Wingard satellite question

ajohnston78 · 03-05-2018, 03:50 AM

Looking to get dish network for my rv that I stay in while working and trying to decide between playmaker,pathwayx2 and carry out. What do you guys recommend. Thanks I know the playmaker is the cheapest but is it really worth it to spend the money to be able to access both sets of sattelites

**chuckster57** · 03-05-2018, 03:56 AM

I have had my carry out since 2008 and have had zero issues, excellent performance.

mikz86ta · 03-05-2018, 05:02 PM

We use a home style eve-mount dish. We only have 1 of the 3 LNBs attached a d have had zero issues.
Our only draw back is the mount we have it on is heavy and the home dish is bulky. But we are staying for extended time and not a issue. We would do a more mobile-friendly dish is we traveled on the road more.
We did look at the other units you listed. The pkaymaker got excellent reviews and was our choice.

Another bonus is we had a spare receiver at our home. The VIP211z which was listed as a comparable one to use.

ajohnston78 · 03-06-2018, 03:26 AM

I guess I’m just trying to find out if it’s really needed to access both sets of satellites or not

Tinner12002 · 03-06-2018, 03:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajohnston78

I guess I’m just trying to find out if it’s really needed to access both sets of satellites or not

When you say you want to access both sets of satellites, do you mean Dish and Direct TV? Twice the amount of monthly fees if so.

**chuckster57** · 03-06-2018, 05:59 AM

There are multiple satellite positions for Directv. Probably the same applies to Dish network

Alpine2015 · 03-14-2018, 05:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajohnston78

Looking to get dish network for my rv that I stay in while working and trying to decide between playmaker,pathwayx2 and carry out. What do you guys recommend. Thanks I know the playmaker is the cheapest but is it really worth it to spend the money to be able to access both sets of sattelites

I’ve had the Pathway X2 for several years and I’m happy with it - but it sure takes up a lot of space when I’m not using it. It allows you to connect two televisions (with two receivers) but I’ve never needed to do that. The satellites you pick up (East/West) depend on where you are anyway... In hindsight I would have just gotten the carryout.

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ChuckS · 03-14-2018, 08:09 AM

I use Direct TV but your post seems to indicate you are interested in Dish... I found this bit of info maybe you hadn’t seen yet...

CONS:
The Playmaker can lose signal during bad storms. Under the R2D2 dome is a miniature satellite dish antenna. Because it is small it cannot gather as much of the satellite signal as a normal dish. A storm weakened satellite signal and the limitations of a small dish means you may lose signal. It doesn’t happen often and it usually doesn’t last more than a few minutes but it always happens when you are watching a good show.
Only one LNB. Dish Network uses three satellites to deliver all it’s programming so on a typical home dish you will find three LNBs with each pointed at a specific satellite. An LNB, or Low Noise Block downconverter, is a the small box on an arm that points toward the center of a satellite dish. It receives the signal and sends it to the satellite receiver box that connects to your television.
The Dish Playmaker satellite antenna has only one LNB. So, if you switch to a new channel that is broadcast on a different satellite the Playmaker has to reposition the LNB and that takes several seconds. It’s not a big inconvenience unless you are used to ‘running’ the channels to see what’s on. In that case the delay can be frustrating. Switching between channels served by the same satellite is similar to regular cable TV.
Only one receiver. The Dish Playmaker satellite antenna is designed for one receiver/TV. This usually is not a problem in an RV but if you want two TVs the Playmaker may not be for you.
May not work with your current receiver. As of this writing, the antenna is often sold in combination with the Wally receiver but also works with DISH Solo HD receivers (models 411, ViP 211, ViP 211k, and ViP 211z) If you don’t have one of these receivers you will need to get one and add it to your service contract.

PROS:
Biggest pro of all, it is easy. We have RVed for years with the standard two LNB satellite dish on a small tripod. I got pretty good at setting it up and pointing correctly. But there were times, for what ever reason, it was more hassle than normal. The Dish Playmaker Satellite Antenna is hassle free. If the antenna has a clear view of the southern sky you are good to go. Just connect the receiver coaxial cable, turn on the the receiver and the Playmate finds the satellites.
It’s portable. You can locate the Playmaker anywhere up to 50 feet away. Which means you can park your RV under the shade tree and locate the antenna where you find open sky.
It is small and lightweight. Winegard claims it is the smallest portable antenna at 14.3″ diameter x 13.5″ tall and weighing in at just 10 lbs.
Easy to stow when traveling. I have more space in my storage compartment than when I carried the old parabolic dish and tripod. If you have the Playmaker mounted, say on your roof or RV ladder, it’s even better.
Low price. At $329 MSRP it is one of the least expensive of the portable antennas available.

rick-eureka · 03-14-2018, 09:31 AM

I have a G2 dish. More expensive initial purchase--but set it up on the tripod, point it towards the southwest, plug it in and I am done. Absolutely no issues.

RoscoeV · 03-14-2018, 11:41 AM

I have the Playmaker and the Dish Wally and love the setup. As stated above it's a plug and play setup and when traveling to different cities you can call Dish, give them the new zipcode and get the local channels for that city. You can also add an external hard drive to the Wally which enables you to pause live TV and of course setup recordings.

**chuckster57** · 03-14-2018, 12:17 PM

My carry out has been trouble free since 2008.

laidback · 03-14-2018, 03:40 PM

Just got dish last summer,tried the tail gater and couldn't get locked in on Sats in eastern Tn. Had long discussion with Dish and decided it would not work as it was trying to get western arc Sats. Changed to the Pathmark x-2 which picks up both eastern and western Sats. Had bad stroms and still got good service. As explained to me the futher norteast you go it is harder to get the western arch Sats.

crrscott · 04-02-2018, 04:07 PM

All of the small dome portable dishes will lose signal quicker than your dish at home because of the size. The Playmaker seems to be the most stable of the newer systems. You definitely want the Wally because of the RF remote. You don't have to see the receiver to operate it.

{tpc} · 04-09-2018, 06:39 AM

We have the pathway x2, and it works well, as long as you have a clear path to the sky. Thats where having access to the other satellites may be helpful. I have the tripod, but I've also placed it on top of the slide as well. Downside there is it "tracks" sats and as a result moves on its own often enough to hear it through to the inside.

My biggest complaint is with Dish itself. Their billing practices for pay as you go leave a lot to be desired. Plus every year, during our storage months, they delete my online account and I have to deal with setting it up all over again, which bugs me.

RoscoeV · 04-09-2018, 07:22 AM

I've had great customer experience with Dish. I'm able to use the app on my phone to activate/deactivate my Wally as needed and I love being able to contact them and provide the zipcode where I setup which allows me to get the local channels wherever I go.

sauerld · 05-01-2018, 03:53 PM

Looking to buy a dish. Is Dish or Direct better for the actual service. We were told you can pay as you go with Dish but not Direct. thanks much

mikz86ta · 05-01-2018, 04:49 PM

We got Dish. They had no issues with us taking our 3rd home receiver in the RV. We get great reception and channels.
Had some bad issues with home service with Direct. But that was just a local issue.
Our RV neighbors use Direct and like it. They are NFL Football fans and got Direct for the NFL package

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