Community Forums

Born2RV · 08-22-2009, 01:11 PM

I've read so many posts on Dish Network and satellite TV that my head is spinning!! I hope someone can help us!

We just traded in our 2004 Winnebago Sightseer for a 2003 Fleetwood Providence which has a King Dome automatic satellite dish. We were told to bring an active receiver when we pick it up on Monday, but both of our Dish Network receivers in the house are needed here - plus, they are the HD/DVR ones that we don't want to put in the motorhome. We purchased a Dish Network 322 on Ebay, which came today. This is what we'd like to use in the motorhome.

I'm assuming I have to call Dish Network with some numbers - but I don't know what numbers they'll need off the box??? Do I have to connect it to one of our TV's here at home (unplug it from the existing cable and plug it into the new box?) in order to activate it before we go on Monday??? Or can it be hooked up in the motorhome and activated according to those TV's (one in front, one in bedroom) after we get home??? I'm so confused!

Also, will we be able to hook our TV mounted in the basement storage area (third TV) to the dish also, even though the box only supports 2 TV's? Please help us with detailed instructions - in laymen terms - on how to hook this thing up!

We're just not sure. Yes, we do subscribe to Dish Network here at home.

mrschwarz · 08-22-2009, 03:12 PM

Based on my recent experience, I recommend activating it at home. When I did mine, I disconnected one of the dish antenna inputs to my home receiver and connected it to the new receiver. I then temporarily hooked up the new receiver to my TV. On the new receiver, I ran a 'check switch' (press menu, 6, 1, 1, then select 'Check Switch, then select 'Test'). The test should show a couple of satellites with 'OK' in the status boxes. If it doesn't try it again. Once that is done, you should see a message that says the receiver needs to be activated.

Now, call Dish to add the receiver. They'll step you through the process and get it working.

If this is confusing, the rep you get when you call Dish should be able to step you through it. It's pretty easy. Good luck!

Spikester · 08-23-2009, 09:34 AM

The numbers Dish Network will be looking for is the Serial Number of the Reciever, and the Smart Card Number.

Also you need to make sure your Kingdome is set-up to support Dish Network recievers, I believe that they are factory pre-set to support Direct TV. Your Kingdome operators manual should give you the procedure to switch to Dish Network pre-sets.

Without being familiar with your signal wiring, distribution system and TV capabilities hook up guidance would be iffy at best. Then of course you have the Digital over the air signal conversion to deal with if your TV's are not Digital signal compatible. Your third TV will have to be paralleled to one of your Dish recievers 2 tuner outputs in order for it to work.

Spike

AFChap · 08-23-2009, 06:55 PM

Born2RV

We have a Dish 322 receiver in our MH -- we got it from a Dish vendor and it was activated in the MH in 2005 and has NEVER been in a stick house.

Your "third" TV in the outside compartment is probably "shadowed" off one of the other two. In my Winnebago, the outside TV is "shadowed" off the bedroom TV and so it receives whatever signal the bedroom TV is set to receive.

Wayne M · 08-23-2009, 08:25 PM

We had a King dome in our 5er and when it was installed they provided two leads for the inputs. They expect that you would have one receiver in the main living area, and one in the bedroom. However, you can provide input to two televisions using only one lead. You will need a Separator. (My stick house has the 322 and I have both a Separator and a DPD 2.) One lead goes into the separator. Both leads of the separator go into Sat1 and Sat2 inputs on the back of the receiver. There is a distribution out on the back of the receiver. It will go to to the bedroom television. You can select the channel output of the 322 and I suggest Channel 60 as it is the one of least interference. (Technician told me that) As for a basement TV there are two options. One would be to acquire a second Satellite receiver and hook the second RF lead from the King Dome to that receiver. That would give you full functionality at that location. The other option would be to split the distribution out, through a satellite multiplexer, to the basement tv. The only drawback to this is that whatever is watched on the bedroom tv would be seen on the basement tv.

Do a google search on "How to connect two tvs to one satellite receiver" without the quotes and you will come up with different ways of doing this.

I have both the Dish 722 DVR and the 322 at the stick hous. Prior to gong on the road I record a lot of programs on the 722, then unhook the rf cable and the HDMI cable and put it in the MH. When I get to my location, and it's only for one night I will not pull out the portable antenna, I still am able to watch tv using the playback mode. DW has lots of Food Network pre-recorded so she's happy and I'm on the computer so I'm happy.

p.s., Oh, and to get it to the back bedroom I installed splitters at the back of the Wiengarten distribution box.

Bill Adams · 08-24-2009, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wayne M

We had a King dome in our 5er and when it was installed they provided two leads for the inputs. They expect that you would have one receiver in the main living area, and one in the bedroom. However, you can provide input to two televisions using only one lead. You will need a Separator. (My stick house has the 322 and I have both a Separator and a DPD 2.) One lead goes into the separator. Both leads of the separator go into Sat1 and Sat2 inputs on the back of the receiver. There is a distribution out on the back of the receiver. It will go to to the bedroom television. You can select the channel output of the 322 and I suggest Channel 60 as it is the one of least interference. (Technician told me that) As for a basement TV there are two options. One would be to acquire a second Satellite receiver and hook the second RF lead from the King Dome to that receiver. That would give you full functionality at that location. The other option would be to split the distribution out, through a satellite multiplexer, to the basement tv. The only drawback to this is that whatever is watched on the bedroom tv would be seen on the basement tv.

Do a google search on "How to connect two tvs to one satellite receiver" without the quotes and you will come up with different ways of doing this.

I have both the Dish 722 DVR and the 322 at the stick hous. Prior to gong on the road I record a lot of programs on the 722, then unhook the rf cable and the HDMI cable and put it in the MH. When I get to my location, and it's only for one night I will not pull out the portable antenna, I still am able to watch tv using the playback mode. DW has lots of Food Network pre-recorded so she's happy and I'm on the computer so I'm happy.

p.s., Oh, and to get it to the back bedroom I installed splitters at the back of the Wiengarten distribution box.

There is a substantial difference between a home antenna/tripod and a King Dome. Have you tried your theory of connecting a splitter from your King Dome to a dual receiver in your 5er? If it worked at all it would have only provided 1/2 the channels on each tuner (odd and even transponders).
Also, with a King Dome (any dome) you can only point to one satellite at a time so if you do hook up two receivers or one receiver with dual inputs you cannot watch one channel on the 119 satellite and another on the 110 satellite. This may not be a problem, you just have to be aware that a dome, Dish Network and dual receivers/tuners can run into a couple of complications.

David and Fran · 08-25-2009, 05:48 PM

We use Dish Network for our tv's both at home and while on the road. At home, we have 2 receivers for 4 tv's and like that a lot. In the MH we have one receiver and it feeds both tv's. Our KingDome would not support both sats so we paid for the upgrade so that it will do that (auto switch between 110 and 119). That beats jumping up and manually changing it when we needed the other sat! Dish Network tech support has always been very helpful when we call with questions although it will really throw them if you tell them the receiver is located in an RV. The tech support from King Controls is wonderful! They take your number, put you in a que and then call you back. I love not being placed on hold. Just recently we have figured out how to get the locals for where-ever we might be. You only need a local address with zip...call Dish tech support and change the service address. They don't like it at all...and sometimes we have had them refuse but when I persist they eventually go ahead and do it.

Bill Adams · 08-25-2009, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David and Fran

We use Dish Network for our tv's both at home and while on the road. At home, we have 2 receivers for 4 tv's and like that a lot. In the MH we have one receiver and it feeds both tv's. Our KingDome would not support both sats so we paid for the upgrade so that it will do that (auto switch between 110 and 119). That beats jumping up and manually changing it when we needed the other sat! Dish Network tech support has always been very helpful when we call with questions although it will really throw them if you tell them the receiver is located in an RV. The tech support from King Controls is wonderful! They take your number, put you in a que and then call you back. I love not being placed on hold. Just recently we have figured out how to get the locals for where-ever we might be. You only need a local address with zip...call Dish tech support and change the service address. They don't like it at all...and sometimes we have had them refuse but when I persist they eventually go ahead and do it.

No matter the update/upgrade, you still can't watch/record one channel that is on the 110 satellite and another that is on the 119 if you are using a dome. There's only one LNB so both tuners much be watching programming that is on the same satellite.

Born2RV · 08-25-2009, 08:06 PM

Wow! So much information! Okay - so we brought home our "baby" yesterday - a "new to us" 2003 Fleetwood Providence 39P. (Traded in our 2004 Winnebago Sightseer).

We subscribe to Dish Network at home - so I purchased a model 322 receiver, figuring that it would work with our King Dome model 9702 for both TV's. The technician at the dealership said that I needed the 311 receiver instead! He couldn't get the 322 working with our dome. We have a digital converter right now, until we replace both TV's in the coach, and the husband is looking into purchasing a LCD for the basement TV, which runs off the bedroom TV's cable.

Is there any way to make the 322 receiver work? Or should I purchase a 311? Thank you!

Gordon L. · 09-22-2009, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Born2RV

Wow! So much information! Okay - so we brought home our "baby" yesterday - a "new to us" 2003 Fleetwood Providence 39P. (Traded in our 2004 Winnebago Sightseer).

We subscribe to Dish Network at home - so I purchased a model 322 receiver, figuring that it would work with our King Dome model 9702 for both TV's. The technician at the dealership said that I needed the 311 receiver instead! He couldn't get the 322 working with our dome. We have a digital converter right now, until we replace both TV's in the coach, and the husband is looking into purchasing a LCD for the basement TV, which runs off the bedroom TV's cable.

Is there any way to make the 322 receiver work? Or should I purchase a 311? Thank you!

We ran in to the same problem. We could not get our on-board dish to work with the 322. We had to go with the old 311 receiver. Not sure why - maybe we were doing something wrong?

wa8yxm · 09-22-2009, 06:32 PM

I would take one of the DVR's for set up, then put it back in the house once set up.. and hook up the 311 in the coach (in fact, take both the 311 and the DVR with you)

The 311 won't be active till it's all hooked up

When you re-connect the DVR at home, don't forget Menu 6-1-1 and do a check switch off the antenna pointing page to re-connect it to your home antennas

Born2RV · 09-22-2009, 07:34 PM

We purchased the 311 receiver and the dealer put it in the motorhome. After following his directions, it locked onto satellite 110 (dish network), but all that we saw when we hit the "guide" were foreign channels and music channels??? We tried to get it to switch to satellite 119 by holding down the King dome button for 3 to 4 seconds, as instructed, but it didn't pick it up. ????

Also, we don't know where to plug the DVD in? We tried taking it directly to the TV - no luck. Then we tried going to the control box with it - no luck. Hmmm???? I think it may be time for us to just break down and purchase a new LCD TV for the front with a combo DVD player, just like we did in the bedroom!