Direct TV Dish-2 TV's

[slabman]

When camped under trees, I need a ground-mounted dish to feed signal to two TV's in the coach, watching separate programs. The Winegard RD9046 looks great for this, but only has one coax output.

I do have a triple LNB dish with 4 outs, but this thing is about impossible to align correctly. Is there another solution out there (a stacker?) or a sure-fire way to align my dish? Or maybe a better two-line feed single LNB portable dish?

[slabman]

When camped under trees, I need a ground-mounted dish to feed signal to two TV's in the coach, watching separate programs. The Winegard RD9046 looks great for this, but only has one coax output.

I do have a triple LNB dish with 4 outs, but this thing is about impossible to align correctly. Is there another solution out there (a stacker?) or a sure-fire way to align my dish? Or maybe a better two-line feed single LNB portable dish?

[Bill Adams]

I am pretty sure that the 9046 is a dual LNB antenna. For those that might be confused by this description, it is a single LNB with 2 outputs so that you can power more than one receiver.
If what you are trying to do is pick up multiple satellites (5 for DTV and 3 for Dish Network) then you will either need a multi-LNB antenna or you will need to be ready to go outside and re-point the dish every time you want to change channels.
If you are interested in the HDTV programming from DirecTV then the 9046 will not work at all. This antenna has a KU band LNB only and the new DTV satellites at 99 and 103 (where the HD is) are KA band satellites.

[slabman]

Thanks, Bill....I was hoping you'd be around since I know you know this stuff. I've about given up on trying to align my 3 LNB dish and want to go to a simpler one, since any HD TV must await 'till they come out with a reliable, in-motion rooftop dome. Tomorrow I'm moving to a treed site, so I've got to come up with a way to make two receivers work so SHE can watch her shows and I can see the ballgames.

I borrowed my Son's older RD9046 and it only has one feed out, with a blank in the head for a second one if they were to add it. I've searched Winegard's site and some others and have not seen a mention of two feeds out of that dish. (Wonder why they can't be more descriptive?) Is it your understanding they may have added a second feed in later models? Wonder how I can find out?

Maybe someone else has one and will chime in.......

[Bill Adams]

Bob,
Remove the current LNB and take it with you to the local Radio Shack. As long as the mount where the screw goes through to hold the LNB to the mount is the same just buy a new (dual) LNB and replace your current one. Now you can run all the receivers you like. Be sure to buy some extra coax if you need that as well.

[slabman]

WOW! Is it that easy? I guess there is a lot of commonality in these devices, so will give it a try. I assume the connections will fall into place when I bolt up the new one?

[Max Hubrich]

Bob-

I never did see if you have DirecTV or Dish service. Which one do you have?

I have DirecTV and what Bill said is right on for DirecTV (he knows his stuff). I can't address Dish concerns. Change the LNB to Two (2)outputs and it will work fine for DirecTV. You'll only get one satellite-- 101 (KU band), but almost all of DirecTV programming is on that one satellite.

I bit the bullet and installed the new 5 LNB, KU and KA band, DirecTV satellite dish in May. I had already upgraded both TV's to digital, High Def. I have two receivers, like you, for identical reasons. The package I now have is awesome!!

I remember the days of old-- when I bought my first colored TV set in 1966, when I came home from 4 years in Germany (Air Force). The color TV set experience (Magnavox) was magnificent. High Definition is equally awe inspiring today-- I'm getting too old now to wait for a new domed unit to get on the market. I've had two domed units, King and KVH, and loved them both. I received a signal strength with the domed units of roughly, 65 to 73. This new Winegard Traveler, 5 LNB, pulls in a solid 94 to 95 signal strength. I can't say that the picture is any better between the 70 and 95 range, at least I can't notice it, but it makes me feel better about my upgrades.

I ran an ad in the local newspaper, here at home, to sell my old KVH (SA model), domed antenna. It sold for $250 to the first person that came by to look at it. He is going to install it on his 31' 5th wheel rig.

Everybodys happy here now--

Bob and Carol, Good luck to both of you and many great hours of TV viewing-- We too love "that stuff"!!

Oops-- Just saw in your title where you have DirecTV- sometimes I can't see the "forest for the trees"-- sorry about that

[slabman]

No, Max, you sound too young to me! 'Cuz I remember we had our first color TV back in about 1954 and we'd gather around to watch Ed Sullivan, Jackie Gleason, etc. And that stupid peacock would unfold his flumage and we'd think that was soooo neat.

Of course, today we want to have it all, since the younger ones seem to have it. So why can't us old guys do the same? And it must be portable so we can take it on the road, of course.

That traveler looks good, but then it won't work whilst traveling down the road, so I think I'll wait for a dome with HD. Besides, the wife still prefers std. def TV over HD due to the improved sound that Direct TV provides vs over-the-air TV. Since we haven't tried Direct HD, she don't know nuthin' else....HA!

[Rick 2005 Dolphin 5376]

I use the stacker / de-stacker approach.
My setup is quite simple. Tripod dual lnb facing the 101 Direct TV sat. Both outputs feed in to the stacker mounted in the rear compartment where the "park" cable input resides. The stacker in turn plugs in to the park cable input.
At the other end, at the entertainment center, I have a destacker. The destacker turns the single feed back in to two feeds. Those two feeds are plugged in to my R15 receiver. I can record two shows at once, or watch one live and record one, you get the picture. It is not HD but don't really have a need or desire for it yet. Don't care that I can't watch tv on the go. We figure we live in the RV to see the country, not watch football. While parked we do have a few favorite shows that we like to record that can be watched on our schedule and without having to watch 100 drug / pharma commercials. I'm not certain that stackers are still being built but you might be able to find them on eBay. From my studies, I don't think stacking works with HD but that could of been solved with new technology.
Setup and aiming takes about 10 minutes.

[Olive]

slabman, I have the Winegard Roadtrip SDi on my new coach and it is supposed to work with HD. I say supposed because I don't have HD yet to try it out. That is my next project. According to Winegard there is a controller type box that is needed for the HD part. I haven't heard if anyone has tried it or how well it works.

[Bill Adams]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">slabman, I have the Winegard Roadtrip SDi on my new coach and it is supposed to work with HD. I say supposed because I don't have HD yet to try it out. That is my next project. According to Winegard there is a controller type box that is needed for the HD part. I haven't heard if anyone has tried it or how well it works. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Olive,
This antenna is NOT compatible with the DirecTV HD programming. It cannot now, and never will be able to receive this programming. The new DTV satellites (where the HD is) are broadcasting in the KA band and your LNB is a KU band LNB. One cannot be used to receive the other.
Now, if you are a Dish Network customer they are currently broadcasting all of their channels on the KU band and by switching between the 3 various satellites when you want to watch different programming you will be able to access their HD. No dome currently available can see the KA band signal and no dome currently available can receive a signal from more than 1 satellite at a time.
The trick that the future domes will have to accomplish is to have at least 2 (maybe 3) LNB's inside the dome and have them all line up with the right satellite at the right elevation. I am sure someone is working on it but there is no information currently available that indicates that anyone is even close yet.

[Bill Adams]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">WOW! Is it that easy? I guess there is a lot of commonality in these devices, so will give it a try. I assume the connections will fall into place when I bolt up the new one? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Yes, it's really that easy. Most of the LNB's (likely all make by the same people) have different names but nearly identical mounting setups. The only visible difference between a single and a dual LNB is the second coax output connection beside the first.
When you go to get a new one, take the old one. As long as the base is the same size and shape it will be an exact replacement.

[Bill Adams]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I use the stacker / de-stacker approach. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Rick,
This is indeed a very simple setup but still requires the dual LNB as a starting point. If you don't have 2 outputs to begin with you can't make a single LNB work that way with any add-on hardware.

[Olive]

Of course you are right Bill the Winegard dome does not work with the KA band. I have Dish so might be OK when I make the move to HD some day.