Tripod Dish

[BCook57]

I'm finally getting around to hooking up Direct TV on my '07 DSDP 4307. Independence RV installed a Winegard dome when I bought it last October, but we haven't needed the satellite until now when we move north in it for the summer.

I realize I need to get the receiver, which I will pick up at Best Buy.

I also realize I might get better reception if I use a tripod mounted dish since we will be reasonably stationary when back in Michigan for about 6 weeks.

Do I need to do anything special to get the signal from the dish to my receiver? Can I just connect it to the regular cable input located in the compartment where my electrical cord stores?

I"m planning on getting some help with the whole process of setting this up when I'm in Nappanee in late May.

[BCook57]

I'm finally getting around to hooking up Direct TV on my '07 DSDP 4307. Independence RV installed a Winegard dome when I bought it last October, but we haven't needed the satellite until now when we move north in it for the summer.

I realize I need to get the receiver, which I will pick up at Best Buy.

I also realize I might get better reception if I use a tripod mounted dish since we will be reasonably stationary when back in Michigan for about 6 weeks.

Do I need to do anything special to get the signal from the dish to my receiver? Can I just connect it to the regular cable input located in the compartment where my electrical cord stores?

I"m planning on getting some help with the whole process of setting this up when I'm in Nappanee in late May.

[diesellabs]

You probably have a "satellite in" receptacle in your utility bay in addition to "cable in" -- that's the one you want. If you have only a "cable in" outlet, you need an additional do-hickey or two...which someone else more knowledgeable can tell you about.

[GaryKD]

Hi Bob,
I'm not sure why your dome is not sufficient. I have both a dome and a tripod dish. I use the tripod only when the dome is blocked from a signal. 99.9% of the time the dome is used and the tripod stays in the storage bay.

When I use the tripod, I plug it into the cable TV receptacle, located in the electrical compartment bay.

[Rick 2005 Dolphin 5376]

Curious as to why you think you'll get better reception on a portable dish. Since the signal is digital it's either there or it's not. You'll find that a 50% signal on the meter will provide a picture. I see our signal meter routinely at 80% or better. To answer your question:
Yes, you can run the portable dish through the coax intended for cable. I have a portable dish. I feed it through the input at the rear of the coach for cable tv. At the other end of that cable you will unplug it from the winegard switch marked "cable" and plug it in to your receiver in. Plug "Receiver out", back to the cable "input" on the winegard switch. There are many other ways you can enhance that set up. I use a Sonora signal stacker and de-stacker system to allow me to use a 2 tuner DVR in the coach. I'd say unless you have trees or other obstacles in the way of your dome, I'd try that first. You'll be surprised how well a signal can find its way to the dish. We were parked in Paso Robles last week at the Wine Country RV resort. I had set up my dish in a place where I had a clear sight to the 101 sat. A guy pulled in at the next space and had his rig directly in front of the dish. Still got DTV just fine. His coach was about 20 feet away from ours.

[BCook57]

Thanks for the quick replies. Maybe I'm reading too much into the various posts about rain obscuring the signal, etc. I'll try the dome first.

[Dav5942]

Traveled 20,000 miles last year with the Winegard Dome and a tripod-never used the tripod!

[Clay L]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Rick 2005 Dolphin 5376:
Curious as to why you think you'll get better reception on a portable dish. SNIP </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The gain of the dish is proportional to the size of the dish. The larger dish can provide a signal - digital or analog, it doesn't matter - when the smaller one can't.

[Clay L]

A couple of times a year I might need my tripod mounted dish.
Not needed often but when I need it I am glad I carry the darn thing around with me.

[Rick 2005 Dolphin 5376]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Clay L:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Rick 2005 Dolphin 5376:
Curious as to why you think you'll get better reception on a portable dish. SNIP </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The gain of the dish is proportional to the size of the dish. The larger dish can provide a signal - digital or analog, it doesn't matter - when the smaller one can't. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The original poster didn't mention using a large dish and I assumed he was just using a standard one. That being said how much surface area does a tripod dish have over a Dome? I know plenty of folks who use nothing but a dome without complaint. Lastly, a digital signal is nothing but ones and zeros and can be assembled under low reception conditions where an analog signal will not be able to produce a clear picture.

[Bill Adams]

An 18" open face dish "is" a large dish compared to anything underneath a dome. Just take a look and you will agree. With that said, it is not size alone that determines a good or bad signal. A microwave signal cannot penetrate (much) water (that's why trees are a bad thing, the leaves are mostly water). Compared to an open face dish, the domes perform very poorly during rain events and if you are traveling to the edges of the satellites footprints (Mexico, Canada and some parts of the N. US).
If you live in the Pacific NW you are NOT going to be happy with a dome. If you live in AZ you will likely be happy almost everyday! If you park your RV under a tree you are doing to HATE your dome but love a tripod. For some reason everyone seems to like to declare the unit they use as the best! Best is a state of mind and what works great for me could be worthless to someone else. There are reasons that all of these different options are sold. That reason is that some people prefer one over the other and all of them are excellent for someone but totally unacceptable for others.

[Rick 2005 Dolphin 5376]

Great reply Bill. We, for one, are pretty happy with our tri-pod dish. Downside is setting up and moving it. We are soon to be converted to a dome or at least rv mounted with the tri-pod as the spare. Your constant participation on these forums goes a long way to educate us.
Thanks

[Clay L]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Rick 2005 Dolphin 5376:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Clay L:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Rick 2005 Dolphin 5376:
Curious as to why you think you'll get better reception on a portable dish. SNIP </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The gain of the dish is proportional to the size of the dish. The larger dish can provide a signal - digital or analog, it doesn't matter - when the smaller one can't. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The original poster didn't mention using a large dish and I assumed he was just using a standard one. That being said how much surface area does a tripod dish have over a Dome? I know plenty of folks who use nothing but a dome without complaint. Lastly, a digital signal is nothing but ones and zeros and can be assembled under low reception conditions where an analog signal will not be able to produce a clear picture. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

My point was that any larger dish will have more gain with both analog and digital signals than a smaller one, not that analog and digital are equal in weak signal reception.

[Rick 2005 Dolphin 5376]

Point well taken. You are correct. I hope I was not sounding argumentative.