Community Forums

cyko · 12-20-2007, 03:02 PM

I am camped in Camping World in Texas waiting for a repair and I noticed a flyer for a new rooftop satellite antenna, the Winegard Travler. It looks a lot like my old one, but it has three LNBs to pick up three satellites (assuming DISH). I was really glad to see this until I looked up the price. 1499 smackers. I was astounded, but I suppose it's because it works automatically. Why wouldn't you just buy a dome instead? It seems to me that one of these that you can aim yourself would be a good product that could be sold at a reasonable price

cyko · 12-20-2007, 03:02 PM

I am camped in Camping World in Texas waiting for a repair and I noticed a flyer for a new rooftop satellite antenna, the Winegard Travler. It looks a lot like my old one, but it has three LNBs to pick up three satellites (assuming DISH). I was really glad to see this until I looked up the price. 1499 smackers. I was astounded, but I suppose it's because it works automatically. Why wouldn't you just buy a dome instead? It seems to me that one of these that you can aim yourself would be a good product that could be sold at a reasonable price

Bill Adams · 12-20-2007, 04:17 PM

The reason you would buy this instead of a dome is because you can see 3 satellites at the same time whereas a dome can only see 1.
There is/will be a 3 headed dish for DTV (already obsolete) a 3 headed dish for Dish Network and a 5 headed dish for the current DTV offering. What they don't have is the 3 headed dish necessary for the future of DTV which is one that will pick up the KU band 101 that we all use today as well as the new KA band satellites at 99 and 103.
If you want to see the future of HD programming (the only reason you would buy one of these antennas) you need to keep an eye on the MotoSAT antenna products. They are way ahead of the curve on their current and upcoming products.
I am a (former) Winegard dealer so please don't try to flame me as slamming Winegard. Even though Winegard will continue to be the low price leader, they will be able to maintain that position because of the inferior product they introduce and the failure in their foresight to realize what the necessary products are.

JamieB · 12-20-2007, 05:50 PM

Winegard has recently been promoting their new 5 LNB KU/KA dish. If you look at the dish, you will notice that it is on a circular mount, without a mounting plate. The dish actually stows on the roof. Now there is a genious piece of engineering. Also, it seems as if there are no overcurrent sensors in the unit. The first time it gets hung up on an AC unit, etc. I think you might have some trouble. Just a hunch. Also, it retails for $1900. For only a couple hundred dollars more you can get the tried and tested MotoSAT that Bill is talking about. Like Bill, I'm not slamming Winegard, but I would give them a little time. In the past they have abandoned the automatic open face market, and their new entry into it might have a few bugs to work out. I'm not saying they can't build a good dish. But I would wait and see how this pans out.

Jamie Billingsley
Satellite Internet Solutions.

LLonearth · 03-29-2009, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Adams

If you want to see the future of HD programming (the only reason you would buy one of these antennas) you need to keep an eye on the MotoSAT antenna products. They are way ahead of the curve on their current and upcoming products.
I am a (former) Winegard dealer so please don't try to flame me as slamming Winegard. Even though Winegard will continue to be the low price leader, they will be able to maintain that position because of the inferior product they introduce and the failure in their foresight to realize what the necessary products are.

Hey, Bill, in your remarkable effort to be "fair and balanced" how about actually doing some comparison of features on how the Motosat is so far ahead of the Winegard Travler? Perhaps you could start with the wheel of bearings the Travler has for reducing play in the dish. What are the other "inferior" features?

Bill Adams · 03-29-2009, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LLonearth

Hey, Bill, in your remarkable effort to be "fair and balanced" how about actually doing some comparison of features on how the Motosat is so far ahead of the Winegard Travler? Perhaps you could start with the wheel of bearings the Travler has for reducing play in the dish. What are the other "inferior" features?

While I don't see much benefit to any to responding to a thread that is well over a year old, I will say that the MotoSAT never has needed a "wheel of bearing" to make their mounts stable. They always have been. It's only Winegard that finds this to be a great improvement over their previous mounts. This may be a good thing, but it is something that Winegard came up with after their line of open faced dishes was such a failure that they had to discontinue the entire line! Now, with that said, I have to say that it appears that Winegard has broken ways from their previous releases and the Travl'r series appear to be working very well with very few complaints. How that will go next year is still up for debate.

wagonmaster2 · 03-29-2009, 09:31 PM

Bill -
Do you know if Winegard has a 3 LNB dish replacement for my single original LNB roof mounted dish where only the dish and LNB arm could be replaced without removing the whole turrent? Something simple, easy, and uncomplicated. I'm not interested in HD, only to be able to receive local channels here in Oklahoma without getting out my tri-pod and 3 LNB 0val dish (Directv). All the 3 digit upper channels are available with my roof-mounted single LNB dish but not the locals. I see Camp World has the 3 LNB dish for $1400 but it looks like it requires completely remounting the whole roof mechanism, which wouldn't be worth that to me and risking a roof leak.
Thanks
Wagonmaster2

Bill Adams · 03-30-2009, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wagonmaster2

Bill -
Do you know if Winegard has a 3 LNB dish replacement for my single original LNB roof mounted dish where only the dish and LNB arm could be replaced without removing the whole turrent? Something simple, easy, and uncomplicated. I'm not interested in HD, only to be able to receive local channels here in Oklahoma without getting out my tri-pod and 3 LNB 0val dish (Directv). All the 3 digit upper channels are available with my roof-mounted single LNB dish but not the locals. I see Camp World has the 3 LNB dish for $1400 but it looks like it requires completely remounting the whole roof mechanism, which wouldn't be worth that to me and risking a roof leak.
Thanks
Wagonmaster2

Unfortunately, there is no update of any kind available for any fixed single LNB antenna. The multi-head antennas need to move in 3 directions and that requirement prevents any kind of an update.
You could get another single LNB antenna and point it toward the other satellite and run an additional cable into the coach. With the additional of an SW21 or similar switch you would be able to get your locals.
Otherwise, in order to update your roof mounted antenna to a multi-head dish you would indeed have to replace the entire unit.

wagonmaster2 · 03-30-2009, 08:42 PM

Thanks Bill, that's what I was afraid of. Guess for the money, time, and effort involved in a change-over, I'll just continue to use the single LNB roof mount where I can then dig out the PVC tripod with the oval 3 LNB dish when it's required for the locals (or parked under trees).

Wagonmaster2

SCVJeff · 04-02-2009, 08:53 PM

I installed a Traveler SK-2003 several weeks ago, and can attest that it is at least as stout as the Motosat. I think they really learned their lesson after the failure of the AS-2003 that is nothing like the Travler. As Bill sez: "Time will tell", But I was at the coach in a strong wind a few weeks ago with a brand new Motosat next to me, both looking at the same group of satellites (DirecTV), and I noticed visible play in the Motosat while the Travler was rock solid.

Having said that, if Winegard hadn't been offering a significant discount to existing AS-2003 owners with dead antennas I probably would have gone with Motosat, not knowing any better about the Travler. But at the end of the day this was a good choice.

If you have a dead AS-2003, call Winegard and plead your case! The don't fix them, have very few parts, and want them off the street.

lexusSC400 · 04-03-2009, 07:14 AM

New to this satellite tv thing ..one question why would someone buy a dish and or reciever if the providers give them away..am I missing something?

SCVJeff · 04-03-2009, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lexusSC400

New to this satellite tv thing ..one question why would someone buy a dish and or reciever if the providers give them away..am I missing something?

They're not giving away $2000, fully automatic deploy, point, and stow, Hi-Def (or Std. def for that matter) RV antennas.

lexusSC400 · 04-03-2009, 07:30 AM

As my post points out I am NEW to this ..but DTV will give me for free a new hd reciever and a 5lnb? dish ..what else would I need or why would I buy instead ...Is there a reason to buy and if there is what is it ..please in plain english

Gary RVRoamer · 04-03-2009, 07:56 AM

You need to get out of the RV and manually set up that free dish, aligning it so all 5 LNBs see the right satellite. With an automatic roof mounted dish, you turn it on and it does everything by itself. Call it convenience, I guess.