# Ex Dish owner considering Hopper and DIY install



## pwkpete (Apr 22, 2003)

Hi All,

I'm considering going back to dish - just can't stand Time Warner price and equipment and would have considered UVerse, but ATT is too incompetant to tell me if or when it will be at my house, even though they were just installing it 4 houses away less than .25 miles. - just get the standard moronic, "our computers say it is not available for you and we can't get any further information"...

I was a Dish customer for 12 years, right before they picked up the HD channel service and integrated that and wouldn't offer them to me - so I left.

Geez, I really do dislike them all...

<Rant off>

I installed all my old Dish systems, looking to see what I need for the Hopper from an antenna/LNB standpoint. I see these LNB's matched with 1000.2 west arc from different vendors:

pro plus
triple
triple plus
...
Looking for a cheap setup that will drive 1 hopper/2 joeys at this point. I sold all my previous hardware so I am starting clean.

From what I can tell with the Hopper it needs the 1000.2 setup but I see them with different LNB's all over. Is there one out there that will get it done on the cheap?

I am also going to do an in ground installation, I don't recall when the diameter of pipe I used previously was for mounting the dish on, anyone know?

Answers might spur further question, but appreciate any ideas, thanks!
-P


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## RBA (Apr 14, 2013)

Suggest if you want "cheap" that you call DISH and use their free install for new customers I believe they won't allow self installs on leased equipment, you would have to spend several hundred dollars to buy the equipment.


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## pwkpete (Apr 22, 2003)

I was planning on buying. Long term it makes sense when you look at what they are charging for lease and I already have the house prepped for coax. You don't get the cheap channel package for the 1st year of the 2 year contract, but after 2 years I calculate being ahead based on the prices I've found for hardware....

I want to get the dish itself setup and then I'll grab the equipment...

If I did the lease, they would give me the antenna and LNB so I wouldn't be asking about it


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

You pay the same price per month whether you lease or you own... so I'm not seeing where the savings would be.


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## pwkpete (Apr 22, 2003)

" Right now" (tm) there is a 29.99 top 120 deal for 1 year... 20$ less than regular price in the 2 year contract - 2nd year full price. If I purchased equipment I couldn't get that deal and would pay the regular price.

The savings starts adding up quick after the 2nd year (300/year for 1 H & 2J)... Whereas if you were leasing would still be paying that fee...


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## pwkpete (Apr 22, 2003)

Back to the topic at hand, anyone able to help with my initial questions?


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## RBA (Apr 14, 2013)

Your logic for saving money makes no sense!!! You pay nothing more per month to lease the equipment and you lose the discount on programming. Plus you have to pay upfront to buy the equipment.


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## pwkpete (Apr 22, 2003)

Not correct, you are charged 12/Hopper and 7/Joey / month on lease.

0 if you own - do the math

Paying for the 'deal' is worse than getting a cell phone on the '2 year plan' as the hardware doesn't go out of style as fast and Dish controls the entire market

I talked to dish reps and did the math - I know the #'s

Can anyone answer my initial questions?


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## foghorn2 (Jun 18, 2006)

pwkpete said:


> Back to the topic at hand, anyone able to help with my initial questions?


Sure, try ebay.


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## sregener (Apr 17, 2012)

pwkpete said:


> Not correct, you are charged 12/Hopper and 7/Joey / month on lease.
> 
> 0 if you own - do the math


Are you absolutely sure this is correct? Dish doesn't charge me anything for my leased hopper. They do charge me a fee for a "Whole Home DVR Service" of $12/mo which I have read has to be paid in order for you to use a Hopper. In other words, you're paying for things like the guide, software upgrades and telephone support questions that crop up. And those costs exist whether you buy or lease the receiver. So I suspect you'll end up paying the $12/month for a Hopper whether you lease or buy it.

How much do you think a Hopper will cost? And if it is leased and dies, Dish replaces it. If it is owned and dies, you replace it. Search the forums and you'll see that not all Hoppers run trouble-free for five years.


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## icmoney (Jul 29, 2006)

pwkpete said:


> Not correct, you are charged 12/Hopper and 7/Joey / month on lease.
> 
> 0 if you own - do the math
> 
> ...


I own my equipment and did self install of 1 Hopper and 2 Joeys. I'm assuming you will be using western arc, so you need a 1000.2 dish with DPP LNB's.
You will also need a Single Node module that goes between Sat dish and Hopper/Joeys.
If you need more help or advice, you can PM me.


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## david_jr (Dec 10, 2006)

icmoney said:


> I own my equipment and did self install of 1 Hopper and 2 Joeys. I'm assuming you will be using western arc, so you need a 1000.2 dish with DPP LNB's.
> You will also need a Single Node module that goes between Sat dish and Hopper/Joeys.
> If you need more help or advice, you can PM me.


So please enlighten us since you purchased and installed your own equipment, what is your monthly fee compared to those who lease? A new leasing customer would pay $12 WH DVR + $7 Joey + $7 Joey for a total of $26 monthly fees. If it is much less than that you might be on to something. We are all curious what the same owned/installed monthly DVR & equipment fees are? TIA for your reply.


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## VDP07 (Feb 22, 2006)

pwkpete said:


> Not correct, you are charged 12/Hopper and 7/Joey / month on lease.
> 
> *0 if you own - do the math*
> 
> ...


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## icmoney (Jul 29, 2006)

david_jr said:


> So please enlighten us since you purchased and installed your own equipment, what is your monthly fee compared to those who lease? A new leasing customer would pay $12 WH DVR + $7 Joey + $7 Joey for a total of $26 monthly fees. If it is much less than that you might be on to something. We are all curious what the same owned/installed monthly DVR & equipment fees are? TIA for your reply.


I don't care what the difference is. I have not compared. I just choose to own my equipment and not be under any contract commitment. If the cost mattered to me I would only have OTA antenna and TV. That is all I have to say on subject. The OP asked for help and I offered it.


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## pwkpete (Apr 22, 2003)

I was on the phone with a Dish sales person (I have her contact info from the Phoenix office) - she ran the #'s on my account and told me that I would not incur the 26$ of fees listed if I owned, but only if I went with the plan. I'll re-verify with her...


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## pwkpete (Apr 22, 2003)

Thx ICMoney - appreciate the info. Will ping you if I have additional questions.


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## 3HaloODST (Aug 9, 2010)

The fees for owned/leased equipment are exactly the same. I would know as I own two Hoppers and lease the other two.










I have grandfathered fees which are the following :-
1st Hopper fee (DVR Fee) : $10
Each additional Hopper/Joey: $7

However the new fee structure is :-
1st Hopper fee (DVR Fee) : $12
Each additional Hopper: $12
Each additional Joey: $7

So as you can see, purchased receivers carry the same monthly fees as leased receivers.


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## Stewart Vernon (Jan 7, 2005)

Yeah... there are some advantages (lack of contract commitment, more flexibility in activating/deactivating receivers) of owning vs leasing... but monthly price is NOT one of those advantages. IF your primary reason is cost-per-month, then you will not be saving money owning vs leasing.


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## pwkpete (Apr 22, 2003)

Ok, so I called her back and told her others said the fee was not related to equipment lease/rental. She talked to her boss and was shocked that you guys were right. Now, how a Dish sales person wouldn't know that is beyond me. I would have been steaming if I bought the equipment and then was told I had to pay the fees when I was told by sales otherwise! (This was a Dish sales person @ Dish, not a reseller...)

$12+7+7 on top of regular lineup fees makes me rethink the need for this service...

Thanks for the pointing out their error. Now I really hate all these companies....

-P


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## david_jr (Dec 10, 2006)

But I don't think you will really do a lot better with any other companies. All TV providers these days gouge on their equipment fees.


Sent from my iPhone using DBSTalk


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## foghorn2 (Jun 18, 2006)

But at least Dish's equipment is worth the fees. No one can beat their equipment.


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## 0uachita9 (Jun 19, 2013)

The only thing dish does better is the Sling feature which you can offset with the purchase of a Monsoon Vulkano for $100. HD sports programming is far less than Directv b/c of the lack of transponders available for the regional sports networks. Plus, I found less HD programming availability in the premium channels as well.


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