Which Sat dish for travel in the RV

JohnEd · February 03, 2011, 08:38:54 PM

Guys,

I am all for those of you that have the crank-up sat dishes and the rest that have the OTR version. I won't be investing in that much tech at this ti,e....if ever. I just want the sat service when I get settled in somewhere. What is the best system that can be set up on a tripod next to the RV?

I have a Dish model 722K HD DVC in the house that I want to take with us. I haven't looked at the "kits" or called Dish...but I will. What can you give me for advice on what to buy and maybe how to tell "which" truth to the Dish lady.

I got the HD add-on antenna for the Weingard and I have a HD flat panel from Panasonic.

If there is a thread with still current info that would do the trick.

Oh yeah, I need an antenna for the HD signal.

Thanks,

John

desi arnaz · February 04, 2011, 04:02:55 AM

i like my kvm for $1400 never misses a beat works great on the run.

Ace · February 04, 2011, 04:19:56 AM

I spent 600 bucks on my king dome. Turn it on, let it scan, Wa-La...no muss, no fuss! Very easy install. No coax to drag around, no dish to carry in the bay. Great support when and if you need it. Mine was a factory refurbished unit hence the low price.normally around 1200 bucks. Couldn't beat the deal. They treat it as though it's a brand new unit which it actually was. It was on display at a dealer and returned when they went out of business. Thoroughly home over and sold. It only works while parked, not traveling.

baker4106 · February 04, 2011, 06:43:39 AM

If you have two Dish receivers and take one with you on the bus, Dish will turn one off and will not let you have both on at the same time. We had to switch to Direct because of this. Direct is easy to aim.

robertglines1 · February 04, 2011, 06:57:21 AM

We use dish and they never turned us off when away from home. That said in Highway mag this edition Direct offers a package and part of it is a free mobile tri pod stand &dish and installation in both house and rv. FWIW Bob PS I have crank up now but in new build am just going with outside unit:Most all the places we stay have cable.

justin25taylor · February 05, 2011, 08:33:26 AM

Never heard about dish turning off one of the boxes.

I will say this: Back when the DVR units came out, most of the entertainer coaches I drive had them installed. It only took one little bump to knock out the hard drive rendering the unit non functional.

If you use a DVR, use it only when stopped.

Good Luck,
Justin

James77MCI8 · February 05, 2011, 08:51:20 AM

I use a tripod stand from a Bose speaker system and picked up a used dish from the local Direct TV distributor. I mounted the dish onto the tripod. When I travel , I take one of the receivers from my house and put it in the S&S. Once I get to where I am going, I connect my portable dish unit to the receiver, turn the unit on and use the signal strength meter to find the birds. Then I sit back and enjoy the show. If it stops raining here I will get the dish set up out and post some pictures of it.

JohnEd · February 05, 2011, 12:39:51 PM

Ace,

You are at the forefront of bargains again. What model do you have and what was your source? I want to make sure I get HD. Please.

Thank you all for most interesting answers. I think I will drag my dish along

John

baker4106 · February 05, 2011, 12:53:08 PM

If you put a Dish receiver from your house into your RV and Dish finds out, they WILL shut one off.(experience) Then they were nasty on the phone and told me to call Direct if I wanted. Don't call them if you have a problem on the road.

Seayfam · February 05, 2011, 01:18:38 PM

Quote from: Ace on February 04, 2011, 04:19:56 AM
I spent 600 bucks on my king dome. Turn it on, let it scan, Wa-La...no muss, no fuss! Very easy install. No coax to drag around, no dish to carry in the bay. Great support when and if you need it. Mine was a factory refurbished unit hence the low price.normally around 1200 bucks. Couldn't beat the deal. They treat it as though it's a brand new unit which it actually was. It was on display at a dealer and returned when they went out of business. Thoroughly home over and sold. It only works while parked, not traveling.

I am with Ace on this one!!
I have the King-Dome model D9702 It works good and is fairly inexpensive. I just take the receiver from the house and go. Also if you want to upgrade it to work wile traveling, I believe its just a simple upgrade. "I may be wrong on the upgrade" but I thought I read that someware.

Gary

Seayfam · February 05, 2011, 01:33:33 PM

I just went on line to see what mine costs today, its $1295

Gary

JohnEd · February 05, 2011, 01:46:32 PM

Baker,

I called them and they refered me to a local installer/retailer. Everybody was helpful and polite. It turns out they invited me to put my receiver in my RV and told me I would only need a $50 antenna for HD, coax and a sig strength meter. I have the meter and the tech invited me into the shop to get a little hands on training with him. I told him to jam his system where the sun don't shine if he was going to be that rude and disrespectful......(little joke there)

I am not contradicting you about your experience. All these shops have their own attitude and each is staffed with human "beans". I did not ask about using my "second unit" at a different location as that "should" be illegal considering that that would constitute two sat receiver systems for the price of one. When I travel my home sys isn't used so I can take it with me and shut down my home system second shop receiver.

John

James77MCI8 · February 05, 2011, 02:16:42 PM

How would they find out where it is unless you tell them? Never been an issue for me.

ruthi · February 05, 2011, 07:18:58 PM

Dont know about Dish, but, I do know if you dont use a receiver for a while, they will turn it off, and when you use it again, you have to call them. A royal pain, for sure. Direct knows we have receivers installed in our bus, as we have talked to them many times about it. They dont care. Also, we have always had a dvr in our bus, and it runs about all the time, parked and going down the road, never had any problems.

PSmith · February 06, 2011, 06:21:33 AM

I don't have an in-motion antenna - I'd probably go to the couch and watch TV going down the road

...

Seriously, I use a crank up dish (single LNB -and DishNetwrk) for the 'clear' camp-spots and another dish setup on a stand for boondocking in the trees. I have to re-aim it for certain HD or local channels, but I don't mind. Someday I may upgrade to a self-aiming dish that moves to each satellite according to the chosen channel. They're nice...

phil

Which Sat dish for travel in the RV

PSmith