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LucasS · 04-05-2015, 01:01 PM

I have Direct TV and an RV account. I use all Winegard dishes. I have my first Carryout from a previous FW. It's domed and auto seeks. Even though I have two roof mounted dishes, there are times to carry out comes in handy in very heavily wooded RV parks where you cannot get a clear south sky view.

Installed on the roof I have a Minimax and Trav'Ler. The Minimax is only used when someone would like to watch television on the road in the rear bedroom. It came with my current rig but was not the inmotion so I took the inmotion chip out of the ditch on my trade-in and placed it in my new one. I had the Trav'ler installed on this which gets used 90% of the time. It is able to get HD channels, DVR service, basically everything DirecTV offers for home use.

I found them to be superb for RV service. The only time I have to call to reinitialize the dish and service is usually if I haven't used my rig in two months or more. Their customer service department is actually really good. So I recommend Winegard hardware with Direct TV service.

Happy Trails!

schafman46 · 04-05-2015, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by switz

We finally got tired of the three over $125 per month Dish fees (including $7 for the remote Dish and receiver) to get the one or two channels we really wanted at various locations. The other 200+ channels were nothing we wanted to see. So we cancelled the whole deal with Dish. That was really an ordeal as I was handed off to several "retainer specialists" multiple times because the words "cancel my service" were not in their vocabulary. (Almost as bad as XM Radio)

Since we had internet access at all the locations (except the trailer on the road). a Roku 3 and Apple TV allow us to pay once and stream only those items of interest at all locations. Our iPads can download over their modems a specific movie if so desired. Lots easier and one less bulky thing to take with us and find storage space for.

--- this reply post is actually to "Switz"---we are newbies & slowly or methodically learning all the ropes -- especially from the forum (which is becoming the "go to medium" ahead of u tube & Google).---we have Apple TV & a bit quizzical about the connection?-- we have a 2012 23' Fly C.& a cable jack under the dinette.-- we are just starting a 4 mo around US & currently are in lower VA FROM PA.--this KOA has good internet, but we would like to plug in the Apple TV ....but it has a HDMI cable hard wired from it.--I'm reluctant to fool with TV since the media Sony receiver & blue ray are coming into TV from the HDMI cord from that source.--so, what could be my next step?---thanks to all , especially Switz ....since you mentioned your using Apple TV---do we need a Roku 3 also?

jgdunham · 04-05-2015, 03:10 PM

Had Airstream install and wire-up small antennah dome on roof of trailer and two directv boxes (which I purchased) permanently in trailer for the two televisions. Set up a separate directv RV account. Zero problems with continual travel across US - signal comes thru when sets are turned on! When traveling, can suspend residence directv account and activate RV account; vice versa when not traveling. When traveling, customarily receive "network and PBS" channels using Airstream internal antennah system. Even in boondocks - dry camping (using generator) directv works like a charm as long as no tree or mountain obstacles. Crossing international borders can be problematic for reception with the small antennah dome.

m.hony · 04-05-2015, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluto

I have a portable automatic dish that cost me around $650 and also have(had) Direct TV.
The auto dish worked everytime I set it out and never failed to provide an excellent signal to our Direct TV receiver. However, Direct TV is a problem. You have to call them each time you move and set up in a different zip code. That is still OK, but the people answering the phones at Direct TV that you will have to deal with to get the signal don't know what they are doing. Sometimes it would take an hour on the phone with the person then they say, you need a new receiver, yours is defective, we'll have to send one out to you. 5 minutes later I called them again and got a different person and that person had me up and running in no time.
The problem is that the phone people they have working for them are mostly people who don't know what they are doing and those are the ones that answer the phones 95% of the time.
I don't use my system anymore cause it's just not worth it to me, it just sits in my garage collecting dust.
The experience of calling them and talking idiots angered me so much that I cancelled my subscription with them at my house too!

I don't get it. I have never had to call them. I have the dish antenna in a carrying case that is set up manually. All I need is the ZIP code of where I am to get the azimuth and elevation from DirecTV's website via my iPhone. Then aim- beep, beep, beep, beeeeeeeeeeeeee-
We just bring one of the DircTCV receivers from home. I have never had to call DirecTV to set up at a campsite.
I do, however, totally agree with the frustration of talking to them. Furthermore, there is not enough quality programming for the high amount of money per month. I prefer to watch free over the air TV (mostly PBS or oldies), but my wife can't live without perfet continuous reception and 200 channels-

Grateful2 · 04-05-2015, 05:53 PM

I have 2 tailgater and recover w/ remote 334-294-7000 in storage I don't use.

MaineStreamer · 04-05-2015, 06:10 PM

Is the Airstream television antenna that came with my new-to-me 2007 Safari totally useless? In Maine, everything went to cable (or satellite & dish) a few years ago, or so I was led to believe. Is traditional television -- even just a few major networks -- no longer an option in America?

RVDreamer · 04-05-2015, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaineStreamer

Is the Airstream television antenna that came with my new-to-me 2007 Safari totally useless? In Maine, everything went to cable (or satellite & dish) a few years ago, or so I was led to believe. Is traditional television -- even just a few major networks -- no longer an option in America?

Just did a quick search and you have a lot of over-the-air "free" tv channels in Kennebunk, Maine so I am not sure what you are talking about. Most areas still have "free" over-the-air networks.

The US did switch to digital tv broadcasts and quit with analog tv in 2009. Your 2007 Safari may only have analog equipment. If that is the case, all you need is to upgrade to digital tv's, a new antenna and you should be fine.

m.hony · 04-05-2015, 06:59 PM

I don't think the antenna matters- only the television receiver-

Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

n2916s · 04-05-2015, 07:33 PM

The antenna doesn't care if the signal is analog or digital. All you need is either a digital TV or a converter.

The analog to digital converter I have is about the size of a paperback book. It is placed in line between the antenna and an older analog TV.

Since the introduction of digital TV, there are actually more broadcast stations as the spectrum is better. There are at least a dozen stations broadcasting in English where I live and at least that many in other languages...

Mike

bhooves · 04-05-2015, 09:56 PM

I just finished a nightmare journey with Dish TV. You still have to call in to Dish to get the local channels. They have very limited service and channels. Dish s further limited by HDCP--High Definition Content Protection. Example: I couldn't get ESPN even though I had HDMI Equipment. ESPN did not know what HDCP was. I called Dish and spent a month to get something from them. I tried a Pay per View movie, paid my money; but could not receive the movie due to HDCP. FINALLY, I talked to a Dish Supervisor who admitted that they didn't know what HDCP was, and they had 100s of customers in the same boat as me: if you want to view an HDCP program on Dish, you are out of luck. They did volunteer to reduce my bill until they could resolve the issue, whenever that may be. I got rid of the Winegard Minimax antenna and Dish and Installed a new Directv satellite dish on the roof and switched to Directv. It cost money, but I can get everything I want with Directv. I'm sorry for Dish; because I suspect that substantial money in fees has to be paid by them to some company to overcome the HDCP problem--pure speculation on my part. Lastly, I would previously have to call Dish to give them the new address where we were receiving their programming in order to get the local channels. Sometimes it would take a while, but they would make the changes and i would get the local channels. I would say that they made the address changes fairly promptly even though it would sometimes (rarely that long) take an hour or so. I haven't tried an address change with Directv yet as we have been a month here for medical attention and to visit in-laws. We are full-timers and usually change addresses several times a month. NOTE: many times we don't bother to change the address where we receive our service.

LucasS · 04-05-2015, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaineStreamer

Is the Airstream television antenna that came with my new-to-me 2007 Safari totally useless? In Maine, everything went to cable (or satellite & dish) a few years ago, or so I was led to believe. Is traditional television -- even just a few major networks -- no longer an option in America?

Assuming you have any flat screen TV since it's a 2007 that means that your TV will already have a digital converter. However, what I assume is the standard Winegard antenna (the one you crank up to use and if stupid enough to forget to crank down upon leaving an RV park will be ripped off by a low hanging cable car line in San Francisco) only needs the digital adapter Wingman by Winegard. It's actually pretty easy to do yourself, and once you do your antenna will be able to pick up all the over the air local digital channels of wherever you are.

I use that to get the local channels wherever I'm at, and then use the satellite for cable.

DHart · 04-05-2015, 11:27 PM

We have the DirecTV Winegard Travler on the roof of our motorhome. When we stop in a new place I hit one button and the satellite dish automatically sets itself up, finds the satellites, and pulls in superb HD signals just like we're at home. It's not cheap, but it's golden.

BLUTO... you have a most unusual problem with your DirecTV situation! We never have to call DirecTV when traveling to new places, unless we want to receive local channels in the new location. Otherwise, the DirecTV channels are just like at home without ever needing to contact DirecTV. We've traveled from Washington State to Virginia across the south and across the north... never a problem requiring a call to DirecTV.

n2916s · 04-06-2015, 11:15 AM

Well, if your talking about the Wingman that attaches to the standard antenna, it simply enhances the antenna's sensitivity to UHF frequencies, it does not convert digital to analog for older TV's. It is a nice addition because many of the new digital stations are broadcasting at ULtra High Frequencies and it will give you better range but it doesn't enable an analog TV to use a digital signal.

If you have an analog TV, then you need an electronic digital to analog converter. It is a small simple black box that is plugged in between the antenna jack on the Airstream's wall and the antenna input on the TV. Haven't priced one recently but mine was about $20.

Mike

Bluto · 04-06-2015, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m.hony

I don't get it. I have never had to call them. I have the dish antenna in a carrying case that is set up manually. All I need is the ZIP code of where I am to get the azimuth and elevation from DirecTV's website via my iPhone. Then aim- beep, beep, beep, beeeeeeeeeeeeee-
We just bring one of the DircTCV receivers from home. I have never had to call DirecTV to set up at a campsite.
I do, however, totally agree with the frustration of talking to them. Furthermore, there is not enough quality programming for the high amount of money per month. I prefer to watch free over the air TV (mostly PBS or oldies), but my wife can't live without perfet continuous reception and 200 channels-

I don't get it either! Ha,ha. It is odd that I have all these problems with it and them, but I'm glad it works for (almost) everyone. I must have a cloud hanging over my head all the time.
I feel better now that I vented and just use the antenna for the free TV stations.

Bluto · 04-06-2015, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DHart

We have the DirecTV Winegard Travler on the roof of our motorhome. When we stop in a new place I hit one button and the satellite dish automatically sets itself up, finds the satellites, and pulls in superb HD signals just like we're at home. It's not cheap, but it's golden.

BLUTO... you have a most unusual problem with your DirecTV situation! We never have to call DirecTV when traveling to new places, unless we want to receive local channels in the new location. Otherwise, the DirecTV channels are just like at home without ever needing to contact DirecTV. We've traveled from Washington State to Virginia across the south and across the north... never a problem requiring a call to DirecTV.

Glad it all works for you and that you don't have to deal with the customer service. They are the worst ever. My situation became such a pain in the rump, it just wasn't worth it for me to continue with Direct TV.

pappy19 · 04-06-2015, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RVDreamer

You shouldn't have to call Directv every time you move locations. I use mine in our Airstream with a roof mount automatic traveler antenna. I get all HD channels and everything works fine no matter where I am located.

Like Al & Missy said, if your receiver is left off for more than a week or two sometimes it will need to be re-activated. But you can go to the website and re-activate it without calling anyone. Takes all of 5 minutes.

Local channels are an issue. If you move out of your broadcast area, you can not receive local channels and will have to rely on over-the-air broadcasts, internet channels, or cable if available.

You can get national networks ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox , & PBS but it requires a separate RV account and proof that you own an RV. You can't use your home account. This means paying double for everything. It is much cheaper to just forgo the local channels on the road and use your home receiver or a spare receiver on the same account.

Same here, I don't have to call Direst TV every time I move my AS. Mine is roof mounted and once I hook up the electric, the dish starts connecting. By the time I get everything hooked up and leveled, the dish has connected as well. I go in and turn on Fox News, grab an adult beverage and life is good.

LucasS · 04-06-2015, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by schafman46

--- this reply post is actually to "Switz"---we are newbies & slowly or methodically learning all the ropes -- especially from the forum (which is becoming the "go to medium" ahead of u tube & Google).---we have Apple TV & a bit quizzical about the connection?-- we have a 2012 23' Fly C.& a cable jack under the dinette.-- we are just starting a 4 mo around US & currently are in lower VA FROM PA.--this KOA has good internet, but we would like to plug in the Apple TV ....but it has a HDMI cable hard wired from it.--I'm reluctant to fool with TV since the media Sony receiver & blue ray are coming into TV from the HDMI cord from that source.--so, what could be my next step?---thanks to all , especially Switz ....since you mentioned your using Apple TV---do we need a Roku 3 also?

Hey schafman46 I'm not sure I 100% understand your question, but I wanted you to know that they make HDMI to coaxial adapters. I have them in my airstream because the wiring was pre-HDMI, but I put in televisions from this millennium. The only catch is that the adapters require a power source to work. You can find all different kinds and options on Amazon.

switz · 04-08-2015, 01:06 AM

HBO Now was released last night for the Apple TV, iPad, iPhone and iPod at $14.99 per month as a stand alone product. No requirement for a cable or satellite subscription as in the past. Just bring it in from an internet connection.

There are HDMI switches, like a 2 x 4 that allows two televisions to share four inputs. The box can be put into the electronics cabinet in the front of the trailer where all the television HDMI cables are locate. Some research into the specifications and reviews is necessary as there is a lot of junk ones from "over there" that do not work as well as hoped.

m.hony · 04-08-2015, 03:40 AM

$15 is too high- it ought to be $2-3-

stevenson748 · 11-19-2016, 06:36 PM

We have direct tv at home and have used a tripod antenna to while camping. Setting up tripod satellite antenna is some what challenging to find satellites properly. If you have good 4G cell service internet service is much easier to use, set up local WIFI hotspot with your phone and then use tablet and Chrome Cast to cast your Direct TV app on to your Airstream TV. The only down fall is you need good WIFI service and you are using your data to stream the Direct TV app.