Community Forums

dickschaak · 01-24-2014, 07:12 AM

We have a non HD sat ant now. The coach is an 07 so I imagine the Kingdome is an 07. We don't like Direct TV and would like to switch to Dish. Has anyone found a good system for Dish?

pcurt23 · 01-24-2014, 09:24 AM

I am using Dish pay as you go with a kvh dome (211 receiver + all american dns service)(you can also add a hard drive to the receiver to get dvr service). There are lots of rants about both systems on the forum. Dish has hd and is very particular about the setup. Any twig between you and the signal is bad. I found that Direct is twice as easy to set up as Dish but I like pay as you go better and HD is better. The rig has to be LEVEL to receive the Dish signal. I have had to move on a site and relevel several times to get the signal it is a PIA. The Kingdome may require software to operate on the Dish network but I'm only reading what others are printing.

EDALLSAILS · 01-24-2014, 10:04 AM

People tell me that this model works best, if there is a Best. TRAV’LER DIRECTV SWM Slimline Automatic Multi-Satellite TV Antenna. Available from CW.
It is automatic and has a large Dish. We have a Tail gator and it is OK. The dish in the tail gator is only 8 inches. the line of sight for reception must be perfectly clear of any obstructions to get a signal. We usually have about 50% chance of picking up a signal...The larger dish, roof mounted appears to me has the best chance of getting a signal. We have debated purchasing one but the $1000 dollar price slows us down. safe travels... ed

patmsp · 01-24-2014, 10:16 AM

We have the Wineguard Traveler. Push 1 button and it does its magical dance to find the satellites. We have a Dish DVR in our rig that we take from home. The dish receives HD. It will also record a show while we watch a show (just like at home). I call Dish when we camp and give them an address and within 10 minutes we also have the local channels. As I remember, it was around $1,300 installed.

Pat

Scarab0088 · 01-24-2014, 12:46 PM

We don't hardly ever use the roof-top dish anymore since we got a Tailgater for our ViP-211k because we usually park the RV under shade trees. And the tailgater is auto aiming on all 3 Dish birds with no user action needed.

If I was starting new over again, I would forego getting a new rooftop dish and just get a portable dish that matched my needs (thinking 1 or 2 receivers and such).

And the portable can still go on the roof if parked where there are no trees to block the signal.

We also enjoy the Dish pay-as-you-go account because it allows the account to be put on hold of course, but also ensures you can call Dish to get the local networks spot beamed to you at a new destination, and you can buy DNS if you want the east and/or west coast network feeds all the time.
Best luck

bdickson · 01-24-2014, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scarab0088

We don't hardly ever use the roof-top dish anymore since we got a Tailgater for our ViP-211k because we usually park the RV under shade trees.

If I was starting new over again, I would forego getting a new rooftop dish and just get a portable dish that matched my needs (thinking 1 or 2 receivers and such).

And the portable can still go on the roof if parked where there are no trees to block the signal.

We also enjoy the Dish pay-as-you-go account because it allows the account to be put on hold of course, but also ensures you can call Dish to get the local networks spot beamed to you at a new destination, and you can buy DNS if you want the east and/or west coast network feeds all the time.
Best luck

What Steve said all the way. We are currently in our third long term (3 to 5 month) location where a roof mounted dish would not have worked.

rag_ftw · 01-24-2014, 01:06 PM

If I was getting a new system I would have to think long and hard between a portable system and the Winegard Traveler. They both have their advantages. My buddy recently installed a Traveler and I was impressed how it could grab a strong signal through some tree branches next to his 5th wheel. My Kingdom wouldn't begin to lock on and he had over 80% signal strength! That sold me on a Traveler if I was going for a roof mount.
On a previous coach I used a direcTV non-HD, single LNB dish mounted on a paving stone with 50' of coax. Took a few minutes to set up but allowed me to park under trees. Have not tried a manual set-up with a multiple LNB HD system. I'm betting that would be a more difficult system to achieve a good lock-on.
My feeling today is roof mounted auto-lock if I was going to be moving every few days. If I was going to be stationary for a month or more I would go for the portable system so I could park the coach under a good shade tree.

DA_BUS · 01-27-2014, 07:07 PM

I have Direct with the auto seek and it works great. I had to get the software upgraded...however, I personally won't put in a new dish until I go to an area that doesn't have local stations. I added a snap on wing to my regular antenna and usually get 10+ local stations with a clear signal with all the networks.....and I only need the TV for DW at night as I do not watch much TV.

**TonyDi** · 01-27-2014, 08:22 PM

I am using Dish-as you go- with a KVC in motion dome. No problems

wa8yxm · 01-28-2014, 01:23 PM

Depending on the model of your King Dome it will work with Dish,
A DirecTV antenna looks a lot like a DISH-300. Some of the Domes can also imitate a dish 500 or 1000 depending on the controller model.

HOWEVER: Domes on dish are limited, with a single receiver the proper dome works just like a Dish 1000 (HD dish)

But with multiple receivers, It will not, unless......

Dish spreads the programming across 3 satellites, one is all HD I understand the other two used to be SD but I suspect may have some HD content now as well (Frankly it does not matter if they do or not).

A DOME can only see one bird at a time, so if you have more than one receiver and they all want to see the same bird, A dome with DUAL-output will work find,, But if they want different birds, You are out of luck with a dome. ONLY a multi-lnb DISH can do more than one bird at a time (or multiple (one per receiver) Domes).

gemini5362 · 02-01-2014, 09:02 PM

I have a portable. I have had stationary and moving winegard antenna. I got tired of the poor performance and having to move everytime I switched channels with a different satellite. I also got tired of the front tv having to watch the same satellite as the back tv. The cure for all of this was the Winegard traveler for dish. I currently have the traveler connected to a hopper which is connected to a joey at the rear TV. It works fairly well in areas with trees provided the foliage is not very thick. I have only seen one park where it would not work and I moved to another site. I am going to quit carrying my winegard portable and get a manual set up dish antenna for those times when I just cannot get a signal any other way. If you get the traveler make sure your installer knows to run two cables to the front and 1 cable to the back or all three to the front depending on how you are set up. I had a 922 dvr which had two channels for the front tv and a 222 with an external hd for the back TV. I switched to the hopper in the front which takes two inputs from the dish and then it feeds the joey in the back room. If you get a hopper make sure to have them order it with the Over the Air connection. You can attach your non satellite tv antenna to it and then get local over the air channels through the hopper and record them with the hopper dvr.

drwyatt · 02-04-2014, 03:05 AM

The wineguard traveler on the roof will get better signals. It has a larger reciever dish. My KVH works good but drops out with heavy clouds and in trees. RV parks have not learned that trees are not good for most RVers. The Wineguard is the only Direct TV HD reciever and I like Direct TV over Dish any day.

delcirose · 05-03-2014, 04:45 PM

I have been using my Winegard Traveler for two years now with my Dish HD,,,hopper system...works great, also carry a spare dish with a tri pod set up when I can not get a clear signal with the one on the roof if I am going to be in any one place for awhile if it is just an overnighter I just have a second cocktail or two..My traveler works just great

wa8yxm · 05-03-2014, 06:28 PM

Rooftop antennnas come in basically 2 types, Domes and Dishes, Many domes can be used "in motion" But with a dome you are good for a SINGLE receiver only, trying to use multiple receivers or a 2-channel DVR will lead to conflicts less you have one DOME per Input.. The reason for this is domes see one bird at a time, Some of them (Perhaps this will include the one you ahve) can see all 3 (out of six) birds you need Some can see all six depending on switch settings, BUT none can see two at the same time.

Dishes.. Can see 3 out of the six,, Which 3 is determined by the dish (you only need the other 3 if you are breathing Atlantic Salt Air, or very close to it).

Portable dishes. See roof top.. NOTE: you need a portable or ground mount because of the evil signal eating tree, IF you are parked under it the roof mount is no good.

Portable "Domes" Winegard Pathfincer x2