DISH TV changes satellite signals

[markchioda]

For anyone whose Dish reception stopped, it seems that Dish TV changed satellite protocols and the older KVH and Winegard antennas wont track the necessary satellites (mine is a KVH R6). They didn't tell anyone, manufacturers of the antenna's included. When I called DISH, they knew nothing, and after an hour or so the response was they can't do anything about it and we should leave feedback on their website. Apparently there is one person at DISH who is in the know about what happenbed, his name is Philip and his phone number is 540-394-2921. I haven't been able to get through to him to complain but I will keep trying. If it happened to you, you should call and complain. Or you could buy a new $2500 antenna...

[BB_TX]

markchioda wrote:
BB TX - this IS new news and is not the same discussion as nobody, even KVH, knew this was about to happen. This change just happened last Thursday (March 17) at 3AM. it affects dish tv subscribers with KVH or Winegard units; i.e. mine is a KVH R6 in-motion box. this is NOT the same issue as the Tracking Parameters software flash (KVH Technical Bulletin 15 & 16) needed to continue to track 119 and 110 on Dish. Direct TV users are still ok.

After a lot of google searching and finding nothing, I am trying to understand how it is that you are apparently the only person who knows about this new change that supposedly even Dish and KVH does not know about.

[georgelesley]

bbaker2001 wrote:
so will the new tailgator units work. we are getting ready to get something, what is better

+1. Will the Tailgator with 211 receiver work?

[TechWriter]

bbaker2001 wrote:
so will the new tailgator units work. we are getting ready to get something, what is better

Since the Tailgaters (old and new) just pick up DISH's Western Arc sats (110, 119, and 129), buying a Winegard Pathway X2 makes more sense.

The X2 can acquire either DISH's Western Arc or the Eastern Arc (61.5, 72.7. 77) sats.

The ability to get DISH's Eastern Arc sats has is becoming more important because DISH is converting some local markets to Eastern Arc only.

[bbaker2001]

so will the new tailgator units work. we are getting ready to get something, what is better

[DutchmenSport]

BB_TX wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:
Yet another reason I am glad we no longer have DISH or DIRECT, but over the air! It's free, no hassles.

Except when you are in an area where the park has no cable, and there are no stations near enough to receive OTA. Something we often encounter.

That's when you pull out the old DVD's and the pop-corn ... or just spend time in bed snuggling! :B

[Bill_Satellite]

Argue away as you like. This has been a known consequence for many months. It is now a reality and there is no getting around either of those realities. Anyone who claims this to be a new, unexpected, change is lying to their customer.
The ONLY change is the change from QPSK which King Dome and KVH relied upon for reception. Many of the King Dome antennas could be reprogrammed but the older ones could not be and are now useless.
I have no dog in this fight so if you disagree, god bless you! I really don't care.

[wa8yxm]

The headline is misleading.. They did not drop RV service,

The original post however is much more accurate

IF you are using a Dish 1000 Dish, You have no problems, it still works.

But several of the older dishes can no longer Identify the satellit, and thus they will not lock on.. This only applies to auto-tracking domes and dishes.. Newer models may well work.

Is there a software upgrade that will fix it? Good question, not for my dish, but you will have to ask your dish maker.

[W4RLR]

I love my KingDome with manual aiming. I don't need an in-motion satellite dish. Besides, I have DirecTV and wouldn't use DISH if they were the only satellite provider. My parents had nothing but trouble with DISH customer service and it seems they have not changed their ways in the interim.

[Gdetrailer]

markchioda wrote:
BB TX - this IS new news and is not the same discussion as nobody, even KVH, knew this was about to happen. This change just happened last Thursday (March 17) at 3AM. it affects dish tv subscribers with KVH or Winegard units; i.e. mine is a KVH R6 in-motion box. this is NOT the same issue as the Tracking Parameters software flash (KVH Technical Bulletin 15 & 16) needed to continue to track 119 and 110 on Dish. Direct TV users are still ok.

Umm.. no, this IS NOT "news", it WAS discussed on this forum on 2/23/16 by a post from cbr46.

HERE

Who stated..

"Dish Network turned off almost all of their QPSK modulated transponders on Feb 10th (funny, it was fine Feb 6th). Sure enough all I can get now are SD channels on some Western satellites.

I have a King 9704LP-30 S/N 601*** receiver. "

And went on to quote info from KingDome concerning this change..

This info was posted by King Dome:

"Earlier this year, DISH began an effort to convert most of its satellite TV signals from QPSK encoding to a new 8PSK format. The new signals allow more content to be streamed through the same bandwidth and provide greater utilization of satellites, although these signals cannot be decoded by many mobile satellite antennas or the older DISH Network satellite receivers including models 301, 2800, 3700, 3900, 4900, 1000/1500, 3000/3500, 4000/4500, 5000/5500, 501, 508, 510 receivers.

Since 1998, KING has manufactured a variety of mobile satellite antennas using several different proprietary methods of finding and identifying satellite signals. Some of these models relied on the QPSK signal in order to identify satellites and will be affected by these changes from DISH. Other models manufactured by KING either do not rely on this type of information to lock-on and identify the satellites, or they were designed with a special tuner that has the ability to identify the 8PSK signals from DISH and therefore are not affected by these changes. We expect that DISH will continue to transmit QPSK encoded signals from at least a single transponder on each DISH satellite for some time, so most KING satellite antennas that rely on that signal can be programmed to look for the remaining QPSK signals."


So, if your roof dish was using QPSK encoding to lock into the sat birds and is not able to use the newer 8PSK format it WILL NO LONGER function correctly.

KVH is either denying any and all information about this change or their "reps" need some training..

[markchioda]

Bill.S, sorry but you are wrong. This IS a new event as confirmed with both KVH, Winegard and Signal Group, LLC. What you are referring to as "old news with recent consequences" is DISH TV's long discussed switch from Left Hand Tracking Parameters for 110 and 119 satellites from QPSK to 8PSK encoding - which already happened and was addressed by antenna mfgrs - with a software flash on most antenna boxes correcting the problem and allowing the search with new tracking parameters. The only thing that is known for sure is that unless you have the very latest KVH (RV1) and Winegard (T4) boxes, you will NOT be able to access 110 or 119 -R5's are trashed. If you have a later SN KVH R6 box there is a possibility that you will have access to 119 which will only provide one third of DISH programming.

[We_Cant_Wait]

FWIW, this does NOT only effect RV's but also household service. I need to have my equipment upgraded by Dish (at no cost to me) also. I have and older 625 DVR and later this spring/early summer it will also be effected. In prep for full timing I'll be going to a Hopper 1 with the wireless Joey so I can then move it into the coach next year.

[Bill_Satellite]

This is NOT new news. It's has been foretold for many months. It was supposed to happen the Spring of 2016 and it happened just a bit before that actual date.
King Dome has posted the information that many of their older domes would fail when this happened and there is no upgrade available other than replacing the entire dome. I do not believe the Winegard antennas are effected but it's certainly possible that some of the older ones will be. KVH also knows that this change from QSPK to 8PSK (I think those are the right letters) would kill their antennas.
This DOES NOT effect any DirecTV users.
This DOES NOT effect any open face dish antenna users be that a tripod, a Winegard Trav'ler but I can't be sure about the RF Mogul units.
I am pretty sure that King Dome posted here the exact models that are effected as they posted to several RV websites a few months back. I have not done a search but it is old news with recent consequences.

[SCVJeff]

missnmountains wrote:
Actually I believe it was Directv and Dish. Our boat KVH system stopped picking up locals. KVH said that Directv changed the 119 Satellite frequency. I have to have some guys come out to the boat and upload a firmware change.

You might look into that and see if it is just a firmware update to your box.

Call KVH not Dish or Directv as they have no idea.

Ken

You just don't change frequencies of a satellite. That is an international collaboration and the satellites are built for a specific band, not to be moved in flight. Besides, it still works at home doesn't it? Whatever happened, happened at the uplink, bird beacon somehow changed, or more likely there is another new satellite that's been slipped in and confusing the trackers.

[BB_TX]

DutchmenSport wrote:
Yet another reason I am glad we no longer have DISH or DIRECT, but over the air! It's free, no hassles.

Except when you are in an area where the park has no cable, and there are no stations near enough to receive OTA. Something we often encounter.

[DutchmenSport]

Yet another reason I am glad we no longer have DISH or DIRECT, but over the air! It's free, no hassles.