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Nomad2009
08-02-2012, 12:07 PM
Do you guys bring your direct tv from home for RV'ing? Does anyone have any info on this and best bets on using Direct TV on the road?

TX

jje1960
08-02-2012, 12:26 PM
Yup, have used our DTV in the RV for years. Last year I bought a used dome on ebay and installed it myself, works great. We used to just take a box from the house and plug it in, they are fine with this. Now, we just have a dedicated box for the RV. Note, you will not get your network channels outside your spotbeam area though, unless you pay for an account that provides the big 4 anywhere, it's about $15.00/month extra. We still keep the portable tripod dish in the storage bay, however I'm about ready to find a new home for that and gain the bay storage, have not used the tripod at all this year.

therink
08-02-2012, 02:03 PM
I also use my home DTV account for the rv. I have a Slimline3 dish and a portable stand I made from pvc. Cost was about $25 for pvc, dish was free. I scored a free 500' spool of coax and box of connectors from my DTV tech for free. I run two separate 150' cables from my dish to the inlets on my fiver. I have a box in the kids room and one in the living room.
Last week while in the Adirondacks, I went as far as to set up the dish on the roof of the fiver. The trees were a bit too dense, but I got my signal. I use an app on my Android phone called DISH Pointer Pro. It literally shows you where the satellites are on the phone screen in relation to trees obstacles, etc.
I have only been to two CG's in ten years that I couldn't get signal.
I have been able to get my local channels up to 300 miles from home.
Steve

Nomad2009
08-02-2012, 02:51 PM
Thanks for info. So the dish on the house you just take that off and put on a tripod and where do you run the cables that are that long? If the unit has a satellite receptacle do you plug it there? I anticipate using 2 TV's but I have a DVR and a small receiver which can access recordings any issues there you think?

DJ85
08-02-2012, 02:55 PM
I have an extra reciever at home. What other equipment is required. An Antenna and enough cable to run from the antenna to the camper? :confused: If anybody has stuff they would like to sell feel free to pm me with the details. I am totally new with very limited knowledge about the whole set up, but I am willing to learn. (tx)

azlee56
08-02-2012, 02:57 PM
oh good! I am going to learn right along with you.

therink
08-02-2012, 03:03 PM
I do not take the dish off of my home roof. I have a dedicated dish that stays in the rv all the time.
Just remember that the coax wire(s) attached to the dish must have a direct connection to the satellite receiver box with no splitters in between. You also have to get the knack for aiming the dish at the correct coordinates with no obstacles in the way. This is not always easy.
For about $1000 there are several different automatic dishes or domes you can purchase that simplify the process. These are good for those who have the $ and don't want to mess with the technical part of getting reception. I'm not one of those. I like my free dish and have no problem setting it up.

Ron
08-02-2012, 03:28 PM
We also take DTV on the road and leave a receiver in the 5ver. We use a Vqube for the satellite signal as we move alot and for me to set up a dish, I don't think I have that much patience. Also with the Vqube, ther is 50' of coax so if there is a tree or building in the way, we just move it till we have a clear view of the southern sky. I use satellite finder on the internet to locate it at each campsite we go to so I know exactly where it is. Photo attached in use. Happy Campin.............Ron

1664

DJ85
08-02-2012, 03:55 PM
Wel azlee56 beween the two of us I sure hope one of us understands what they are saying. We don't have or do internet acess. How do you go about finding a signal?

Ron
08-02-2012, 04:35 PM
DJ85 to finding a signal with the Vqube is all automatic if you buy the right one. The Vqube 2000 is what we have and one touch of a button and wala, we now have a signal. If you want to go with a dish on a tripod there are other ways to find the satellite signal and I'm sure some else will chime in here and give you a better idea on how that works, kinda hard for me to explain it the right way and I'm sure someone else can do a better job at it............Ron

Mighty Ming
08-02-2012, 04:43 PM
Ron!!!! Ron!! What a sweet sweet looking rig! That is truly my goal.... To have a set up up like yours. Oh and I just looked at the pic again and realized you were only trying to show off your Sat Dish setup. Outstanding all the way around.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ron
08-02-2012, 08:52 PM
Ron!!!! Ron!! What a sweet sweet looking rig! That is truly my goal.... To have a set up up like yours. Oh and I just looked at the pic again and realized you were only trying to show off your Sat Dish setup. Outstanding all the way around.


Thanks Mingo, yes we sure like the set up and also get great mileage, and oh ya love the Vuqube..Thanks again................Ron

Nomad2009
08-14-2012, 05:54 PM
Guys, when i take the dish from the roof how much of it do I need to take? It has several brackets and the pole and mounted to the roof with the side stabilzer bars. My plan is mounting to tripod.

Tx

pedalsteelpicker
08-14-2012, 06:46 PM
I take 2 dishes that can run 2 boxes each and 3 boxes.my dishes I mounted on a 18"X18" box made from 2X4's with plywood covering it and put eye bolts on each side to anchor to the ground works good!

DJ85
08-15-2012, 07:07 PM
Okay I have the antenna, stand, cable and the reciever. Going camping next week and going to give it a try. I have talked to just about everyone that was willing to talk to me about it. I proably know just enough to be dangerous so it should be an exciting event. Now I just need to try and remember what I have to disconnect in the camper. If I remember right all I have to do is unhook the loop connection. :confused: As long as I remain calm and don't get p.oed I should do okay guess we will just see how it goes. Wish me luck I have been known to make a mountin out of a mole hill.

DJ85
08-21-2012, 02:48 PM
We have been success. Total of about 75.00 dollars spend and we.have satellite hooked up. Really wants much to it at all. Best of all no screaming or yelling :). Thanks for all the help (tx)

Rick1300
08-21-2012, 05:05 PM
If anyone gets a 5$ a month extra receiver to put In your TT or FW, you can request one that uses an RF remote instead of IR. Then you can hide the receiver in a cabinet and still control it.

Just incase you didn't know.

I did that by accident and now I don't have to look at that box!!

reubenray
08-25-2012, 02:59 AM
What type/size of dish and LNB configuration is the best for taking with me? I have several of them in my attic. I prefer to get HD signals if possible. I will pull one of my receivers from the house.

highrider
09-15-2012, 08:25 PM
Guys, don't take the dish off of your roof. That just creates hassles and numerous issues when you get back home. You can easily buy a second dish online and use that to get your signal. Remember that it's the receiver that is authorized, not the dish. The receiver uses the dish to get it's signal from the satellite. Aiming the dish is not easy at the best of times, but do a bunch of google searches and print off some info before you leave and you should be able to get it done.

Roller4Tan
09-16-2012, 11:19 AM
The DTV receiver I have gives me the direction and elevation for a given zip code (in the setup screen). It also has signal meters for the satellites. If I have a clear view of the TV screen while setting up, I can tune it in fairly easy. I mounted my dish tube and dish on the rear bumper and can look in the back window to see the TV. If I can get a clear line of site south I'm good to go, otherwise I have a tripod to move further out from the fifth wheel. The 5er is in the dealers right now or I'd post a picture.

Azdryheat
09-24-2012, 05:25 PM
I bought a DTV dish and tripod kit from Amazon. It came with a compass and signal meter. I use the DTV box from home. A few locations we had trees and mountains in the way that blocked the signal but we really enjoy getting DTV on the road.

kenn209
09-24-2012, 06:00 PM
We re-signed up after being gone for about 1 1/2 years. I still had the old dish. Took it off the post the day before the installer got here. He put a new on the pole. I showed him the older dish, He said it would work fine. We take the box from the Master Bedroom in the house. First time took a few minutes to aim it. But was great once we did. I run the cable up through the back window into the living room. Need to put in a plug through the slide or something.

Azdryheat
09-24-2012, 07:36 PM
I bought a Directv dish/tripod from Amazon and use the Directv box from our home. Go to [setup] on the DTV menu and input the zipcode where you're at and it will tell you the compass heading to point the dish and how much to tilt give it.

The kit came with a crude compass and a signal strength meter. I position the dish/tripod in the general direction of the satellite. The satellite coax plugs into the [satellite prep] on the outside of the trailer. I have the DTV receiver hooked up and turned on and the signal strength meter attaches to the coax inline between the receiver and the dish. From trial and much error I found to run the coax from the satellite 'in' on the receiver box to the top coax outlet of the dual coax outlet plate with the u-shaped coax. The TV coax plugs into the 'out'.

From trial and error I've learned to point the dish based on the compass heading and then tilt it till I get a tone on the signal meter. Basically I start out in the general direction of the satellite and use the tone to fine tune the signal. I can get it set up and running in about 15 minutes.