Portable Dish 1000 - Here we go!!!

[Born2RV]

Well, just got back from an enjoyable, but VERY COLD weekend of camping here in Michigan. At least with the cold weather, it allowed us time to finish putting together our portable dish 1000. (We are currently using a King Dome with one LNB and a 311 receiver). Since daylight was fading, we BRIEFLY started to set-up, but then decided we didn't want to stay outside in the 28 degree weather any more to play with it.

However, we have a few questions I KNOW you can answer.
1) We haven't yet called Dish Network to activate our 211 and 622 Dish Receivers. Should we do that BEFORE hooking up our dish or after?
2) What EXACTELY should we see on the screen when the center LNB is picking up the 119 satelitte? We saw it looking for the 119 and the 110, and doing a search for the transponders. Is that what it should be doing?
3) Try as we might, we could NOT get the little meter that came with it to work. Hubby put it between the dish and the receiver (actually between the dish and the "switch") but it didn't do anything???
4) We followed the instructions for finding the Aziumuth, Elevation, etc. in the book that came with it, but we also looked at the satelittes with our Iphones. Is that the correct thing to do?

The first thing we did after hooking up the cables was to switch the 211 receiver on, turn to channel 3, switch the inputs on the TV and Receiver, etc. What are your steps?

What would we do without you!!! I've also attached a picture of our setup.

[Gary - K7GLD]

Wouldn't comment on the finer details, but for sure, I would want the setup fully installed and operational before calling Dish for activation - there will likely be on-screen info they will want read back to them, as well as initial setup procedures that will require an operational system.

[Born2RV]

How will we know when we are on target with all three satelittes?

[bill dean1]

Hi:
I had DISH rep setup my new HDTV and asked them about setting up three satellites and he said they only do 129 and 110 and 119 come in off 129 setting.

Good Luck.

Bill

[Wayne M]

Born2RV,
Somewhere in there you have to perform a "check switch" for that antenna. As long as you don't change antenna's or receiver's you will only need to do it once. When the check switch has been completed you should see 110, 119, and 129 listed. You will have to save the settings.

To me, aligning the 1000 is the most frustrating thing I have ever done. I spent hours trying to align it and failed many times. Azimuth, Skew, and Elevation have to be very much in the ball park to get a signal. The problem with those inexpensive meters is that they pick up any satellite signal out there.

Now try to figure this out. One time I spent a few hours trying to align the DISH. I finally went inside and had a drink. I still had not been able to get a tv signal. I told the wife that I was going to go move the antenna, since it was in the path of any incoming campers that may come in next to us. I pulled the three tent pins out of the legs of the tripod, picked the whole thing up and moved it 10 feet to behind the MH, pinned it because I didn't want to fool with taking it down, went in side - AND had all three satellites, 110, 119, 129. GO FIGURE!

Now, if you go buy a "Birdog" for about $800, you can tune in any satellite signal withing a couple minutes.

There is something to be said for having the automatic antenna.

[kjburns]

WayneM, I recently had a similar experience setting up. We left the dish out during some big winds and when we got back, it was bent. I picked it up, straightened out the arm, pointed it south and had a 75% signal. I didn't even expect it to work after the damage.

1. Call Dish after you have the dish aimed and a good signal.

2. Check the signal strength (menu - 6 - 1 - 1 on your remote). You'll see the meter across the bottom of the screen...can't miss it.

3. If you have the same meter I have, turn the dial until the meter reads 5. Aim the dish and the signal should run up to 10. Turn the dial back to 5 and fine tune your aim. I have a short section of coax coming out of the dish, then the meter, then a long section of coax to the receiver. You want to start by making sure the tripod is level, then place the dish and aim.

4. It sounds like you're doing it correctly. Once you get the hang of it, it only takes a few minutes to get the dish aimed. I have the same DishPointer app on a Droid.

After you get the dish aimed, run the check switch test showing on the signal strength screen (menu - 6 - 1 - 1). If you're set up correctly, it'll show all three satellites as OK.

[K-Star]

First off, cover the outer LNB's. The center LNB is the one you want to line up with. On the 1000.2 it is satellite 119; on the 1000.4 it is satellite 72. Once those are lined up, uncover the outer LNB's; if you skew is correct you will get the other birds (110 and 129 on the 1000.2 or 61.5 and 77 on the 1000.4). Once you have maximum signal on all three birds, run Check Switch. Then you call DishNetwork to activate your receivers.

I use Dishpointer website (Satellite Finder / Dish Pointing Calculator with Google Maps | DishPointer.com) to find my angles. Enter the address and zip code and you'll get the Azimuth, Elevation and Skew. Set these ahead of time and lineup will be much easier. I cannot comment on the meter you have as I am not familiar with what you have.