Will the Invacom QPH-031 CP / LP Quad LNB allow for HDTV reception on Dish Network?

[jchance]

Hi everyone,

I am new to this forum and the concept of FTA Satellite. I want to be able to explore this new environment to me and at the same time be able to have the ability to watch the cable and satellite networks I am accustomed to. I want to be able to watch Dish Network for these.

Here is my problem that has me out here asking for your help in finding an answer to this question. Which I want to thank everyone for your help ahead of time. I am limited in what I can do when it comes to setting up a satellite dish, living in a condo complex has definite downfalls. I was lucky when I got a waiver for a single dish seeing it has to be masted up above the roof line to reach either Dish Network's or Direct TV's line of sight with the satellites.

Because of this limitation I want and have to use one dish for everything, Dish Network and FTA. I am not sure if going the prepaid or contract route with Dish Network and don't know if that matters in this answering my question. I called over at Sadoun today and talked with Steve about the Invacom QPH-031 as a LNB I can use in my application.

I am a hobbyist and would be setting this up with the dish on a motorized system so I can access more FTA signals on a variety of satellites. Looking at how the newer Dish Network dishes are setup they are just using a dish with multiple LNB's, each used to recieve content from individual satellites. Is this deductive assumption correct?

If so would I be able to use this LNB to recieve the full compliment of programming that Dish Network offers including HD if I decide to choose an HD package? I have no problems if the satellite dish has to be repositioned to do so. The FTA recievers in the package that I am looking at from Sadoun can allow me to do so at the touch of a button and I would think that other manufacturers have this capability as well.

Is it a matter of freqency range as a factor as well and does this LNB meet the requirements on this note as well?

As you can tell I am new to all of this aspect of satellite telivision. I have had Direct TV in the past and was just a consumer. Comcast drove me to seek alternatives and this is one that allows me to still have the standard concept of satellite TV and fun playing as well. I understand the concepts and such when it comes to the technical aspects. At one time I was studying for a HAM license and needed to in order to pass the test.

All help is appreciated I want to again say in advance. If you have other alternatives I am also apreciative in hearing them as well.

Thanks,

jchance

[BYX]

Originally Posted by jchance

Hi everyone,

I am new to this forum and the concept of FTA Satellite. I want to be able to explore this new environment to me and at the same time be able to have the ability to watch the cable and satellite networks I am accustomed to. I want to be able to watch Dish Network for these.

Here is my problem that has me out here asking for your help in finding an answer to this question. Which I want to thank everyone for your help ahead of time. I am limited in what I can do when it comes to setting up a satellite dish, living in a condo complex has definite downfalls. I was lucky when I got a waiver for a single dish seeing it has to be masted up above the roof line to reach either Dish Network's or Direct TV's line of sight with the satellites.

Because of this limitation I want and have to use one dish for everything, Dish Network and FTA. I am not sure if going the prepaid or contract route with Dish Network and don't know if that matters in this answering my question. I called over at Sadoun today and talked with Steve about the Invacom QPH-031 as a LNB I can use in my application.

I am a hobbyist and would be setting this up with the dish on a motorized system so I can access more FTA signals on a variety of satellites. Looking at how the newer Dish Network dishes are setup they are just using a dish with multiple LNB's, each used to recieve content from individual satellites. Is this deductive assumption correct?

If so would I be able to use this LNB to recieve the full compliment of programming that Dish Network offers including HD if I decide to choose an HD package? I have no problems if the satellite dish has to be repositioned to do so. The FTA recievers in the package that I am looking at from Sadoun can allow me to do so at the touch of a button and I would think that other manufacturers have this capability as well.

Is it a matter of freqency range as a factor as well and does this LNB meet the requirements on this note as well?

As you can tell I am new to all of this aspect of satellite telivision. I have had Direct TV in the past and was just a consumer. Comcast drove me to seek alternatives and this is one that allows me to still have the standard concept of satellite TV and fun playing as well. I understand the concepts and such when it comes to the technical aspects. At one time I was studying for a HAM license and needed to in order to pass the test.

All help is appreciated I want to again say in advance. If you have other alternatives I am also apreciative in hearing them as well.

Thanks,

jchance

If you have clearance from your landlord or association you better get dish network to do the installation for you with one of their multiple LNB antennas or even Directv.
To the best of my knowledge none of the dishnetwork or directv recievers can move a motorized system as they do not have a USALS function.
Just in case you get the wrong coaching outside this forum I would like to invite you to read the rules of this forum.

[jchance]

Originally Posted by BYX

If you have clearance from your landlord or association you better get dish network to do the installation for you with one of their multiple LNB antennas or even Directv.
To the best of my knowledge none of the dishnetwork or directv recievers can move a motorized system as they do not have a USALS function.
Just in case you get the wrong coaching outside this forum I would like to invite you to read the rules of this forum.

I appreciate your response and I am looking at the fact I will probably have Dish prepaid so I can watch networks like USA for Burn notice and Sci-Fi for like Eureka, otherwise I want to use FTA satellites for my networks along with an ATSC aerial for terrestrial broadcasts.

I understand what it seems you are implying about other forums and not my intent to use this setup to get Dish Network except by legal means. I have no problem using my FTA receiver to position the dish to point towards the correct satellites.

I am very limited on what I can do, and after being stuck committed to Comcast with each month watching basic analogue cable go up and up in price from month to month I am done with that type of commitment. It is like a bad marriage with a succubus taking my life force from me.

Hell if Comcast was less evil, like Peg Bundy evil, then maybe I would look at the commitment in my switch away from Comcast. But when they take from me before they rendered the service and it is like two months now in advance no way am I committing to any cable or satellite provider like that.

My only alternative is to be able to move the orientation of one dish and make it able to be used for both a commercial provider and also FTA. With the use of a motorized system, to address multiple satellites with the dish in one position is it possible to run a multiple LNB setup on the dish and still effectively orient it on other satellites through the box as well?

How would I go about something like that? Say I have tripple LNB's at the dish for easy reference. I move the orientation of the satellite to where only one is within its arc of reception with the multiple LNB's I would set it to focus the center one on it correct?

I can't justify locking into a contract right now after Comcast hell and also the current state of the economy. With the prepaid I can do like I was reading one person does from these forums and reup using green dot for only when I want to watch something on like USA or Sci-Fi, maybe HBO for Entourage. Otherwise what I watch is FTA's arena. The History Channel is one of my major choices and that is FTA according to all the sites.

See I need flexibility due to my residence and requirements. If I was not in this condo and had a house or was renting an apartment in a house this would not be an issue for me. I would just setup a couple of dishes on the ground or on the house pointing in the directions I wanted. A prime example would be Direct TV or Dish Network. I would set up a seperate dish for either and just run it into either directly to a box or into the wiring for my FTA setup and hook the providers box into there.

I don't have that choice. I have to look at cramming 15 lbs of you know what into a 5 lb bag. So here I am trying to comply with the condo association and get what I want in the process so everyone is happy. If it means making things a little complex then the usual setup so be it.

I should have put this in my initial post on the note of how many connections and so on.

Right now I am looking to initially setup two rooms. I want to setup a box in the living room and one in my bedroom for FTA and then one for Dish Network in my bedroom. Later I want to expand this and have a total of 6 runs of coax. I want 3 in the bedroom and 3 in the living room.

I want this for the setup of FTA dual DVR receivers and Dish Network box in each room. Where I have my elderly mother living with me I am not concerned with Dish Network in the living room so much in the beginning where all of her shows are on the network affiliates available via FTA or are like the History Channel and in the open. Me on the other hand I can't go completely FTA without loosing out on some shows.

I am trying to cut down on my expenses and minus the initial investment this seems like the best way to do it and subsidise my "cable" networks through prepaid Dish Network.

I just need to accomplish this with one dish and on a budget as well. I figure for what I want to watch on Dish Network I will end up spending only a few dollars a month total with this setup. If I have to use my FTA set top to position the dish at individual satellites for Dish Network so be it. I assumed that was my only solution unless I can use the idea I asked about above with using a dish that allows multiple LNB's and position it to use all the Dish Network satellites at once then are able to reposition and not have the multiple LNB's be an issue when I am able to only lock on one satellite.

There has to be a way to accomplish what I am looking to do. There has to be others who by choice or limitations like me have had to do something similar. If not I must be the only person who is a glutton for punishment..lol.

Thanks again.

[pmb1010]

you are going to have 2 receivers - one to move the dish and watch FTA - and one to subscribe to DishNetwork.

What you want to do is possible - if your dish has linear and circular Lnbf's on it.

What I do know is you're in for a major PITA to watch TV.
How do I know this? I was (before my motor broke) doing something similar with Ku and C band. My C band would move the dish and I'd watch on Ku. I'd have to switch back and forth between TV inputs to see where the motor was then back to the FTA box to watch.

Now I'm guessing - I think Dish channels are spread out over 3 sats.
If you are moving up the channel guide - and it needs to switch to new sat every other channel - you'll see channel - black - channel - black - unless you switch to the other input and move the dish around.
Wow what a hassle thats going to be.

I really think the best plan is to get the right dish for the application. Put up a dish network dish for their stuff. It works right out of the box.

Put up an FTA dish for FTA.

At least thats the way I'd tackle it. Unless you are truely brave enough to tackle this.

Let us know what you do.

[jchance]

Dish Network is actually spread across more then that but a couple of the satellites are close enough that one LNB works for both. The satellites for the 500+ and older legacy are 110, 118.7, and 119.

I got a waiver from my condo complex to install some masting, well it has to be done professionally, to put a dish up and have it meet line of sight. I am wondering if where it doesn't specify anything really beyond that if I have two dishes on the masting would they care too much. There are residents here with multiple Dish Network dishes on the building and I believe some didn't get waivers either where they had to install it beyond their deck area.

The plan would be then to have Dish Network below the motorized FTA Dish. Now this is a iffy situation. I don't know how they will react to it but with my waiver I figure I keep quiet no one will say anything.

I am assuming that with switches and all I can setup having one line coming into the house into another switch and then run my coax for the boxes off of that switch. Would this assumption be correct?

[jchance]

I am looking at my dish possibilities when it comes to Dish Network reception. If this is going up as it has to, I can't really mess with it after so If I expand my Dish Network programming I want to have a dish that can receive the additional satellite(s) and one that will stand up to New England weather. I had a standard dish with Direct TV while living in Lake Charles Louisiana and it was awful with any half decent rain it was out.

The dish I am interested in is larger then the standard dishes that either Dish Network or Direct TV offers standard and should allow for stronger signal strength and quality. Here is the dish:

Fortec 36" Super Dish Package - Incredible FTA

The only thing is that it has a LNB for two of the satellites is is designed for and it is set for 118.8 / 119. The satellite difference is on the note of 118.8, Dish Network is 118.7. Will this be an issue for me. I know on a lot of things in life a tenth isn't that much and an acceptable variance usually.

This aspect of radio signal reception and transmission is kind of new to me. This dish seems to be a big step up from a "stock" dish as well and why I am also considering it. I didn't see any satellite service at 118.8 so do they mean 118.7?

What do you think of this dish for Dish Network? Any and all input is greatly appreciated.