DISH TV RV Network Diagrams

[TechWriter]

DISH just released its wireless solution for the Hopper. I added these diagrams to my blog:

- Hopper/Joey/Super Joey/Wireless Joey Anatomy

- Wireless Joey Networking

[cptgregger]

Thanks for your detailed write-up and blog, TechWriter. I'm still confused though. Haha.

I just bought a 2005 Thor Jazz 2980 BHS. I am having to tear out all the AV stuff as it's old. Starting from scratch. Where do I begin if I want: 1) 2 TVs running off 1 DVR (one in the Master, one in Livingroom) and 2) don't yet have a Dish acct.

Can I order this stuff from Dish and explain to them that it's for my RV?

I definitely want to do the Hopper and wireless Joey setup to a HD DVR.

When I go to Ebay or other sites like, Portable RV Satellite Dish Antennas | TV for My RV , it's sort of info-overload.

You mentioned in a earlier post that one has to have the Winegard Traveler to made this work. But on your blog you mention the X1 and X2 as options (did I get that right?) At $1249 on CW for the Traveler, that's a bit steep. As it is, I already have to buy 2 TVs, do numerous upgrades before we start our trip in a couple of weeks (4-6 month RV adventure), and deal with around $4,000 in upgrades to the tow vehicle. I'm not a media-hound... don't need to be connected every day. I'd just like to provide TV options for the kids every so often. Should I just go with a tripod setup? I'm not all that fond of the idea of running cable out to a tripod every time we set up camp though...

I've been prepping for this trip for months and never really thought about media/ TV setup until now (too many other things to sort out... like moving out of our home).

Thanks for any input. I'm not being lazy, I have been studying all the opinions about how to go about this... just getting confused at this point. A lot of the information is dated. Obviously the technology has changed considerably.

THANKS!!!

[TechWriter]

Originally Posted by cptgregger

. . . we start our trip in a couple of weeks . . .

This time limit sets what you can do.

I suggest you get a Winegard Pathway X2 with a DISH 211z receiver.

You can run two TVs from a 211z + turn it into a DVR by adding a USB hard drive. However, there are limitations with this setup -- though one of your TVs will be able to display HD programming, your other TV will only be able to display SD programs and it will also only be able to display the same programs that you're watching on your HD TV.

In order to use a Hopper, you'd need a Winegard Travler or an 3 LNB open-faced dish. While the latter is inexpensive, it can also be a PITA to set up and could quickly turn your vacation into a nightmare.

While you can duplicate a home AV setup in an RV, it'll take longer than 2 weeks and cost a bunch.

[cptgregger]

Thanks Techwriter.

A friend of mine told me the set up for HD-DVR and a tripod satellite is likely not much more than $300 from Dish. He specifically referred to a fully portable/ transportable tripod that one sets up at the campsite. I didn't both to get details though. I'm trying to reach him for that info now.

[TechWriter]

Originally Posted by cptgregger

A friend of mine told me the set up for HD-DVR and a tripod satellite is likely not much more than $300 from Dish. He specifically referred to a fully portable/ transportable tripod that one sets up at the campsite.

Here's a DISH 1000.2 portable for about $110.

[dunkonu23]

Originally Posted by TechWriter

Here's a DISH 1000.2 portable for about $110.

+1 on this. It is exactly what I used to use. The good points: It works fine. It's portable. If you're using a hopper you will need another coax cable and a solo node (or duo node, depending on your desired complexity).

The bad points: It is not that easy to get level because the tripod is a roof mount (stick house) tripod so the feet rock. I got around that by using tent stakes from Coleman, then stacked the green hold downs from the stakes on top of each other to use as a platform. Make no mistake, setup is much easier if you have the tripod and pole to the dish level. The stakes do double duty as hold downs for the tripod. So, you will need to buy a bubble level or use a smartphone app (iPhone has a bubble level built in). Or you could make a tripod base/platform from wood or other flat material like 1/2" plexiglass. (I'd probably go with the plexiglass because it's waterproof.)

The next bad thing: Time to setup. It takes time--use a signal meter. It is better to have a signal meter designed to identify satellites. The signal meter that comes with the package works, but only provides signal strength. You will never know which satellite you're getting unless you can see your TV or your companion is very patient using a "signal only" meter. You can get an app for your smartphone like DP AR Pro to help get you in the neighborhood of the satellites, but still use Satellite Finder / Dish Alignment Calculator with Google Maps | DishPointer.com to get your base heading, elevation and skew values at your location.

I'm pretty technical and thought it would be cool to setup a dish. It was the first couple of times, but after a while it got to be a pain, so I got a Trav'ler hand haven't looked back -- I still carry the tripod setup just in case, though. Getting the Trav'ler saves so much time, it has been more than worth every penny I spent.

Scott

[cptgregger]

Hey thanks for that link, TW.

We're starting a 4-6 month RV trip here pretty shortly. I'm just completing the final touches of the mission. We're homeschooling our two children to make this work and as such are very sensitive to the downside/ negatives of too much media time for the kids (we try to limit it to 1-hr a day total... but we often fail at that). Hence I didn't see the purpose in evening having any satellite receivers on-board for the entire trip. We were just going to watch movies (have maybe 200 hundred DVDs) and get out more and see the world. It was only after my friend starting advising me on 4K UHD LED TVs that I began to look into all this stuff. He suggested getting a HDDVR and downloading shows to the DVR to supplement (downloading at the occassional campground? Not even sure if that can be done) or freshen-up, our dated DVD collection . The FW I purchased had an old TV in it so it needed replacing anyway. It has an old Winegard antenna (raise-up/ raise down). But I'm wondering just how far I need or want to take this media trajectory... as in, should I just buy a DISH 1000.2 portable for the occasional set-up? Or so I go with a Winegard Carryout G2 or Pathway X2?

I'm mentioning this because we're doing this trip to get our kids out to see our wonderful country. We don't need to be connected to the world and media as such. That said, I do realize the benefits and convenience of just lounging around and watching TV once and a while to sort of relax and re-charge. Plus there are times when you really need to be wired-in... as in during the FIFA World Cup. I had to force my family to watch the games on their laptops since I hadn't yet picked out the TV.

A lot of the private campground sites provide cable. Is the reason why everyone installs these portable systems to avoid the unbundled cable charges from campgrounds like KOA? Or is it that they want their own programming.

I'm taking a break from work for a few months to do this, living on savings. So while I'm not exactly cash-poor, I want to put my money where it will be most valued when it comes to the final outfitting of the FW.

Thanks for any advice.

[cptgregger]

Originally Posted by dunkonu23

+1 on this. It is exactly what I used to use. The good points: It works fine. It's portable. If you're using a hopper you will need another coax cable and a solo node (or duo node, depending on your desired complexity).

The bad points: It is not that easy to get level because the tripod is a roof mount (stick house) tripod so the feet rock. I got around that by using tent stakes from Coleman, then stacked the green hold downs from the stakes on top of each other to use as a platform. Make no mistake, setup is much easier if you have the tripod and pole to the dish level. The stakes do double duty as hold downs for the tripod. So, you will need to buy a bubble level or use a smartphone app (iPhone has a bubble level built in). Or you could make a tripod base/platform from wood or other flat material like 1/2" plexiglass. (I'd probably go with the plexiglass because it's waterproof.)

The next bad thing: Time to setup. It takes time--use a signal meter. It is better to have a signal meter designed to identify satellites. The signal meter that comes with the package works, but only provides signal strength. You will never know which satellite you're getting unless you can see your TV or your companion is very patient using a "signal only" meter. You can get an app for your smartphone like DP AR Pro to help get you in the neighborhood of the satellites, but still use Satellite Finder / Dish Alignment Calculator with Google Maps | DishPointer.com to get your base heading, elevation and skew values at your location.

I'm pretty technical and thought it would be cool to setup a dish. It was the first couple of times, but after a while it got to be a pain, so I got a Trav'ler hand haven't looked back -- I still carry the tripod setup just in case, though. Getting the Trav'ler saves so much time, it has been more than worth every penny I spent.

Scott

Whoa, perfect write-up and timing to some of the questions I was asking Thanks!!

I received an offer in my inbox from PPL for the Winegard Carryout G2, $558.57. I like the price that Techwriter linked for the Pathway X2. From the way I read it, the Pathway is a roof mount, and the Carryout is more portable.

I guess now I need to figure out how to tap this in to my existing COAX line in the FW.

Uuuuugh! The projects never end. Just when I think I'm narrowing in on the departure date... something else comes up.

I ordered a 10000K HID headlight kit for my F350... it took two days to figure out that job. I've done that type of stuff on numerous other vehicles. FORD's are by far the most difficult. Got 'er done though. Looks good.

[dunkonu23]

You're welcome!

The Carryout G2 looks good if you're not going to use a Hopper. If you're going to use a Hopper, you will need to get a three LNB dish such as was linked earlier or the Trav'ler. One thing I would avoid with the Carryout is the roof mount option. Mounting it on the roof would negate the portability of the unit so if you get your signal blocked by trees, you would have no other option.

Wiring would depend on your RV. If your RV has wiring diagrams, get them. You may be able to adapt! In mine, I was able to use existing coax (not recommended for the Hopper because of the frequency of the satellite signal), but it worked fine. I still use existing coax for the Joey in the bedroom, though.

It's a coincidence, I need to replace a turn signal in my RV, but I'm having problems getting to the clip that holds the headlight assembly in place. I'll figure it out. Projects never do end!

Have a great day and have fun!

Scott

[cptgregger]

How does all this play into the product that "Kingdome" has? I bought a generator and a few other items from a RV parts retailer out East the other day and the salesman on the line was telling me about the Kingdome package that they offer. $400 for the ViP211k receiver plus the Kingdome VQ2500 automatic satellite antenna.

Here's the link: King-Dome VQ2500 Tailgater Automatic Satellite Antenna [VQ2500] - $349.00 : Camper's Paradise, Best Prices for RV Parts and Accessories

Their price is $400 for the package, the link shows $349 for just the Kingdome.

[warped_five]

We have just recently purchased the 2014 Entegra Aspire DEQ. This coach has the roof-mounted Winegard in-motion satellite. I really am not sure of the model number.

We purchased the coach on a Friday and left for our 2-week trip on a Saturday. We are Dish subscribers, so I took one of our hoppers and one of our joeys with us on our trip. We reside in Kentucky, but we travelled out west (to California and back through the southwest and Colorado/Kansas). I was able to get the Hopper to connect to the salon tv (all except for the ESPN channels). I was never able to get the Joey to work in the bedroom.

This was a quick setup made on limited information. None of which came from this forum . Since returning home, I want to get the best setup possible.

At home, as I said, we are Dish subscribers. We have 2 hoppers and 3 joeys. We have a hopper in the master bedroom and a hopper in the theatre room. We have 2 joeys in the bar/game room and 2 joey in the family room.

We do love the DVR feature. Not sure we have fully appreciated the hopper/joey feature, but I gues it is nice to be able to have multiple channels to record using 2 hoppers. We would really like to have the DVR feature enabled on our coach at all times so that we do not miss episodes of our favorite shows.

Most often, we travel with just us and we watch the same channels at the same time. Occasionally, we travel with our children, who like to watch a different channel on every TV. i.e we will be in the bedroom watching one thing, one group in the salon watching another, and another group outside watching something else. We actually have a 4th tv overhead between the driver and passenger seat, but have never even turned it on.

My expectations for TV watching are:
- DH & DW watch recorded shows on salon TV & bedroom TV
- All watch sports programming (huge football & basketball fans) on all TVs in the coach (live & recorded - sometimes the game has to wait for the party to settle down ).
- Ability for all tvs to watch a different channel. TV1 - Salon; TV2 - Bedrooms; TV3 - outside TV; TV4 - over top driver & passenger (not sure this would be beneficial unless a headphone feature was possible just for this tv).

I have talked with Dish about the RV options. I have been given the 211K and 211Z options with an optional external HD purchase. Not sure these are the right purchases for our needs.

My question to this group is: what is the correct receiver setup for these needs? Which wiring diagram should I follow (I think I may need additional wiring for the outside TV)? Depending on the setup, how should I phrase this request with Dish network? My initial request to Dish related to RV was that they do not handle that at all and I needed to contact a 3rd party company. I assume if I would like the hopper/joey setup I need dish regular and not the RV third party company.

Sorry for the long post & many questions! Thanks in advance for any guidance.

Dawn

[TechWriter]

Originally Posted by warped_five

We have just recently purchased the 2014 Entegra Aspire DEQ. This coach has the roof-mounted Winegard in-motion satellite . . .

My expectations for TV watching are:
- DH & DW watch recorded shows on salon TV & bedroom TV
- All watch sports programming (huge football & basketball fans) on all TVs in the coach (live & recorded - sometimes the game has to wait for the party to settle down ).
- Ability for all tvs to watch a different channel. TV1 - Salon; TV2 - Bedrooms; TV3 - outside TV; TV4 - over top driver & passenger (not sure this would be beneficial unless a headphone feature was possible just for this tv).

I have talked with Dish about the RV options. I have been given the 211K and 211Z options with an optional external HD purchase. Not sure these are the right purchases for our needs.

Dawn,

First, there are a number of people on this and other forums who have successfully installed Hoppers in their RVs. I used to have a couple of 211s in my RV, but then upgraded to 2 Hoppers and a Joey. I love it.

Based on your expectations above, you'll want to use a Hopper/Joey setup, not 211s. I'd even suggest 2 Hoppers because that means you get 6 tuners and you're already used to the freedom of being able to record almost anything you want.

However, the catch is that your current in-motion dome needs to be replaced with a Winegard Travler rooftop dish. I was surprised that you were able to get your Hopper working at all.

I don't know how "technical" you are, but here's a 4 TV wiring diagram for two Hoppers: 4 TVs - 2 Hoppers + 2 Joeys.

Anyway, the sky's the limit with Hopper/Joey technology . . .

- 3 Hopper RV System (that's 9 tuners)

- 3 Hopper / 7 Joey House/RV System. I designed this for someone who wanted to be able to connect their RV Hopper to their home Hoppers. Lots of TVs in this one.

Finally, DISH is "ok" with Hoppers in RVs, but they'd much rather sell you 211 receivers because (1) 211s are easier for DISH to support in an RV, and (2) DISH installers typically do not care for RV installs. They don't think much of RV wiring.

Did this help?

[TXduo]

In researching dumping my cable at home and switching to dish for home/RV, your blog and tech diagrams are FANTASTIC! I haven't ordered anything yet, still researching...

I have trav'ler roof mount and the wineguard box shows it finds the 3 western arc sats just fine sitting in the sw USA. Thinking hopper and one Joey for three TVs as outside TV can mirror bedroom TV. Couple of questions: How do I tell 3ghz RG6 from 2 ghz RG6 in my existing wires? For the 2nd dish for when trees block the roof mount trav'ler, would a VuQube flex function with a 2nd solo node at the cube ( or run both coaxes to dual a/b switches for roof vs portable to single solo node in coach) AND be less of a pain to set up after each move where roof mount is blocked rather than a tripod and 1000.2? It is more $$$ but ease of use is a factor. Would the VuQube allow the 3 tuners to work? For FULL west coast and east coach operation, do I need to have both E/W arc sets of lnbs available?

Thanks,
Al

[TechWriter]

Originally Posted by TXduo

In researching dumping my cable at home and switching to dish for home/RV, your blog and tech diagrams are FANTASTIC! I haven't ordered anything yet, still researching...

Thanks, Al.

Originally Posted by TXduo

I have trav'ler roof mount and the wineguard box shows it finds the 3 western arc sats just fine sitting in the sw USA. Thinking hopper and one Joey for three TVs as outside TV can mirror bedroom TV.

I'd encourage you to make one of those Joeys a Super Joey or another Hopper because a Super Joey will get you an additional 2 tuners and a Hopper will get you 3 tuners. So Hopper + Super Joey = 5 tuners. Two Hoppers = 6 tuners.

I've found that it's fairly easy to use up the three tuners on a Hopper, especially if you have PTAT (Prime Time Any Time) enabled.

Originally Posted by TXduo

Couple of questions: How do I tell 3ghz RG6 from 2 ghz RG6 in my existing wires?

It should be marked right on the coax. If it's not, then assume the cable is not 3 GHz.

Originally Posted by TXduo

For the 2nd dish for when trees block the roof mount trav'ler, would a VuQube flex function with a 2nd solo node at the cube ( or run both coaxes to dual a/b switches for roof vs portable to single solo node in coach) AND be less of a pain to set up after each move where roof mount is blocked rather than a tripod and 1000.2? It is more $$$ but ease of use is a factor. Would the VuQube allow the 3 tuners to work?

Nope, a VuQube will not work with a Hopper. These are the antennas that will work:
- Winegard Traveler
- DISH 1000 portable open-face sat dish
- DISH 1000.2 portable open-face sat dish
- DISH 1000.4 portable open-face sat dish
- DISH 500 Pro Plus open-face sat dish

The DISH 500 is the easiest to set up, but you'll only be able to get sats 110 or 119 (or 119 and 129 if you mis-aim).

Both the 1000.2 and 1000.4 dishes can get HD and the Eastern Arc (61.5, 72.7, 77) and Western Arc (110, 119, 129) sats. Note that an Eastern Arc 1000.2 only gets sats 61.5 and 72.7.

I use a 1000.4 and have both the Eastern Arc and Western Arc LNB arms.

Originally Posted by TXduo

For FULL west coast and east coach operation, do I need to have both E/W arc sets of lnbs available?

Though a Winegard Travler is a Western Arc dish, it can be manually set to get sat 61.5.

However, I recommend a portable with both Western & Eastern Arc LNBs because over 30% of DISH HD locals are only available on the Eastern Arc sats.