Community Forums

Dutch Star Don · 08-03-2005, 08:41 PM

I just purchased a new Monaco Diplomat without a Satelite system. I've been RVing for 25 years, but I'm not Satelite saavy. I'm looking at the stationary, in motion and portable satelites. I don't plan on anyone watching tv when I drive so is there any other reason to buy an in-motion system.

If a buy a roof mounted system, can I also have a portable one for when the roof is blocked? Can it just be plugged into the outside jack and bypass the roof mount. I'm still a cable tv guy and don't understand the ins and outs of satelites and receivers. Any suggestions?

Dutch Star Don · 08-03-2005, 08:41 PM

I just purchased a new Monaco Diplomat without a Satelite system. I've been RVing for 25 years, but I'm not Satelite saavy. I'm looking at the stationary, in motion and portable satelites. I don't plan on anyone watching tv when I drive so is there any other reason to buy an in-motion system.

If a buy a roof mounted system, can I also have a portable one for when the roof is blocked? Can it just be plugged into the outside jack and bypass the roof mount. I'm still a cable tv guy and don't understand the ins and outs of satelites and receivers. Any suggestions?

RV Wizard · 08-03-2005, 11:19 PM

If you plan on keeping the coach for many years and not have a need for in motion, you can save a conciderable amount on a simple automatic dish. KVH is one of the mfgrs of these that does a pretty good job. You can have the system designed to use the outside cable connection also support a free standing dish when needed. You will need to learn how to aim the dish and that is not difficult, once you understand the basics.

UPS 34 · 08-04-2005, 12:24 AM

We have the in motion unit. It was factory installed when we bought the coach. Thought we would not use it in motion but find that my wife likes it to keep up with the weather and news. I guess a lot of extra cost but it is useful. Works great.
we have the wineguard system

Cruzer · 08-04-2005, 03:48 AM

We have the in-motion as well. Even if you don't watch while driving (but you never know, you might change your mind someday and at least watch it in the bedroom) it is great because it has the signal aquired. So, if you pull into a rest area or just over to the side of the road, you can always do a quick check of the weather channel.

We also have outside cable hookups for the dish. That way I just flip an A/B switch and I can look at an external dish. Generally the dome picks up unless you're in a wooded campsite. In that case the external dish "may" find a signal, depending upon just "how" wooded the campsite is.

Dutch Star Don · 08-04-2005, 03:21 PM

Thanks for the help...that answered alot of my questions, especially the portable dish.

timz61 · 08-11-2005, 05:12 PM

We had a KVH dome type satellite dish installed on our Mountain Aire coach. This system worked well when it was dry and sunny but not in the rain or even in a heavy dew. The water will collect on the top of the dome and the signal goes away. Also if you live in the northern part of the country, the size of the antenna in the dome and the fact that the furehte north you are the lower on the horizon is the satellity make it difficult to get a signal. Our current coach has the Winegard auto crank up type dish. This unit has worked well all across the US from Washington to Maine, down the Atlantic coast, across the southeast to California. We found only two locations where we could not get a signal both times when we were located in the trees. I carry an extra dish and tripod using the cable input when necessary. With the direct RV receivers, the input from the dish cannot be run through a splitter or media control box as it needs an 18 volt signal from the receiver to function.

RobAndTeresa · 08-13-2005, 04:55 AM

When we purchased ours, I did alot of research and found far more complaints with the KVH than with the King Dome. We went with the King Dome and have been very pleased with it, have had no problems and had good reception in all kinds of weather, down in Florida and in the mountains of Tennessee.

It is like many other things, a matter of personal choice for the most part, I just relied on the experiences of many others before me and it seems to have worked for us.

Cruzer · 08-13-2005, 05:13 AM

I forgot to mention that ours is a KingDome as well. Supposedly if you paint a dome you will drastically cut back on the signal that pass through it but ours is painted to match the coach and it does a fine job. It never really had a big problem with morning dew or condensation like my previous coach with the KVH L3 but I did "wax" the thing with RainX this last trip just to be sure.

tmitchell · 08-13-2005, 09:34 AM

I would not recommend getting the KVH L2 dish.
We had the KVH L2 in motion dish, for DirecTV, installed about 3 months ago. It worked great until the last week of June. DirecTV supposedly sent out new software that accidentally took the low speed data cord out of the system. Neither KVH or DirecTV has done anything to resolve the problem yet.

cwg · 08-13-2005, 04:08 PM

We enjoy the in- motion system, but as already mentioned, under trees or other obstacles I find it necessary to hook up the portable dish with a goodly length of cable. Had to bring it in to the satelite receiver through a window or other opening, but beginning in 2005, Winnebago put a port for the auxillary cable in the utility bay. Now the cable can be run to the coach easier than in the past.

LandHo · 08-15-2005, 11:01 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by tmitchell:
I would not recommend getting the KVH L2 dish.
We had the KVH L2 in motion dish, for DirecTV, installed about 3 months ago. It worked great until the last week of June. DirecTV supposedly sent out new software that accidentally took the low speed data cord out of the system. Neither KVH or DirecTV has done anything to resolve the problem yet. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

See my posts about this exact problem. I gave up trying to "fix" it. The D10 receiver is the problem. I resorted to using an older RCA receiver...which seems to have been skipped during the software upgrades. Those knuckleheads at Directv and their outside software programmers...kinda like microsoft, fix a problem here, create 2 new problems there.

If I was to do it again, I would spend the extra money on DVS based systems...or not spend money on it at all (which is what I wish I can do now...get a refund, that is)

TwoOfUs · 08-15-2005, 01:55 PM

We have a King Dome with Dish Network and it's worked great in locations from Tucson to Yellowstone, except when blocked by trees or when in canyons where the dish can't "see" the satellite. I do plan to get a portable dish for those times when trees block the line of sight. Not thrilled about carring the extra equipment, but if ya wanna watch TV......
Great meeting you and Gary this weekend.

20champ1 · 08-20-2005, 11:33 AM

I would just recommend a manual crank up dish by winegard trouble free and then have a 2nd. dish on a stand for areas when you are under trees and can't use the roof top unit. these are trouble free and easy to set up. good luck