satellites


A

austintx200

New Member
I need some advice on satellites. Is there a particular one that most people use? How much does the service usually cost and does it work in most places ? We have never used satellite so I know nothing about them or even what all is needed in the way of equipment. HELP
 
satellites

Hi sylvia, there are basicly two networks/providers, Dish network & Direct TV, both are very simular in cost and service. The will vary on how much you want to pay and the amount of channels you what, we use Dish Network and subcribe to their basic 50 the cheapest you can get, runs a little less then $300.00 per year for that level, yes you can recive a siginal almost anywhere is the lower 48 states and the southern ares of Canada, provide you have a clear view of the sky. Trees, hills, buildings etc will block the signal, as for equipment either provider generally will give you the equipment for free or a small fee when you subscribe to a program, both run promotions every now and then, best to check with a dealer. :) :laugh: :cool: :bleh:
 
satellites

Hi Gary B, I have a question on your home base. We have Direct TV at home, can we take one of the receivers to our camping
lot with our dish or do we need another dish for our camper? Once we go full timing, our home base will be South Dakota,
is that where are Direct TV connection be from even though we travel all over? I'm new at this too. I have alot of questions and lack the knowledge. Thanks.
 
satellites

Hi nanablue, it is alot easier to get a 2nd dish for your rv, then all you do is take the reciver with and set up the dish where you are, and then when you go home you don't have to set the dish up again just bring the reciver in and hoopup & plug in. You can get used dishes most anywhere, I've seem them at yard sales, Sat. TV dealers have them, and then theres E-Bay, a used dish(any brand they all work with any service)will cost anywhere from free to $25.00. Most likely if you use South Dakota as your home base thats where your billing will go & will be the base for your subscription, but you'll get all the channels you subscripe to anywhere in the country, the only thing I don't know about is local network channels if you sub. to them, we don't so I'm not sure how that works. Here is a couple of sites that has some excellent information. http://bart.ccis.com/home/mnemeth/index.htm & www.bbrv.dreamstation.com/index.html
Both have information on sat tv, hope this helps and ask away. :) :laugh: :cool: :bleh: :approve:
PS I have built and use the dish stand found in Bill & Barbs site it works like a charm its easy to set up isn't effected by wind and is a great conversation starter, another thing that is a good deal is a Sat. signal finder, these are available on e-bay for about $20.00.
 
satellites

Here's another one. .75 meter (30 inch) Winegard dish ... so far has survived 40 MPH.
dish.jpg
 
satellites

Thanks, Gary B. Has anyone used the satellite for internet service? We just signed up for DirecTV internet service and TV for our house and when we go fulltiming. Any information on how successful the connection is on the road.
Thanks!
 
satellites

Yes you can use DiecTv satellite internet service anywhere you travel. I suggest an ISP provider who does mobile systems. You must register on the correct satellite to have acces where you travel, each has it's own footprint. You also need the large dish, not the small one you use for TV.

Good luck

Roadhouse
 
satellites

Do they allow the consumer to align their own dish now for the internet service? Or do we still need the spendy MotoStat type systems?
 
satellites

Thanks Roadhouse.
How long does it take for you to set up your internet dish at each campground? This one at our house, the first time, took an hour. The tech guy says, "practice makes perfect."
:) Nanablue
 
satellites

Our motorhome has the satellite dish mounted on the roof. It has a digital read out in the compartment above the drivers seat. You turn on the television, go throught the set up proceedure for Direct TV or Dish and it tells you what your elevation and azmuith is supposed to be. I don't think I spelled (azmuith) right but it is the direction you point the satellite. I bought a device that hooks into the cable line between the satellite and the receiver and when I turn the dish it shows me when I am getting the strongest signal. They sell them at Camping World. I have only had a couple problems with trees. You have to know the zip code of the campground to find the correct directions to locate the signal.

It is really easy to do.

When I had my travel trailer I bought a tripod at Radio Shack, about $25.00 and mounted the dish to the top of a short length of steel fence post. It was just the right size. Then I fixed the tripod with thumb screws so that it would fold up into a easy to carry package. The legs of the tripod had holes in them to mount to a roof, etc. But I used steel tent stakes to anchor it to the ground. I would then turn on the television and go through the procedure to locate the signal. It looked nice and put the dish a few feet off the ground.

I agree that you should probably consider buying a seperate receiver. They will charge you about $6.00 a month to operate it. When you aren't camping you can call Direct TV and have them suspend the service. Then when you get ready to go again you just call them and they will re-program it to receive.

The only thing I don't like is the restrictions on local channels. Lot of times you can't get them.
 
satellites

nanablue:

The one at your house probably had duel receptors. So they had to be programmed separately. That means you have more than one receiver because they handle up to four.

The dish you use on a trailer or motorhome only has one receptor for the signal. It is a lot easier to program in. Once you figure it out you will realize just how simple. Read all of the instructions and then follow the directions on the television screen for putting in the zip code where you are camping and finding the strongest signal as you move the dish. OH! And you will have to have a good compass to locate the southern direction for the signal and the digital locator described in previous post will help you find the signal once you are pointed toward Texas.

Good luck.
 
satellites

Nanablue;

If you use the pricey MotoSat, lock in time when you stop is a minute or two. The first setup, done by your insaller, takes some time but then the internal GPS keeps track of where you have gone, where you are and where to look. It is all automatic as long as you never loose DC power to the system. Even then you can resore in 10 minutes or so.

Good luck.

Roadhouse
 
satellites

Howdy Folks,

I am going to be a full timer very soon and am a bit confused about the legalities and logistics of satelite tv and internet. Is it correct to say that you can take your home satelite tv on the road with you but it is illegal to do so for satelite internet? Does satelite internet not work away from home? I am a boondocker with not alot of money and I need daily internet access for my traveling business. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Dave
 
satellites

It is legal to take your television satellite with you; you pay a monthly fee for each activated receiver an it matters not where it is located. Of course local channels do not work when you move out of that region and you should sign up for N.Y. and L.A networks. Internet is different, as you need to be certified to install or set up an antenna. You need to set it up at every location, thus the legal issue. If you have an automatic system installed by a professional you can connect every place you stop with no issues.
These are pricey systems but a workable and legal solution. MotoSAT is the most common with IP through ground control out of Salt Lake City.

Good luck

Roadhouse
 
satellites

My satellite question is if I take one of my receivers from home, can I still get satellite service at home as well as wherever I happen to be on the road? My son will not be joining us on our next trip and would like to have the service available at home while we use it on the road.
 
satellites

Welcome to the forum....I would think y our son would still be able to watch Sat tv from home. Just because you have disconnected one of the receivers doesn't mean the entire network shuts down.
What say ye, Gary B?? :laugh:
 
satellites

Caveman, Hi Oliver. you will have to get an additional receiver if you want to still have tv at home. you can get one at best for about $70 and it will have all the new bells and whistles on it. you can use city insted of zip code to get set up. caveman
 
satellites

Caveman,
Why would he need another receiver? What's the logic for that. Just trying to understand. If he had 4 tv s hooked up at home and just disconnected one receiver....why wouldn't the other three work?
Please explain.... :dead: :bleh: :)
 
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