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| Q: |
I have a lot of tall trees in the way between my dish antenna and the satellite. What can I do? |
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Trees can cause interference with the satellites and dish. If you cannot find a different or higher location that provides line-of-sight to the satellites, you may have to trim your trees. You can mount your dish antenna up to 100 feet away from your house without adding any signal amplifiers, if necessary. |
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| Q: |
I would like to know if the satellite TV dish antenna must be installed outside the home. I live in an apartment and am restricted to certain codes. |
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The satellite dish antenna needs to placed outside in order to receive the signal. Certain window materials do allow the signal to pass through, but you will lose signal strength. |
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| Q: |
Can I install my satellite TV system myself? If so, can I use my existing cable? |
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You can install this system by yourself. We offer a Self Installation Kit which includes all necessary hardware normally needed to install one receiver, and a videotape to help you. It requires RG-6 coaxial cable with no splitters from the dish antenna to receiver. This makes most existing cable wirings incompatible with DISH Network because it can not carry an adequate signal. |
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| Q: |
Is it possible to watch separate programming on two televisions with the DISH Network system? |
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Yes, we do offer this type of setup. You will need a satellite TV dish antenna with a dual output LNBF (Included in the Model 2812, 3700, 3720, 3822, 4720, 4722, 5000, 5022, 6023, 7100, 7200 and the JVC D-VHS systems), and a separate receiver for each television. You can buy one receiver and watch local channels on one TV while watching DISH Network channels on the other. However, you can not watch 2 different DISH Network channels simultaneously with only one receiver. |
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| Q: |
We're ready to install the dish antenna, but our homeowner's association forbids it. Can you help us? |
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We would love to have you as a customer. Our dish antenna sizes are 18" and 20" and comply with the Satellite Consumer Bill of Rights, a regulation released by the FCC on August 6, 1996. This regulation PREEMPTS local zoning ordinances and Homeowner Association covenants and restrictions on DBS dish antennas. This rule was required by Congress in the 1996 Telecommunications Act. Some HOAs have been fighting to keep restriction rights by threatening court action on tenants with dish antennas, in some cases arguing that a dish antenna is installed in a common area, calling the air space above the homeowner's roof where the dish antenna is installed, the common area. Congress is on your side in this matter. For more specific information please contact:
SBCA (Satellite Broadcasting & Communications Association) ..... (703) 549-6990, and at http://www.sbca.com
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION ..... (202) 418-0163 and at http://www.fcc.gov |
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| Q: |
I live outside of the contiguous 48 states, what size dish antenna do I need? |
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Please call 1-800-333-DISH (3474) to locate a retailer near you. They will be able to assist you in getting the correct size dish antenna. If you live in Canada please call Bell ExpressVu @ 1-888-759-3474. If you live in the Caribbean, please call 1-877-444-4759. |
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| Q: |
I need a Professional Installation. Who do I call? |
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Simply call 1-800-434-7451 to schedule an installation time convenient for you. |
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| Q: |
I installed my new DISH Network system myself and am unable to get dish antenna tuned in at all. All I have is the red bar graph. Can you help? |
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A red bar means you are not acquiring a strong enough signal from the satellite or are pointing it at the wrong satellite. First, make sure that all these conditions are met: Your dish antenna is correctly pointed at the proper satellite(You can verify your azimuth and elevation angles using this program). Next, be sure you have nothing in between the dish antenna and satellite, like tall trees, that might block the signal. Third, be sure all the cable is properly connected from your dish antenna all the way to the receiver. If you are still experiencing problems, contact our Technical Support Department by calling 1-800-333-DISH (3474) and giving them the specifics of your situation. They will be able to answer any further questions you may have. |
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| Q: |
How do I install two or more receivers? |
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The ability to operate more than one television independently through DISH Network satellite TV system will require a dual LNBF system, which is capable of connecting the dish antenna to up to five independent receivers. The price of a dual LNBF system begins at $199 (depending on the model). Then you may add an additional receiver (either IR or UHF) starting at $99 per additional receiver to add to your other TVs. The additional receiver will allow the duplication of your programming by a separate satellite TV signal being sent to your other TVs, so they can work independently. The cost of programming for each additional receiver is only $4.99/month. Of course, you can hook up as many TVs as you like to just one receiver, but they will receive the same programming on all TVs. More than two receivers require a voltage line splitter and a dual LNBF. |
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| Q: |
What should I do if I am going to move? |
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DISH Network has a program just for you called DishMover. |
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| Q: |
We have a satellite dish antenna and during heavy rain and snow we lose our signal. Is there something we can do to eliminate this? |
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The problem could be that your external connections on the cable are not weatherproofed. If there is water getting into the cable connection, it would cause the types of problems you are seeing. We recommend that you wait until the weather is clear and you are obtaining a good signal so that you are sure the cables are dry. Then use a good silicone sealant on all of your exterior cable connections. Repeaking your dish antenna will also help to minimize this problem. The higher your signal strength, the less you will experience this fade.
Heavy rain and snow could also cause you to lose signal strength due to the dish antenna not being able to see the satellite. If you live in an area where inclement weather is a regular occurrence, you might want to consider using a slightly larger, 24" dish antenna.
If you do try and re-peak your dish for optimum signal, please ensure that it is safe to do so BEFORE attempting this procedure. |
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| Q: |
What must I do to ground my system properly? |
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You may want to install the ground block onto the side of the building, or on some other sturdy structure near the satellite dish. Make sure that the location is stable, and that you fasten the ground block tightly to the surface. As stated in Article 820-40 of the National Electrical Code (NEC), locate the ground block as close as possible to the power entry ground. Mount the ground block so that its connections are horizontal. This helps keep moisture from leaking into the block. Using the shortest path possible, run the coaxial cable(s) from the LNBF(s) to the input(s) on the ground block.
Put a drip loop in each cable to allow moisture to drip from the cable before it runs into the ground block.
Run the ground wire to the power entry ground of the building in accordance with the National Electrical Code (NEC) and all local electrical codes.
A ground wire must always be a single piece of wire. Never splice two wires together for a ground. Corrosion and weathering can lead to a poor connection at the splice, making the ground ineffective and dangerous. If you cut the ground wire too short, replace it with a single wire cut to the correct length.
Use cable clips to attach the cable to the side of the building. This helps prevent damage.
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| Q: |
Can I paint the dish antenna so that it blends in with my house? |
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You can paint your dish antenna. We recommend that you use a flat paint, rather than glossy, to reduce the possibilities of problems from reflected heat at the LNBF. Also, do not get any paint on the LNBF. |
