I am considering doing this rather than risking the $150 cancellation fee on a 2 year commitment by renting a DVR via dish. They said you are free to buy a used DVR and use that instead as long as it doesn’t have a balance on it.
I have read that the older models like the 501 and 508 do not even have a subscription fee per month. Does anyone know about this?
If you do get an older model, do those need to be professionally hooked up, or can you do it yourself?
They have fees out the wazoo. If you own the receiver, you or course save the money to lease it from them. I think the other fees stay, though.
The hard part of installing is aiming the dish. There is a help screen that displays how strong the signal is, but you must get into the ball park with a compass and a protractor.
And not have trees or buildings in the way. 
I just happen to be a Dish tech.(read this like Barney Fife is saying it )
Yes if you own the rec. there is no charge You can also get the 211 222 hi-def receiver and use the usb port in the back to hook up an external H/D and save the fees that way. just beware with buying a used rec. especially one as old as the 501 508
In 3 years I never had a Dish Network PVR last longer than 8 months, except for the first HD one I got which I replaced when it was too obsolete to get all the HD programing.
I always asked for a NEW PVR but I am pretty sure they kept sending me refurbished ones.