# Does DirecTV know or care where I am?



## drewcipher (May 21, 2002)

When an HR10 phones home, does DirecTV know or care where it is? If I was to go on a cross country tour, can I make daily phone calls from everywhere I stop, without DirecTV changing my local channels? I would be passing through places that are probably MPEG-4 and then I would be stuck.
I know I don't have to plug in for the call, but if I have to C&D or have a HD failure, then I have to rerun guided setup, which I believe requires a phone call. Would I be busted? or, is there a way to run guided setup without a phone line?

Thanks

Drew


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

Local channels are on spot beams, so you won't be able to receive them cross-country anyway. (Unless maybe you have NYC or LA locals?)


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## drewcipher (May 21, 2002)

I have LA locals now, and want to know if I will lose them if I make a call. Even if I can't receive them everywhere, I probably can in many places.


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## dagap (Dec 5, 2003)

I believe they use caller id as part of their efforts to prevent signal theft.

That is, I couldn't add a receiver to my account and give it to my brother across town, allowing him to mooch off my subscription.


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## captain_video (Mar 1, 2002)

Run the Zipper on your DTivo and leave the phone line unplugged. Problem solved.


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## hpfanatic (Jan 5, 2002)

I use one of my HR10-250's whenever we go camping with the RV. I have a crank up dish on the roof. I haven't tried it out of state, but have been as far as I could without leaving the state. No problems, never got a call or anything from DirecTV. I do have them hacked so they don't make any phone calls out.


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## Stanley Rohner (Jan 18, 2004)

hpfanatic said:


> I use one of my HR10-250's whenever we go camping with the RV. I have a crank up dish on the roof. I haven't tried it out of state, but have been as far as I could without leaving the state. No problems, never got a call or anything from DirecTV. I do have them hacked so they don't make any phone calls out.


Brings along a dish and a DIRECTV DVR. Sounds like you're really "roughing it" out there in the wilderness.


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## kennet6565 (Nov 29, 2002)

Heck, I take two HR10-250's with a 27" LCD HDTV, digital sruuound sound and a powered sub woofer, and have a MotoSat auto antenna for DirecTV.


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## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

It's NOT that big of deal to click through the daily "nag" screen - don't worry about the phone line, don't worry about doing mods to the box & enjoy your trip.


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## drewcipher (May 21, 2002)

It isn't the nag screen that bothers me. I think that I am losing a hard drive, so I was going to run a C&D, and test the drive.


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## TyroneShoes (Sep 6, 2004)

hpfanatic said:


> I use one of my HR10-250's whenever we go camping with the RV. I have a crank up dish on the roof. I haven't tried it out of state, but have been as far as I could without leaving the state. No problems, never got a call or anything from DirecTV. I do have them hacked so they don't make any phone calls out.


Satellite (SNG) trucks all typically are equipped with DTV receivers (a precious few might have HR10s) and seem to work pretty good within 200-300 miles of the spot beam epicenter (ours even has a motorized DBS antenna enclosed in a dome). Also, for the CONUS channels I think you can get RV status from DTV, which is how a lot of truckers handle things. You probably have to give them a DOT number and a CDL number.


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## PittCaleb (Sep 23, 2003)

Phone numbers (Area Codes & PRefixes) are near meaningless for 'connected' folks anymore. With VOIP you can choose a number anywhere in the country and with number portability, you can take your number with you when you move most of the time (granted, I believe this must stay within area code boundries). 

I'm moving to the east coast. I could xfr my current landline number to my vonage number and then move my vonage phone to my new house in CT. Thus when Vonage calls in it thinks I'm in MI. 

For most people, the AC & prefix are legitimate though.

PittCaleb


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## dishrich (Jan 16, 2002)

drewcipher said:


> It isn't the nag screen that bothers me. I think that I am losing a hard drive, so I was going to run a C&D, and test the drive.


OK, I missed that part of your question.
If all you need to do is make your test call, any phone line will do. Make your test calls then unplug it & you're on your way.

I do it all the time when I set new D-Tivo's up for clients - I do all the "test calls" at my place, then disconnect the phone line, so I'm not wasting time at their place.


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## Mark Lopez (Jan 1, 2000)

drewcipher said:


> When an HR10 phones home, does DirecTV know or care where it is?


No they don't care. I'm a few thousand miles from where I'm 'supposed' to be and have had my phone plugged in for the last 2 years with no problem. As long as the bill gets paid, that's all they care about.


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## BruceShultes (Oct 2, 2006)

Assuming you have to replace a drive, just enter your home zip code when you run Guided Setup.


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## drewcipher (May 21, 2002)

Mark Lopez said:


> No they don't care. I'm a few thousand miles from where I'm 'supposed' to be and have had my phone plugged in for the last 2 years with no problem. As long as the bill gets paid, that's all they care about.


Do you dial a local DTV number or the area code of where they think you are?


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## dv8 (Sep 13, 2004)

I live in Seattle and have been on LA feeds for over 3 years now and pull in a couple Seattle Local HD Chans over the air. Both my Tivo's dial local numbers and I've had no problems. Directv has even sent me a replacement HR10-250 a couple times to my Seattle address even though my Service Address is LA. 

When I had Vonage and had dial out problems Directv had me dial a number on the east coast... w/ that I'm not worried they care so much.

Not really a big deal in my eyes..


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## joetoronto (Jul 26, 2004)

Mark Lopez said:


> No they don't care. I'm a few thousand miles from where I'm 'supposed' to be and have had my phone plugged in for the last 2 years with no problem. As long as the bill gets paid, that's all they care about.


agreed. if i can dial in from here with no problems, then you'll be fine.

just unplug when you're done.


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## Mark Lopez (Jan 1, 2000)

drewcipher said:


> Do you dial a local DTV number or the area code of where they think you are?


The local number. They even have my current address as the billing address. Again, they don't care as long as you pay your bill.


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