Community Forums

Balladeer · 02-07-2018, 04:35 PM

Planning a trip North this summer as far as Fairbanks, AK.
Have Direct TV satellite and wondering how far North the coverage is good for. (ie. when do we transition to DVD or a good book?)

Thanks...The Orca

rag_ftw · 02-07-2018, 05:07 PM

Pretty much as soon as you hit Tok you are out of luck unless you are on top of a mountain. The satellites are around 10 degrees above the horizon and there aren't many places you can get a clear view that low. Our Trav'ler worked pretty well until we left Whitehorse.

With 18+ hours of daylight all summer you should be to busy outside to worry much about TV. I have been able to read a book setting outside in my lawn chair at 11:30 pm in July and August!

DSL417 · 02-07-2018, 05:18 PM

I really think it is spotty...I had satellite at Watson Lake, but couldn't connect in the Lliard Springs area in Alberta...didn't know why, but the satellites are really low to the horizon, and the "high quality" Direct TV Customer Support said no TV North of the US border; as if the satellite beam was "stopped" by the border!

bill2011 · 02-08-2018, 05:20 AM

Our coach is a 2017 Anthem and in diagnosing connection issues over a multi month period last year Winegard advised me the Trav'ler was aimed at 15 degrees so anything lower than that would not work. Because we live in Newfoundland and the satellites we needed to hit from most locations in Newfoundland were at or below 15 degrees we could not get service. They were able to provide me with a coverage map based on the 15 degree cut off. In my case they eventually wrote special software to allow the turet to go lower than 15 degrees and for my particular area. This was installed during a visit to Middlebury and all has been good since. Strangely on our 2012 Anthem we had no issues so I suspect the angle design was changed when they went with those higher sides on tne roofs of thr coaches. Based on my experience maybe use 15 degrees as a rule of thumb.

lenkerb · 02-08-2018, 06:12 AM

When we entered British Columbia I called Directv and had my service stopped until we returned to the states...it was suspended for six months...I called when we returned and had no extra charges or fees for this service.