Is there an EKB for D*?

[heisman]

Do you guys have an informational resource like the EKB for D*?

[Newshawk]

What would you like to know?

[Tom Robertson]

Nothing nearly as comprehensive nor so well arranged. Mostly notes as stickies in a few forums and a few links on the frontpage. EKB is a separate production that has found a home here at DBSTalk.com.

Perhaps someday. :)

Cheers,
Tom

[heisman]

What would you like to know?

I just switched from E*, so I need a re-education.

[PoitNarf]

I just switched from E*, so I need a re-education.

Do some quick browsing of the stickied threads. Anything you can't find an answer for by looking at those or doing a couple quick searches, feel free to fire away some questions. Usually they are answered VERY quickly here :D

[Newshawk]

For starters:

All SD national channels come from the 101 satellite, as do many of the SD LiL channels. The rest of the SD LiL channels come from either the 119 or the 72.5 satellite. To find a list of SD and HD LiL stations, go here: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=65321

[heisman]

For starters:

All SD national channels come from the 101 satellite, as do many of the SD LiL channels. The rest of the SD LiL channels come from either the 119 or the 72.5 satellite. To find a list of SD and HD LiL stations, go here: http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=65321

What channels come from 99 and 103? My signal strengths are very low on those, and I need to know if I should call them back out to realign. Thanks for all the help.

[Newshawk]

What channels come from 99 and 103? My signal strengths are very low on those, and I need to know if I should call them back out to realign. Thanks for all the help.

Right now, only your HD LIL channels for Chicago and CSN Chicago are on the 103 sat. The 99 is not used at this time. The new national HD channels will also come from the 103, so you won't see anything from the 99 until very late this year or early next year, after D11 has been launched.

[heisman]

So, as long as I'm getting my locals and CSN, then I'm good? Pardon my ignorance, but what is LIL? I love the forum so far. You guys are just as helpful as the E* folks, with the added plus of no James Long to harass me. :)

[longrider]

LiL is Local into Local, in other words your locals. Yes, if you are receiving your locals you are fine.

[longrider]

For a little more detail, the current sats at 99 and 103 are running all spotbeams. Depending on where yo are you may pick up several transponders but it doesnt matter as you are only authorized to receive one. Here on Colorado I only get one as there are no other major areas for hundreds of miles.

Once D10 goes live those will all be CONUS so you should see everything not listed as NA lit up with a good signal.

[Tom Robertson]

For a little more detail, the current sats at 99 and 103 are running all spotbeams. Depending on where yo are you may pick up several transponders but it doesnt matter as you are only authorized to receive one. Here on Colorado I only get one as there are no other major areas for hundreds of miles.

Once D10 goes live those will all be CONUS so you should see everything not listed as NA lit up with a good signal.

A small clarification to your well said post. D10 will also have a large number of active spotbeams along with its 14 national feeds.

Cheers,
Tom

[Tom Robertson]

What channels come from 99 and 103? My signal strengths are very low on those, and I need to know if I should call them back out to realign. Thanks for all the help.

My rules of thumb on signal strength are to have the bulk of 101° in the 90s (there are a couple spotbeams there too, so not all of them will be), 110°, and 119° (more spotbeams). And then I look for at least one transponder on either 99° or 103° that is above 90. The highest one is most likely the one aimed at you.

Cheers,
Tom

[heisman]

You guys are great. Thanks! I had so many problems getting 129 with E*, and also waited too long to complain about it. I just want to make sure everything is aligned perfectly from the start with D*. Thanks again!

[Zellster]

Ok, while we are clearing up ignorance, here's a couple more acronyms to clear up for me:

-SWM, Other than Single White Male, what is this?

-EKB?

-And last but not least, why to forums refer to Directv as D* and Echostar as E* other than brevity?

Anyway, people said ask so I'm asking.

Thanks in advance.

[Tom Robertson]

Welcome to the forums, Zellster. :welcome_s

A handy link: http://www.dbstalk.com/acronyms.htm

SWM is Single Wire Multiswitch. Takes the 4 lines from the dish like any multiswitch but can feed up to 8 tuners off a single coax rather than 1 coax per tuner.

EKB is Echostar Knowledge Base, a site now host by DBSTalk.com. Look at the top left of any DBStalk page and you'll find a link to a ton of Echostar information.

E* and D* are just shorthand. Like most any acronym.

Cheers,
Tom

[heisman]

...EKB?

Check it out Zell.

http://ekb.dbstalk.com/

[Supervolcano]

What channels come from 99 and 103? My signal strengths are very low on those, and I need to know if I should call them back out to realign. Thanks for all the help.
Most of the guys replying live in areas where there's only 1 spotbeam covering them and only 1 or 2 transponders are in use, so they aren't "wrong".

However Chicago is very unique in that we are on the fringe of several spotbeams, which means we get signal from about 10 or 11 transponders (note: I'm not saying that we USE all those transponders because we don't, I'm just saying our signal meter gets SIGNAL from them).

I live in Elk Grove, IL - northwest suburbs of Chicago.
Here's my signal strengths:

Satellite 99(b)
Transponders 1 thru 6: 73, 95, 66, 98, 50, 98

Satellite 103(a)
Transponders 1 thru 6: 95, 0, 96, 24, 96, 0
Transponder 17: 0

If you really do live in Chicago, you should be getting readings similar to mine.
If your readings aren't similar, then your dish probably isn't peaked correctly.

[heisman]

...If you really do live in Chicago.

No, I'm making it up:rolleyes: ....well, actually I am making it up:) since I live in Crestwood. But, since no one knows where the hell that is, I put Chicago to make it easy on everyone. I really appreciate the insight. My readings are actually about the same as your high readings, but I double alot of your lower readings, not that it matters since I'm probably not getting programming from those anyway. Thanks again!