Tailgator by Dish Network:

Cooperhawk · 10-16-2013, 08:31 AM

In the past I have posted statements about our "Tailgater" and how great it was. Things have changed.

This last week my DW and I traveled nearly 400 miles to northeastern Wisconsin. Door County to be precise. As we have in the past we decided not to use the Cable System installed at the Campground, but instead use our Tailgater so that we could get our local at home channels and keep up with weather and news from there.

In July we were in southern Canada and using an International Falls zip code we were able to get our Minneapolis Channels with no problem. (Do not tell them you are actually in Canada as they have no contract there and will refuse service). Well, there have been changes made.

In July we just called Dish and some nice women in Roanoke, Va. walked us through the process of getting it all set up. Very nice, very professional. Piece of cake.

So on arriving at our Campground I got the Journey all set up, put the Tailgater on the roof, turned on the TV and gave Dish a call. I got this sweet sounding voice after going through several voice mail messages, who immediately tried to sell me a Fight package. I explained to her that although I had set up the Tailgater two months prior, it was telling me it needed to be set up again. In other words Authorized. No problem I was told, "Just unplug it for ten seconds and then plug it in again, and it will be fine". (I found that this was their standard response to any problem that was posed to them).

After trying to explain that I didn't think this would solve the problem, I finally gave in and unplugged the receiver. Of course by then the sweet voice had hung up. Unplugging it had no effect.

I called again. got another sweet polite female that was a little hard to understand. She again told me to unplug it for ten seconds. Okay", I said, "but you stay with me on the phone". She did. No effect of course. She said she would update the big computer in the sky and it would only take fifteen minutes or so and my problems would be solved. She asked me what time it was where I was, and I told her it was four in the afternoon. Curious I asked her what time it was where she was. It was three in the morning. I asked her where she was located and she told me Manilla in the Philippines. YIKES, what happened to Roanoke, Va?

This went on for three days until I gave up. During that time I was determined to accomplish my goal and although I never used any profanity, I was pretty close. Always I got the "unplug it" advice.

I made at least a dozen calls. I was hung up on three times when I tried to explain that unplugging it did not work. I talked to three Supervisors. At one point I suddenly got news channels from a market far from where I was or where my home is, then just as suddenly they were gone. Once I actually saw my preferred package for about two minutes, and then it too disappeared. The last time I called I asked for a Supervisor right away and she actually got the numbers and information of the channels to appear on my Program Guide, assured that as soon as the computer caught up the programing would appear. They did not. I gave up.

The Tailgater worked fine. If all you want is your package of 150 channels, it should be no problem. If you buy any extra packages that they try to sell you, I would have doubts on their ability to get them to you unless you are at home. I think that Dish has the best programming packages and best equipment available but I am sure looking for something better. The problem I think is they have "Outsourced" their phone operation to the Philippines. All of the women I talked to were extremely polite but I just don't think they have a clue as to what I wanted. I think their job is to try to sell extra programming packages to anyone who calls.

I am extremely disappointed.

Cooperhawk · 10-16-2013, 08:36 AM

"Bump" because I want folks to be aware.

no3putt · 10-16-2013, 08:47 AM

Unpluging the reciever is a nomal way to clear the memory and reset the reciever. Have done this each time we move to a new location. When we set up at a new location, we call and have them change our service location so we can get the local stations for that area, some times we end up calling twice, but have found out asking for technical support works best.

BTW you will not get your home channels once you move out of your home service area, usually around a couple hundred miles or so.

Cooperhawk · 10-16-2013, 08:50 AM

Good luck when you travel again. I asked for and got Technical Support each time I called. Things seem to have changed.

vyndance · 10-16-2013, 08:54 AM

Did you mention you were in an RV and not connected to a phone line? You might call back and ask for RV support. They can flash your box.

Cooperhawk · 10-16-2013, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vyndance

Did you mention you were in an RV and not connected to a phone line? You might call back and ask for RV support. They can flash your box.

Yes I did. I even spelled Tailgater for one of them. I was quite happy with the Tailgater until this trip. I think you are in for a real surprise, but I sincerely hope not. I hope everything goes well for you.

vyndance · 10-16-2013, 09:05 AM

One more thought. You've gone to menu 611 and checked to make sure you are locked on a satellite right?

Cooperhawk · 10-16-2013, 09:19 AM

Yes, I had a good satellite signal. Try giving them a call. You may be surprised.

Scarab0088 · 10-16-2013, 09:20 AM

Sorry for your troubles.

My Tailgater is outside, working perfectly right now. I moved it 2 days ago and it sync'd right up. And I am getting the "locals" from the market near me (required a call to Dish, but I prefer to use the "chat" function now). There hasn't been any change that I know of.

The details I read sound more like there is a problem in the receiver...Like: "Once I actually saw my preferred package for about two minutes, and then it too disappeared."

BTW: Dish RV customer service has a different ph #, try 888-309-0370 (number compliments of moderator SarahW)...And parts of Dish customer service have been overseas for a long time.

Best luck

Cooperhawk · 10-16-2013, 09:45 AM

I will note that number. The number I used was the one supplied on the Tailgater instruction folder that I received with the unit. You mention that you are getting news from a local area where you are. I wanted my news from home.

I hope you are correct and that this number solves my problem. We are at home now and of course do not need any help from them. I have not used the "Chat" function. I will try that next time.

Still, that is the same number we used in July..................1-800-333-3474

Cooperhawk · 10-16-2013, 09:47 AM

Also thankfully, we were able to get our "Top 150 Channels" the entire time.

no3putt · 10-16-2013, 10:00 AM

Dish and Direct satellites use spot beams from there satellites for local market signals and once you move away from your home market area you will not get that market. Usually a couple hundred miles or so depending on the market area. Example we live in southern CO and get the Colorado Springs stations, when we go to northern Colorado we have to tell them our new location and then get the Denver stations. (100 miles) Bottom line is that you will only get the stations, plus the package for the location you are in. We just completed a 3 month trip to the NW and was changing markets each time we moved from one market to another.

Scarab0088 · 10-16-2013, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cooperhawk

I will note that number. The number I used was the one supplied on the Tailgater instruction folder that I received with the unit. You mention that you are getting news from a local area where you are. I wanted my news from home.

I hope you are correct and that this number solves my problem. We are at home now and of course do not need any help from them. I have not used the "Chat" function. I will try that next time.

Still, that is the same number we used in July..................1-800-333-3474

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cooperhawk

Also thankfully, we were able to get our "Top 150 Channels" the entire time.

Now Wait! You got your regular plan the whole time...but you wanted your hometown locals at the new destination(?)

Locals will only come in within about 200miles (radius) of that market town. Outside that, the "spot beam" will drop. You can call (or chat) to change your locals to the nearest market - but, sorry, you can't take your hometown locals to a new city - that's FCC rules, not Dish.

The exception is Distant Network Service (DNS) that gives you New York and/or San Francisco locals anywhere you are. Available at extra cost from a 3rd party vendor.

And - here is a warning - since you called Dish about this while you were traveling, they might have cancelled your hometown locals(?). Worth a check now that you are at home.

Best luck

Cooperhawk · 10-16-2013, 10:03 AM

You may be correct of course, but in July we were 400 miles from home and had our home package, so 200 miles isn't the limit then.

Cooperhawk · 10-16-2013, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scarab0088

And - here is a warning - since you called Dish about this while you were traveling, they might have cancelled your hometown locals(?). Worth a check now that you are at home.

Best luck

Yes, I was worried about that, but when I got home and checked all is okay.

You may all be correct about the limits, but we were no further away from home than last Summer this trip and we had our locals last summer. Another thing, the service reps I talked to should have explained this to me. None even tried.

no3putt · 10-16-2013, 10:18 AM

Your right that you might be able to travel 400 miles and still be in your market area, however milage is not the limiting factor, it is the market area. We drive 100 miles north and in a new market area, drive south, east or west 250 miles before were in another market area. Another example, when in WY we were in the same market the whole time getting WY TV stations. When in Cheyenne WY we were closer to Denver CO then Casper WY, but on got the WY stations and not Denver Stations due to the FCC market requirements.

Cooperhawk · 10-16-2013, 10:20 AM

More good feedback, however they should have been knowledgeable enough to explain that to me on the phone. They seemed clueless.

no3putt · 10-16-2013, 10:33 AM

Just a note, we always ask them when we change locations what local stations we will be getting. They usually will come back and say i.e. The Portland, Seattle, Miami or what ever market we happen to be in at the time, it may take them a few minutes to look up, but if the technician knows what they are doing they will know and sometimes it takes up to 30 minutes to take effect and a reset on the reciever. (unpluging it)

stonekeepers · 10-16-2013, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cooperhawk

More good feedback, however they should have been knowledgeable enough to explain that to me on the phone. They seemed clueless.

It depends on the person who answers the call. We have had Dish service for a long time and have used the Tailgater for about a year.

What happens is that if you let the receiver sit and don't use it for several weeks it "loses" authorization and has to be reactivated. The call center people don't always know this. The technical support folks usually do. If you have the receiver and satellite plugged in all the time it won't happen. They explained up me that they "ping" the receiver occasionally and if it can't find your receiver after several attempts then it deauthorizes it.

The locals will work for a few hundred miles but I have had to call and get the location changed to get the tailgater to work if we travel a long distance away.

Overall, Dish has much better customer support than any other company I have dealt with recently. It's easy to get a real person. If you get them to put a note on your account that you are in an RV it will help a lot next time.

Wayne M · 10-16-2013, 11:54 AM

That has to be a "one-way" ping and there is no transmitter in the "receiver."