Satellite Dish Which one to buy.

[Marketing Mafia]

Ok we just purchased a new 2014 38rl and it came pre-wired for a satellite dish. We had a dish on our old fifth wheel it was the single LNB manual crank up and locate type of system. We have been with Dish network for years and are planning to stay with them. They told me that I could take the receiver out of my house and put it in the RV. I have two receivers in the house and would like to move them to the RV when we travel one in the bedroom and one in the living room. What systems has everyone used and which ones do you recommend. I want to have HD and the ability to watch in either the bedroom or living room.

Thanks in advance for your help

Victor

[Radio_Flyer]

From what I understand, they are pre-wired for the Winegard Trav'ler. Just did the install myself last weekend. Simple install. I too take my receivers from the house to the rig. Check out Atom Ant's install pictures, makes it easy to do. I bought mine from PPL Motorhomes. Good luck and enjoy your new rig.

[0nTheRoad]

Victor,

You have three types of sat antennas in the RV world; Portable Carryout, Portable Automatic Carryout or Roof Mounted.
The Protable Carryout, the least expensive, is the old traditional dish like the one on the side of your S&B home, only difference is its portable, its mounted on a tripod. You assemble it onsite and manually aim it at the satellites.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j...05777104122175

The Portable Automatic Carryout is also one that you set out via cable but typically it will automatically find the sats. These are more expensive but give you the convenience of not having to manually search for the sats. There are several options here, probably the most popular are the Tailgater [SD only] and Pathway X2
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...L._SL1500_.jpg
http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/t...-x2-no-rec.jpg

The Roof Mounted are typically the most expensive. The easiest to setup but if you're under trees...well you won't get sat!! There are several options here too, some are SD only, some both HD & SD. Popular models here are the King Dome [SD] and Trav'ler [HD]
http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/t...-tv-system.jpg
http://www.satpro.tv/images/products/detail/sk100.jpg

I have two antennas, my primary [1st choice] is a Trav'ler on the roof, my backup [2nd choice] is a PathwayX2. Both give me HD on both receivers.

So, many choices, big difference in pricing. Do some research and look for the solution that works for you.

[atom ant]

The Redwood satellite prep is truly set up for the traveler. A dedicated coax to each of the two TVs (LR, BR) and a control cable that plugs right into the antenna and power box in the bedroom (at least on ours).

The Traveler is the only automatic that can see all three satellites for Dish at one time, and receives Dish in HD. Some of the dome and portable antennas can only see one or two satellites at the same time, limiting you viewing a bit when both TVs are in use.

Originally installed our Traveler on the Redwood with a Dish VIP-722 DVR in the LR and a VIP-222 Duo in the BR that ran the BR TV and the basement TV (basement in SD). We later switched to the Hopper/Joey system and have HD on all 3 TVs using the original Redwood prep wiring.

There is a wiring schematic floating around that was provided by Redwood for the 36RL that should apply to yours. I don't have the right computer or I would send it to you. I can tomorrow unless somebody beats me to it.

[0nTheRoad]

For all DISH customers... DISH has two sets of satellites used for HD programming, the EASTERN [61.5°, 72.7° and 77°] and WESTERN [110° 119° and 129 ° ] Arcs.

DISH uses different sats in different markets so depending on where you are located your feeds could be either Eastern or Western arc sats. To see which sats are used in your market go here.

Many of the RV antennas have Western Arc LNB's [the little things on the front of the antenna].The Trav'ler is set to search for the Western Arc sats, it can be manually tuned to the Eastern Arc but you won't get all 3 of these sats because the LNB's aren't aligned for them There is a Western Arc LNB set but as far as I know Winegard doesn't have a Trav'ler Eastern Arc program/conversion.

My point... as you move around you might/might not receive HD locals depending on which set of sats are used in the specific location. For example while in Florida I had HD locals [Western Arc feed], now in Branson MO I don't [Eastern Arc feed]. I still get HD on the other channels, e.g. HGTV, ESPN, etc. but not locals.

[Marketing Mafia]

Thanks everyone for the info one more question is there a satellite dish that also allows you to receive internet along with HD TV?

Victor

[0nTheRoad]

Victor,

As far as I know there is not. From what I understand the internet sat requires it's own antenna.

[atom ant]

Ya, hughes net or something like that. Some have a sexy indigo light glowing on the LNB at night no them big Prevosts

[homeguy]

When we went fulltime, we took the DVR and dish from the house. It was a Western Arc. We have been on the East coast for quite a while and the Western Arc worked fine until we had trees in the way that we couldn't get around. The Dish tech came out and changed our Western for an Eastern. The only difference as I understand between the 2, is where to point the dish.

[atom ant]

homeguy,
Do you have the Travler? The manuals can be re-aimed, but I don't think the software for the Travler is available for the east coast arc.

[0nTheRoad]

Originally Posted by homeguy

The Dish tech came out and changed our Western for an Eastern. The only difference as I understand between the 2, is where to point the dish.

The configuration on the LNB's is different, if you try to use a Western Arc LNB on the Eastern Arc you can only align with one or maybe two of the sats...the LNB's are spaced differently on the two different setups.

[DLRAKOWITZ]

Well I know I will need the manual carry out since my trailer will be under a custom shed at our ranch. So I know that part but the other is when I call dish and try to explain to them I need a box for my trailer they want to send someone out to install it and when they get an address that no map can find they freak out and money starts to add up from there Most of the time they will not let you do it your self How did you guys make this work for you

[atom ant]

I don't think they will install in an RV. I think they actually told me that. We installed ours ourself.

I believe if you want it installed you have to go to a Dealer like Camping World.

[DLRAKOWITZ]

I spoke to them several times and since they wanted to charge me 3 toes and a finger for the dish they requested to have a tech come out to install the box. Since then I got my hands on a HD dish 500 with stand and mount for the barn but a box is hard to come by unless you get it from dish

[DLRAKOWITZ]

And of course the boss of the house won't let me take the box outed the house because were not always together at the same time I'm one way and she still might be several days behind and no tv by herself is not a good thing at night.

[atom ant]

Originally Posted by DLRAKOWITZ

I spoke to them several times and since they wanted to charge me 3 toes and a finger for the dish they requested to have a tech come out to install the box. Since then I got my hands on a HD dish 500 with stand and mount for the barn but a box is hard to come by unless you get it from dish

Box isn't hard to come by at all. Amazon.com. got all of my boxes There, including my Hopper and Joeys

[arcticman1957]

The issue I have with the Pathway 2X is while it supports two TV's with different channels they both have to be on the same satellite. We are much happy with your tripod and dish.

[homeguy]

No traveler. We started out with the dish that was in our backyard in Aurora, your neck of the woods, almost. We now have the same type, just an Eastern arc.

[rob_fla]

We have been Fulltime 3 years now and have always used a manual tripod.
It gives us flexibility since most of the time here on the East Coast we are in parks where trees would block a roof top satellite dish.
With a 75 foot cable, the Dish Finder App on the I Phone to find a clear view of all 3 satellites then tune them in with a AccuTek III meter.
Total setup time is usually about 5 minutes.
Since we typically move every two weeks of so, I have had a lot of practice and can get a signal in parks / locations where nobody else has reception.
I have people come over and ask me quite often, how are I getting satellite reception?
I show them a opening I found in the trees and get full HD.

[csb]

Do you take the hopper, joey system from the stick house, or do you have a dedicated system for the RV? Do you have Dish? Do you pay a separate bill for the RV?
New to this. I know you have to have a receiver to get reception but do you have to go through Dish or Direct or?????