Forums > Specific Focus > Technical Mexico

Marlene

Mar 9, 2010, 3:11 PM

Post #1 of 12 (6146 views)

Shortcut

Star Choice/Shaw Dish Size

Can't Post | Private Reply

Is there anyone with Starchoice/Shaw system, here in Mexico, successfully using the 60E model antenna/dish? I have been doing research and most advice is to get the 75E for Mexico, however I have seen some folks claiming the 60E works fine for them. It's quite a small dish, oval shaped. The 75E is very difficult to find for sale in Mexico, but there seems to be a few smaller used ones being sold (maybe with good reason).

johanson / Moderator

Mar 9, 2010, 4:18 PM

Post #2 of 12 (6134 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Marlene] Star Choice/Shaw Dish Size

Can't Post | Private Reply

Here along the shores of Lake Chapala, if you happen to have a hot LNB (very efficient electronics at the front of the dish) the smaller 60E dish sometimes gets you a minimul signal under ideal conditions. One of the reasons one gets a larger dish than needed to get coverage during clear weather is because, rain interfers with the signal and and unless your dish is way too large for ideal weather conditions, it will not be large enough during a rain storm.

You are in Mazatlan, I don't know the signal strength there. It might be better than the greater Guadalajara area. Here I would not want to have a 60 E during the rainy season.

Marlene

Mar 9, 2010, 4:32 PM

Post #3 of 12 (6129 views)

Shortcut

Re: [johanson] Star Choice/Shaw Dish Size

Can't Post | Private Reply

Thanks for that information. Is is true then, that the smaller dish doesn't pick up HD channels here in Mexico, in the "packages" either?

johanson / Moderator

Mar 9, 2010, 7:00 PM

Post #4 of 12 (6108 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Marlene] Star Choice/Shaw Dish Size

Can't Post | Private Reply

The smaller 60 E dish points at both satellites just like the larger 75 E. I believe, but don't know that the footprint or signal strength is about the same for both satellites in Mazatalan. I just know that you would be a lot happier with the larger 75 E dish during the rainy season. (Very few persons use the 60E here.)

Heck even on the Island (That's BC talk for Vancouver Island) some of us choose the 75E just to ensure that during heavy rain, we don't loose the signal. I think that's probably overkill up there.

johnv

Mar 9, 2010, 9:57 PM

Post #5 of 12 (6096 views)

Shortcut

Re: [Marlene] Star Choice/Shaw Dish Size

Can't Post | Private Reply

I use a round 1.2 meter dish, that was readily and cheaply available in Mexico as of a few years ago. My Shaw Direct signal strength is 72% in central Mexico, with the 1.2 meter round dish.

johanson / Moderator

Mar 10, 2010, 7:55 AM

Post #6 of 12 (6083 views)

Shortcut

Re: [johnv] Star Choice/Shaw Dish Size

Can't Post | Private Reply

In Reply To

I use a round 1.2 meter dish, that was readily and cheaply available in Mexico as of a few years ago. My Shaw Direct signal strength is 72% in central Mexico, with the 1.2 meter round dish.

Yes a 1.2 m parabolic dish is a very good and economical solution when pointing at the primary satellite Anik F1R or at the secondary satellite with the HD on Anik F2. (you could use two of them, one each pointing at each satellite) The advantage of the Star Choice elliptical dish is that you can easily point at two satellites at the same time.

Sure some folks use multiple LNBs on one parabolic dish, but thats another topic. But if interested go to http://www.global-cm.net/ and see what Mike Kohl has been able to do

(This post was edited by johanson on Mar 10, 2010, 11:53 AM)

John Shrall

Mar 11, 2010, 12:05 PM

Post #7 of 12 (6048 views)

Shortcut

Re: [johanson] Star Choice/Shaw Dish Size

Can't Post | Private Reply

On the outside chance that the Dish network replacement of 119 later this spring will kill signal here, do you think it would be possible to swap out LNB's on my 1.2m and 1.8m dishes and with a switch and dish re-alignment pick up the Shaw signal? The parabolic dishes would certainly be smaller but the round dishes are already mounted on the roof so if they could be re-used the only expense would be the replacement receivers.

(This post was edited by John Shrall on Mar 11, 2010, 12:06 PM)

johanson / Moderator

Mar 11, 2010, 1:51 PM

Post #8 of 12 (6037 views)

Shortcut

Re: [John Shrall] Star Choice/Shaw Dish Size

Can't Post | Private Reply

First, so the sat dishes are a little bit bigger than needed, what of it; and the dishes what were pointed at 110 and 119 W would now be pointed in almost the same direction at 107.3 and 111.1 W. That part of your suggestion is great.

Second, you already have the cables, but the LNBs for Shaw and Dish are different. Shaw uses a lower Ku frequency with horizontal and vertical polarization while DISH uses higher frequencies and uses left and right circular polarization, so it looks like you would need not only a Shaw Receiver but LNBs and a combiner/switch that meets Shaw's specifications.

John Shrall

Mar 11, 2010, 3:36 PM

Post #9 of 12 (6025 views)

Shortcut

Re: [johanson] Star Choice/Shaw Dish Size

Can't Post | Private Reply

Thanks Pete. I knew I'd need different LNB's and switches that would work with the Shaw receiver but at least with the dishes in place already in place, that would save some expense.

I guess we'll know in a couple of months what effect the replacement of 119 will have. Isn't it supposed to be launched this month and deployed in May?

chinagringo

Mar 11, 2010, 4:24 PM

Post #10 of 12 (6017 views)

Shortcut

Re: [John Shrall] Star Choice/Shaw Dish Size

Can't Post | Private Reply

As I posted in a different topic, the DISH situation may be explained in the following article:
http://www.bloomberg.com/...amp;sid=aDZruYApHgno
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

(This post was edited by Rolly on Mar 11, 2010, 6:49 PM)

bournemouth

Mar 11, 2010, 5:20 PM

Post #11 of 12 (6010 views)

Shortcut

Re: [chinagringo] Star Choice/Shaw Dish Size

Can't Post | Private Reply

I know it's "explained" there but do we have any idea how it will impact those of us living and receiving US Dish in Mexico - I got no clear picture at all from the short article.

johanson / Moderator

Mar 11, 2010, 6:36 PM

Post #12 of 12 (6003 views)

Shortcut

Re: [chinagringo] Star Choice/Shaw Dish Size

Can't Post | Private Reply

Thanks for the input Neil. I had not seen that article. What John and I are talking about is different. We're talking about the US programming meant for the US market that had been bleeding over into Mexico on Echo Star 7 located at 119 degrees West that is about to be replaced by Echo Star 14 which will have a much tighter beam that may mean it can not be received lakeside or that we will need a much bigger dish. We are not talking about DISH programming meant for the Latin American countries which will be when possible in Spanish and will be focused on Latin America

An interesting story. In the early 1980s here along the shores of Lake Chapala one was able to get programming meant for the US market on 18 foot satellite dishes designed by Bill Martin, who still lives here lakeside. And then when they tripled the frequencies around year 2000, the dish sizes got much smaller. But the signals still meant for the US still bleed over the border and covered much of Mexico.

Now, darn it, the footprints from the satellites are getting so accurate, that it's getting harder and harder to pick up programming meant for the US this far south (Greater Guadalajara Area). Sadly about a year ago when the DISH Network put up a new satellite at 110 degrees West, the signal was so much better focused over the US that there was so little bleedover that we lost maybe 60% of the programming from that bird.

Those in the know are suggesting that when the bird at 119 W is replaced, probably in May, that we will loose the majority of the channels on this bird, which means that there will not be that much programming viewable from DISH USA. Now at the same time this is happening, Dish Mexico is hitting the headlines. DISH Mexico is not DISH USA.

The programming offered by DISH Mexico is meant for those who speak Spanish. To understand more about the programming on DISH Mexico take a look at http://www.dish.com.mx/ . Sadly some of those who have not read the small print believe that DISH Mexico is meant for the English language market, not the Spanish speaking market.