# satellite TV question - 2 locations **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 1, 2002, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv-question-2-locations/116758 "2002-07-01T00:15:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2002, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv-question-2-locations/116758/1 "2002-07-01T00:15:25Z")
I am thinking of getting some form of satelite TV. I would like to know if I can move the system between 2 houses. I realize this means I have to buy another dish because it’s not a thing that is easilly moved. But can I just use one receiver (and one account) and just bring the receiver with me and plug it in to one of the 2 dishes? ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2002, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv-question-2-locations/116758/2 "2002-07-01T00:43:44Z")
Dishes are easy to swap - we just switched from Dish to Direct TV and took the old Dish dish down and put the new Direct TV one up. I think Dish has a program where they will move the dish for you, for a fee, of course. My brother just moved a few months ago and I think they told him $150. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2002, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv-question-2-locations/116758/3 "2002-07-01T00:50:52Z")
That wasn’t exactly what I was asking. I have a primary residence and a vacation home. I want to know if I order one of these services could I just unplug the receiver from the TV and dish bring it with me to my vacation home and plug it into a 2nd dish up there and it would work fine. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2002, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv-question-2-locations/116758/4 "2002-07-01T01:21:34Z")
I don’t see why this wouldn’t work since you only have one receiver. You may have to reset the receiver’s settings, though. FTR, Dish Network doesn’t charge a fee to install a new dish at your new address. It’s part of their Dish Mover program. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2002, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv-question-2-locations/116758/5 "2002-07-01T01:57:54Z")
Oops, sorry K2 Dave. I asked my SO who knows more about this stuff and he says he doesn’t see why not. Mr. Blue Sky, my brother was told he would have to pay to move his Dish, so he dropped the service. They SAY they do it free, but when he called to schedule a move, they told him he’s have to pay. I don’t know the particulars, I do know he objected to paying and told them to f\*ck off. We had Dish for about 4 years, and they charged for everything they had to come out and do - service calls and stuff. We did get them to come out for no charge once when we threatened to drop their service, but it is normal for them to charge $108 for service calls. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2002, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv-question-2-locations/116758/6 "2002-07-01T02:04:55Z")
Oops, sorry K2 Dave. I asked my SO who knows more about this stuff and he says he doesn’t see why not. Mr. Blue Sky, my brother was told he would have to pay to move his Dish, so he dropped the service. They SAY they do it free, but when he called to schedule a move, they told him he’s have to pay. I don’t know the particulars, I do know he objected to paying and told them to f\*ck off. We had Dish for about 4 years, and they charged for everything they had to come out and do - service calls and stuff. We did get them to come out for no charge once when we threatened to drop their service, but it is normal for them to charge $108 for service calls. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2002, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv-question-2-locations/116758/7 "2002-07-01T02:27:36Z")
Oooh…my first 2x post! Wheeeeee… ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2002, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv-question-2-locations/116758/8 "2002-07-01T11:43:11Z")
DirecTV is exceptionally easy to move. Assume you have a dish at your home and at your vacation house, and both are all pointed and ready to go. It’s then just a matter of disconnecting at home and then reconnecting at the vacation spot. DirecTV requires that you have your received permanently connected to your home phone line, but they won’t really complain if you’re disconnected for a week or two every now and then (such as on vacation). DON’T plug in the phone line on vacation. When you get home, plug back in, and you’ll eventually get charged for your PPV’s if you ordered any, and everything will return to normal. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2002, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv-question-2-locations/116758/9 "2002-07-01T12:11:39Z")
> [@](#): > > DirecTV requires that you have your received permanently connected to your home phone line, but they won’t really complain if you’re disconnected It appears (according to their web site) if you have a single (D-TV) reciever you are not required to connect a phone line (to order PPV and the like you must call an 800 number and pay $5 extra. If you have 2 or more receivers they must be connected to a single phone line. somehow they comunicate w/ eachother and D-TV to make sure they are in the same house. I don’t fully understand how that works and they are vague on the details. Also it might look easier if I were to buy a second receiver too and just move the card back and forth - is the card easy to install? does this sound better then moving the receiver? ---
**Author:** ![kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f9ae1b/32.png) [@kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirk)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2002, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv-question-2-locations/116758/10 "2002-07-01T14:42:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by k2dave \* > \*\* > > Also it might look easier if I were to buy a second receiver too and just move the card back and forth - is the card easy to install? does this sound better then moving the receiver? \*\* On Dish Network the card is married to the receiver and CAN’T be transferred to a different machine. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2002, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv-question-2-locations/116758/11 "2002-07-01T15:20:26Z")
You might pick up parts like a dish from [ebay.com](http://ebay.com) for your other house. In our thrift shop we have a receiver with a card that you just push in & out, like a credit card, thats probably the one you want, so try Circuit City USA & see if they have something like that. ---
**Author:** ![whatami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/85f322/32.png) [@whatami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whatami)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2002, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv-question-2-locations/116758/12 "2002-07-01T16:25:39Z")
The card is simple to move. You just slide it out of one and into the other. Be carefull moving it though, as they can be easy to damage. (this refers to every DirecTV reiever I’ve seen) ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2002, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv-question-2-locations/116758/13 "2002-07-01T16:51:09Z")
No, don’t move cards among DirecTV systems, either! They’re married to the receiver. Also, as far as DirecTV is concerned, it’s true that a single receiver need not be connected to a phone line. My aunt didn’t have hers connected, and was able to watch about 10 months of PPV before she bothered to ask why she was never charged for it. DirecTV wants the phone line connection for _multiple_ receivers to ensure you’re not reselling or giving service to your friends, since it’s only about $5.00 for each additional receiver. I’m pretty certain DirecTV uses caller-ID to ensure the receivers are calling from the same line. Also, since it’s probably a toll-free number, there’s no such thing as being able to “block” your outgoing telephone number. So unless you live in the back woods where the telco hasn’t put in caller-id (i.e., you’re always “unknown”), you can’t trick DirecTV. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2002, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv-question-2-locations/116758/14 "2002-07-01T20:57:38Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m pretty certain DirecTV uses caller-ID to ensure the receivers are calling from the same line. This I know about. 800 #'s use a system that is called ANI or automatic number identification. This is not the same as caller ID (though they could use caller ID too) and numbers can’t be blocked. It appears dish network doesn’t require a phone connection for multiple receivers - Does anyone know if this is true? Also it looks like swapping cards won’t work if they are indead married to the receiver. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2002, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv-question-2-locations/116758/15 "2002-07-01T21:50:25Z")
> [@](#): > > It appears dish network doesn’t require a phone connection for multiple receivers - Does anyone know if this is true? > > Also it looks like swapping cards won’t work if they are indead married to the receiver. Dish only requires a phone line hook up for PPV events & movies. From what Dish tells its subscribers, the card is indeed married to its receivers. This is SUPPOSED to prevent hacker-types from creating illegal cards. This doesn’t stop them, however. A couple of years ago, one of my receivers went beserk and had to be replaced. Just to be on the safe side, I called in and cancelled its card when I got the new receiver. ---
**Author:** ![Dieter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@Dieter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dieter)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2002, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv-question-2-locations/116758/16 "2002-07-02T04:33:19Z")
I have Direct TV, 2 receivers. I NEVER leave the phone line plugged into it. I’ve not had any problems. I say go with the two dishes and pack the receiver around. It’s easy enough. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2002, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/satellite-tv-question-2-locations/116758/17 "2002-07-02T05:29:29Z")
Well my parents have an RV with a satelite in it. they go from coast to coast and use there home staelite card or system or whatever its called for thier RV. In other words my parents live in AZ. but if they happen to be in NY with there RV the satelite still reeds the same as if they were at home in AZ.