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Old 05-11-2023, 04:13 AM   #1
CRUSINTHERVLIFE
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TV Reception

Good morning fellow travelers, hope all is well. My wife and I recently was on a camping. We camped at Seven Points in Hesston, Pa. what an awesome campground built by the Army Corps. Any how , their was absolutely no TV reception there. Was speaking with one of our neighbors, and he stated he was using a Verizon hot spot. To received TV channels , and some how he was able to connect with his Dish that he had at home. And was watching the same channels as if he was at home. Anyone out there have experience with this type of set up. Plan on during allot of traveling some day. Don't want to go the Satellite route.
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Old 05-11-2023, 04:32 AM   #2
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Good morning. I spent many summers at Seven Points camp area. My uncle lives in Heston and we started going up there in the late 70’s

I suspect that your neighbor was using an app like Sling TV.
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Old 05-11-2023, 04:47 AM   #3
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So this has been a focal point of me for a trip we just finished. We now switched our TV to direct TV streaming. The way they work, your broadcasting is based not only on your subscription...but your billing zip code. This was important to us for two reasons:

1. We can now have one account/fee and use it for something like 16-20 devices (we really max out at 3) in our house as well as 3 simultaneous streams from other locations. We have our house and a family cottage with siblings (that I previously paid for cable...now I only need internet).

2. RV travel - where this has been fine to follow our local sports teams you really need local broadcasting. We have "chrome cast" it and HDMI cabled our computer, etc as we are constantly fighting with location based services. Meaning you possibly will get a message that the game is not allowed in your current location. OR you have exceeded the number of times during travel and have to reconnect in the local broadcasting area before you can use this streaming app.

So now we pay a fixed internet fee at each location and one direct tv account. That can be used at multiple locations simultaneously.

I also should mention - that there are those in my extended family that are more "challenged" with smart TVs. They prefer 'set top boxes' like cable companies. We have found that the direct TV streaming provides the same paradigm and I don't get phone calls on how to "connect to watch....".

Last, the RV connectivity - we have a winegard gateway that I upgraded to the osprey (winegard buyout of wifiranger). The primary reason is that is provided the internal networking that I want in the trailer but the osprey allowed you to tether a device. I tether a iPhone that has Visible ($25/month) and don't use the built in cellular service of the osprey. It is a future option if the plan pricing works out. For our entire 5 week trip this setup worked fine for TV as well as internet service for work. Except for one location - I then hooked up a WeBoost with an antenna on an extension pole, wire running into my water service bay, plugged the device into my inverter in the pass through and internal antenna coming up the laundry chute to the antenna on the "window valance". This gave us the minimal service that we needed.
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Old 05-11-2023, 04:48 AM   #4
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I should have added I brought one of the direct tv "set top boxes" and used it just like at home with the same programming.
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Old 05-11-2023, 07:07 AM   #5
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We have DirecTV at home and this year I installed an Amazon Fire TV in the trailer. We are currently in North Carolina, watching DirecTV streaming service on the Fire TV. I'd suspect that any "smart TV" would accomplish the same thing, but we do stream a lot of Prime programs, and the Fire TV was easier to access that feature (imagine that, Amazon's programming being easier to watch on an Amazon device) LOL

We are currently, as I type this, watching the local morning programming from Traverse City and every evening at 6PM, we watch the local news/weather/sports just like we do at home.

Anyway, if you install a "smart TV" in your camper, you can stream from your phone or another device and watch it on the TV. Just be aware of the bandwidth used as that will become your "limiting factor"....

OTA television is, at best, a "hit or miss" depending on where you set up the trailer.

All that said, if you're still using your OEM television that came with the trailer, chances are very good that it was purchased by Keystone on a "lowest bid for the lowest quality television available in bulk"... The receiver in those types of television sets are, at the very best, marginal performers... Just installing a quality television would very likely improve your reception over what you now experience.... That may not be enough to get you reception where there is none available, but in "fringe areas" you may find where you had 3 or 4 stations, you get 8 or 10 stations with a better receiver in a good television.

But, if you're looking at streaming, I'd get a smart TV and just skip all the "add on boxes to make your "OEM junk" work around the problem. For $200-300 or sometimes less, a 40-50 inch "last year's model quality television" is an investment in "trailer time enjoyment".....
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Old 05-11-2023, 09:08 AM   #6
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Thank you for your input , on our concern. We are not into streaming , as you said just want to watch local TV news, sports and so on. I have thought more than once that the TV that came with our RV was CHEAP. That said thank you again and safe travels to you and yours take care.
One quick question is your TV 12 volt or 110 ???
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Old 05-11-2023, 09:21 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by CRUSINTHERVLIFE View Post
Thank you for your input , on our concern. We are not into streaming , as you said just want to watch local TV news, sports and so on. I have thought more than once that the TV that came with our RV was CHEAP. That said thank you again and safe travels to you and yours take care.
One quick question is your TV 12 volt or 110 ???
Antenna and placement on the roof is just as important as the tuner in the TV. There are some decent 12V TVs, Sunseekers by Forest River have them.
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Old 05-11-2023, 09:28 AM   #8
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Ours is a conventional "house type TV" which runs on 120 VAC. When we do "dry camp" I have a 150 watt inverter that plugs into a "12 volt lighter socket" and we just plug the TV into the inverter to watch local programming with the trailer rooftop antenna. We also have a 1500 watt inverter mounted in the battery compartment that we could use, but it draws a lot of power, even when not producing power for anything (like when sitting there, turned on but nothing plugged into it)....

So, unless we're making coffee or such, we tend not to "waste the battery power" on an inverter we aren't using at the time"...

Anyway, from past experience from several years ago, most 12 volt televisions are not "top grade" and you may not get a high quality tuner section in the "run of the mill 12 volt televisions".... I'd look closer at 120 volt televisions from a quality manufacturer in the size range that fits your needs and budget. Many stores (and Amazon) sell last year's models or even 2 year old models that are "not equipped with the latest features" at a significant discount over the "current year models"...

As an example, our Fire TV is a 2022 model. It was about $100 less than the 2023 model. The only difference I could find is the arrangement of buttons on the remote. The actual television specifications are the same.
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Old 05-11-2023, 09:32 AM   #9
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Sorry I thought by local you meant "local to where you normally live". You would only get that with streaming and direct TV streaming is the only streaming service that I'm familiar with that does not take into account your physical location or the IP location.
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Old 05-11-2023, 10:42 AM   #10
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No problem , thank you for the information , take care and safe travels .
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Old 05-11-2023, 11:37 AM   #11
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Originally Posted by JRTJH View Post
We have DirecTV at home and this year I installed an Amazon Fire TV in the trailer. We are currently in North Carolina, watching DirecTV streaming service on the Fire TV. I'd suspect that any "smart TV" would accomplish the same thing, but we do stream a lot of Prime programs, and the Fire TV was easier to access that feature (imagine that, Amazon's programming being easier to watch on an Amazon device) LOL

We are currently, as I type this, watching the local morning programming from Traverse City and every evening at 6PM, we watch the local news/weather/sports just like we do at home.

Anyway, if you install a "smart TV" in your camper, you can stream from your phone or another device and watch it on the TV. Just be aware of the bandwidth used as that will become your "limiting factor"....

OTA television is, at best, a "hit or miss" depending on where you set up the trailer.

All that said, if you're still using your OEM television that came with the trailer, chances are very good that it was purchased by Keystone on a "lowest bid for the lowest quality television available in bulk"... The receiver in those types of television sets are, at the very best, marginal performers... Just installing a quality television would very likely improve your reception over what you now experience.... That may not be enough to get you reception where there is none available, but in "fringe areas" you may find where you had 3 or 4 stations, you get 8 or 10 stations with a better receiver in a good television.

But, if you're looking at streaming, I'd get a smart TV and just skip all the "add on boxes to make your "OEM junk" work around the problem. For $200-300 or sometimes less, a 40-50 inch "last year's model quality television" is an investment in "trailer time enjoyment".....
Just curious... if you have DirecTV at home with a dish/receiver, etc. does the streaming service come with it? We dumped DirecTV in our home due the price and now just stream via Hulu, Prime Plus and a bunch of others that are free. The Roku channel has OAN (I like their news program) live and tons of movies and series, etc.
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Old 05-11-2023, 02:01 PM   #12
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Just curious... if you have DirecTV at home with a dish/receiver, etc. does the streaming service come with it? We dumped DirecTV in our home due the price and now just stream via Hulu, Prime Plus and a bunch of others that are free. The Roku channel has OAN (I like their news program) live and tons of movies and series, etc.
We've been with DirecTV since 2007 when we bought our property in northern Michigan. Back then, they didn't have any streaming available, it was only satellite TV. When ATT bought them, they introduced the streaming/internet option and for a few months it was available "streaming if you have internet or dish if you don't". Recently, I guess in the last couple of years, they've been offering a choice, either/or and recently they've changed it only one, satellite dish or internet.....

My DW complained and was "persistent enough" that they grandfathered us with some kind of offer that we can use either, depending on where we are. Dish while at home and internet streaming while on the road... Her "argument" went something along the lines of, "What do you mean, we have to choose? When we're home, we watch DirecTV and when we're on the road, we watch DirecTV. You're telling me I have to pay for it at home and when we travel I still have to pay for it but can't use it? In that case, cancel my service and I'll call Dish. If I'm paying you for 30 days of TV, I expect to get 30 days of TV. Make that happen or I'll cancel."

They made it happen....
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Old 05-11-2023, 03:53 PM   #13
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We've been with DirecTV since 2007 when we bought our property in northern Michigan. Back then, they didn't have any streaming available, it was only satellite TV. When ATT bought them, they introduced the streaming/internet option and for a few months it was available "streaming if you have internet or dish if you don't". Recently, I guess in the last couple of years, they've been offering a choice, either/or and recently they've changed it only one, satellite dish or internet.....

My DW complained and was "persistent enough" that they grandfathered us with some kind of offer that we can use either, depending on where we are. Dish while at home and internet streaming while on the road... Her "argument" went something along the lines of, "What do you mean, we have to choose? When we're home, we watch DirecTV and when we're on the road, we watch DirecTV. You're telling me I have to pay for it at home and when we travel I still have to pay for it but can't use it? In that case, cancel my service and I'll call Dish. If I'm paying you for 30 days of TV, I expect to get 30 days of TV. Make that happen or I'll cancel."

They made it happen....
Your missus scares me We had Dish TV for a year or so. When we got it, they gave us some "free" package. We didn't remember to dump whatever that package was and they started charging us and the bill went sky high. We asked them to cancel it and they would not. When the time obligation ran out we tossed Dish TV. We went with DirecTV and were their customer for about 20 years? A long time. We didn't have the ability to stream as our internet was via satellite. Data was capped and streaming wasn't an option. Price of DirecTV went up and up and up. Went back with Dish TV after DirecTV was being run by AT&T. We also dropped AT&T phone service and went with Consumer Cellular. Anyway, we had a Playmaker dish in our RV with a Wally and were pretty happy. $7 a month on top of our home Dish TV bill.

Then our home got hooked up with Bandera Electric Coop fiber. We are on the 100 mb plan and it has been great and streaming is now possible Internet service is a lot cheaper than satellite and Hulu Live is a lot cheaper than Dish. I installed antenna for 4G and Wifi and have routers and Hulu now thinks we are at home when we stream live tv. Seems the tv watching solution for us. Total cost is much less than half the price of DirecTV or Dish and MANY more channel options with all the streaming channels.
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Old 05-11-2023, 04:43 PM   #14
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DW calls DirecTV every October (our subscription anniversary) to inform them that she's cancelling unless they reduce our rates. She uses all the arguments she can muster. Things like "We're senior citizens on a budget. we don't watch it enough to pay that kind of price, half the channels in our 150 channel package are infomercials or sales channels, so if you're going to tell me we get 150 channels, then start programming 150 channels we watch on our dish because having 9 channels of Home Shopping Network and 9 channels of QVC is not 18 television channels. She always ends her spiel with something like, "We've been your customer for 20 years and you're giving people who just bought your service today a year of free HBO and a half price offer for 12 months and you call me a "valued customer" ??? Why are they getting the special rates and you're charging me twice as much ???

Her persistence usually gets us a "loyal customer discount" as well as a "special one time half price discount" and we wind up with the same or a similar monthly charge as the specials offered to new customers....

I'm with you, she's not one to cross when it comes to her budget and checkbook.... She scares me too and I've been her "other half" for well over 50 years now..... Lose a nickel, tell her about it and she'll look until she finds it... Lose a quarter, best keep it to yourself or you won't be getting in bed until you find it......

I will freely admit, she is the only reason we have anything of value. If it had been left to me all these years, I'd have spent it all and borrowed enough to keep us in debt until the kids deaths.... Needless to say, when she gets on the phone with DirecTV or Verizon or Sirius radio, I usually find something to do in the pole barn.....

Great Lakes Energy keeps promising us that fiberoptic is "just around the corner", but that's been their promise for the past 5 or 6 years... I'm not holding my breath for that one. Last time we had fiberoptic was in Louisiana in 2009. When we left there and moved up here, we had an ATT "dongle" that hung in the window and we had to "dial in and listen to the "handshake".... Talk about leaving civilization and moving back to the dark ages !!!!!
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Old 05-14-2023, 07:19 AM   #15
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I’ve got the wineguard 360+ and it will scan for all local channels available
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Old 05-14-2023, 07:45 AM   #16
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I’ve got the wineguard 360+ and it will scan for all local channels available
The Winegard 360+ is about as good as you can get these days, but depending on where it's mounted on the roof and which direction the transmitting towers are located, it may not be "above other things on your RV roof" that block the signal. And, being "close to the roof and smaller than the older antennas (in actual receiver size) the 360+ is somewhat limited in ability to receive a good signal.

When compared to previous "batwing directional antennas that you crank up to rise above everything on the RV roof" and then point toward the transmitter, the 360+ sometimes can't compete. You can "scan for channels" and get a few that will be good enough to view" while with the older "batwing type" you can "scan for channels" and get several more channels with better reception than with the 360+. Quite often, you can get "great reception with a batwing" where you can only get "good reception with the 360+.....

IMO, the 360+ is a compromise intended to reduce "setup workload" and to help prevent damage to the older batwing if you forget to lower it when hitching to move or tow.... To me, it's "not quite as efficient in receiving weaker signals but you won't rip it off the roof if you forget.... So, it boils down to which is most popular with today's RV buyer and that's the one Keystone sticks on the roof....
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Old 05-14-2023, 03:23 PM   #17
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Wineguard RAZR is also a good choice. It’s mounted like the 360, but with a push of a button it will rotate internally to maximize signal strength.
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Old 05-21-2023, 07:19 AM   #18
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Good morning fellow travelers, hope all is well. My wife and I recently was on a camping. We camped at Seven Points in Hesston, Pa. what an awesome campground built by the Army Corps. Any how , their was absolutely no TV reception there. Was speaking with one of our neighbors, and he stated he was using a Verizon hot spot. To received TV channels , and some how he was able to connect with his Dish that he had at home. And was watching the same channels as if he was at home. Anyone out there have experience with this type of set up. Plan on during allot of traveling some day. Don't want to go the Satellite route.

He was using the Dish Anywhere app, and has a Dish setup at his S&B house. Via the Internet, the app connects to his home receiver. He can then watch anything from that receiver; normal programming and previously recorded shows. Works great if you have (at a minimum) 5 mbs download speed and unlimited data.
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Old 05-21-2023, 07:53 AM   #19
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We have Dish Network at home and a Dish tailgater for our camper as we don't always have good internet. We pay an extra 7 dollars a month for our tailgater and receive the same channels that we get at home with the exception of local channels.

We do have the Dish anywhere app that allows us to watch tv through our home system along with DVR recordings. We have an adapter to connect our phone, tablet or computer to our RV television and works very well when we have good internet.
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Old 05-29-2023, 11:58 AM   #20
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We have Dish network at home. We also have a Winegard Pathway Satellite.

We've used the Satellite to access Dish on the go when the Verizon signal wasn't good enough to use my Verizon Hot spot. To use Dish on the go they currently charge 5 a month. If you want to use the local channels where you'll be staying inform Dish.



We recently camped somewhere that had good cell coverage so I just used my Hot spot instead of us hooking up the satellite.



Once we were camping in a valley in the Cococino National Forest and had no cell coverage or satellite signal. So, I always keep some movies on hand to watch.
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