tv question


hutchings8

New Member
We just bought a camper and want to watch tv but the reception is horrible. We were told that we could get a satelite dish and take our home receiver camping to keep from paying another satelite bill. Does this work? If so how? We do not want to mis football games and racing on the weekends when we camp and are looking for an affordable way to solve our problem.
 

dennis1949

Senior Member
Re: tv question

It works. I have direct tv and I have a tripod and dish in the camper. I take a reciever out of the house if I am on the road. The only problems are if there are a bunch of trees it is sometimes hard to find the sat. Also if I am over a hundred miles away from the house I do not get the local channels on the sat. Do not tell them you are going to do this are they will charge you an additional monthly fee for it.
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
Re: tv question

Welcome to the forum, Kristi!

Yes, you can do all of that, because many of us do. Try using the search form (at the top of the forum page) and search for 'satelite'. You'll find a lot of info that has already been posted.

We use an old sat dish on a low profile ground mount that we made from someone's plans out of PVC pipe. We brought a receiver from the house to use on the road. Every once in a while DirecTV wants us to reauthorize, but that's just a quick talk with their computer and it's fixed.

It can be challenging to get it aimed right, but if you're into spending extra money, you can get an automatic setup.
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
Re: tv question



There's really only two sat systems for TV; DirecTV and DISH. I use DirecTV at home so that's what my receiver is made for.

"How do you find a signal?" Well, here's a loose description of the process.

The geosynchronous satelites are in the southern sky so you generally "point" your dish in that direction.

You use the 'Setup' menu on your receiver and the zip code where you are currently located to get the compass direction for your dish. It might tell you to point to '210'. You get your trusty compass out, find where '210' is and generally point your dish that way. (You may have to 'tip' your dish forward and backward to get the other angle, also.)

Your receiver will be 'ticking/beeping' through the TV. When you get a good 'point' of reception, the 'tick' will get faster. The fastest 'tick' means a better signal, so you keep moving the dish to maximize the 'tick'. (Please note that if you do this part with your spouse the result is much like backing up your RV with your spouse. One time this process determined my relationship with my spouse for the better part of three days! :laugh: )

I always mark theposition of the legs of mydish mount, so when the smart aleck walking by taps it with his foot, I can put it back easily.

As long as the signal strength is above 40, I don't have any reception problems. Just like being at home.

BTW, here's the link to the construction article on the sat dish ground mount.

http://www.bbrv.dreamstation.com/sat.html
 

hutchings8

New Member
Re: tv question

Thanks for the tips.....I will let you know how it works out in a couple of weeks. It is nice to hear that we are not the only ones who have a hard time with the back up thing. :)
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
Re: tv question

Oh, no. We don't have any problems backing up now ... I back up ... and Sallyberetta goes to the bathroom and locks the door.... :blush:
 
G

Guest

Guest
Re: tv question

i bet she's a really big help in there :eek: ;) :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :8ball:
Kinda like my other half trying to guide me to hook up the toad ,, just go a little left ,,, now a little right ,, i go out and look ,,, hell,, i'm four miles from the hitch ball ,,, guess everyone has been there ,, and,, hopefully done that :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
bty i have a solid towbar on my toad,,, ;)
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
Re: tv question

I just roll down the window and keep shouting to to sweetie pie I can't see you as I backup. Sooner or later I hear a real loud yell to STOP. I then get out of the truck to see which direction I need to point the trailer in next. Then I back up and wait for the next *^%$#. :clown:
 

Kirk

Senior Member
Re: tv question

hutchings8

The dish does have to match the receiver. If you have Direct TV(now Hughes) it uses a different LNB on the dish than is used by Dish Net. Also, a Dish Net dish has one more setting to adjust than does the Direct. We have traveled with Dish for several years full-time and it works just fine, as does Direct. Whatever you now have, just get a second dish and a tripod mount for it and you are fine. There should be a menu on your satellite controls that will bring up the proper screen to set up with. It is under "installation" or something similar. And there is no extra charge for taking the receiver in your RV since you are not adding another receiver. You do pay extra if you buy another receiver, rather than to take what you have now.
 

TexasClodhopper

Senior Member
Re: tv question

That's a good point, Kirk, that I forgot to mention.

If you start from scratch with RV satelite TV, then you sign an affidavit (it is based on the original FCC regs, I think) that you only use the system in an RV or something not permanently situated.

The reason you do this is that the sat operator (DirecTV or Dish) opens up all the 'local' channel feeds for you to see.

The way they set it up, though, there's no real advantage to do this if you intend to 'share' your RV system with your home-based system. Actually, it is disadvantageous to do this.
 

hutchings8

New Member
Re: tv question

Thanks for the help guys!!!! I have the satellite and reciever now we are trying to build a tripod or a base to put it on. we are going to try it out next week end. hopefully it will go better than backing up. (that only takes about 20 minutes so who knows we may have it working before we leave to come home) :laugh:
 
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