Home tv receiver and remote????

[Micia34]

I am a Directv customer and planning on purchasing a portable dish tripod set-up for camping and tailgating. I'd like to know if I can use a receiver and remote from home on the occasional trips? I would appreciate any help any one can provide!!! Thanks!

[Bill Adams]

YES! That's about it. Get the antenna pointed and the cables run and you are watching TV just like you are in your own living room.
If you travel too far from home you will lose your local Network programming (ABC, NBC, etc.) but otherwise you will not no the difference.

[Micia34]

Thanks! I was hoping that would be the answer. If my trailer has a satellite connector on the outside as well as the inside, then I don't have to do any special "running"of wires do I? Any suggestions on a type of tripod portable system to get?

[Ron2]

Micia34,
I picked up an 18" round dish at a garage sale for $2, a tripod on eBay for around $12, and a meter that conects in line to give me signal strength (can't remember what it is called), and a compass. Also if you don't know the zip code of the campground or area you are camping you can call 1-800-275-8777 and get the zip code. I connect the cable from my dish to the RV through the "cable hookup" that is used to connect to "campground cable" and it works great. I also drilled through the spot welds that secure the arm of the dish and installed two long thru screws so I can remove them and fold the arm and dish flat for easier storage.
Ron

[Bill Adams]

Tripods and dishes are great but unless you want/need you HD TV programming in your RV then you only need a single LNB antenna pointed to the 101 satellite. It makes life very easy. If you choose this option you can buy one of these MP1's from Winegard:
Winegard Carryout Manual Portable Satellite TV Antenna
It is more expensive but it takes very little storage space, is simple to point and is unlikely to be damaged no matter how many times to take it in and out of storage.

[ajlcal]

I also have Direct TV and recently bought a dish/tripod for our RV. I bought mine from the Direct TV installer who did my home installation. I didn't know anything about setting it up and my first attempt to hook up was frustrating. I eventually went to a Direct TV installer who has a store near my home. He explained how to find the signal and make the menu set up changes. Finding the signal was easy, it was the menu set up changes where I was messing up. Now that I know how to do it, I can set it all up in about 10 minutes. I was told not to use a HD receiver. Maybe other members can explain why.

[fansill]

I have Directv at my home and I subscribe to HD services. I have Directv in my coach and although I understand that I cannot get HD in the coach with my Trac-Vision Dome, I have an HD receiver because I wanted to use the radio controlled remote that will work through walls. That type of remote only works with the HD receiver. This way, I can change the channels when I am watching the outside TV without going back and forth up and down the stairs....

Now, how is that for the height of laziness..???

Faith

[Bill Adams]

Quote:

Now, how is that for the height of laziness..???

No, I would call that the height of good sense!

[fansill]

Bill,

I like the way your mind works....LOL!!!

"Sensible" Faith

[Micia34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajlcal I also have Direct TV and recently bought a dish/tripod for our RV. I bought mine from the Direct TV installer who did my home installation. I didn't know anything about setting it up and my first attempt to hook up was frustrating. I eventually went to a Direct TV installer who has a store near my home. He explained how to find the signal and make the menu set up changes. Finding the signal was easy, it was the menu set up changes where I was messing up. Now that I know how to do it, I can set it all up in about 10 minutes. I was told not to use a HD receiver. Maybe other members can explain why.

Can you give me a brief explanation of the menu set up? Or where I could find that info???

Thanks everyone! This is very helpful.

[Bill Adams]

Quote:

Originally Posted by fansill Bill, I like the way your mind works....LOL!!! "Sensible" Faith

Thanks! Very few people do.

[Bill Adams]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Micia34 Can you give me a brief explanation of the menu set up? Or where I could find that info??? Thanks everyone! This is very helpful.

Click the Menu button. At the bottom you will see a link that includes Setup. This is what you are looking for. The menus vary a bit but you will have to search depending upon your receiver for Satellite>antenna pointing (or similar) and somewhere that allows you to enter a zip code. Once you enter the zip and continue forward you will be given the necessary compass heading and elevation (plus skew if you try to point a multi-LNB antenna). Now go to the signal strength screen and go outside and point the antenna using the aforementioned parameters. Once you have a good signal on 101 transponder 1 then you have the correct satellite and you can watch TV.

[ajlcal]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Micia34 Can you give me a brief explanation of the menu set up? Or where I could find that info??? Thanks everyone! This is very helpful.

I would suggest trying what Bill Adams advised. If you get frustrated like I did on my first attempt, get a Direct TV service man to come to your RV. That way you can watch and learn how to do it. It's worth the cost of a service visit. If the menu stuff gets confusing, write it all down as he does it and then disconnect everything and do it from scratch yourself before he leaves to make sure you've got it right.

[StStg1]

If you don't want to mess with using a tripod, you cand build your own mount for your dish. I've used the four leg version for many years and no problems.

sat