Dish Tailgater ladder mount.

[etex211]

Here are some pics of the ladder mount I made for my Dish Tailgater. I can put it up or take it back down in only a couple of minutes without any tools. I can also stand on the ground, rotate into the proper position, and lock it down.

I built it mostly with stuff I had laying around. I've got about fifty bucks tied up in it, including my homemade security cable. Most of the fifty bucks (about $35, including shipping) was spent on the two aluminum brackets that enable me to bolt it to the ladder.

I'll be happy to share more details if anybody is interested.

Incidentally, I built this thing so I could rotate it a full 360 degrees and lock it down. That may have been unnecessary. The installer that installed Dish at my house last week told me that the dish inside the tailgater has a full 360 degree rotation. It doesn't matter which direction the handle is pointed. My handle was pointed west whenever he used it to enable/register my 211k receiver.

Two pics attached.

[etex211]

Please ignore the cobwebs on my windows, lol.

[Ustabslim]

I like that. I made one out of three pieces of cutting board and two 2 inch conduit hanger that hang on ladder. I like your better. I'll be making A new one now.

[CookieMonster]

Originally Posted by etex211

Here are some pics of the ladder mount I made for my Dish Tailgater. I can put it up or take it back down in only a couple of minutes without any tools. I can also stand on the ground, rotate into the proper position, and lock it down.

I built it mostly with stuff I had laying around. I've got about fifty bucks tied up in it, including my homemade security cable. Most of the fifty bucks (about $35, including shipping) was spent on the two aluminum brackets that enable me to bolt it to the ladder.

I'll be happy to share more details if anybody is interested.

Incidentally, I built this thing so I could rotate it a full 360 degrees and lock it down. That may have been unnecessary. The installer that installed Dish at my house last week told me that the dish inside the tailgater has a full 360 degree rotation. It doesn't matter which direction the handle is pointed. My handle was pointed west whenever he used it to enable/register my 211k receiver.

Two pics attached.

Would like some more details...especially where you ordered/purchased the aluminum brackets...

Thanks.

[Mustang65]

When I first got my TailGater, I could not figure out why it took so long to align itself with the satelites. I was talking to one of the DISH Tech/Eng on another issue and I mentioned it to him.. he said the easy fix to that is you always point your handle norht. That way every time you set it up with the handle facing north, the unit is within a few degrees from where it will need to be, because that is where it was when you shut it down the last time. That is unless you are traveling across the country, then it will take a little longer.

Sounded right to me, and it does take a lot less time to setup.

ETEX211 nice setup, may have to look into making one. Currently the TailGater sets perfectly between the ladder's bars on the roof, so I bungie the unit to the ladder and put a security cable through it. Works fine..

Don

[etex211]

Originally Posted by CookieMonster

Would like some more details...especially where you ordered/purchased the aluminum brackets...

Thanks.

Here you go. You want the 1" round clamp on brackets.

Product Detail - Performance Bodies Stock Car Bodies & Parts

[rick danger]

Originally Posted by Mustang65

When I first got my TailGater, I could not figure out why it took so long to align itself with the satelites. I was talking to one of the DISH Tech/Eng on another issue and I mentioned it to him.. he said the easy fix to that is you always point your handle norht. That way every time you set it up with the handle facing north, the unit is within a few degrees from where it will need to be, because that is where it was when you shut it down the last time. That is unless you are traveling across the country, then it will take a little longer.

Sounded right to me, and it does take a lot less time to setup.

ETEX211 nice setup, may have to look into making one. Currently the TailGater sets perfectly between the ladder's bars on the roof, so I bungie the unit to the ladder and put a security cable through it. Works fine..

Don

I got mine yesterday and was planning on something like you did with the "loops" for the ladder. I was thinking of u-bolting a piece of aluminum I have to the "inside" (roof side) of the loops. I want to be able to leave it there when driving. Then hope for the best when parked. If I have to I'll have a couple of wing nuts or something to take it down and find a place with a sat. view. Couple of questions: .......How sensitive to level is the tailgater? Is there a difference between the 211z and 211k? Can I have a splitter on the receiver for two different tailgater connections? (one from the roof and one from the side of the trailer) Depending on where I want to hook it up. That shouldnt be splitting the signal which I know you cant do. Also, ETEX211, did you take it apart to through bolt the mount on the bottom?

[etex211]

Originally Posted by rick danger

Is there a difference between the 211z and 211k? Also, ETEX211, did you take it apart to through bolt the mount on the bottom?

You want the 211k because it has the multiple outputs.

There are four blind holes in the bottom of the Tailgater. I used a 1/4-20 tap to thread those holes. I use four wing screws that I got at Lowe's to attach the Tailgater to the plate. I disassemble mine after each use. I don't travel with it up there.

[Mustang65]

Originally Posted by rick danger

I was thinking of u-bolting a piece of aluminum I have to the "inside" (roof side) of the loops. I want to be able to leave it there when driving. Then hope for the best when parked. If I have to I'll have a couple of wing nuts or something to take it down and find a place with a sat. view.

I am not sure I am reading this correctly, but do you plan on mounting the tailgater on the top part of the ladder (roof side)? If so, I do not think that is a good idea as the tailgater will not withstand 60mph wind while traveling.

Just my thoughts,

Don

[rick danger]

Hmmm, interesting.
didnt think of that. I was planning on traveling with it. So you dont think the bottom, even with through bolts will stand the wind pressure at highway speeds? Oh and as far as the 211 goes ,I already got the "Z" I bought an amplified hdmi splitter box from monoprice ,and was going to go off that to two tv's. I dont care if they have to be on the same channel since I'll be by my lonesome. Is the "K" a dual tuner model? Did either of you look into adding an external hard drive to make it a dvr? (for the one time $40 I think it is).

[etex211]

Originally Posted by rick danger

Hmmm, interesting.
didnt think of that. I was planning on traveling with it. So you dont think the bottom, even with through bolts will stand the wind pressure at highway speeds? Oh and as far as the 211 goes ,I already got the "Z" I bought an amplified hdmi splitter box from monoprice ,and was going to go off that to two tv's. I dont care if they have to be on the same channel since I'll be by my lonesome. Is the "K" a dual tuner model? Did either of you look into adding an external hard drive to make it a dvr? (for the one time $40 I think it is).

The 211k and the 211z can both only tune in one channel at a time.

The 211z has only one output, the HDMI output.

The 211k has two outputs, the HDMI output and a 75 ohm output. The 75 ohm output allows you to send the signal to the remaining TVs in your camper (bedroom, basement, etc) using the existing cable already in the camper. The main TV (HDMI) would have an HD signal, while the other TVs (75 ohm) would have an SD signal. All TVs would be able to be used at the same time, tuned into the same channel.

[Mustang65]

Originally Posted by rick danger

Hmmm, interesting.
didnt think of that. I was planning on traveling with it. So you dont think the bottom, even with through bolts will stand the wind pressure at highway speeds? Did either of you look into adding an external hard drive to make it a dvr? (for the one time $40 I think it is).

I have added the USB hard drive to my system. You will need to format it using the receivers menu, and make a "ONE TIME" payment of $40 dollars to DISH to activate the option. Works GREAT!! I would recommend nothing less than a 2Tb hard drive, as the movies use up a lot of space.

As for the tailgater on the roof, I sure would not want to be the car behind you while you are traveling at 60 down the highway. There are TINY little screws holding the 2 halves together and the plastic boss(s) on the bottom of the unit would break off with the strong wind blowing against the unit. They were not built for that type of use. Although, I did originally think of doing that. It would be about as aerodynamic as a flat piece of board mounted on top of your ladder.

I like the DISH receiver that has the SLING BOX incorporated into it. That way I could leave that unit running at home and log into it from where ever we are camping (Wi-Fi permitting), and get our local stations, while using the 211/Tailgater on the TT. Only problem is, you can't use both boxes in two different location on the same contract, would have to pay for separate services... according to DISH.. not to say that there is not a way around that.

Just my thoughts,

Don

Just my thoughts,

Don

[rick danger]

I exchanged one of my 612 dual tuner dvr receivers yesterday for the 211z. The plan is to just take the 211 with me when I travel. Do you think that will work? I figuerd it would be better than buying the 211 and then haveing to pay $75 for a months service when I went away. ....And I'm not giving up on the roof mount thing .....I'll have what amounts to a flat aluminum platform to work with. If I bolt the tailgater to another aluminum plate (both 3/16") Then hinge the two plates together at the front and "lay down "the tailgater for travel so its top is facing forward it would be more aerodynamic and lower. Then have a strap around its middle(belt?) widest part. Maybe a 2" strap and have a couple of pins in the tailgater with corrosponding holes in the strap to keep it in place. Sounds complicated, but shouldnt be to bad....Thing is to have it not be to hard to remove or stand up for use. The whole idea of it is to have it be able to be removed and relocated for a site with trees.....Love a challenge

[namusmc65]

Amazing what we do to get away to the peace and quiet and then go to all this trouble to watch tv.

[popcorn]

K is the older unit it has hdmi and 75 ohm coaxial outputs and regular yellow red white output. The Z model only has hdmi and yellow red white outputs. You can use a 10 to 15 dollar RF modulator to send the signal back throughout your trailer on the ant/cable port ,,, make sure the light on the antenna booster is off ,,, then all your ports in the trailer will have the same picture as the first. It is getting harder to find the older K models but with a cheap RF modulator you can work around the second tv problem

[etex211]

Originally Posted by Mustang65

I am not sure I am reading this correctly, but do you plan on mounting the tailgater on the top part of the ladder (roof side)? If so, I do not think that is a good idea as the tailgater will not withstand 60mph wind while traveling.

Just my thoughts,

Don

Do you really believe I went to all the trouble to make this thing so that it could be put up and taken down completely without tools so I could leave it up there permanently?

The camper never moves with this in place. It takes me about 2 minutes to put it up and adjust it, and even less time to take it down.