Best Satellite

Coach33 · 08-19-2015, 04:14 PM

Fall is near and the wife and I and some friends plan on traveling and doing some college tailgating. My Jayco is satellite ready and I have DIRECT TV at home but was wondering what the best satellite package was to use on the road where I can get HD. Have done some searching but would like some input from everyone please.

RVhiker · 08-19-2015, 04:24 PM

I think most that are familiar with Dish will like Dish and those most familiar with DirecTV will like DirecTV. I just don't think there is a one size fits all answer.

Grumpy · 08-19-2015, 04:36 PM

What type dish will you be using. If you are looking at an automatic free standing(not roof mounted) antenna the only system that will give you access to HD is DISH network. If you take along a tripod mounted antenna (one that you aim, which can be a PITA) you could do DISH or DIRECT in HD. If you decide on a roof mounted (not in motion) for your DIRECT TV service it would have to be the Winegard Traveler in order to get HD ($1,900 plus install on average)

I have DIRECT non HD and I am very happy since I can subscribe to the distant networks with the RV account (NBC, CBS, ABC and FOX out of New York). We have an in-motion antenna that allows me to DVR the "Bosses" favorite shows while we travel.

Coach33 · 08-19-2015, 04:45 PM

To be honest I am looking for a dish that will be somewhat inexpensive. Not that I want to cut corners but if I have to pay that much for HD I have no problem just getting a dish that sits on the ground or a tripod outside the RV. Once again, just for tailgating type weekends where we could maybe watch a few games. I was kind of wondering the best dish for the price.

donellen30 · 08-19-2015, 04:55 PM

We have Dish at home, so went with a Dish Tailgater. Total cost was about $500 for the Tailgater and receiver. Easy setup and works great.

Grumpy · 08-19-2015, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by donellen30

Dish Tailgater. Total cost was about $500 for the Tailgater and receiver. Easy setup and works great.

That's what I would recommend as well for what you want to do. Especially since you can activate and deactivate with no penalties and no contracts. They have a package that includes the HD receiver, but it does not have a DVR.

etex211 · 08-19-2015, 05:34 PM

If you want HD, then the simplest and cheapest solution by far is the Dish Tailgater.

edatlanta · 08-20-2015, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coach33

To be honest I am looking for a dish that will be somewhat inexpensive. Not that I want to cut corners but if I have to pay that much for HD I have no problem just getting a dish that sits on the ground or a tripod outside the RV. Once again, just for tailgating type weekends where we could maybe watch a few games. I was kind of wondering the best dish for the price.

I would check tv4rv.com. I use their tripod full time and it works great with a slimline dish. They have a dish available also that is HD compatible, but you might find the dish cheaper locally. I got a dish from a rental home one time after the renters moved. You just have to make sure the LNB is compatible with your receiver, but the LNB is replaceable if you have to.

tylersdad · 08-20-2015, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coach33

To be honest I am looking for a dish that will be somewhat inexpensive. Not that I want to cut corners but if I have to pay that much for HD I have no problem just getting a dish that sits on the ground or a tripod outside the RV. Once again, just for tailgating type weekends where we could maybe watch a few games. I was kind of wondering the best dish for the price.

The advantage of the tripod dish is, if your rig is obscured by trees, you can move the tripod around until you have clear line of sight to the satellites. My parents have the unit on the roof of their rig that automagically adjusts itself. There have been a lot of places where their satellite was blocked by trees.

buckeyejim · 08-20-2015, 08:54 AM

I have Direct TV SD, had HD with a tripod & dish, remember you have to aim @ 3 sats when setting up. Sat 101,103,& 119, plus tilt & azmith, I have a Bird Dog Meter, and it was so frustrating to get a 3 sats, aimed, if it was not perfect no picture, went back to non HD single LNB. Have not tried DISH, it seems less complicated, however I have heard the picture quality is better with Direct TV.

Happy Camping!!

Buckeyejim
Columbus OHIO

goducks · 08-20-2015, 09:56 AM

You won't be able to get Directv in HD with anything other than a Winegard Traveler or a stationary tri pod style HD dish. Any of the portable sats only give SD.
Dish HD can be had with most all portable sats. Why DTV isn't available in HD with the portables is beyond me.
You can get some portables that will give you DTV in SD. That's the easiest but more costly route. Apr $400+. You can get a stationary tripod setup for for $150+/-. You would need to take one of your home receivers with you regardless.
I'm in the same boat as we have DTV. I really want HD but it looks like I will have to settle for SD as I really don't want to deal with trying to locate 3 sats using a stationary sat. We've had DTV for 10+ years and really like it. I don't want to switch to Dish because I don't like the way you have to navigate thru their programming. Also I get the NFL package and that's not available with Dish.
I plan on just getting an SD DTV stationary sat dish. It's cheaper and I've had one in the past and it's pretty easy to acquire one sat as opposed to 3.

cekkk · 08-20-2015, 10:02 AM

A Dish Tailgater can be purchased for 300 to 350 and you own it. Dish doesn't lease or sell them, they just refer you to a retailer. You can lease or purchase from Dish a 211 receiver for about 100. Setting up takes no more time than to put the Tailgater on the ground, attach the RG6 to it and preferably directly into the 211. The power to the Tailgater is supplied by the coax. Call dish, tell them your camping address and you'll have local stations plus whatever stations are in your package. Main drawback for a Direct subscriber is you have to purchase a Dish package too. You can call Dish when you are thru camping and they'll shut off charges for the 211. But I'm not sure whether you have to continue paying for the channel package. Best bet is to switch to Dish at home just because I've been screwed twice by Direct and don't think a lot of the company.

goducks · 08-20-2015, 10:53 AM

Problem with switching to Dish is if you're only using the tailgate sat service a few months of the year then the rest of the time your stuck with Dish programming the rest of the year.

SparkDr · 08-20-2015, 01:06 PM

I've been through the gamut with myriad DirectTv setups over the years at my home man-cave, remote hunting camp, NASCAR tailgating, and RV'ing. I used the Winegard Carryout for years for SD programming when traveling with permanent 18" dishes at the camp and home. Extra box was a $5/mo adder to existing DirecTv account and the auto-find feature worked flawlessly. I found that the rubber feet on the carryout perfectly straddled the top of my 4' fiberglass step ladder to elevate it off the ground. I recently retired the Carryout to a shelf in the garage as I switched over to HD with a SWM setup and life is a little more complicated now. I now have a new sidewall mounted dish at home, a new pole mounted dish at camp, and a TV4RV adjustable tripod and folding-arm dish for NASCAR tailgating and RV'ing. As with before, I am still just moving a single box from location to location. As others have stated, there is no DirecTv HD auto-find dome in the market. The difference maker for me has been the purchase of the same AIM (Advanced Installation Meter) as used by the DirecTv installers. It wasn't cheap at over $400 and there is a bit of a learning curve. Now that I've mastered it, I can peak and dither any SD or HD setup in a matter of minutes. I've even found a nice little niche income at the NASCAR races...lots of people are willing to throw 10 bucks my way to dial their dish in for them. I don't know how word travels so quickly, but I've had folks tracking me down at my site to hire me every year. I've paid for the meter several times over with this income alone. You can get the HD dishes dialed in well enough to work without the meter, too. It just takes a little extra fussin' from time to time.

Coach33 · 08-20-2015, 01:20 PM

Great info guys! So Spark I guess what you are saying is if I want just SD service I can get one of the smaller portable dishes and then just get a box from my DTV dealer and I will get all the channels I do at home just not in HD.

SparkDr · 08-20-2015, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coach33

Great info guys! So Spark I guess what you are saying is if I want just SD service I can get one of the smaller portable dishes and then just get a box from my DTV dealer and I will get all the channels I do at home just not in HD.

Correct!

edatlanta · 08-20-2015, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goducks

You won't be able to get Directv in HD with anything other than a Winegard Traveler or a stationary tri pod style HD dish. Any of the portable sats only give SD.
Dish HD can be had with most all portable sats. Why DTV isn't available in HD with the portables is beyond me.
You can get some portables that will give you DTV in SD. That's the easiest but more costly route. Apr $400+. You can get a stationary tripod setup for for $150+/-. You would need to take one of your home receivers with you regardless.
I'm in the same boat as we have DTV. I really want HD but it looks like I will have to settle for SD as I really don't want to deal with trying to locate 3 sats using a stationary sat. We've had DTV for 10+ years and really like it. I don't want to switch to Dish because I don't like the way you have to navigate thru their programming. Also I get the NFL package and that's not available with Dish.
I plan on just getting an SD DTV stationary sat dish. It's cheaper and I've had one in the past and it's pretty easy to acquire one sat as opposed to 3.

With the Slimline dish you just set the tilt (skew), preset the elevation, start your search at the correct azimuth. I usually have to raise the elevation a degree or so to fine tune, but I can find the satellite in seconds. You do not have to aim for 3 sats. You aim for 101 and if you set the skew properly the other two sats are good to go.

I don't have an expensive meter. I use the DirecTV receiver strength meter and a wireless baby monitor. Aim the camera at the signal strength screen and have the remote outside. The HR44 Genie has the audible tone back so I swing the dish until I hear the tone and then fine tune looking at the strength screen on the baby monitor. If you have an older receiver you can still look at the monitor.

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