Breaking Down Satellite TV Dish Options

[Soul Food II]

Good suggestion on switch box. If I end up running HDMI to both tv's wouldn't I be able to use a splitter and watch same channel on both? I realize we could not have a separate tuner to watch different stations via satellite.

[mojo]

Originally Posted by switz

One can install a HDMI switch box so the built-in DVD can be playing on the front TV and the Dish Sateliite on the other TV or switch sources. The Dish box will only support one TV at a time.

The Dish 211K receiver has an HDMI output and a coax output and both will work simultaneously.

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by BigSteve46

I an interested in purchasing a Tailgater with the new 211z receiver. This receiver was released in 2013 and has a smaller foot print and faster functionality according to specs. However it only has HDMI output plus RCA jacks for audio and video, NO coax output. Can this be connected to my existing 2009 airstream that does not have HDMI cabling? What is involved in adding HDMI cable that won't impact off air coax connection?

211z has composite (RCA) output also. You can buy a composite converter box. I use one with a Dish Joey receiver at home to push signal to a TV in another room that has coax only as an input. Picked the converter up at the local WalMart.

Jack

[Soul Food II]

Jack, you are "The Man". Do I just look for a Composite to Coax converter? About how much cost to be sure I am getting what is needed and not overkill. I knew their had to be a simple solution. Ain't this forum awesome!!

Does anyone have experience in running HDMI from under dinette to front TV and/or bedroom TV on 2009 Int'l 27 or similar? If so, can someone with little experience in running wires be able to handle? How ez or difficult?

[Zigidachs]

HI….I did not read all these posts to this point but thought I would add a couple of cents.

We have the Traveler 3005 which works well….have had this dish for about 4 years ( two separate RV's) …BUT ….Weingard is supposed to be introducing soon an new dish with better specs on their "mobile" units.

I have an app on my iPhone to locate the sats, so rarely do we ever find problems with reception in a CG….if we do……we read!

Enjoy!

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by BigSteve46

Jack, you are "The Man". Do I just look for a Composite to Coax converter? About how much cost to be sure I am getting what is needed and not overkill. I knew their had to be a simple solution. Ain't this forum awesome!! Does anyone have experience in running HDMI from under dinette to front TV and/or bedroom TV on 2009 Int'l 27 or similar? If so, can someone with little experience in running wires be able to handle? How ez or difficult?

RF video modulator converter. Made by GE. Cost is $17 at Walmart. It's on their website and in the store back in the electronics area near the indoor antennas.

Jack

[Soul Food II]

Thanks, I was looking for a component to coax converter and did not realize I needed a modulator converter. I found the one you mentioned and will pick it up at the store.

[graysailor]

Great thread. Not sure I am clear yet as to what to get. Sounds like the tailgater is the way to go. No point in getting set up if reception is only 50% of the time. However I do like the idea of the roof mount option just to keep it out of they way.

[switz]

The trailers and motorhomes I see that have the Sat antenna in a bubble on the roof, the bubble appears to be the tallest item above the roof of the trailer. That is a fairly expensive sacrificial anode for a low bridge.

The tailgater antenna rides in either the back of the truck, the back seat of the crew cab or inside the trailer.

[CA_Tallguy]

Originally Posted by graysailor

Great thread. Not sure I am clear yet as to what to get. Sounds like the tailgater is the way to go. No point in getting set up if reception is only 50% of the time. However I do like the idea of the roof mount option just to keep it out of they way.

So far, I've not had obstruction issues with the pop up winegard Trav'ler installed on the roof. Don't know if I've just been lucky or what, but I'm starting to think that blockage frequency is going to be closer to 5% than 50% at least in my case. I can think of a couple of campgrounds that would have been an issue but don't know if I could have shopped for a clear site in those as I wasn't thinking that way at the time.

I also had concerns about blockage when I installed solar panels but same deal... It really has not been an issue for me in practice.

[CA_Tallguy]

Another thought - maybe the blockages are less since the dish is elevated 8 or 10 feet or so. That is probably making it easier to clear a lot of trees.

Just this morning, at the next campsite, a visitor was mucking around with a vuqube for over an hour and that sure made me glad to have the Trav'ler. This vuqube was somewhat manual though, so the tailgater is prob a lot better for aiming. But still, it did seem to be more of an issue clearing trees since it sat on the ground. He actually was trying to set it over in my spot to clear the trees when I left for lunch.

[graysailor]

Good points Tallguy. Also for me TV is not a necessity rather just something else to do. Not getting reception would not be the end of the world. I essentially have been without a TV now for over 10 years. When I do get the chance to watch I find that the show are terrible. I do enjoy the News, occasional sporting events and good movies. Now I am leaning back towards the roof mount. Out of sight out of mind until you get the urge for some TV.

[CA_Tallguy]

There are a couple kinds that you can put on the roof -- just in case you were not aware (you only mention the bubble type). The kind I have is the Trav'ler, which pops up and swivels about to automatically find the satellites. It folds down to be just a few inches off the roof.... well, I guess it is still 8 or 10 inches or so.

The main reason I *really* wanted to get the roof mount is to make it easy to use at quick overnight stops like at walmart or rest stops.... even while stopped for lunch, or a long break in driving. It's just sooooo easy to push a button and be watching TV five minutes later. These are situations when TV watching is highly desirable for me but when I almost certainly would not go through the trouble to set out a tailgater (or when I could not or it wouldn't be appropriate to set it out).

Most other times, I can kind of take or leave the TV and I have other diversions. But when I am exhausted, it's nice to just point the remote and veg out.

And keep in mind that you can ALSO have a tailgater packed away just in the off chance you get stuck in the trees and just must have TV. For me, I thought I'd see how many times I found myself in that situation before I went through the trouble and expense -- and as I said, there hasn't yet been a single time when it has been a problem.

[graysailor]

Ok, were getting close. The dealer suggested the "bubble" but it is also quite expensive. I don't mind cranking it up but don't want to spend 30 minutes finding a satellite. How automatic is the Trav'ler?

[CA_Tallguy]

The Trav'ler is the top of the line solution and costs 1200-1500 bucks. It is basically providing the same functionally of a dish at home... DVRs will work well, you can get HD no problem, etc. you just push a button and the dish comes up and finds the satellites for you.

The domes and tailgaters don't generally allow you to watch HD with directv but I understand you can get HD with them on dish network. But they don't work with the regular DVRs like the dish hopper whereas the Trav'ler does.

Domes/tailgaters only point at one satellite at a time whereas the Trav'ler points at all at once. That is key for DVRs and being able to watch any channels you want on more than one TV (bedroom vs living area, if that is a consideration).

[CA_Tallguy]

Here are some pics of a trailer with the Trav'ler installed and raised. I think it looks better than what a dome would look like. Seems like the dome would kind of stick out like a sore thumb -- bright white or creme colored, big huge hump? I think the colors of the trav'ler blend in better and when it is stowed it doesn't look too much different than a crank up antenna (in profile).

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f450...mes-45940.html

[CA_Tallguy]

Here are some pics of a trailer with the dome...

[slowmover]

Thanks, CA_Tallguy

[graysailor]

I did some homework last night and the Trav'ler does seem like the way to go. Visiting the Winegard site can get confusing going back and forth. Why the DVR and is that in addition to the Receivers?

[CA_Tallguy]

Not sure what you are asking about the DVR. In general though... The "normal" DVRs are also receivers... and they have anywhere from 2 to 5 tuners built in so you can record the corresponding number of programs at once. Well, the dish hopper has three tuners but during prime time you can record 4 networks on ONE tuner with their "primetime anytime" feature and then you have 2 other tuners to use for recording or watching.

The need for a "regular" dish to use with them (and the Trav'ler is essentially a "regular" dish adapted for mobile use) is because different channels are on different satellites. So you can record a channel, say for example, that is on dish 119 satellite AND ALSO AT SAME TIME watch (or record) one that is on dish 110. Further, you could watch or record one on dish 129 at the same time as the other two.

The Trav'ler lets any receiver or DVR in your trailer use any satellite whenever the device needs to... All devices always see all three satellites. The only other way to get this flexibility is to set a full sized dish up on a tripod.

All the other solutions generally/effectively only support ONE tuner in the whole trailer. Well, you can have more than one tuner or receiver but if your wife changes the channel in the bedroom it could cause you to lose access to what you are watching in the living room (if her program is on a different satellite than yours is).

That is the same issue you run into with a multi tuner DVR -- the different tuners inside would be fighting over which satellite they want to be pointed at. Domes/tailgaters have a little motor inside that moves the dish from one satellite to another. So they do NOT work.

You may be able to hook up a hard drive to record programs with a basic receiver on a dome/tailgater system (at least on dish) but you are not going to be able to watch one program (live) while recording another program.

And just as a reminder -- if you want HD programming from directv, you will NOT get it with a tailgater or dome. You will get HD on dish with those solutions.