Portable Satellite For MH

[JC2]

I'm most likely going to get DirecTV (non-HD)in the next day or so at our stick house and will lease an extra plain jane receiver from them to place in the MH. What would be a good model of portable satellite/tripod to purchase for the MH and from whom?(CW, Circuit City, BestBuy).As for the hookup, I would put the receiver in the cabinet above the drives side. The cabinet has (3) conections and (1) ac plug:
Cabinet Connections
1. From Roof Satellite Dish
2. From Portable Satellite Dish
3. To Satellite Receiver Output
How many short cables are needed and which connections go where?
Thanks

[JC2]

I'm most likely going to get DirecTV (non-HD)in the next day or so at our stick house and will lease an extra plain jane receiver from them to place in the MH. What would be a good model of portable satellite/tripod to purchase for the MH and from whom?(CW, Circuit City, BestBuy).As for the hookup, I would put the receiver in the cabinet above the drives side. The cabinet has (3) conections and (1) ac plug:
Cabinet Connections
1. From Roof Satellite Dish
2. From Portable Satellite Dish
3. To Satellite Receiver Output
How many short cables are needed and which connections go where?
Thanks

[Rick 2005 Dolphin 5376]

Go to eBay. I bought my portable with a tri-pod for under $50.00. I'm betting that DTV will give you a DVR for free. Just tell them you want to add a room. Just install it in our MH instead.

[DriVer]

I have the Winegard portable tripod and I've been using it for well over two years with good success. Those of us with the talent can sometimes site the dish and hit a bird on the first try BUT it's not that easy.

I've done it a couple of times using only a compass and a level on the base of the tripod. Sometimes I need to use a claw hammer to make shallow divots for the leg so the mast will stand vertical.

I use 3 bungee type cords (short ones with the attached plastic ball) and stakes to pin the tripod to the ground. If I'm on asphalt I'll use 4 gallon sized milk bottles. That's 33+ pounds or so and that holds the dish quite well. The TPod comes with a center bungee and a screw in type stake. Lost the stake inside the first year.

I also use press on RG-6 connectors which I got at Radio Shack so I don't have to screw on a connector. "Hackbar Steve", Jestme13 gave me an 8" flat coax coupling that I use on my door sill. Work great!

Once I had the dish set in and banging a 90% or better signal I took a magic marker and drew a line on each side of the LNB so I don't have to waste time guessing the angle or position.

I leave all me setting knobs on a light drag and I'll site the dish in within a few minutes without a squawker. Just turn up the volume on the TV if you're close to the rig or have a person inside the MH call out the percentages. Anything over 70% will work.

When I take the dish down I remove the LNB and loosen the knobs until I can fold the TPod down as flat as possible.



Click on the image.

Available from our primary sponsor, RVUpgrades.com

Throw away the base that comes with the dish and place the dish on the TPod.

[Tom N]

I have the dish pictured on the right although I only use it if my roof dish can't see the satellite. It folds to 5" with thumb screws.

Your 2005 Voyager will have an outside satellite IN located in the electrical compartment along side the cable IN. It terminates in your entertainment cabinet.

I also have a couple dishes I bought at garage sales for $1 each.

-Tom

[Rick 2005 Dolphin 5376]

I use the Tri-Pod version on the left. It's not a real solid tri-pod but maybe in China they don't need to be. I pound a tent stake in the ground and then use a bungee cord to hold down the tripod. Not great quality. For under $50.00, you get what you pay for. I did upgrade the LNB to a dual output version so that I could properly use my R15 DVR. I feed my signal through a Sonora Stacker and then through the MH's existing coax up to the entertainment center where I de-stack in to the DVR

[JC2]

Thanks everyone for the input and source sites(s) for getting the Dish/stand. DirecTv will be out tomorrow 4/19/08 for the install. Hopefully I'll be able to figure out the correct cable installation for the receiver in the MH.