Changing back to DirectTV

[Ron & Dee]

We are seriously thinking about changing back to DirectTV from our Dish Network. We still have six months to go on our Dish Network contract.

I have never been happy with setting up our antenna with Dish Network, and hope I can go back to our old DirectTV antenna set up, it's so easy a Caveman can do it

We only need the standard plan, which will give us everything we want to watch, and I'm hoping I can use the same antenna that we used when we had Direct TV.

Winegard Co - Winegard Portable Digital Satellite Antenna - Satellite Antennas - Camping World

Does anyone know if Direct TV is using the same Satellite that I had to point to almost 2 years ago? If it is, then I will be happy and good to go

Thanks,

Ron

[Izzyblueye]

Ron: How difficult was it to set up a Dish system? I am assuming you are using a remote dish on a tripod. I agree Direct was a snap to set up, I have not tried the Dish system on a remote tripod yet. The last time I set up my Direct TV dish it was still the same as for the past 10 years, as long as you were with standard programming. Can you tell me what I can expect to encounter with Dish aiming.

[RustyJC]

Although we've converted to DirecTV HD at the sticks and bricks, we still have the DirecTV SD system in our 5th wheel and are using the single LNB dish and tripod that we've used for many years. We get SD programming as well as Houston local stations when we're within spot beam range of the latter. Nothing has changed as far as I know.

Rusty

[dieselclacker]

Same here, still using the same dish with single LNB that we have been using for seven years to receive DirecTv.

Dieselclacker

[Ron & Dee]

Thanks

I'm using the stand in the link, I only changed to the Dish 500 antenna. Aiming for the Dish Network is much, much more difficult than for Direct TV.

With Dish Network you have to worry about,level, plumb, and skew. With Direct TV it is not as critical. Aiming for Dish is a PAIN in the, you know what

Ron

[Not a Clue]

Good to know. I just ordered Direct TV and plan on using HD in the house the SD in my coach with the roof dish. I think the roof dish is a single LNB.

[two2go]

I am not trying to change anyone's brand preference, but I am of the opinion that aiming either brand system is about the same, as I have helped many RVers using both.
For me, it is always about using the correct procedure. On my Dish 500, that means covering the 110 "eye" on the LNB while aiming so I am sure I am only finding the 119 satellite. I use one of those inexpensive squealer meters. I know the approximate angles I need and what they look like on the dish adjustment gauges, including the skew angle. I have wing nuts on the adjuster bolts that allow me to make easy adjustments. I make sure the tripod is level and solid. I check the receiver settings and do a Check Switch if necessary to be sure the right configuration is set. Then I scan the dish until I get a signal on the meter. Either I have the 119 bird or I don't. If not, I try again. 90% of the time I will have it within one minute. Then I do final fine adjustments on the dish using the feedback from the receiver meter and sound to peak the signal.
From what I have seen, I think DirecTV does give better feedback on their receivers than Dish for aiming purposes. Certainly, a single LNB setup is also easier.

[gpearston]

You most certainly can use the dish you had 2 years ago. The single LNB will work very nicely. When the tech comes out to do his work (DirecTV has a process and they like to follow it even though you tell them they do not need to....) talk to them and see if he/she has a spare single LNB. That way if your LNB goes you do not have to pay for a new one and the installer will be getting paid for the trip and since they will have no work to do they will be happy to consider the request. Used to be one of them...

[DaveyD1]

Ron&Dee we have Direct Tv HD with the 5 LNB in our mtotr home and love it (can't give up the NFL package) If you go to Camping World, Dish has a small auto find antenna for $199 it will auto track the satellites.and it's portable and works very well,also it will work on HD Hope this helps DaveyD

[Ron & Dee]

Thanks for all of the replies, and I will ask the tech for a new LNB.

I have had both Dish and Direct, Direct for 5 years and Dish for almost 2, and I prefer Direct.

You can read back through some of my past discussion about setting up my Dish antenna and see how frustated I was

On our last camping trip, the first weekend in March, I set my antenna up at home to make sure everything was working ok the day we left, everything was good to go. When we got to our campsite and set up the antenna all it wanted to do was lock onto 110. Finally after much frustration, I was able to lock onto 119 with about a 75% signal and was good to go, NOT

Could not get any channels. I had to call and get all of my programing reset, and if you have to depend on cell service, that call can become quite frustrating also.

During the 5 years with Direct and some extensive travels, I don't think I had to call and have my channels reset more than a half dozen times, usually because we hadn't used the receiver in over 30 days. With Dish it happens all the time for no reason at all

I'm going to give Direct TV a call and see how much of my cancellation fee they will pay.

Ron

[gpearston]

Good idea, if you agree to a 2 year contract I bet they will be happy to pay to switch you over.

[codgerbill]

Ron & Dee,

With my previous coach I sined up for Direct TV. I had purchased a reciever from Best Buy and a friend had given me a dish that they did not use anymore. I had the technician come to the stick house to show me how to set it up. He gave me a new dish and a reciever (it was part of the 2 yr package) and sold me a tripod. We set the dish up in my back yard and he showed me how to set the system up andget it functioning. When we got to the campground my feeble memory failed me and I called their customer service and they talked me thru the setup once again. With the Suncruiser I now have, it has an in motion satellite dish and once again I called them to get it set up. I cant say enough about how great the people there were and how patient they were with me.

Good luck to you.

[thelastplace]

If you're going to spend tens of thousands of dollars on an RV and keep it for a few years, why not invest another $1500 and put a satellite on top. Push a button, TV. And I wouldn't have DirectTV if they paid me. I've been a Dish customer for 10 years and the last 5 have been with the RV included in my plan. It costs me $7 a month for the RV as an add-on to the house on the Top 120 plan.


But the true travelers are they who leave for leaving’s sake
Saying continuously, without knowing why: ‘Let us go on’.
Paraphrased from Baudelaire’s ‘The Journey’

[RustyJC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thelastplace It costs me $7 a month for the RV as an add-on to the house....

We pay $4.99/month for Direct TV as a 3rd mirrored receiver in addition to the 2 HD receivers in the sticks and bricks. We've been a DirecTV customer since 1996 and are probably just as satisfied with our choice of providers as you are with yours. I guess we'll both be in a mess if they ever merge like Sirius/XM.

Rusty