Television reception
 

Dish network now has a satellite in the south east. For those that could never get satellite coverage, it may be worth trying Dish network again, this is apparently a new satellite.

I'm really sick of the lousy service, prices and "attitude" from Metrocast. But, Dish Network, won't just "come by" the house to see if I can get a signal.
I guess I understand their point, but it seems to me that if I give them my address, they should be able to tell me if a signal is available.

Instead, they pressure for a "signed" contract, before they will come to check it out. They promise to give the money back if they can't get a signal.. :eek:

With Geo Maps so readily avaiable, seems they should be able to tell you Yes or No without a signed and paid contract. :confused:

Orbit
 

Call Orbit (Satellite??) in Tilton. They are an authorized installer of Dish Network. They hooked me up on Welch Island and were great! He should be able to come and check your place out to confirm signal. Just tell him what you want.

I have had Dish for a number of years and am very very happy with their service and picture quality.

Dan

The issue is trees...they have no way of knowing if you have a spot on your property that has a clear line-of-sight to the satellite(s) (you may need to "see" more than one satellite to get the channels you want).

We had Dish for a while a few years ago. We would never do it again unless we lived somewhere flat with no trees. And little precip. And if you do get it and the installer puts a screw in one of the wires, insist that they replace that wire and not just splice it.

They do need to go on site
 

Well, SteveA, unfortunately they can't tell if you have a clear shot through trees or other obstructions by looking at a map or even Google-Earth view. You really have to go on site and view sightlines in the direction and elevation for the satellites.

Here's a site that helps you figure out the potential for support.
http://www.dishpointer.com/
Put in your zip and use the pull down to select Dish 1000.4 - the eastern arc bird. A Google Map appears with a line pointing from your location to the satellite. You can sort of tell if you'll have a problem. In my case, unfortunately, yes... I was looking forward to dumping TWC!

Satellite: Dish 1000.4 (61.5W, 72.7W, 77W)
Elevation: 39.6°
Azimuth (true): 182.0°
Azimuth (magn.): 197.5°

Thanks All!
 

Looks like I have too many "Tall Trees" .

Lakegeezer's link confirms my quess that I'm in a spot that can't see the satellites.

I may just give Orbit a call to confirm.

You are correct. Use the smaller installers and they will not only give you better service but they will also give you a better installation and you will likely have less drops. I NEVER lost my signal due to rain or snow unless the snow REALLY piled up on the dish. I have seen installations were the dish was pointing at a building and wondered how it ever worked. Good guys can almost always get them to work.