Satellite TV Questions

[Bethers]

How about the InMotion
KVH TracVision R1DX Satellite TV Antenna
It says it works in HD for both Dish and DirectTV.
Use this link and scroll down to the info for that antenna:
http://www.mobilsat.com/Mobile-satellite-TV/

On edit, KVH claims both, but I went to two places selling it and they both only say Dish ... strange. Then again, who knows.

[mitch5252]

I know you can't split the signal BEFORE the satellite receiver without "special" cable (SWM, I believe). But once the signal comes out of the receiver, splitting it is no problem. Just plain ol' coax cable from Radio Shack will connect a tv to your receiver.

The key word is AFTER...so, you have regular coax coming from the satellite dish to the receiver. Then a short jumper OUT from your receiver to the splitter, and finally, individual coax cables to each of two receivers. This will NOT allow different channels on each television. It will only allow the same channel on both.

[JudyJB]

I spent about an hour at Camping World while they wre checking my tires talking with the person who knows the most about satellite TV.

Mitch, he confirmed that DirectTV requires a much more expensive satellite and a different receiver to get HD. Since I have HD TVs, it does not make sense to me to skip it. Dish may be a better choice also because they require a two-year contract while Dish goes month to month.

Anyway, I am going to check all of this out by checking with Dish and Direct TV, assuming I can get someone on the phone who knows anything.

I think right now, I am going to get a roof-mounted winegard dome. It is medium priced and includes HD. A limitation of Dish is that you can only watch one satellite at a time--but since I am alone, I do not need to have separate shows on each fo the two TVs since I can only watch one at a time!!

My bedroom TV is in a very small closet and if I got a separate receiver for that TV, it would not only be expensive, but I have no idea where I would put it. So I can make do with one receiver up front and being able to watch only a single channel at a time on both TVs. I might have to point my remote up front if I decided to change the channel, so that would be a problem.

Need to get second and third opinions on all of this, but I think I learned some new things.

[JudyJB]

Mitch, where do you carry your portable dome? The ones I saw were, I think, too tall for my underneath storage. Because of my floor plan, I have a lot of storage compartments, but all are wide but not very tall. Or at least the openings are not tall. I need to measure them.

The only winegard dish that provides HD service is the DirectTV Slimline, at about $1700--way out of my price range.

I can get an automatice roof dome for about $699--a lot cheaper and with HD if I choose Dish.

The first thing I eliminated was the expensive In Motion dishes. These work while you are driving, and those of us who are alone can hardly watch TV while we drive. Any grandkids who travel with me can bring along games and iPads if they are desperate.

Also, I can use the control box that I already have that sets the type of tv I am watching for each of the TVs I have.

I do not have a satellite connection, so that will have to install one, which makes the installation a bit more expensive.

[Azusateach]

Mitch, where do you carry your portable dome? The ones I saw were, I think, too tall for my underneath storage. Because of my floor plan, I have a lot of storage compartments, but all are wide but not very tall. Or at least the openings are not tall. I need to measure them.

Judy, MItch has a dish. I've got the dome, and I store it in the outside compartment in my trailer. It runs the width of the front of the trailer, and the doors are surprisingly tall. I was delighted when I tried to put it in and it fit with room to spare. Wasn't the case with my other trailer.

Sounds like you've done some good homework and are narrowing down your options. Everyone has different needs and requirements, but hashing things out with folks is often a great way to figure out what you really want & how you're going to make it work.

Keep us posted on your progress!

Laura

[Acadianmom]

It's a good thing to learn all you can before you call the companies. I don't think many of their people know about satellite packages for RV's. It looks like they could have someone just for that. I get so putout with them sometimes. If we have a problem I know all the things to try and when I call they want me to do it all over again. It looks like one of our bedroom receivers is about to go out and I dread having to call them.

Martha

[mitch5252]

If anyone's interested, here's the reply I got from my friend Blake...might be Information Overload!

You have to use a splitter that's designed for satellite due to the higher frequencies and also some satellite dish antennas require "DC" power that they get from the satellite receiver box. The power is sent to the dish antenna through the coax. At the antenna the dish antenna "picks off" the "DC" power from the cable and passes the signal, which is an AC voltage, back to the satellite receiver box. The splitter has to be able to pass the power through to the antenna. Many "normal" splitters won't be able too pass the "DC" voltage power.

Now..... if you put the splitter after the receiver box, then both TVs will have to watch the same channel the satellite box is tuned to. This is the way you have the TV in your kitchen "slaved" to the one in your bedroom. The proper way is to use two satellite receiver boxes and split the cable from the dish, one to each receiver box at each TV. This way each TV can watch different channels.

Got it??

Then, I clarified with this:

ME: So AFTER the box, just plain old coax can be used to go to the television and a plain old splitter can be used to split that signal coming OUT of the receiver and be delivered to both televisions (I've done it). Both televisions had to watch the same channel (this was in the little trailer). Is this right?

I understand that a splitter has to be different going INTO the receiver.

BLAKE Yup....
You got it!

ME


.

[Dawn309]

Judy, I have the automatic Slimline receiver mounted on my roof. I also have the portable Winegard dome. Chuck and I had the portable dome for when we had the 5th wheel. We only used one receiver then. It was one we kept in the 5er. Now in the MH, I have 2 receivers. One in the bedroom and one in the livingroom. The bedroom receiver controls the TV in the kitchen and the one in the living room controls the TV outside. Paul is using the portable dome after watching it be hooked up and going in Red and her DH's rig. He had the regular satellite on a tripod, but had to do the run in and out thing. I like push button automation. The Slimline is the antenna you need for HD TV with DirecTV, which is what I have. I don't like Dish.

I know you will probably laugh at me, but there are times when all 3 TV's are going in the rig. They are normally on the same show at the same time when I am busy and there is a show I want to watch (really just listen to). I also go to sleep with the TV on in the bedroom. I have it on a timer since I usually only listen to just a few minutes before I go to sleep. I like the noise since I am alone too. For me, it was worth the expense of having the automatic roof mounted antenna. I just push a button and it finds the signal and locks on just like the dome does. Paul knows that if I am parked in trees where I cannot get a signal on that antenna, he has to give me back the dome. I only have one storage bay that it will fit in because of it's size. When we traveled in our first 5th wheel, it had to be stored inside because it would not fit in the storage area. I have had it for quite a few years, so they are pretty durable. We never have had a problem with anyone trying to take it. Knock on wood!

I have the DNS (East Coast feed) since I no longer have a residence. There is a 10 day waiting period to get DNS service from when you sign up for it and they do their confirmation call to you to verify you are mobile only for an extended period of time. If I want to watch local news, I watch through my regular roof antenna. Some places, like here, don't get a strong enough signal to be able to pick up local TV with the regular antenna.

Don't know if any of this will help you. When we get to the FL GTG, I will show you my setup both fixed and portable if you want.

[JudyJB]

Dawn, why don't you like Dish? Just wondered since that is what I am thi king of getting

[BirdbyBird]

I would be interested in understanding the differences also. I gather that some opinions have been formed by lack of good customer service, but those are important issues when you need assistance. How do the cost compare for basic packages?

[Dawn309]

Judy, we have had DirecTV since it was Primestar way back in the 90's. I went with Dish for about a year somewhere around 2000 and we just did not like the service we got with them. After our contract was up, we went back to DirecTV and have been with them ever since. My friends who camp host in OK, have Dish and they love it. I would go with whoever gives you the best deal. You can always change later on if you decide to. It will be a little more of a hassle being on the road full time to change, but I would imagine it can still be done.

Tina, to get the channels we wanted, I did not find the cost was that much different back then. My issues were with customer service. I have been with DirecTV for so long now, that I get expedited service most of the time.

[BirdbyBird]

Thanks...real time experience is useful.

[mitch5252]

I did a cost comparison a couple of years ago and bottom line - VERY equal...couple of bucks difference.

I don't know if this still holds true, but Dish - 1 receiver can fire up, and be controlled by, 2 different televisions in 2 different rooms (different channels).

DTV - 1 receiver can record 2 shows at one time in 1 room, and you can watch a third previously recorded show.

I know equipment has changed pretty significantly in the past couple of years, like with DTV's "Genie", which I think is just like a big, centralized hard drive.

I don't know what Dish equipment has changed.

I wish DTV had the ability to broadcast its HD channels on one satellite as apparently Dish can do. I would then consider an automatic antenna maybe being worth the cost.

If I was to start over, and know what I know now (and more, hopefully), I think I would choose Dish.

The End.

.

[Acadianmom]

I'll tell you why we don't have Dish. Years ago when we got rid of the big 6' dish that first came out we went with Dish. I think we paid $100 for someone to install the dish and 2 receivers. After about 3 months they zapped one of our receivers. When I called about it I was told that our receiver was capable of receiving programing we weren't paying for. They didn't come right out and accuse us of tampering with the receiver but that's the impression I got. It was like the customer service was reading from a script because I called several times. The guy that installed the dish couldn't believe it and he called. " Electronic genius" that I am I'm not capable of doing that. This was a receiver that they sent and they wanted $150 to send us a new receiver. We had paid for a year of service. We made do with one receiver until our year was up and we went with Direct. When I called to cancel our service, then they wanted to give me a free receiver. I told them too late, where do you want me to send your equipment.

Martha

[rvgrammy1953]

We've had DirecTV, on and off, since the days of the 6ft. dish in the back yard... but since we started this life on the road, we've had DirecTV....find we don't need the HD, mainly because it has to have 3 LMBs (the little round thingys on the dish) to receive the signal from a couple of satellites...regular signal only has to get signal from 1 satellite..alot easier to find & receive the signal...and it's a royal pain in the butt hitting those satellites...this is also one of the reasons we don't have DISH....their system runs off 2 satellites and that's just for regular service...their HD runs off 3 satellites....(I sold both systems when I worked at Radio Shack..so am relaying what was explained in training sessions.) We've thought about getting one of those portable domes, but will do that in the future...we have the East Coast feeds for the "over the air Networks, i.e. CBS,NBC, ABC, FOX...use to get both east & west, but they changed that a couple of years ago and we had to choose...We use out roof top antenna when we want local News & Weather or when the darn trees are just too thick.. for the satellite system....Our customer service experience has been very good....and since we've been customers, like, FOREVER, , we receive annual "gifts" like free movies on PPV & discounts....we pay less than $90 for about 100 channels which includes the feed from NYC,& 2 receivers, plus tax...since our programming is old, if we wanted to add channels or change it, it would cost us more....(we've asked and this is what we found out.) So we're happy with what we got.... We've set up this satellite dish for so long that we got it down to 10 to 15 minutes to get it going, unless there's alot of trees...then...maybe a half hour...

Okay, now you know all about our service and set up....Hope this helps....