What is the best satellite tv dish system

[jerry davis]

I currently have a Tracstar sv360 in motion system. With the new satellites and all the new hd programming my system is already out of date. What is recommended to be able to receive all the new satellites? The system doesn't have to be in motion as we almost never use the system in motion.

[jerry davis]

I currently have a Tracstar sv360 in motion system. With the new satellites and all the new hd programming my system is already out of date. What is recommended to be able to receive all the new satellites? The system doesn't have to be in motion as we almost never use the system in motion.

[J.S.Eddy]

We have a KVH system. Our coach is an '03, but last year in Redmond, their Tech said, after looking at our unit, that ours was an 2001 unit. However, he put in a brand new program board (mother board?) at no charge. So, we have a 2007 upgraded system. Ours, too, is an "in motion" system, but I understand that most states require that they be wired so as not to work while traveling; a safety feature.

We are very satisfied with our system.

Jim... '03 38' FDTS, ISC 350 Cummins
'00 Saturn S/W w/Falcon 2500 tow unit.

Douglas, Georgia

[dgerstel]

Jerry,

As far as I know, the only antennas that will receive all of the satellites at once and allow up to 4 tuners to access different channels at the same time, is the 5 LNB units by MotoSat and Winegard. I don't know of any dome antennas that will look at more than one satellite at a time. This is a necessity if you want to use DVRs or be able to watch different channels on two TVs. I went with the MotoSat unit as I have had one in the past and they have been making the automatic dishs for a long time. We now get all of the new Directv HD channels on 2 DVRs one in front and one in the bedroom. Here is link to my post about our new antenna.

New MotoSat

Dale

[bkphotog]

Hi Jerry

The only systems right now that can get all the new "Birds in Space" are the open face units from Motosat and Winegard. Both units sre 5 lnb units for all of Direct TV HD programming.

We have had the new Winegard Travler unit installed and we are loving it. Push one button on the control unit and it raises up, finds all the proper angles, and then locates all the 5 satellites. Less than a couple of minutes to do this and you are watching TV. It also seems to be less bothered by trees that might be in some parks. The thing that I like is that it finds all the programming automatically no matter what satellite it is coming from. So you can move from channel to channel without having to find another satellite. I believe the Motosat does the same thing. When you are ready to break camp, you just push the one botton again on the control unit and it closes up to just 10 inches of height on the top of the MH. This is even lower than the height of my AC units. This unit and the Motosat are stationary units only.

We are very happy with the unit and the installation. We had it installed by our local Monaco dealer but CW will do it also. There is a rather different price difference between the Winegard unit and the Motosat. Both are excellent units and worth researching if you want to gain access to the new HD programming from DTV. As far as I know there are not currently any dome units on the market that will handle the new satellites. I have heard that KVH is working on one but this is rumor and who know how long it might take to bring this to the market. And who know where the market is going in this electronic age

Good Luck

[Route 66]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">What is the best satellite tv dish system </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

MotoSAT HD-SL5

[JCM]

I recently, was given a older used Winegard and a Motosat automatic dish.
After comparing them (out on a sawhorse in my driveway), I was more impressed with the Motosat. It found the satellite almost instantly - within one rotation whereas the Winegard hunted back and forth for 10 minutes before it looked at the satellite then moved on. I had to stop it when it looked at the satellite. Also the mechanical construction was much better inside the Motosat.
I am going to replace my Wingard unit with a Motosat ASAP.

[Renipladlo]

Or you can save a bunch of money, (assuming Direct TV here) call their sales line, explain you are wanting the 5 LNB dish for a motor home, and they will ship you a unit and tripod for 49 dollars. At least that is what they told me on the phone. Then later on, when the HD specification is fully implemented, and most of the major players are on the same page, you can then choose to upgrade to a unit, which will do everything and give you a dance as well. The two units discussed in this thread are both well over $1000.00 and who knows if some specification will change down the road to make then obsolete. Just my two cents, especially with diesel going heck bent for leather toward 5 dollars a gallon, TV reception is way down my important list, as regards using this unit for what I purchased it for. Lets see, the motosat is 2300 bucks, that is 460 gallons of diesel. At 10 miles to the gallon, that is 4600 miles, or almost two times across the USA. Something to think about, oh slap my face, I forgot, all us Alpine owners got more money than sense!!!!!!!! ROTFLMAO!!!! 2300 dollars for a stupid satellite antenna, holy mackerel.

[dgerstel]

Renipladlo,

Please post about your experience setting up your new antenna and getting all 5 satellites locked in at the same time. You are definitely a better man than me, I wouldn't have the patience to spend the time required to do so. I purchased my motor home to enjoy and after spending that amount of money, don't mind spending a few percent more to have everything on it that I want. As to the "when the HD specification is fully implemented", I am sure that Directv can transmit all of the HD programing that they want to off of 5 satellites and have no plan for any more. My MotoSat does do everything I want and gives me a dance as well. By the way I think that most of the coach owners on the IRV2 forum are probable shaking their heads about "2300 dollars for a stupid satellite antenna, holy mackerel" they are probably saying $300,000 for a stupid RV, holy mackerel.

Dale

PS I hope that you were using 10 MPG as just a number to work with and are not expecting to see that from your coach.

[Renipladlo]

Actually, I don't have the subscription to Satellite now, because the coach so far has spent more time in the shop than we have been able to use it. And I'm not retired, so having satellite now would not be cost effective. I was trying to make a point, that there are cheaper alternatives he/you could explore. It your/his money, but with everything today going like a rocket, satellite TV for me is way down on the priority list. And your PS was correct, I am thinking I am getting around 8.5-9.0 MPG, with the Genset and hydro hot using fuel, it takes away from my road miliage, 10.0 is was easier to figure, and I do get that going down hill. I am going to slow down further when driving to 55 from 60, it will again save more money in the fuel area.

[dgerstel]

Renipladlo,

When we bought our 2002, it came with the MotoSat automatic single LNB antenna. We would have never ordered one ourselves at that time. It did spoil us compared to a dome antenna. Since we had the antenna, we thought it foolish not to use and enjoy it. We changed to Directv at the house and just added the RV receiver to the home account for $4.99 a month. In the new rig I did add the rear receiver, so we now pay $9.98 a month to have all of the channels that we receive at home. The locals do cut out after getting some miles from home, although when we were on the Los Angeles local channels before we moved here, we could get the locals all the way to Washington.

Dale

[Renipladlo]

Dale, mine came with the King Dome, and so far it has not picked up the satellite to my knowledge. I say that, because I just have not taken the time necessary to really study what it's supposed to do, versus what it seems to be doing, which is not finding a satellite. My coach came with Direct TV receivers (with cards) in the front cabinet for front/rear TV's. I should be able to have the KD search for and find a satellite, and the direct TV Receiver for the front TV should allow me to see channel 100. I never get a signal, however, I can make the receiver do stuff, so I know it's working, and the remote is working, it's that the KD is not getting lined up correctly on the satellite. The dealer has that as one of about 12 things to investigate and fix, because we have purchased the coach (2007 Apex built in June of 2006 so no telling what has gone on with it-we know it went to several motor home shows, New Mexico, and Bend for two-we also think someone broke into the dealership and vandalized several coaches, because when we looked at them a month before we purchased, all of them had damage, which was not damage one would assume from being on the lot, and shown.) on April 26th, 2008 picked it up May 10th, 2008 took it home, got it loaded with our stuff in a week, then back to the dealer for a leaking windshield (front clearance lights were leaking-common problem I'm told) took the coach to Montana, and on that trip, the cook stove caught fire underneath the cover and about burned the thing to the ground (too bad I intervened)and saved that from happening. We brought it home, where we sent the selling dealer a 4 page letter of deficiencies which they needed to fix, and it's there now. We have used it a total of 11 days since we purchased it. It has been in the dealer's service center, or in storage (while we waited on the dealer to tell us they were going to fix it) all the rest of the time. We spent a lot of our retirement money on this thing, and if the dealer does not get it fixed the way we want, I am going to spend the rest of it on a lawyer and court time. So they (in case they are reading this) better get it fixed this time the way I want it, or that is my next step. We were planning on retirement next year, but I will work till I'm 90, and keep paying the lawyer, if that is what it takes to get my money back or it correct and usable. To say I'm mad would be an understatement. We should have purchased a country coach; at least they were still in business last time I checked. So from my perspective, the satellite is a small thing compared to the other things we are waiting for. I won't trash this dealer until, they fail me, and then all heck will break loose.

[Renipladlo]

Oh, I forgot the best part. The coach also came with a Dell 32"LCD HD TV/Receiver. There was not a book, or warranty card with all the paperwork, so I crawled up under the top/front cabinet, got the dell Service Code, and called them.

The tech on the phone remarked, that the warranty started when it was shipped to WRV, and has subsequently expired. So I have a nice TV with no warranty. I explained I had just purchased the coach, but he said, that it is Dell's policy to start the warranty on the ship date, and tough luck if it sits in a warehouse for two years or longer, the end user looses.

Now we use Dell PC's and Printers at work (large government organization) and normally we have not got too much issue with their service. This however, has proven to me, NEVER BUY DELL ANYTHING EVER!!!!!

When this unit quits, and it will, just from the bumps in the road, I'm going to put a Panasonic LCD up there, because I have not had problems with Panasonic, and have been using their A/V equipment for over 30 years. In fact GF VCR just quit, but it's 20 Years old and Panasonic. Forewarned it forearmed I always say.

The other component manufacturers for the stove, hydro hot, Silverleaf, etc , have all bent over backwards to answer any questions I have had, and offer whatever help they could to remedy issues or knowledge problems I have encountered.

For instance, all the individual systems run through the silver leaf computer. I can use the little 5X5"� display at the driver's console, or turn on the Front TV set, and literally control everything on the coach from that console. When we got home from Montana, something caused it to just quit working, nothing would operate, leveling, slides, water fill, nothing, so I called silverleaf, they knew immediately what was wrong, explained to me in simple language what I needed to do and what to check. It turned out there is a temperature sensor in the tank bay (passenger side-just forward of the battery compartment)-WRV, drilled a hole in the floor, and put a temperature sensor in that location, so you could check the outside temp. The engineering on this little addition, was to say the least, terrible (other words come to mind-but I must remember the company I'm keeping) and it got wet, shorted out, and took down the whole system. The SL tech rep, said to unplug this sensor from the main SL computer, and everything would work again, which I did, and what do you know it then worked perfectly. I have since, redesigned the temp sensor installation so it will still get the outside temp, but not short out again. Silverleaf, asked for the version code on the main computer, told me it was out of date, shipped me a new one, and a new temp sensor, and gave all this to me for free under the warranty, without requesting the update, just mentioned it matter of fact. Now that is what I call customer service, of the highest order. If every company does that for me, I will be in pig heaven.

All of us could go on, and on, and on, about our experiences, my only regret is, I did not know this group existed prior to purchasing the Big expensive THING, had I known, WRV Alpine Coach would have been the last MH I would have purchased, well maybe not the last, but wayyyyyyyyyyy down the list.

WRV's 5th Wheel trailers however, were for me, the best you could purchase in that price range, and they should have stuck with those, because had they done so, they still would be in business.

[moisheh]

Old rv'r:

How can you sue the dealer when the mfr. is no longer in business? Your warranty is between you and the mfr. not the dealer. BTW : you posts are very hard to read. I know you are upset ( I would be too) but slow down and use some punctuation.