Advice for best portable satellite dish?

[calasiter]

Hello,
I did a search FIRST, before posting a new thread. I didn't see what I need to know, so I'm asking for help. Husband and I have a new motorhome, which we are happy to use RV parks' cable hook-ups for watching TV. But when the RV is at home, and being used for a guest house, (especially on holidays) we would like to provide TV for our guests. Here's what I have in mind: Guests turn the TV on, search the guide, and find what they want to watch. That's where it gets complicated. Which portable satellite dish actually works? Our idea is to leave the RV in our "bus barn", set the dish up outside in the yard, and run a cable into the receiver in the RV. I read all about cutting the cord, from so many on this forum. That might be something we do later down the line, but I need something reliable and easy now. I want HD. Is that too much to ask? I also want DirectTV, since we already have a contract with them for our lake house. In our home we have Altice/Suddenlink cable. But I think DirectTV is the most sensible and easy to figure out on this short notice. Guests will be here on the 21st! Help. If you like your portable Dish, please advise. Thank you.

[450Donn]

Actually direct is your wprst option. This coming from a direct customer. Going with Dish pay as you go and an automatic dome you can get yp and ru ning pretty quick. With Direct you will need an open face dish tripod setup. Aligning that takes time and patience.

[coachmanjay]

X2 for Dish. you can buy a Winegard Pathway XI and a Wally receiver for under$500 on line, or a Pathway X2 with 2 Wally receivers for a little over $600. The X2 is a larger dome but unless you have tree problem in the Southern sky the X1 should work fine. Then sign up for Dish's pay as you go program for MH's. A top end package with sports is under $100/ month. You have to initially pay the $100, but say you quests leave in 5 days, cancel your service and leave the credit on you account. the charge for 5 days will be aound $15 and you will have a $85 credit. The next time ypu want service just activate your account and pay $15 to have a full month paid for. i.e. you can get TV for less than $3/day if you own the equipment. I have started and stopped my service several times in a month when travelling with no problems. Don't let Dish try to sell you a vacation home plan. This plan is made for RV's that want short term service.

[nvs4602]

If you have a wifi signal or unlimited data on a phone or tablet. Put the direct tv app on it a buy the adapter cable to connect to your tv hdmi. You can watch any channel you want off your unit in the house. This is what we do in our motorhome when traveling. No dish to buy or setup. This is what you'll be looking for. Just get the right end for your phone or tablet.
You will also need an hdmi cable.
HDMI Adapter for Phone to TV, Compatible with iPhone XS/XSmax/XR/X/8/7/6/Plus/iPad/iPod to HD TV/Monitor/Projector/Laptop, 1080P Digital AV Adapter Plug & Play (White) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YDL2WZ9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_8HB9DbTVQJ9CC"]https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YDL2WZ9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_8HB9DbTVQJ9CC"]HDMI Adapter for Phone to TV, Compatible with iPhone XS/XSmax/XR/X/8/7/6/Plus/iPad/iPod to HD TV/Monitor/Projector/Laptop, 1080P Digital AV Adapter Plug & Play (White) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YDL2WZ9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_8HB9DbTVQJ9CC[/URL][/URL]


If you have wifi you can put the app on a laptop as well and connect it via hdmi cable to the tv as well with no need for an adaptor.

[dlenartz]

we were directv users for over 15 years. but they really went to hell in a hand basket. features that worked for years started to fail and it seemed their network just became unreliable. we now are on dish. we have a hopper at the house and have a dish-playmaker matched with a wally receiver. (it's turned off for this winter). it's very reliable and HD. the directv dome dishes are all SD. only the roof mounted open array traveler offers HD. the wally and playmaker package deal was only $325.

[litzdog911]

I can't recommend DirecTV for RV'ers anymore. To get all of your channels you'll need a Winegard Trav'ler HD dish or DirecTV Slimline, so not many portable options.

[W.J. Demo]

Originally Posted by coachmanjay

X2 for Dish. you can buy a Winegard Pathway XI and a Wally receiver for under$500 on line, or a Pathway X2 with 2 Wally receivers for a little over $600. The X2 is a larger dome but unless you have tree problem in the Southern sky the X1 should work fine. Then sign up for Dish's pay as you go program for MH's. A top end package with sports is under $100/ month. You have to initially pay the $100, but say you quests leave in 5 days, cancel your service and leave the credit on you account. the charge for 5 days will be aound $15 and you will have a $85 credit. The next time ypu want service just activate your account and pay $15 to have a full month paid for. i.e. you can get TV for less than $3/day if you own the equipment. I have started and stopped my service several times in a month when travelling with no problems. Don't let Dish try to sell you a vacation home plan. This plan is made for RV's that want short term service.

According to Dish there is no credit for partial month use.

[calasiter]

Originally Posted by coachmanjay

X2 for Dish. you can buy a Winegard Pathway XI and a Wally receiver for under$500 on line, or a Pathway X2 with 2 Wally receivers for a little over $600. The X2 is a larger dome but unless you have tree problem in the Southern sky the X1 should work fine. Then sign up for Dish's pay as you go program for MH's. A top end package with sports is under $100/ month. You have to initially pay the $100, but say you quests leave in 5 days, cancel your service and leave the credit on you account. the charge for 5 days will be aound $15 and you will have a $85 credit. The next time ypu want service just activate your account and pay $15 to have a full month paid for. i.e. you can get TV for less than $3/day if you own the equipment. I have started and stopped my service several times in a month when travelling with no problems. Don't let Dish try to sell you a vacation home plan. This plan is made for RV's that want short term service.

Thank you so much!

[calasiter]

Originally Posted by nvs4602

If you have a wifi signal or unlimited data on a phone or tablet. Put the direct tv app on it a buy the adapter cable to connect to your tv hdmi. You can watch any channel you want off your unit in the house. This is what we do in our motorhome when traveling. No dish to buy or setup. This is what you'll be looking for. Just get the right end for your phone or tablet.
You will also need an hdmi cable.
HDMI Adapter for Phone to TV, Compatible with iPhone XS/XSmax/XR/X/8/7/6/Plus/iPad/iPod to HD TV/Monitor/Projector/Laptop, 1080P Digital AV Adapter Plug & Play (White) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YDL2WZ9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_8HB9DbTVQJ9CC"]https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YDL2WZ9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_8HB9DbTVQJ9CC"]HDMI Adapter for Phone to TV, Compatible with iPhone XS/XSmax/XR/X/8/7/6/Plus/iPad/iPod to HD TV/Monitor/Projector/Laptop, 1080P Digital AV Adapter Plug & Play (White) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YDL2WZ9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_8HB9DbTVQJ9CC[/URL][/URL]


If you have wifi you can put the app on a laptop as well and connect it via hdmi cable to the tv as well with no need for an adaptor.

Wow. This is really helpful. Thank you so much. I have one more question. The DirectTV that I would pull from is in another house on the lake about an hour from my home. I suppose all this is internet based, so that doesn't matter, right? Also, we have Suddenlink/Altice cable in our home. I wonder if they have the same setup with the app. It would be easier to link the RV from home. I'm going to call and ask Suddenlink today. Thank you again. This is almost too good to be true. Claudia

[calasiter]

Hello again. We have 4 TVs. 3 inside the RV and 1 outside. Does this device you are talking about work on all or just one TV? Thanks again.

[nvs4602]

Originally Posted by calasiter

Wow. This is really helpful. Thank you so much. I have one more question. The DirectTV that I would pull from is in another house on the lake about an hour from my home. I suppose all this is internet based, so that doesn't matter, right? Also, we have Suddenlink/Altice cable in our home. I wonder if they have the same setup with the app. It would be easier to link the RV from home. I'm going to call and ask Suddenlink today. Thank you again. This is almost too good to be true. Claudia

No it does not matter where you dish is at, it is all Internet based. On our system which is Dish Network we can even watch the shows we have on our DVR. You can even download movies to your phone, tablet or pc to watch them later so you don't need Internet to watch them.

[F4Gary]

Originally Posted by calasiter

Hello again. We have 4 TVs. 3 inside the RV and 1 outside. Does this device you are talking about work on all or just one TV? Thanks again.

How many tv's are your guests going to use?

[nvs4602]

Originally Posted by calasiter

Hello again. We have 4 TVs. 3 inside the RV and 1 outside. Does this device you are talking about work on all or just one TV? Thanks again.

As long as all the tv's have an empty hdmi slot you can just connect a cable to it. I put an hdmi cable on all of our tv's so all I have to do is hook up my device to it, and not worry about getting behind the tv each time.

[calasiter]

Originally Posted by litzdog911

I can't recommend DirecTV for RV'ers anymore. To get all of your channels you'll need a Winegard Trav'ler HD dish or DirecTV Slimline, so not many portable options.

Thank you!