Dish network's provider of distant networks is quitting service as of 2/25/2014. Dish has no alternative for subscribers!that means RVers and Truckers are out of luck or must change all equipment and go to their competitor.Seems like Dish Customer support and management couldn't care less about subscribers problems and expense!

Might be time to move to DirecTV. Which is what I have at the house. Living room and bedroom. When leaving for an extended RV trip I take the bedroom box and put it in the motorhome. While in, say, Phoenix, what do I care what the weather is in NYC? Running everything thru a passive switchbox, when I want the LOCAL networks, I simply put up the antenna,push the "ANT" button turn it on, and aim it. Then...back to DireCTV I push the "Satellite" button. Keeping things S&S, I do not have HD or any of the "options" like HBO or Sports packages. A single LNB dish with a tripod, strength meter and compass. Takes about 10 minits to set up.Of course, if the park offers good cable, I push the "Cable" button.Works for me......

I gave up on SAT TV when the Natl Broadcast came out with their digital transmissions... I get 6-36 digital Natl Broadcast TV stations from the local towns just about every we go here on the east side of the US. I use my BATWING OTA antenna and it works great for us...This is transmitted in FULL MODE High Def TV and FREE to the public.We was on DIRECTV and lost our local NETWORK TV coverage as soon as we left our ZIP CODE area. Havent missed SAT TV at all. Of course all we had on SAT TV was the standard mode and the high def HDTV from the local towns was much better to watch anyway. If there is something we really want to see on CABLE when camping off the power grid then will downstream it using the internet.Roy Ken

Yeah, I'm go to Direct and dump a 2 year old $1300 Winegard Trav'ler in the trash since it's not upgradeable and buy a $1600 Direct Travl'r. Sure Dish will figure something out with all their RV & truck based customers tying up their service people, when changing service addresses every couple hundred miles they travel. There has been a discussion on this on the Escapees' Forum since January 28th.

I have a Dish Pay-As-You-Go subscription for my RV, but I do not use the AAD DNS service for the major networks. I just notify Dish via their customer service chat system that I have changed locations and have them change my service address (not my billing address) to the new location. It only takes a few minutes to start receiving the area local channels, almost always in HD, and my program guide is updated. I use the Dish Pass feature to set my DVR recordings, so it automatically finds the new channels with no resetting timers on my part.

dsouthw524 wrote:Dish network's provider of distant networks is quitting service as of 2/25/2014. Dish has no alternative for subscribers!that means RVers and Truckers are out of luck or must change all equipment and go to their competitor.Seems like Dish Customer support and management couldn't care less about subscribers problems and expense!While it is true that the Dish DNS Network programming is going away, nothing could be further from the truth when you say there are no alternatives. You can still get all of the Network programming by calling (Dish Chat is even better and faster) and having them turn on the Networks where you are located. This is also free which saves you the DNS monthly fees.While it may not be as convenient, it does give you the programming you need (for free!) and you only have to make the call when you move more than 200-500 miles, enough to drive out from under a particular spot beam.There's no "need" to move to DirecTV, but it you do there is also no reason to throw a Dish Trav'ler in the trash. Swap the new DirecTV mount with the Dish mount (leave the mounting ring on the roof, just swap the bases) and then package up the Dish mount with all the new stuff in the box. Sell it for $500-$700 to offset the cost and you have a new Trav'ler with a 2 year warranty on your roof.

Dish Network - No Network feeds after 2/25/2014

90 Replies

CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Mar 13, 2014
full_mosey wrote:

What/which info is wrong?

My understanding is that the Tailgator/VIP211k combo is what travellers want. I put the Tailgator out with the handle oriented North-ish. It finds the satellites for me. It downloads the program schedules. I watch TV. I don't need to bother with all this satellite, spot mumbo jumbo. No problems, when you stop getting locals call Dish.

Are you saying I won't get Corpus Christi news without having to call and tell Dish over the phone when we move? I did not call Dish when we moved to Weslaco where we get Harligen news. Our last call to Dish was from Zapata, TX which is 97m NW from here per Garmin. That is where we learned about 'On-the-road' as a location code. Correct, if you're not getting Corpus Christi now you wouldn't get them when you move until Dish authorizes your receiver to receive them.

We did call from Weslaco to renew for another month and the Dish agent said "Oh, I see you are in Weslaco". So doesn't that say that Dish knew where we were without our needing to tell them? Did they get GPS info from our phone, or did the receiver report our location? Your receiver has no ability to communicate it's location.

Are you saying that the VIP211k aims the antenna, gets the program guide and Dish has no idea where I am unless I call them? That sums it up.

Are you saying there is no such thing as 'On-The-Road' as a location for our account? No. The location information you give Dish is used to determine which channels you will receive. Spot beams typically transmit many more channels than you are authorized to receive.

Would you be able to predict where between Weslaco, TX and OKC, OK we will be REQUIRED to call Dish to tell them where we are so we can get our programming? No as the signal gets weaker the further you are from the spot beam. Use the spot beam map you linked as a guide.

I've gotten DTV SF locals in central OR. And the next day in Portland only at night. This is way out on the fringe of the SF local spot beam.

We'll know in about two weeks when I move.

HTH;
John
CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Mar 13, 2014
Bill.Satellite wrote:
The info you received is wrong. You setup will not change unless you call Dish as you leave one spot beam and enter another. It's not a pain but there is no other way to get it done.
X2

Food for thought: Your equipment has NO WAY to communicate it's location. No transmission capability etc. The location information you enter can be used to determine the elevation, heading and skew to help locate the satellite.

When you move you will then receive the same channels as the last setup or no locals if you moved out of the spot beam - as you have already experienced. Setting you up with Phoenix locals was not a error. Otherwise you would not have received any locals if say you had been set up with a TX local spot beam. The installer knew that and you would have returned within hours complaining about no locals.
full_mosey
Explorer
Mar 13, 2014
Bill.Satellite wrote:
The info you received is wrong. You setup will not change unless you call Dish as you leave one spot beam and enter another. It's not a pain but there is no other way to get it done.

What/which info is wrong?

My understanding is that the Tailgator/VIP211k combo is what travellers want. I put the Tailgator out with the handle oriented North-ish. It finds the satellites for me. It downloads the program schedules. I watch TV. I don't need to bother with all this satellite, spot mumbo jumbo.

Are you saying I won't get Corpus Christi news without having to call and tell Dish over the phone when we move? I did not call Dish when we moved to Weslaco where we get Harligen news. Our last call to Dish was from Zapata, TX which is 97m NW from here per Garmin. That is where we learned about 'On-the-road' as a location code.

We did call from Weslaco to renew for another month and the Dish agent said "Oh, I see you are in Weslaco". So doesn't that say that Dish knew where we were without our needing to tell them? Did they get GPS info from our phone, or did the receiver report our location?

Are you saying that the VIP211k aims the antenna, gets the program guide and Dish has no idea where I am unless I call them?

Are you saying there is no such thing as 'On-The-Road' as a location for our account?

Would you be able to predict where between Weslaco, TX and OKC, OK we will be REQUIRED to call Dish to tell them where we are so we can get our programming?

We'll know in about two weeks when I move.

HTH;
John
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Mar 12, 2014
The info you received is wrong. You setup will not change unless you call Dish as you leave one spot beam and enter another. It's not a pain but there is no other way to get it done.
full_mosey
Explorer
Mar 12, 2014
Dutch_12078 wrote:

...
The Dish spot beam maps can be reached from this link. Click on the state you're interested in, then the market area, and finally the spot beam listed for the station.

Thanks for the link.

Look at Harlingen the fourth down on the list, Why do I watch Harlingin news on KFXV(2), channel 002-00 on the guide?

When I move to Corpus Christi, whose news will I watch, Harlingen, or Corpus Christi KQUI(38) which I guess will be 038-00 on the guide?

We were told that when our account was set up in Q, our account was coded Phoenix in error.

While travelling, we were told that our 'Pay-as-you-go/Tailgater account was now coded 'On-The-Road' and we would not have to call when moving, but instead, the system would figure out where we are if we power cycle the receiver and select our location on screen.

If I have hijacked this topic, I apologize. I will be happy to start a new Dish Pay-As-You-Go topic.

HTH;
John
Dutch_12078
Explorer III
Mar 11, 2014
CA Traveler wrote:

I have a decent source for DTV spot beams but not Dish. Perhaps someone has a source. Knowing the spot beam helps me to know when I'll likely enter/leave spot beams. Spot beams are not exact but rather the signal gets weaker as you move away from the center of the beam.

The Dish spot beam maps can be reached from this link. Click on the state you're interested in, then the market area, and finally the spot beam listed for the station.
CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Mar 11, 2014
For example here is the DTV 101 spot beam for LA. Generally the signal will be good to the fourth pink ring which you can see covers parts of several states.
CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Mar 11, 2014
full_mosey,

You're describing two different processes.
1. When you set up your dish the onscreen information can help to point the dish at the satellites which is necessary to get any signals. As you travel the location of the fixed satellite positions changes with respect to your current location and the dish has to again be pointed to the satellites. This is completely independent of what channels your receiver is authorized to receive.

2. You bought the receiver in Q and it was initially setup and authorized to receive the local Phoenix channels which was correct. In Texas you moved out of the Phoenix spot beam, called and were authorized to receive a Texas a spot beam and local channels, maybe Dallas?

As long as you remain in a spot beam you only need to do 1 above which was your initial experience traveling east. And then you reached a point in Texas where 2 was necessary.

The channels that you receive (both local and national) are controlled by your account and location. For example I would have to pay extra to get HBO and then my receiver would be authorized to receive HBO.

I have a decent source for DTV spot beams but not Dish. Perhaps someone has a source. Knowing the spot beam helps me to know when I'll likely enter/leave spot beams. Spot beams are not exact but rather the signal gets weaker as you move away from the center of the beam.

Welcome to the world of traveling with satellite.
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Mar 11, 2014
It sounds like you are getting all the same channels at each new location and not new channels from different cities. This would be the expected results since the Network TV programming is spot beamed and there is no function in place for the receiver to automatically switch between the beams without a call (or online chat) with Dish. Sounds like the Phoenix spot beam is large enough to cover all the areas you have visited so far but at some point you will get too far away and your Networks will disappear. When that happens just call Dish and they will get you moved to the new area.
full_mosey
Explorer
Mar 11, 2014
Bill.Satellite wrote:
What local channels were you receiving while in AZ and what local channels are you now receiving in West TX?
The VIP211K also has a built in OTA TV input and these will appear in the satellite guide just as if they were satellite channels. What are the actual local TV channels numbers you are seeing 2, 4, 7 or 2.1, 4.1, 7.1?

No, I have not tried connecting the OTA antenna, so channels have been local from Dish.

E.g., @ 7PM, I tune in KFXV, 002-00, Fox network and see Bones.

Sorry, I don't recall channel numbers or call letters in Quartzsite, Apache Junction, Demming, Fort Davis, or Zapata while enroute to Weslaco. I do recall that the numbers were all 002-00 to 023-00 and the networks were ABC, CBS, ....

While in Zapata we had problems and when we called we learned that someone had erroneously set our 'home' as Phoenix. That was the first time we heard the term 'On-the-road'. That is when our location code was reset. We have had no problems in Weslaco.

In two weeks we will be in Corpus Christi and surely will have new 'locals'.

We are still new to this and don't know all the lingo.

HTH;
John

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Dish Network - No Network feeds after 2/25/2014

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