Seneca Wingard in-motion problems

[mikew968]

I hooked a Dish Wally up to the Satellite. When i set the service up I was at home and finally got everything working fine. The first trip we took was in the woods so I thought that was the issue. The 2nd trip was in the middle of a parking lot with a clear sky view and it never could connect. Got back home and could not connect. Dish CS has been worthless just asking you to reset. Getting ahold of someone at Wingard is difficult to impossible.

Any help out there?

Thanks,

Mike

[Grumpy]

Are you sure there is power to the dish and it didn't blowva fuse?

[mikew968]

For about 10 min after turning on the switch to the dish it whines and whirls so I am assuming it has power.

[Grumpy]

Definitely sounds like a dish problem. It should lock on the sat in a couple minutes at the most. I would take the cover off and make sure nothing came loose and that the antenna is actually moving.

[rgolding]

Are you connected to the right satellites?
The normal DISH VIP211K (or whatever model for RV's) only connects to the western satellites.
Our Wally was connected to the eastern.
Did you have DISH and another working receiver before?
A little more history and info would help

[mikew968]

About 6 weeks ago I bought a Wally for Dish and installed and contacted dish to help get it setup. The unit had a Wingard from the original build. This was the first time we set it up. The installation was fine and all was working. The rest of the post picks it up from there. At this point not sure if this is a equipment or programming issue and whether it is a dish or Dish issue...lol.

[Mnwelsh]

There are DIP switches on the satellite dish that are set for Direct TV at the factory. They have to be set to another position for Dish Tv. But if it initially got the Dish Signal when you set it up you must have changed them at that time. Look at the booklet that came with the satellite dish and it gives you the pin setting for Dish vs Direct Tv.

[rgolding]

I started our association with DISH about 7 years ago. At that time we bought a Winegard Tailgater and DISH VIP211K receiver. It has been in 2 trailers and now our Seneca. Over the last couple of years, we have retired. Given up cable and totally gone with DISH and within the last month, moved in to a duplex at an independent living complex and upgraded to the DISH Hopper with the 3 Joey slaves. At the old house, we had 2 DISH DVR's and a slave off of each one of those. in this move, my thought was to put one of the DVR's in the Seneca and maybe sell the VIP211K, its 7 years old. I was told I could not use a household DVR in the RV because of the hard drive and it being damaged while going down the road. The solution was to put A HARD DRIVE add on to the VIP211K. So far that has worked great.

Not sure what the Wally is, but I guess I'm questioning if it is made to be jostled gown the road?

How about going back to your original location and trying to reestablish your DISH service with their help?

7 years ago, my original setup took quite a while with both DISH and Winegard. Problem ended up being a bed receiver and DISH had me another one in 2 days.

Original purchase of the VIP211K was from Camping World, replacement was straight from DISH. DISH's RV Tech Support is great! The regular service sometimes requires pressing 1 for English and I have sometimes had trouble with DISH's English translation to small town, Midwest, country boy, conservative, American, but I really try to be fair.

Anyway, if you can, I'd go back to your original setup, talk a DISH RV Technician, Monday through Friday, full time professional people and the Winegard people almost at the same time and try to recreate your original setup.

One more thing, that I know or at least was told, Dish has satellites in both the southeastern and southwestern skies, but the VIP211K's only pick up the southwestern satellites.

[mikew968]

The Wally is the newest RV receiver and I haven't changed anything from when it worked. And I tried it at home and no go. Just not sure how to trouble shoot the Wingard vs the Wally vs the Dish programming.

[Les7h]

We don't have the Wally- but sometimes it will take over an hour for the dish to know that it has a signal even though we may have had perfect picture and sound for 45 minutes - Winegard says that it's normal but it usually takes around 10 minutes
Really frustrating

[rgolding]

Originally Posted by mikew968

The Wally is the newest RV receiver and I haven't changed anything from when it worked. And I tried it at home and no go. Just not sure how to trouble shoot the Wingard vs the Wally vs the Dish programming.

I'd get the DISH RV Techs on the phone to give you an idea how to trouble shoot.

[mikew968]

Dish agreed to credit our first month and i will start the service back up when I can trouble shoot the unit. The problem is if the Dish tech can't fix it we will need to call Winegard and they are only open until 5pm eastern. Worst case scenario is let the Jayco dealer figure it out when in goes back for more fixes on other issues (like the valance over the dinette that came crashing down while driving)!!

[rgolding]

Morning Mike,

Okay, so are you in a position, job, time that you can't get together over the phone with the technicians of Dish RV Department and Winegard Techs, during normal business hours? I think Winegard has Saturday hours.

If you had it going once, they can help you trouble shoot it again.

If you take it to a dealership, you learn nothing and hopefully they won't charge you an arm and a leg. Satellite TV in an RV is "a hands on every time you set up thing". Every set up is a new circumstance and new experience. Of course, so is cable hook up at a new campground and through the air finding of TV stations. You want it, you are going to have to get involved.

[mikew968]

thanks Ric,

I am kind of a DIY on mechanical stuff so will try to remedy. i am still under warranty so they are my backup!!

[rgolding]

Originally Posted by mikew968

thanks Ric,

I am kind of a DIY on mechanical stuff so will try to remedy. i am still under warranty so they are my backup!!

Mike,

I really feel that everyone I have ever met that has tried to pull a signal in from the sky and shove it in a tin box on wheels or a motorized tine or fiberglass and tin box on wheels is more than a shade tree mechanic.

I have met more frustrated campers and full timers trying to pull in signals from them little birds circling way up there in the stars . I'm convinced its all, smoke, mirrors, proper chants and potions. Dish and Winegard have made it better, but ya still gotta hold your head just right and learn how to always press 1 for English.

Winegard no muss, no fuss. They've even had me hold my cell phone to the side of the Tailgator. Literally said, "our equipment is good. Tell DISH you need a new receiver." 2 days later magic pictures appeared on the shiny box the kids, wife - (and even I) stare at for hours.

Ahhhh, getting one with nature. Smell that campfire? Close the door will yah, its getting humidid in here and my allergies are kickin in.

[sylrozn]

Hi, I would like to install a Winegard trav'ler satellite dish on the Jayco Seneca 2013, do you have recommendation?
Tx Sylvie

[SloPoke]

Not sure if this helps much... but if we leave the Winegard on, and leave the directv box on while we are travelling... we have more problems with getting it to work at our next destination.

We now make sure to turn the Winegard and DTV box off before we move - on arrival we turn on the Winegard and wait 10 mintues until the motors are stopped - then turn on the direct box.

And we learned to never use the Direct TV box internal troubleshooting program... We just restart the Direct box and wait for it to connect properly.