Community Forums

brunsje · 06-24-2015, 05:35 AM

We are on the road about 50% of the time, calling ourselves 'Half-Timers'. I have been using Comcast TV at home.

Should I switch to DirectTV for both home and the RV?

I would like to get HD and use a portable satellite dish.

This style of setup appears to be the most cost effective. And I can use my OTA antenna for local channels.

Your help would be appreciated.

Thanks, JohnnyB

bdickson · 06-24-2015, 05:43 AM

We use Dish Network on a Pay As You Go account. This account can be cancelled and restarted any time without a penalty, which would be great for your "part timer" situation. We use a Pathway X2 antenna which is very easy to set up. I just call Dish, give them the Zip code where we are, and they turn on the local channels for that location.

Statgeek · 06-24-2015, 05:55 AM

If you are running half-time, then Dish would be cheaper but you'd loose some of the HD. We tried to use Dish for a while, but we only use ours about every other weekend plus a couple of longer trips per year, and with those gaps between uses, Dish would disconnect us every time. This meant spending at least an hour per setup calling then and going through layers of customer no-service until I'd get to someone who understood RV accounts and would re-zap my receivers. It's not worth it for us to go through that hassle and my camping weekends are now less stressful once I gave up on Dish and consider that black bubble on the top of my RV a decoration.

TeJay · 06-24-2015, 06:02 AM

As far as your question I'd say it's probably about 60% do use satellite. We don't as of yet. We are both retired but also just camping on a monthly basis. We are still attached to the S&B and don't have any plans to sell. I am currently teaching a three week course at the local Vo-Tech and can't get away. Also finishing up some MODS on the coach and still working on the S&B kitchen cabinets. So we are at home a lot with a bunch of things to do/finish. But it's also doing what we like to do.

When we travel we can always get most local antenna channels and they are usually good. No we don't have the choices of satellite that we have at home. We also engage in a lot of other activities when we are in the MH. I/we read, fish, visit, sight see, exercise, relax, etc, etc. We also do about the same when we are at home.

For us retirement is all about doing what we want to do, when we want to do it. So if you are hooked to certain programing and just can't do without your daily sports fix, or NASCAR update, or golf etc, etc then get yourself the SD set up. We like some of that stuff but can also do without it for some time with no ill effects on our lifestyle.

Currently the Women's World Cup soccer is going on. That (& men's WCS) is about one of my only like to see sporting events. Were we not home then we'd just record the games and watch them when we got home. Also I don't absolutely have to see them either.

It's all about choices. Often times when we are camping some of the folks get together and just talk. As the evening gets on some retreat to their RV's and watch TV. Some are getting up in years and can't get around as well so that might be a must for them. What ever you believe is going to be best for you is the route to go.

TeJay

edstep · 06-24-2015, 06:21 AM

A question about Pay as You Go, how do they bill, is a month billing from the 1st of the month or is it from when you call to start the service. We will be using this for the first time next week. We also have the Windegard motion satelite, how does that work when you are stationary.

twinboat · 06-24-2015, 06:36 AM

I had DirecTV in the S&B, and boat.

When I sold the house, the box went in the MH. I picked up a King Quest dome for the roof. I also have a tripod dish, for shady sites.

Because I was a NJ customer, I get DNS, without charge. I just changed my billing address.

I am using standard definition, because HD, on the boat, was not available on my KVH, in motion dome.

When I switch from RVing to Cruising, I 're-activate the box, online in 3 minutes.

OTA, TV is poor, at best and not available in the FL. Keys.

Slolane · 06-24-2015, 07:01 AM

I'm curious about this as well.

If I have Dish or Direct in my home, can I take the receiver and use it in the coach or in another house? Do all I need is the dish?

Rockwood27 · 06-24-2015, 07:02 AM

We have Dish. We had 3 homes: the S&B, a lake camp, and the MH. Dish was set up at the lake camp. I bought a duplicate dish online and mounted on the S&B house. I would bring the Dish receiver (722K dual) home and hook it up and all would work well. I didn't need to call Dish to change the local channels because the S&B and lake camp were within 5 miles of each other. When we hit the road in the MH for a few months, I would unmount the dish from the house and take it and the receiver with us. I mounted the dish on a tripod. In order to get the local channels, I would call Dish and give them my new location address. Dish would download the local stations. The local spot-beams are effective over a 100-200 mile radius. If I didn't feel like calling Dish to change the spot-beams, I could also use my antenna to get the locals. Since I always have the receiver with me, I didn't get the pay-as-you-go and the extra receiver charges. I can get HD at any location I'm at. The 722K is HD on the main TV, but SD on the second TV.

Spk64 · 06-24-2015, 07:06 AM

Edstep. I do not recall exactly when they start billing but it is prorated if not a full month. Pretty easy to call and start and stop the service or switch local channels.

In regards to having direct or dish at home and adding a receiver for RV yes , just need a dish. Many people do this.

Steve

Ramets · 06-24-2015, 07:07 AM

We have a DirecTV Traveler dish, and all I did was take one of the boxes out of my daughters house and hook it up in the coach. Been doing it for over 5yrs. now.

Jim2 · 06-24-2015, 07:08 AM

"Do most RV'ers use Satellite TV?"

I would say it varies depending on how frequently you travel and how important TV is to your travel life style.
I'm most familiar with fulltime RV'ers and in that group, yes the vast majority use either Dish or DirecTV. but there are some who either rely on OTA channels when available, or CG cable connections as a backup.
When your physical location changes frequently, there is just no other method as reliable and as convenient as SAT TV.

normandlegra · 06-24-2015, 07:30 AM

At home, I'm 100% cable tv including the Internet and I also use NeTalk (same as Magic Jack)for home phone.
In my mh, I just use my regular tv antenna for local news and if cable is offered, I'll also use. And I use the WI-FI for my Internet and my NeTalk.
p.s. my mh has a automatic Direct TV compatible XPress Vu dish that I've never used, I would have to change it to a SHAW to get my home channels.

RedRaider93 · 06-24-2015, 07:35 AM

I use DirecTV at home and in my RV. The nice thing about it is they treat my RV receivers as if they are just additional receivers in my house, so I only pay one flat fee for both home and RV, plus now my RV gets HBO, NFL Red Zone, and the "extras" that I pay for at home. In my old RV I used Dish "pay as you go" service. It was also good, but then I was paying for both DirecTV and Dish, so I like my current setup better.

Jim A · 06-24-2015, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brunsje

Should I switch to DirectTV for both home and the RV?

I would like to get HD and use a portable satellite dish.

This style of setup appears to be the most cost effective. And I can use my OTA antenna for local channels.

I would do that. The only drawback is that a HD capable portable dish is harder to set up than a SD dish.

If I was in the coach 1/2 time, and not in the same spot for long periods of time, I would spring for the Trav'ler dish on the roof instead of hassling with the portable dish.