HOME SATELLITE RECEIVERS SITE MAP ADDITIONAL PRODUCTS

WHAT IS E3/E4?

ECHOSTAR III is the latest addition to the DISH Network family, providing quality programming to over one million satisfied customers. ECHOSTAR III (E3) was launched in 1997 and is situated over the equator at the 61.5 degrees orbital slot. To access programming from E3 you would need an additional 18" dish along with a "multi-dish switch", which allows the utilization of several dishes into each receiver. The SW21 series switch is for a single receiver household, the SW42 provides a multi dish solution for use with dual LNBF's, where there are 2 separate receivers in one home.

Mounting the dish is similar to how your first dish was installed, though the actual dish will be pointing in a different direction. If you would like to see more information you may wish to download the MULTI-DISH INSTALLATION GUIDE.

Please Note: This information has been ZIPPED or PDF format. The actual document is provided in a PDF format which requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

1. INTRODUCTION - 2 pages
2. BEFORE YOU START INSTALLATION - 6 pages
3. SITE SURVEY: DECIDING WHERE TO MOUNT - 2 pages
4. MOUNTING THE SATELLITE DISH - 4 pages
5. GROUNDING, WIRING, & AIMING THE SATELLITE DISH - 8 pages
6. MODEL SWAJ SWITCH INSTALLATION - 4 pages
7. WIRING DIAGRAMS - 6 pages
A. APPENDIX - 8 pages

IMPORTANT:

Check your satellite receiver's "POINT DISH & SIGNAL STRENGTH " page ( with your remote select: MENU 6-1-1 ) to see if you have the latest software upgrade enabling a dual dish installation. There should be a selection for the 119 AND the 61.5 degree satellites. The following are the examples of both the old and new versions:

This is an example of the older software version
for a single dish installation. If your system
displays this style screen complete all the steps
listed below.

This is an example of the NEWEST software version
for a DUAL dish installation. If your system
displays this style screen there are no reasons
to follow steps 3, 4, & 5 as you already have
the latest software upgrade in your receiver.

  1. Install the dish, wiring the same as your original system. DO NOT HOOK-UP THE MULTI-DISH SWITCH ASSEMBLY. Instead, wire the dish directly into your satellite receiver (through the grounding block is okay).

  2. Align your 2nd dish for peak signal strength. Once this has been achieved, tighten down all adjustments, just as when you installed your original system. Your signal strength meter should be green, with a good strong signal (Greater than 70%...we recommend aligning for at least 80%). You should also be able to now access the E3's program guide.

  3. On the "POINT DISH & SIGNAL STRENGTH "page, select TRANSPONDER 02.

  4. Turn off your satellite receiver from the remote or front panel. After several minutes you should see the front panel light come on briefly, then turn off. This typically takes 3-6 minutes. If there is no difference after 10 minutes, try steps 3 & 4 again.

  5. Turn back on your receiver, the "POINT DISH & SIGNAL STRENGTH "page should now display the latest dual-dish software upgrade, allowing a multi-dish hookup.

  6. Install the Multi-dish switch, combining the two dishes into one receiver input. Select the "MULTI DISH INSTALL" page (Menu 6-1-8) and perform the CHECK SWITCH test. Your system should show all tests to be passing.

NOTE: The above procedure is applicable for all systems. If your receiver does have the latest software downloaded, omit steps 3 & 4. It's that simple to do!