# Help with Hybrid LNBF and new Hopper 3 with Sling



## JRM (Oct 16, 2017)

First post here so please be gentle. I'm reasonably tech savvy especially with the help of the Internet and forums. I'm currently leasing an ancient Hopper 2 and one Joey from Dish. I bought a refurb Hopper 3 with Sling on eBay. I know I'm own my own for installation because I didn't purchase it from Dish or one of their retailers. 

I do have a second option. I have a newer Hopper 2 installed in my RV with a Winegard Travler. I could put that Hopper 2 in my house and the Hopper 3 in the bus. But I assume I would have similar LNB issues in the RV.

In the house I currently have a Dish 1000 with a DPP LNB. It looks like I have to upgrade my LNB to the Hybrid LNBF. Is this correct? Also, is it a direct bolt up job with no repointing of the dish since I don't have a meter.


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## JRM (Oct 16, 2017)

Duh... Guess I should have done a search before asking my questions. LNBF is a direct bolt up job and doesn't require repointing the dish.

If anybody has any further comments, I would appreciate it.


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## RBA (Apr 14, 2013)

JRM said:


> Duh... Guess I should have done a search before asking my questions. LNBF is a direct bolt up job and doesn't require repointing the dish.
> 
> If anybody has any further comments, I would appreciate it.


Start off by identifying your equipment correctly. There are 3 Hoppers so far. 1st, was a Hopper 2000 the original. 2nd there was the Hopper with Sling. 3rd there is the Hopper 3.
For dishes there is Dish 1000 the original 3 LNBF high definition dish then there is the 1000+ that saw 4 satellite locations. More recently there are the 1000.4 Eastern & Western Arcs and the current 1000.2 Eastern & Western arcs


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## JRM (Oct 16, 2017)

My current Hopper is a 2000 first gen. The dish is a 1000 with a DPP LNB on Western arc.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

H3 req hybrid lnbf and hybrid solo or duo module
diagrams posted here many time or go to solidsignal site for them


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## NYDutch (Dec 28, 2013)

Or use a DPH42 switch with the existing LNBF plus the Solo or Duo module. The DPH 42 would also work in the RV for an H3 without needing to mod the Trav'ler.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

all the info well know and reside at solidsignal site ...
Solid Signal Blog - CEDIA 2016: DISH shows DPH42 Hybrid Switch


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## jfaberna (Oct 16, 2017)

I hope it's okay to jump in here since I was referred to this post thread to answer my "newbie" questions.

I find the Solid Signal Blog post referenced above to be most helpful in figuring out what would be installed if I ordered Dish Hopper 3 and 2 Joeys. 

What I'm confused about is there still a need for Eastern ARC and Western ARC versions of the LNB on the same 1000.2 reflector dish? 

The reason I ask is, while I'm sure DISH will pick the right one for my house, what about my RV? I don't always travel in the eastern USA. When do I need to have both the EA and WA LNBs that support the Hopper 3? Or does Hopper 3 eliminate the need to worry about this. (Obviously, I'd need the correct installation hardware in my RV to make this work.)


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## RBA (Apr 14, 2013)

jfaberna said:


> I hope it's okay to jump in here since I was referred to this post thread to answer my "newbie" questions.
> 
> I find the Solid Signal Blog post referenced above to be most helpful in figuring out what would be installed if I ordered Dish Hopper 3 and 2 Joeys.
> 
> ...


The Eastern Arc and Western Arc LNBs are easily changed only a couple bolts cost is "low". Eastern Arc does not mean East coast some cities in FL are Western Arc.


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## James Long (Apr 17, 2003)

If you always point west you would only need the WA LNB. But that would lead to problems if you were in an EA market and wanted to watch local TV via satellite.

For anyone who does not understand, the spacing is different on the two arcs so you can't just point the WA LNB at EA and expect it to work. It probably will for most channels (anything not on 77) but it isn't designed to work for both arcs. The EA LNB would not work for WA because there are too many important channels on 129.


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## NYDutch (Dec 28, 2013)

Having both LNB's has worked well for us as we move around with our RV. When we find ourselves in heavily treed sites for instance, we can use the arc where we have the best aiming angle. Secondarily, we use the one that will give us the area locals when that's an option. As said, switching between the two at the dish takes just a couple of screws and swapping cables. At the receiver, all that's needed is running a switch test.


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## jfaberna (Oct 16, 2017)

This has been most enlightening for me. As a DirecTV user I alway pointed my dish to find 101, 99, and 103. I never got Locals outside my beamed area. One reason to switch to DISH would be having the Hopper 3 and 2 Joeys in my RV as well as my house when home, and DISH will switch my service area. Same setup, I only have to buy a second dish antenna with a EA and WA Hybrid LNB. 

Seems like I can do what I want, just need to better understand aiming my dish for each arc. Currently I just worry about 101 and tweak the elevation. My current setup has 10 turn fine tuning for azimuth and elevation. Is that available for Dish equipment?


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## NYDutch (Dec 28, 2013)

My 1000.4 dish for our HWS does have azimuth and elevation fine tuning, although the elevation is usually all I use, just tweaking in the azimuth before I tighten the mount down on the tripod post. The hybrid LNB's used by the H3 cannot be used on the no longer supplied 1000.4 dish though, so you'll likely have a 1000.2 dish with just slotted adjustments. There is a company that makes a fine tuning adapter kit for the 1000.2, but I don't recall who it is. If you get hold of an older, larger 1000.4 though, the non-hybrid LNB's can be used with an H3 with the addition of a DPH42 switch.


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## jfaberna (Oct 16, 2017)

so where do you get you DISH azimuth, elevation and tilt information. With DirecTV the receiver gave me information based on Zipcode. Tilt was set mechanically. Azimuth was set by compass and tweaked by me turning the dish while my wife is watching the setup screen on the TV and telling me when to stop. Same with elevation fine tuning. Is this similar to the way I would do DISH tuniing?


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## NYDutch (Dec 28, 2013)

I get my aiming data from DishPointer.com or the DishPointer app on my phone. The app also lets me see in real time where the satellites are in the sky in relation to the surrounding foliage. When tweaking in the dish, I use a digital signal meter at the dish rather than the on screen meter, making it a quicker one person operation. It rarely takes me more than 10-15 minutes to set up and aim the tripod and dish. With an extra couple of minutes if I need to switch LNB's. To save time, I usually preset the skew (tilt) and elevation for our next location when I'm ready to put the dish away for the move, although those settings will need changing if I have to switch LNB's at the new location of course. That only leaves dialing in the azimuth and maybe tweaking the elevation a bit at the new location once the tripod is anchored and leveled. All of the adjustment hex nuts on our dish have been replaced with large wingnuts for a no tools needed setup.


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## jfaberna (Oct 16, 2017)

Sounds like the general method I use to aim my tripod for DirecTV except for the meter. When they switched to SWM, my old meter didn't work. Some hacks made the setup to use the meter more complicated than setting up the dish. I use a tripod that's simple from tv4rv.com. 

Are there issues with which meters work with Dish Pro Hybrid LNBF vs. Dish Pro Plus LNBF?


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

simple analog meter still good for DP/DPP/DPH LNBF


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## NYDutch (Dec 28, 2013)

I use a tripod that started life as a $25 roof peak mount tripod, that with the addition of about $10 in common hardware, became an adjustable leveling, no-tools needed, collapsible portable tripod. I anchor it with a partially water filled 5-gallon bucket or a couple of dog tie-out screw anchors, depending on the ground conditions and the length of stay. Our entire original RV sat system used a VIP211K and cost a little less than $250 complete with the receiver, 1000.4 dish, tripod, both DPP LNB's, all RG6 cables, a signal meter, a quality compass, and even a bubble level for the tripod. Each of the major components came from a different vendor since I couldn't find one at the time that had it all in one place at reasonable prices. Of course we've upgraded the receiver to a Hopper w/Sling since then, as well as adding a second 1000.4 dish, a Hopper w/Sling, and a Joey at our upstate NY vacation cottage. But we're still using the same "homemade" tripod, 1000.4 dish, DPP LNB's, and coax.


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