Need Help Getting Started with DirecTV

[2b555]

I have the service at home, and am interested in taking it on the road with me.

I have been reading a number of posts on this site and still seem to be missing some basics regarding satellite TV arrangements. Can someone point me in the right direction regarding buying (inexpensively) a portable dish for DirecTV. We have both SD and HD-DVRs at home and plan to start off with SD. It seems to me that I should be able to find something used as I suspect others are upgrading to an HD arrangement. Suggestions on where to start?

Other advice?

Appreciate the help.

Bruce.

[HUGHP]

Lotta people like this Winegard portable Winegard Co - Winegard Portable Digital Satellite Antenna - Satellite Antennas - Camping World but there are other choices maybe not this inexpensive though.

[gripper]

I purchased the "Winguard" portable dish mentioned above and used it for 2 years. However, it was a lot of trouble, wind blew it over several times and damaged it. I am now in the market, for the portable unit that folds up like a suitcase....for about $179. However, there is yet a more expensive portable, called the "Cube" for about $600, which supposed to be much better.

[golden]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2b555 I have the service at home, and am interested in taking it on the road with me. I have been reading a number of posts on this site and still seem to be missing some basics regarding satellite TV arrangements. Can someone point me in the right direction regarding buying (inexpensively) a portable dish for DirecTV. We have both SD and HD-DVRs at home and plan to start off with SD. It seems to me that I should be able to find something used as I suspect others are upgrading to an HD arrangement. Suggestions on where to start? Other advice? Appreciate the help. Bruce.

Just for kicks I just did a quick and dirty look at eBay and saw a new portable antenna for $55. I'm sure that you can do a better search and find one for much less. Then buy a satellite finder at Radio Shack for about $25-30, some cable and you're in business. You should be able to keep everything under $75.

[h2guy]

Hey Bruce, you know right?, that if you have "local" channels at your house, that at a certain distance away, you will loose that signal.

Just look for a single LNB dish & stand. Radio Shack, Best Buy, Fry's, etc. Radio shack will have a signal meter for less than $30 that can be handy but not necessary.

WHen you pull into a site, kinda eyeball your neighbors. Set your dish up generally pointed as theirs is and watch the signal meters on your TV (put out by the sat rcvr) to see how you're doing. May take someone inside to help you with that less you can see in the window

And don't get caught up in having to have your dish exactly "plumb". With a single LNB dish, its really not critical. Had a neighbor once while overnighting in Ft Stockton TX whose dish got knocked over in the night, wind I guess, and when he came out in the morning, said he never realized it, he'd been watching TV all morning. Just a fluke thing, probably never happen again I reckon.

[Ron & Dee]

Bruce,

I had the same antenna mentioned above Winegard Co - Winegard Portable Digital Satellite Antenna - Satellite Antennas - Camping World and used it for over five years with DirectTV and never had a problem. I have now adapted it for use with my Dish Network.

All I ever needed to locate the Satellite was the direction to point the antenna. In all of our travels we never found a place where we could not get a signal. I would pick the antenna up and wave it in the air until I heard a tic tic from the TV(some newer receivers have a high pitch noise for the signal strength), set the antenna on the ground, fine tune it, set a weight on the stand and I was good to go

Ron

[StStg1]

Bruce, when I started with DTV, the provided, upon my request, a portable dish, 50' of cable and a tripod. After time, I did away with the tripod and went to a groud mount that i built. The tripod had blown over in high winds, but with the ground mount, no problems. You can use one of your house recievers. Just follow the set up directions for your dish acording to the zipcode and you should be fine. Here is the lnik for the ground mount.

sat

[HUMMINGBIRD]

Love Direct TV. We bought a dome at Camping World for around $650.00. It works perfect with Direct TV. We have Direct TV as our provider at home so we take one or 2 of our boxes from home when we travel. There's no extra fee that way. No need to contact direct TV just do it. The unitwe have is small white dome. It's very light and portable. It automatically searches and finds the right signal. We just set it on the ground and connect the wire. There is a stand available but we didn't see the point. Also you can mount it on top of the RV but we wanted to be able to place it out away from trees when they are a problem. We have also used the dome to bring Direct TV into a guest room when we have extra people staying at our house. Just set it outside the window and your instantly set up with Direct TV in an additional room.
They also have one that you can mount on top that works while you are driving down the road. That unit is a little more expensive. This little unit is FANTASTIC. I give it 5 STARS!!!! Hummingbird

[RustyJC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by StStg1 The tripod had blown over in high winds....

The tripod I use has holes in its feet that are a perfect match for metal tent stakes such as you can find at your local Wally World. I've never had it blow over when it's staked down.

Rusty

[wa8yxm]

The basic antenna post:
There are 2x2 services for US folks like us
DirecTV (And DirecHDTV)
Dishnetwork (And DishnetworkHDTV)

Now... DirecTV, no hd, uses one KU band satellite (101 west) for most RVers, this means you have a full choice of dish, or dome type antennas, DOMES can be "In-motion" which means you can DVR a show while driving for later viewing. Dishes are stationary only

DirecHDTV uses 3 birds, 2 bands and you MUST thus use a dish. no domes sorry. (KU and KA band)

Dish network uses 2 birds (HD uses 3) all in the KU band and thus a dome will work with a SINGLE receiver, but if you have either a DishNetwork DVR or multiple receivers you are limited to ONE satellite at a time in motion (With a dome) Some domes can switch birds fast enough for a single receiver.... But if you want to watch show on 119, and the spouse on 110.. There is a problem with dome..

With Dish type antennas. no such problem

Roof or ground mount:

Roof mounts are very handy, many are automatic in that you push a button an WIRR, WIRR, TUNK TUNK TUNK the dish or dome is locked on the bird just like magic.

BUT: THey have one small issue.. The evil signal eating tree... If you are parked under one.. they will not work.

Thus you put a cheap (Less than 10 dollars) A/B switch in the LNB line near the receiver

A goes to the Dome or Dish up A-bove on the ROOF

B goes to either a B-ulkhead connector in the wall of the motor home or a B-asement connector down B-elow

And that solves that problem.