Satellite Dish

SgtB · 01-28-2022, 12:58 PM

Just downsized to a used 2018 Forza 34T. Previous DPs had roof mounted dishes with DirecTV as that was what we had at home. Now that we have downsized, (this rig does not have a dish), we'd like to go back to "camping" i.e., off the beaten path. Therefore, am researching a portable with "Dish," vice DirecTV as I see they offer "pay as you go" so I don't have to pay the connection charges when the rig is sitting beside to my house. Been doing some research and have my eye on The "Dish Playmaker" with the automatic connection feature. My last roof mounted dish had that feature and I loved it.
Was hoping some of you have the portables and can give me some advice and recommendations. Thanks folks and Semper Fi; Jim

Morich · 01-28-2022, 01:51 PM

I'mnotsureI can recommend any of them but that is not a worthwhile answer!
We currently have Dish at the house and had the Dish for on the road but DO NOT recommend them on any point.

Downsides?
Service is very difficult as they have layers of tech advise and you cann't move to the next until you have beaten every other option to death. First stop is to uinplug it all and then power down and wait to see if it comes backup.
It often takes hours to get through the process if they have made updates while your setup was stored! They will not agree to send the updates until you have gone through the whole scene of what their chart shows to do.
If you are in the middle of downloading the new update and a tree gets in the way to drop you, they have no method to start over, you have to send the Wally in to be replaced and that takes an argument for who should pay for that box!
Since you cannot tell how good the signal and aiming until you get connected and you can't get connected until they do the update, we felt it was not our fault! The tree was not taking the blame!

BIG NOTE!

Dish has not had an agreement with ABC for months now and it appears they do not care! I get more ads for streaming services than actual programming.....
Getting 11 ads in a row is not unusual.

I do like the DVR and using it to try to buzz through ads is always one way to distract myself.

SgtB · 01-28-2022, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morich

I'mnotsureI can recommend any of them but that is not a worthwhile answer!
We currently have Dish at the house and had the Dish for on the road but DO NOT recommend them on any point.

Downsides?
Service is very difficult as they have layers of tech advise and you cann't move to the next until you have beaten every other option to death. First stop is to uinplug it all and then power down and wait to see if it comes backup.
It often takes hours to get through the process if they have made updates while your setup was stored! They will not agree to send the updates until you have gone through the whole scene of what their chart shows to do.
If you are in the middle of downloading the new update and a tree gets in the way to drop you, they have no method to start over, you have to send the Wally in to be replaced and that takes an argument for who should pay for that box!
Since you cannot tell how good the signal and aiming until you get connected and you can't get connected until they do the update, we felt it was not our fault! The tree was not taking the blame!

BIG NOTE!

Dish has not had an agreement with ABC for months now and it appears they do not care! I get more ads for streaming services than actual programming.....
Getting 11 ads in a row is not unusual.

I do like the DVR and using it to try to buzz through ads is always one way to distract myself.

LOL, That's what I was afraid of reading some of the lesser star reviews. Had dishes on my last three rigs with DirecTV and never had a problem. Hmm, might have to rethink this. Thanks Morich for the quick response

Wingchop · 01-28-2022, 04:22 PM

I've had Dish for 19 years and have never experienced the same problems that Morich lists
Also have used Playmakers in our DP and have had really good luck with them, Just make sure they are sitting level

Chaffeekid · 01-28-2022, 05:01 PM

Well, I just had Dish in our old fiver, and it worked perfectly with a tailgaiter bolted to the rear ladder. NEVER experienced what Mr. M has. I am currently using a dish playmaker.

I called dish as my unit had been off line for a couple of months and had lost its programming. I had no trouble getting through, waited only a couple of minutes to be hooked up with someone in the OUTDOORS unit. That is who you want to talk to. They take care of the RV's.

Now, I have dish here at home also and as such the unit in my RV is just considered another receiver, so I only pay 7.00 bucks extra each month for it, I just leave it on all the time. If I hadn't been switching from the fiver to the Motorhome, thus it was unplugged for an extended period it would not have lost programming.

I have also had directv in our motorhomes and other RV's, and really can't say one is better than the other. But as Dish allows me to treat my RV as just another add on receiver, that is neat, I can afford 7 bucks a month.

Now we are switching from the tailgaiter on the back of the motorhome to the playmaker as I hear that the Playmaker antenna is more sensitive although I never had a problem with the tailgaiter either. Might keep it as a set aside if a tree or something is blocking the Playmaker.

I just got the playmaker and set it as you see it in the picture to check its operation and it is smooth and receives a great picture. As of Saturday or Sunday, depending on the weather it will be mounted on the roof.

Hope this helps
BTW Old Marine MGySgt E-9 here, Semper FI

Morich · 01-28-2022, 05:17 PM

If there is an outdoors unit to talk to , perhaps we never got the correct number to call? In most cases we were rarely connected to folks who had seen an RV and several did not understand why we would want to change the location of our house or why there would be trees in the way. You must always remove trees to get good satisfaction!
When calling from Florida to restore service we were asked if that is near Texas? Just folks who had very little idea of where we were nor what problems we could possibly have --but we were assured they would "immediately and completely take care of problem Mr. Richard, sir!"

We just had the feeling they were not "local"! Level three seemed to have a different tone. Saying things like, yah, that's kind of screwed up!

**creativepart** · 01-28-2022, 05:39 PM

Dish is pretty much the only choice as ATT lost interested in accommodating RVers for DirecTV any more. The portable dishes work pretty well. But can be noisy on your roof and sometimes slow to deal with setup and address changes. But it’s much better than it used to be.

We, like millions of others, have dumped Dish both at home and on the road and all we do is stream all of our TV over the internet. We love it and would never go back but for most people SAT is much easier to figure out and deal with. Streaming works great in the RV but uses massive amounts of data and finding affordable data plans to supply the speeds you need is tricky to say the least. I’m a bad example because I have data plans that are unobtainable in today’s marketplace.

Wayne M · 01-28-2022, 10:06 PM

I have had dish for a for over a decade and I have never had a problem. Fist MH we used the Carryout, this one I changed the roof mounted DTV open face to the Dish open face.. Pay $7 a month extra for the Wally. House has the Hopper 3 and can record 16 channels. When On The Road I can watch those recordings using the Wally.

Don't know about ABC but here it is CBS and some years ago DTV had the problem with one of the networks. CBS wants more money for Dish to rebroadcast the local and some other channels. They are asking for around $1 billion for a new contract. Tegna is the controlling player in the game and they are for sale for $8 billion, so the $1 billion would be to line the shareholders pockets. It is not Dish, it is CBS not willing to negotiate as I understand it.

So, I just use the OTA fed through my OTA receiver plugged into the back of the Dish OTA USB tuner and watch the local channels with program guide via the Dish Wally, and here at the S&B the same thing on the back of the Hopper and get the local channels free.

SgtB · 01-29-2022, 06:58 AM

I knew I'd get some good scoop from an old crusty MSgt and MGySgt. LOL brothers, you know I'm just joking, but anyway, thanks for the scoop, will visit CW today or Amazon to see who has the best deal. BTW have you two read the book, We'll All Die as Marines? Guarantee you'll ,love it.

gurroz · 01-29-2022, 08:29 AM

I have not used satellite or cable at my house for 3 or 4 years, we just stream using YouTube TV. We stream on the road when traveling as well 5 months per year. It works great! All my wife's recorded programs are available just like when we're home. There are a few times when we are deep in the forest that we lose internet connection. We then have a choice, use over-the-air TV antenna and pull in 15 -20 stations, or to my wife's delight, have game night. Some call it roughing it!

SgtB · 01-29-2022, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gurroz

I have not used satellite or cable at my house for 3 or 4 years, we just stream using YouTube TV. We stream on the road when traveling as well 5 months per year. It works great! All my wife's recorded programs are available just like when we're home. There are a few times when we are deep in the forest that we lose internet connection. We then have a choice, use over-the-air TV antenna and pull in 15 -20 stations, or to my wife's delight, have game night. Some call it roughing it!

Ok, you lost this old man. HA! Stream? Using what your iPhone? Sir I'm sorry, I know RV's very well, but today's electronics' baffle me

gurroz · 01-29-2022, 09:45 AM

Yes, we use one of our Visible phones with unlimited data as a hot spot. We have an Amazon Firestick ($35) on the TV. The TV is now an internet-connected device. If you are not aware Visible is a Verizon company. We pay $25 per month for unlimited text, call, and data.

Chaffeekid · 01-29-2022, 05:29 PM

I do exactly the same thing, it’s the only way for me. ��

Semper Fi

**creativepart** · 01-29-2022, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SgtB

Ok, you lost this old man. HA! Stream? Using what your iPhone? Sir I'm sorry, I know RV's very well, but today's electronics' baffle me

Sounds like you’re better off sticking with what you know i.e. Satellite TV.

Wayne M · 01-29-2022, 10:07 PM

I used the Winegard Carryout for 10 years. It is DIP switch programmable for DISH or DTV. However, there is no DOME on the market, and the Carryout is a DOME, that will get HD off of DTV.
The Carryout does get all three Satellites, 110, 119, and 129 for all SD and HD programs.

The caveat for DISH with the carryout is that it will only get one satellite at a time which means that all TV's have to be on the same satellite. If one changes to a channel on a different satellite then the Carryout changes one one TV will lose the signal.

Check the Winegard web site as they have a few newer portable satellite antennas that will received all channels off of one satellite. I believe it is satellite feed 61 and antenna may be the Pathway X2. The Winegard Anser was another one that got all channels on one satellite.

Semper Fi!

**creativepart** · 01-30-2022, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wayne M

Check the Winegard web site as they have a few newer portable satellite antennas that will received all channels off of one satellite. I believe it is satellite feed 61 and antenna may be the Pathway X2. The Winegard Anser was another one that got all channels on one satellite.
Semper Fi!

Wayne, I don’t know of any small domes that can feed two receivers at the same time without moving between SATs on alternate channels like the Carryout (which I also used for years). The problem is that there is only one LNB in these small dishes.

The marketing does prominently talk about two receivers but the fine print mentions one SAT at a time.

Here’s the details on the Pathway X2:

Quote:

Multiple receivers must watch programming from the same satellite, Pathway X2 antenna receives programming from 1 satellite at a time and moves between satellites as needed.

Wayne M · 01-30-2022, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wayne M

[snipped/w]

The caveat for DISH with the carryout is that it will only get one satellite at a time which means that all TV's have to be on the same satellite. If one changes to a channel on a different satellite then the Carryout changes one one TV will lose the signal.

Check the Winegard web site as they have a few newer portable satellite antennas that will received all channels off of one satellite. I believe it is satellite feed 61 and antenna may be the Pathway X2. The Winegard Anser was another one that got all channels on one satellite.

Semper Fi!

Steve, I said that it will only get one satellie at a time. However, the Carryout has two outputs to feed two receivers. It will still only get one satellite at a time.

It's been several years since I have delved into the satellite area, but a call to Winegard would confirm if any of their antennas get all the channels at the same time, such as the Anser would on Satellite 61. If that is still true then both receivers could watch what they want to watch.

I think it is still true Dish Echostar 16 (61.5)

jarnarcos · 02-02-2022, 05:29 PM

We use a cellular router (Peplink Balance 20x) along with a roof mounted antenna. For the most part you get sufficient bandwidth for streaming. And the system provides service when the hand-held cell phones can't see a signal. Works with Visible.

Joeantolik32 · 02-02-2022, 06:56 PM

I have traveler antenna on my roof so no help with portable unit. I have been in campgrounds that do not allow portable units except on the roof of your RV.
Whenever you call dish you must make them aware you have service in an RV. If you need technical support only call dish outdoors.
I don't use dish for local channels as we have found that 95% of the time we get local TV from our rooftop TV antenna.

Shedboy · 02-02-2022, 08:23 PM

Tend to agree w creativepart's approach, I have 4 antennas on my 24' Navion as well as an WEB cable connector (Ethernet) and use them for boondocking as well as using the RV as an "escape pod" in the the driveway of my residence. Don't have any experience w Direct TV. I suggest that you characterize and prioritize your needs then find the best service provider. There are 3 ways to get RV TV programming, Satellite, WiFi and cable.If you boondock, you need satellite.

If you need satellite, you need either a WEB (internet) provider or a media (TV) provider, some providers can do both.(Dish and Hughs) I have a Winegard Travlr Dish TV antenna w a Wally receiver, it works very well but is not simple to use. Motosat and Hughs are provider of satellite WEB but are costly and the antennas are 3 ft wide, mostly used for commercial applications or RV home/office. A new service called Starlink is being built that will offer worldwide satellite WiFi at reasonable prices and use normal WiFi antennas.

If you use RV Parks and/or the RV is parked in your driveway, you need WiFi (streaming) or OTA. Some solutions are:
1. A "smart" TV that has the WiFi adapter integrated into the TV set. See
https://www.lifewire.com › what-is-a-smart-tv-4140172 The smart TV will receive local stations, programing originated by the TV manufacturer and your Dish or Direct subscribed programs.

2. Several companies make USB Adapters that plug into the TV USB port and enable the TV to receive WiFi Streaming. The quality of the TV picture is dependent on the strength of the signal, the closer you are to the RV park WiFi router, the better. Look into RoKu, Amazon FireStick, Sling TV. An enhancement to improve the signal is to use an RV rooftop WiFi antenna with a WiFi router. This is often called a WiFi extender or repeater. I use a C Crane product. https://ccrane.com/cc-vector-rv-long...ystem-2-4-ghz/
3. A "hotspot" can be created using a 4G cell phone and "piped" into the TV's HDMI connector. This is expensive and somewhat complicated.
4. Use the TV over-the-air (OTA) antenna on the RV. Simple, cheap and fast. Forget WiFi or satellite.

Semper Fi