Set Up Satellite for Dish 500

[norsan]

I have a Dish 500 satellite and would like to have directions on setting it up. I know I have to go to Dish and put in the zip code to get the numbers, make sure the pole is straight on the tripod, but I am not sure what to do after that.

Guess I need some simple directions on setting the dish up. Thanks for any help you can give.

[gatorjim]

Setting the Dish 500 is pretty simple. Go to your TV, make sure the TV and the satellite receiver are on, and punch the button that says MENU. Then hit the numbers 6-1-1-. This will bring up the dish tuning screen. Go up to PEAK ANGLES and enter the ZIP CODE at your present location to get the settings for the dish. AZIMUTH,ELEVATION AND SKEW. Before you go outside to set the dish, go back to the dish pointing screen and make sure the setting is 119 transponder 11. Also make sure you get a good metal tripod to use instead of those cheap plastic tripods the RV dealers sell. Radio Shack has a 4-foot tripod for about 20 bucks and you can get a 1 5/8 cyclone metal fence pole at Home Depot, and have them cut you a 28-inch piece for the tripod.
When you set up, just make sure the 1 5/8 pole is very plumb. This is the most important thing so when you set the skew and the elevation, all you have to do is get a signal and try and get a 95 or better on the 119 satellite. If the signal is tuned in on 119, the screen bar will turn from red to GREEN, and if the signal is 95 or better on the 119 satellite, tighten everything down outside and do a check switch to make sure you have both 119 and 110 odd/even. If you do it is set to go. If all you get is 119 odd/even and 110 is X/X, your dish tripod pole was not plumbed perfectly. You can get by with just 119 if you want or return the dish again.
Good luck and if you need anything, you can shoot me an email at gatorjimd24@yahoo.com
God Bless
Jim Gator

[norsan]

I really goofed up. My dish is a 1000 not a 500.

Hopefully someone can give me some directions to set up the Dish 1000.

Thanks

[WCForbesPE]

The other thing I found with the Dish 500 is that it can take a few minutes for the system to recognise the satellite and turn the tuning bar green. If you are moving the dish too quickly, you don't give it a chance to lock itself in. Same thing if you move the RV, like to go to the dump station while dry camping, and come back to the tripod. Get it set up, and give it some time to tune itself in before adjusting the dish. The Camping World satellite finder works better than the tuning bar - you can put it in the cable close to the dish so you can see/hear it while you are at the dish and get an immediate indication of reception, rather than running back and forth to where you can see the tv, or having your spouse tell you "no, the other way" on the radio.
Also, I found the elevation is actually more sensitive than the azimuth. Of course, you need a compass and you need to be able to see the sky in the direction the dish is pointing.

[vblarry]

There's a meter (forget the name) you can pick up from Radio Shack. Configure your coaxial so the meter can be placed in series next to the dish. Make your rough settings, then move the dish slowly till you get your highest reading. Do the same thing going up and down. Tighten the thing down and you're done.

[khunter]

We have a class A with Winegard Movin View satellite dish model MV3500 A.
It is 4 years old. We just bought the motorhome 2 years ago and have never used it. We have a receiver but my husband went on top and took the dome off. Satellite goes around but not up and down as customer help said it should. We have never used this.
Does anyone work on these in the Dallas Ft.Worth area?
Antenna is not picking up satellite signal: it is 4 years old but not used.

Please--any help? We are going on a trip and can't find anyone who works on these.
_________________
kim hunter

[elh3946]

Have you called Winegard for the location of a service center in your area? Certainly in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, there has to be at least ONE person who can work on a satellite TV dome!

While the problem you're having is probably due to non-use, are you sure you've set the switches under the dome for the satellite service you're using? We have the same Winegard Movin' View dome, and when we got it, it was set up for Dish Network. Since we're DirecTV customers, my husband had to go up on the roof, take off the dome, and reset the switches for DirecTV.

[khunter]