a new location, how high of a post can I use and how many feet of coax from the LNB to the switch? I might be able ti get a line of site with a 12-15 foot pole and 150 feet of wire. There is a spot in the back yard. The tall post could be put between two pine trees and not really be noticeable.

[chriscpmtmp]

I'v been looking over my backyard and think if I go back farr enough, I won't need a tall pole, just a regular ground mount. I acn hide it in the landscaping and still get a LOS. Actually a nice spot, then just go over top of the trees that are a problem from the roof.

I'm getting tired of ripping apart my switch and 61.5 LNB every time we try to poin thtis thing, so I ordered a backup LNB for testing.

I'm thinking if I bring a 622 out there, and a little TV, I'll be able to run two short lines to the 622 and adjust the dish while looking at the screen. I imagine the "check switch" will find no switch, but see the LNB, right? Am I missing anything here?

[peano]

Check out this site: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/AltAz.html

take the PM time for 22.9 at your location, any spot in the sun at that time of the afternoon should have line of site to 129.

Not necessarily. The sun's azimuth and elevation only match the satellites in March and October I think.

[chriscpmtmp]

I managed to get a signal on the 129. Its not where I thought. I'm sort of wedged up against the side fence, so I can't go back as far as I thought. I only did a temporary mount on a pole at ground level. I'm not connected to the switch yet. I couldn't go between the big trees, just over the tallest one by backing up. I think I'm still hitting the top of the tree a bit.

I'm getting a strength of 30 or so on my 622. This is with the "new" meter. On the main dish on the roof, I'm getting in the 40s on 118, and 60s on 110 and 119.

I'm considering a 24 inch dish if this seems too low. If this seems like enough, I'll just leave it. Any comments would be appreciated.

[tedb3rd]

Dude, I can almost see you! Don't give up! You're like me... This WILL work somehow dang it! You're on the right track. Remember that if your elevation is 22 degrees, then you look out at 22 degrees and that's where it needs to be clear. A lot of people try to offset for the angle of the satellite-to-dish-to-lnb but you're not supposed to do that--the angle marks on the side of the dish are already adjusted for that.

When I was going through the SAME thing as you, I made something to help me determine elevation more accurately than just thinking 90 is straight up, 45 is half-way between level and straight up, etc., etc. If you have a level, a protractor, some paper, and a geek buddy (who knows how to use a level) to help you, you can make one too. If you want, I'll explain how to do it. I found that guessing elevation is not as easy/accurate as you would think.

[chriscpmtmp]

Dude, I can almost see you! Don't give up! You're like me... This WILL work somehow dang it! You're on the right track. Remember that if your elevation is 22 degrees, then you look out at 22 degrees and that's where it needs to be clear. A lot of people try to offset for the angle of the satellite-to-dish-to-lnb but you're not supposed to do that--the angle marks on the side of the dish are already adjusted for that.

When I was going through the SAME thing as you, I made something to help me determine elevation more accurately than just thinking 90 is straight up, 45 is half-way between level and straight up, etc., etc. If you have a level, a protractor, some paper, and a geek buddy (who knows how to use a level) to help you, you can make one too. If you want, I'll explain how to do it. I found that guessing elevation is not as easy/accurate as you would think.

Thanks for the encouragement! When the installer said it couldn't be done, then I really wanted to get it done. This one was some work.

Over the weekend, I cemented in the pole and re-peaked it. I bought this thing called an angle meter. I has a magnet and sticks on the LNB arm. Its a different angle than the elevation, but lets me have a baseline to go back to. I can get this satt pretty quickly now. I'm stuch with hitting the top of the trees for now though.

My 622 reverted back to v 4.05 like a lot of people. I was able to check the strength under the old meter. It a low of 65 and a high of 90, so really not too bad. I think the new meter make a weak signal look even weaker.

I think I'm going to wait until after 8-15 before thinking about a bigger dish.

[bobukcat]

I'm reviving this thread to point out to anyone else thinking of trying it themselves a few things.

1) The 622 will NOT give you azimuth and elevation for 129 (you can find this information elsewhere though).

2) If you have a D500 plus a wing dish and you tell the 622 to look for 129 it will just lock onto the D500 119 feed as "Locked - Wrong Sat" and won't look at the input from the wing dish.

3) To try to tune 129 as your 3rd location you have to start while it's still pointed at 61.5, choose the 61.5 sat in the "point dish" screen and leave it there until you get 'wrong sat - 129" and then you can fine tune it.

I just tried this tonight and it took me a long time to even get close - the CSR told me (before I started) to choose 129 on the point dish screen but I could easily determine that it would just lock onto the 119 feed from the D500 and never tell me where the wing dish was pointed. Unfortunately by the time I figured this out I couldn't get a strong signal on 129 and then it was getting dark and my cell-phone battery was dying so I re-peaked for 61.5 and scrapped it.

I may bite the $49 bullet and have someone with a birddog come out and re-aim it but I'm very worried the answer will be that the wing dish can't get a strong signal from 129 where it's at. :(

It sucks they can't mirror all the HD RSNs on both birds! Even if I get re-aimed for 129 I'll not have some of the HD RSNs that are only on 61.5, despite the fact I pay for the Sports Pack.

[chriscpmtmp]

I'm reviving this thread to point out to anyone else thinking of trying it themselves a few things.

1) The 622 will NOT give you azimuth and elevation for 129 (you can find this information elsewhere though).

2) If you have a D500 plus a wing dish and you tell the 622 to look for 129 it will just lock onto the D500 119 feed as "Locked - Wrong Sat" and won't look at the input from the wing dish.

3) To try to tune 129 as your 3rd location you have to start while it's still pointed at 61.5, choose the 61.5 sat in the "point dish" screen and leave it there until you get 'wrong sat - 129" and then you can fine tune it.

I just tried this tonight and it took me a long time to even get close - the CSR told me (before I started) to choose 129 on the point dish screen but I could easily determine that it would just lock onto the 119 feed from the D500 and never tell me where the wing dish was pointed. Unfortunately by the time I figured this out I couldn't get a strong signal on 129 and then it was getting dark and my cell-phone battery was dying so I re-peaked for 61.5 and scrapped it.

I may bite the $49 bullet and have someone with a birddog come out and re-aim it but I'm very worried the answer will be that the wing dish can't get a strong signal from 129 where it's at. :(

It sucks they can't mirror all the HD RSNs on both birds! Even if I get re-aimed for 129 I'll not have some of the HD RSNs that are only on 61.5, despite the fact I pay for the Sports Pack.

I'm not sure what you mean by locking on to 119. I didn't have this problem at all. Maybe its because I already had 118 going for locals.

Anyhow, even with a reported very low signal (32-48 on the "new" meter), I haven't had any trouble with 129. I lost it in some heavy rain, but I lost 110 and 119 as well.

[AZDAD]

Being a newbie to this stuff I was wondering what difference there was between the 61.5 and the 129 satellite? Are most channels mirrored to each satellite? I know our local Regional FSN Network in HD is only on satellite 129 and I am currently set up on satellite 61.5. Dish says they will come out to switch me over to satellite 129, but I was wanting to know what others know or experience with satellite 129 (signal problems, audio/picture problems?). I'm in southern Arizona and so far on 61.5 I haven't had any major issues. The only reason I'm thinking of switching is to get the local Regional FSN Network channel in HD. I'm not sure why I was set up with 61.5 in the first place, but I have two Dish 500 satellites on my roof with the 44 switch (I have one VIP722 in the living room, one VIP211 in my bedroom, one 510 in another bedroom and one 301 receiver in my last bedroom).

[chriscpmtmp]

Being a newbie to this stuff I was wondering what difference there was between the 61.5 and the 129 satellite? Are most channels mirrored to each satellite? I know our local Regional FSN Network in HD is only on satellite 129 and I am currently set up on satellite 61.5. Dish says they will come out to switch me over to satellite 129, but I was wanting to know what others know or experience with satellite 129 (signal problems, audio/picture problems?). I'm in southern Arizona and so far on 61.5 I haven't had any major issues. The only reason I'm thinking of switching is to get the local Regional FSN Network channel in HD. I'm not sure why I was set up with 61.5 in the first place, but I have two Dish 500 satellites on my roof with the 44 switch (I have one VIP722 in the living room, one VIP211 in my bedroom, one 510 in another bedroom and one 301 receiver in my last bedroom).
You need either 61.5 or 129 for a lot of HD material. 61.5 is generally a stronger signal. It should have everything that 129 has - except the local RSN in HD. I was planning on getting a bigger dish if the low signal on 129 presented any problems, but it really hasn't. If I get weather that disturbs 129, it usually disturbs the rest of them as well. I do have my 129 dish on the ground though to get a line - nothing on my roof works. Our new puppy likes to mess around over there. Sooner or later she will probably chew up the wires. Chris