Community Forums

historyljc · 05-08-2010, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob (WA0MQE)

Roboniko... Why don't you just get a HD antenna and replace the King Dome? I'm planning on replacing our semi-auto King Dome with a Automatic HD this summer. I've seen an awful lot of Winegard Auto HD antenna's on the top of RV's during our travels this spring. Everyone I've spoke with swears by them and says they work very good.

Replaced my semi automatic KD PIA a couple of months ago with a Winegard Trav'ler Traveler Dish 1000. Boy, am I now a happy camper or what?

roboniko · 05-09-2010, 08:43 AM

Bought the receiver from Best Buy 2 weeks ago. Activated last week, then found out it doesn't work!! Will call Directv tomorrow and see what they say. I already had service with them with a regular receiver. Maye they will let me out of it since it was just bought and won't work. I hope so any way. I don't mind staying with them but don't need to waste the money either.

Pigman1 · 05-10-2010, 06:41 PM

I got sick of the dome dance and replaced it with a Winegard Travler 3005. I have a brand new king dome now sitting in the garage.

Since you have a 2010 Zephyr, I'd call Tiffin and see if they can help you out. That's their high end model and I'm sure Bob Tiffin doesn't want anyone with a Zephyr to be unhappy. I know they are listing wiring for a Winegard as an option, but I don't know if that means both systems are prewired or not. A call will tell.

John

wa8yxm · 05-10-2010, 08:59 PM

I often make a post where I describe your service options

To make it easy. NO DOME TYPE ANTENNA WILL WORK WITH DirecHDTV

They work best with DirecTV (non-hd)

But they work not at all for DirecHDTV (As you have found out)

Your only option is to use a dish type antenna.. Your choices there are

1: (Required in some locations) a ground mount dish (Tripod)
2: A rooftop dish, either 2a: manual or 2b: Automatic

But dishes can not work in motion and the dome will not get HD period.

This is not (For me) an issue.

DISHNETWORK... if you have a SINGLE RECEIVER (not a DVR and not multiple receivers) your KingDome may (or not depending on it's model) be able to do Dish both Standard and HD. But if you have multiple receivers or a DVR (dual receiver) you will not be happy when you want one satellite and your partner wants another.

Oh, I mentioned the ground mount is required in some places?

What, you ask, are those places?

Anywhere where you are parked under the evil signal eating tree of course. The tripod mount can be set up at a distance from the rig, and the tree, and thus get a signal the tree blocks.

Bill Adams · 05-11-2010, 06:30 AM

wa8yxm,
What kind of a manual roof top antenna are you talking about that would receive the DirecTV HDTV programming?

navyblue · 05-14-2010, 09:26 PM

Roboniko,

I have a Kingdome 9704 Stationary Auto Scan Dome on my coach. I had a dealer install the HD software update (2) years ago. It costs about $650. BUT, wait. The dealer sends OLD motherboard and electronic control unit back to Kingdome, they credit dealer $500 which is YOUR REBATE. Net cost is $150. I get satellite 110, 119 and HD satellites 129/61.5 depending on where I am. Sometimes I have to call Troy at Kingdome who helps me manually switch the HD satellite switch but that usually occurs when you are leaving one HD satellite's range and moving into the others range. It all depends on where you are in the US. It has only happened to me twice in (2) years and I have been to 46 states. Has worked fine for two years, I have DISH satellite service.

NAVYBLUE

roboniko · 05-16-2010, 07:54 AM

Thanks everyone, seems pretty crappy in this day and time to have so much trouble. But that is another discussion I guess. I spoke to DirectTv and here is the problem. Since the coach is wired with HDMI I cannot use the standard receiver cause it does not have HDMI output. SO I am stuck with the HD receiver. Well here is another catch, I told Directv to turn off the HD programming and not to charge me the $10/month for it. Guess what, they say they can't because it is automatic with the HD receiver! What a RIP! SO now I am charged the rental fee and the HD fee!! However, the girl I spoke was able to credit the HD fee for 6 months but after that, pretty much screwed. Anyone have any experience in getting out of the contract within 30 days of activation? Or are you stuck as soon as you activate?

Elkhartjim · 05-16-2010, 08:05 AM

As I see it Tim, you have two choices...

1. Use a portable dish on a tripod for DirectTV HD service.
or
2. Pay DirectTV for the contracted period and sell your receiver on Craig's List or Ebay.

HD4Mark · 05-16-2010, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elkhartjim

As I see it Tim, you have two choices...

1. Use a portable dish on a tripod for DirectTV HD service.
or
2. Pay DirectTV for the contracted period and sell your receiver on Craig's List or Ebay.

Careful with trying to sell the box. We found out that the HD receivers we "bought" don't actually belong to us. If you want to actually own it there is another $200 or some ridiculous charge. If you end you subscription the are very adamant about getting it back. They will send a prepaid shipping carton for you to return it. Same goes for a warranty replacement.

dsbike · 05-16-2010, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HD4Mark

Careful with trying to sell the box. We found out that the HD receivers we "bought" don't actually belong to us. If you want to actually own it there is another $200 or some ridiculous charge. If you end you subscription the are very adamant about getting it back. They will send a prepaid shipping carton for you to return it. Same goes for a warranty replacement.

Some may be rented & some may be owned. I have 4 recievers, 2 I own & 2 are rentals. You should be able to check this online under your account info.

Doula · 05-21-2010, 02:10 AM

Tim,

I understand your frustration. We, too, had that same frustration when we first purchased our satellite service last year. We found a solution that works for us, though. Would you consider a tripod/Slimline dish to complement your King Dome? We got a really nice one from TV4RV and it makes siting in easy and pretty quick (and we're new at this satellite stuff). We have DirecTV and also an HD/DVR receiver up front and a standard receiver in the bedroom. We have a King Dome and find that it works great for standard channels as long as we have a line of site to the birds. We use the King Dome when parked somewhere for a short period of time and just watch standard channels on both TVs. For longer stays (3 days or more), we put out a Slimline dish on a tripod so we can watch HD. My husband has gotten very good at siting it in with the assistance of the very nice tripod and it only takes a few minutes now, sometimes he even locks on as soon as the dish is attached (you basically have the tripod set and fine tune the dish, but the website would explain it better than I can).

My husband ran HDMI cable in the RV so that we could have the HD option. There have been times when our back TV was hooked up to the King Dome while the front TV was hooked up to the dish out on the tripod, although we don't always do it that way. Additionally, like someone else mentioned, sometimes the tripod is best anyway in order to get around those "signal eating trees". It really opens up one's options for picking suitable sites. Good luck! Oh, btw.... DirecTV sent us a free extra dish to use on the tripod so that we don't have to mess with the one on the stick house. Just thought I'd share that with you in case you might be interested.

~Lori

Lobstah · 05-21-2010, 04:37 AM

I have problems with my KingDome as well. It just won't lock on to the bird. If I manually adjust it to the proper orientation, then I get the signal to the tv rcvr. Mine is likely to get installed in the big green rv as well.
It's been a ways down on the RV punch list for the past year, but it's quickly rising to the top.

Jim