Tricks and Tips on Installing 1000.2 Dish?

[Jeff Burris]

I now have a DISH 1000.2 antenna with the triple lnb with integrated switch.

I have an old, cheap satellite finder that I've used on Dish 300/500
installs, that requires one end to be connected to a receiver.

Is this satellite finder useful on a 1000.2? Which LNB will it read off
of? I've connected it, sometimes it registered a signal, and other
times it didn't, even after I knew at least a couple of the LNBs had a
signal.

Do you need a satellite finder, if you can see the receiver's output
screen?

Up until now, I have aimed the satellite, and done a check switch. If
it found nothing, I aim again, do another check switch. This takes
FOREVER. Once I found the satellites on the correct LNBs, I just peaked
it with the receiver's strength meter.

Will the strength meter on the screen register anything (even wrong
satellite) if the check switch screen shows nothing (all X)? I ask,
because then I wouldn't have to keep doing a check switch all the time.
But I don't see how it would know what LNB to be checking from...

I finally did get this thing aimed, although 129 is really, really weak.
But I need to install another one soon, and I am thinking there just
must be a better way!

Thanks,

Jeff Burris
Salina, Kansas

[Just Bob]

Easier for me to use the sat receiver instead of a meter to find the
119. Cover the 110 and 129 lnbfs with foil so you will not get the wrong
lnbf on the wrong sat. Make sure the receiver is looking for 119 on the
screen. Remove the foil after locked on 119 then do the check switch.

[Bill Henley]

Yes, if the receiver doesn't think there is a Switch involved, it will
show the strength of the currently connected LNB, and say Wrong Sat if it
doesn't happen to match what you have selected for a sat. I'd disconnect
everything and do a check switch, then connect to port #1 and the 1000.2
will give you the signal from the 119 LNB. Connect to #2 if you want to
see the strength of the center LNB (110 hopefully!), and #3 gives you 129
LNB. Once you've done a check switch and the receiver knows it is a 1K2
dish, the receiver will control what LNB is selected by command. In the
absence of being commanded, the 1000.2 has defaults for which LNB is
routed to which coax connection.

Just Bob's suggestion to cover the LNB is a good one - expecially when
there might be confusion.

If you are aiming the dish with the 501, there aren't many transponders on
129 you can use. Hopefully, you brought the 622 that will recognize the
MPEG4 signals on 129 - the 501 doesn't see most transponders that do have
signal.

--

Bill Henley

[Patrick Martin]

I always take a receiver and 5" TV set out to the dish. It is easier to
line things up.

Patrick

[Jeff Burris]

Bill Henley wrote:

Thanks for the info, and good point. I hadn't thought about 129 being
mostly MPEG4. But I will take the 622 with me, so it won't be a problem.

From what you said, my satellite finder should still work, if I do the
check switch with nothing attached then put the satellite finder in
between the 1000.2 (on whichever port I'm trying to peak) and the receiver.

[Jeff Burris]

Patrick Martin wrote:

Yeah, I've read about people doing that (possibly you). I wish I had a
small TV.

When I'm doing this by myself, I just call my land line from my cell
phone and put the land line phone by the TV so I can hear the pitch
changes. Hardly accurate, but better than running in and out of the
house. In this case, I'll put Mom on the other end of the phone so she
can read me the signal strengths!

Jeff

[Patrick Martin]

>>Yeah, I've read about people doing that (possibly you). I wish I had a
small TV.<<

I have one of those $20-- five inch sets that will run off batteries or
a waltwort, analog only. But it does work well for setting up the dish.

Patrick