# Can you use both 129 and 61.5?



## auburn2 (Sep 8, 2005)

I ordered my 942-to-622 upgrade today. The CSR said they MUST come out and install a dish 1000 so I could get 129. He said they need to do this even though I already have an antenna looking at 61.5 and get all those channels fine (including the MPEG 2 Voom channels). 

I have been told 129 carries the same national programming as 61.5. So once installed will the 622 just use the stronger of the two to pull in those channels, or will it always use one of them for a specific channel? 

I am worried about this because I live in Alabama and 129 is quite a ways off. Based on other posts, a lot of people closer to that satelite are having problems with signal strength. I don't want an "upgrade" that will get me a few more HD channels at the cost of losing the reliability and performance on those I have now.


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## Oldcoot (Dec 17, 2004)

When I call to get the upgrade I told the CSR, which happend to be one of the few I have ever talked to that knows at least a little, that I was using 61.5 and did not need or want a Dish 1000. She had no problem with my request and processed my upgrade with no problems.
If they insist on giving you a Dish 1000, I would just take it and then revert back to 61.5.


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## Doggfather (Apr 19, 2004)

I am wondering about this myself. when 61.5 and 129 are both on, which will it take for voom? Is it dependant upon whats connected to a higher port on the DPP 44 etc? Anyone?


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## SMosher (Jan 16, 2006)

Doggfather said:


> I am wondering about this myself. when 61.5 and 129 are both on, which will it take for voom? Is it dependant upon whats connected to a higher port on the DPP 44 etc? Anyone?


Wonderful question. I myself would like to know.


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## Oldcoot (Dec 17, 2004)

I don't think that port position makes any difference as to assigning any type of priority, but I never tried it. I think the receiver would have to make some type of decision as to which satellite it wants to use. (Just a theory on my part)
Yes !! An interesting question that I too would like to have answered.
My neighbor had a dish 1000 installed and we just installed a Dish 300 for 61.5 and connected it to the DP34 instead of the feed from the 129 LNB.


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## Kricket (Nov 18, 2005)

when i called to upgrade a few weeks ago - i was told i MUST have a dish 1000 installed regardless - after a few minutes of trying to explain to the csr that i already had 61.5 i realized it was futile - so scheduled the install - of course, this meant that i had to wait 3 weeks for the installer to get to my house - which meant 3 weeks of not using a 622 that i had already paid for...

anyway - the installer came and himself decided that i didnt need a dish 1000 - he just hooked up the splitter that came with the 622 and activated it - of course, this made me angry because i waited 3 weeks for him to come and do virtually nothing

HOWEVER - when i searched for my locals in hd - i discovered that i didnt have them because those are all on 129 - NOT 61.5 - this made me doubly furious because the installer was at my house, assured me i didnt need a dish 1000, hooked up the 622 and left

now - i have to wait until april 15th for him to come out again and do what i had originally waited 3 weeks for - hopefully, after a month and a half of waiting, ill have what i paid for in full on 2/28...


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## steelhorse (Apr 27, 2004)

I was under the impression that the same stations are on both 129 and 61.5.


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## Kricket (Nov 18, 2005)

steelhorse said:


> I was under the impression that the same stations are on both 129 and 61.5.


as was i - until i called dish tech support and found out that in chicago - hd locals are broadcast ONLY on 129...

im sure its different for each area (as far as what sat hd locals are broadcast on) - however, here in chicago, if i want my hd locals as broadcast through the sat, i need 129...


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## Larry Caldwell (Apr 4, 2005)

auburn2 said:


> I ordered my 942-to-622 upgrade today. The CSR said they MUST come out and install a dish 1000 so I could get 129. He said they need to do this even though I already have an antenna looking at 61.5 and get all those channels fine (including the MPEG 2 Voom channels).
> 
> I have been told 129 carries the same national programming as 61.5. So once installed will the 622 just use the stronger of the two to pull in those channels, or will it always use one of them for a specific channel?


For future programming options, your best bet is to keep both the 61.5 dish and the new Dish1000. Since you already have the 61.5 dish set up, and the Dish1000 is free, with the upgrade, there doesn't seem to be much point in avoiding it.


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## chewey (Jul 28, 2004)

Why not just point the Dish 300 from 61.5 to 129?


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## Manke (Dec 27, 2005)

chewey said:


> Why not just point the Dish 300 from 61.5 to 129?


Chewey, You have got the best answer. Two dishes beat the 1000 her in Southern California.


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## chewey (Jul 28, 2004)

Manke said:


> Chewey, You have got the best answer. Two dishes beat the 1000 her in Southern California.


You just made my day!


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## auburn2 (Sep 8, 2005)

chewey said:


> Why not just point the Dish 300 from 61.5 to 129?


Because I am worried that 129 will not come in well. 61.5 comes in great.


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## Doggfather (Apr 19, 2004)

See for me, I am in an area where 61.5 does nto completely come in for me (I am on the fringe and it is normal behaviour) I know that the voom channel numbers are exactly the same for 61.5 and 129, i would therefore imagine it is the same tier... i can not get rainbow-1 but i can get anything on Echo 3 with decent signal, i get 129 however at all above 110 ;0 ;0 ;0 I however sub to CBS-HD East and want 61.5 back too for that, so, with that being said I dont want to connect 61.5 to my setup and have the receivers think that this is where they get voom from, if so i could NOT have in my instance 61.5 connected ;0 I need a precise answer therefore ;0 

-Doggfather


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## mwgiii (Jul 19, 2002)

There are some channels only on 61.5.

Like Larry said, with Dish it is best to have all the dishes you can get. Who knows what will change next month.


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## Ken Green (Oct 6, 2005)

SMosher said:


> Wonderful question. I myself would like to know.


Response from Executive Escalations:
Question:
_"I have a technical question, which I have presented to 3 different CSR's, including one at TPS, none of which have been able to answer.
Perhaps you could answer the question, or know who can answer it for me.
On my present setup, I have a Dish1000 pointed at 110°/119°/129° and a Dish300 pointed at 61.5°.
When a channel is available on both 129° and 61.5° how does the receiver determine which orbital location to lock for the requested channel?
Is it based on signal strength...random selection...predetermined in software, etc.?"_

Reply:
_"I was told by engineering it is at random. So this happens while the receiver is acquiring signal. When the receiver is reset, it will acquire the data tables for the channel from whichever is available first and disregard the other."_


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## SMosher (Jan 16, 2006)

kdg454 said:


> Response from Executive Escalations:
> Question:
> _"I have a technical question, which I have presented to 3 different CSR's, including one at TPS, none of which have been able to answer.
> Perhaps you could answer the question, or know who can answer it for me.
> ...


GREAT! Nice info. Thanks you for finding that out.

Doggfather there is your reply.


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