Winegard tripod with lotsa built-in stuff?

[Kistler]

Am looking for a tripod.....have the Dish Network dish and LNB.....found a nice one with built-in compass, level, etc. mfg'd by Winegard and being sold by Accessory Warehouse item # NR-WDTP (www.accessorywarehouse.com/shop) for $54.95.

Do/have any of you experience in this particular product? Have you any suggestions?

My local Home Depot does not sell tripods. Went to Radio Shack and they want $26.95 for a "stripped down" model compared to the Winegard and they want $9 for the pipe--and it's not in my color

Home Depot has a nice pipe--think it is for chain-link fencing for $5.97 and it is aluminium colored. --my color--

Kistler

[overlander64]

Greetings Kistler!

I have one of the Winegard tripods that you describe. It is satisfactory, but can be a real challenge to get tied-down sufficiently to prevent it from tipping over during high winds (a constant problem during my last trip to the Dakotas). The ground anchor device provided with the tripod was not sufficient to anchor the dish. I finally resorted to attaching two one-gallon and two half-gallon milk jugs filled with water to the base of the tripod to act as anchors (this has been my most successful method, but still am not entirely satisfied).

In part because the tripod system is very bulky to carry in my towcar, I have also purchased a suit-case style RV dish system that is supposed to be compatible with either the Dish Network or DirecTV - - haven't had the opportunity to test this system yet - - it is about three times the cost of the Winegard tripod system, but takes up about half as much room when folded for storage. I am not entirely sure that the Remote Portable Dish as it is called is going to be much more stable than the tripod, but I am hoping that it will be much easier to stabilize given the design of its base.

Kevin

[Kistler]

Greetings to you, Kevin. I do not know what I would do without your and the advice of others.

I ordered the tripod; it is Brenda's Halloween present. Now my problem is getting the wires into the trailer.....I can't remember if was you or John in TX that said all I had to do was bypass the booster.....this is easier said than done in my case. Gotta "D" in High School Physics.

Anyway, do you kinda understand the layout of my trailer? Credenza is ina corner backed up to the refrigerator....then the bathroom, hotwater heater ina compartment and under that compartment is the electrical cord.

Wish I lived closer

Kistler

[overlander64]

Greetings Kistler!

I suspect that the arrangement that my Airstream dealer installed in the Minuet is closer to what you have from the factory on your coach. On the Minuet, I have a batwing antenna with amplifier and an external jack for Cable/Satellite hookup. All I have to do with this setup is connect either the cable or satellite to the outlet near the refrigerator access panel, and then be certain that the signal amplifier has been turned off (green pilot light should not be illuminated). I just use the satellite cable that was included to hookup the dish to my coach - - the wiring in my coach is as the dealer installed it (he knew that my intended purpose was to connect my DirecTV system so I am assuming that is the type cable used for the entrance system for the satellite/cable setup.

On the Overlander, my dealer installed two separate outlets - - one for cable and one for satellite each of which is entirely independent of the batwing antenna. This was early in my dealer's experience with such installations so there were a few rather unique setups.

I will admit that I don't like the thought of projects involving drilling and wiring so this is one of the installations that was taken to my dealer's service department. I haven't had enough experience with the system in the Minuet to know which I prefer; but the system in the Overlander is less involved and allows connecting both the Antenna (for local channels) as well as the satellite system for the greater selection - - this allows for total remote control of satellite/antenna programming without having to deal with the amplifier since the satellite is a completely separate connection.

Good luck with your installation!

Kevin

[Kistler]

Thank you, Sir Kevin...believe me I need all the good thoughts I can garner

And all of this for "The Young and the Restless"

Kistler

[Minnie's Mate]

Originally Posted by overlander64

Greetings Kistler!

On the Overlander, my dealer installed two separate outlets - - one for cable and one for satellite ...

This may sound like a stupid question, but what is the difference between the cable and satellite outlet. On my home, there is no difference; the co-ax cable is the same. The only difference is that the satellite can't go through a splitter before going into the receiver or I can't receive the signal from one satellite and therefore loose half the channels. Is there any other difference?

[Kistler]

Hi Minnie's Mate, I am not exactly an electronic whiz as you can tell, BUT, I was told that nothing can "stand/be/be wired between" a receiver and the satelitte signal.

In my particular case, after a little research and help from some one you, I have figured out/been told that the booster and regular antenna have to be by-passed.

My trailer does have a loop of wire connecting two boxes under the credenza; apparently I take the loop loose and wire the one side to the receiver signal-signal IN coming in from the dish and the signal OUT from the receiver to the other side.......

I just got back from the deal (Oasis in Tucson) and the service manager also explained this....he also told me the trailer is wired in RG 6.

Wow, are prices up in the new ones....did you know you can spend/pay $38,720 for a Bambi????

Kistler

[overlander64]

Greetings Minnie's Mate!

Originally Posted by Minnie's Mate

This may sound like a stupid question, but what is the difference between the cable and satellite outlet. On my home, there is no difference; the co-ax cable is the same. The only difference is that the satellite can't go through a splitter before going into the receiver or I can't receive the signal from one satellite and therefore loose half the channels. Is there any other difference?

There are only two differences of which I am aware between the two as installed on my '64 Overlander. The Cable outlet is connected to a splitter with multiple locations being served within the trailer (one in bedroom and two in the living area). The Satellite outlet is direct wired to a single location on the the TV stand above the refrigerator - - it is also wired with a higher-quality cable as recommended by the satellite technician who wired my home.

Kevin

[garry]

On the satellite side, the satellite receiver sends 13 to 18VDC to the LNB that is located on the dish antenna and if anything interrups the voltage to the antenna the system won't work so most installations use a seperate direct connection.
Wire is RG-6 for satellite, wire for the Batwing is RG-75.

Garry

[Minnie's Mate]

I see, the co-ax cable being connected to the splitter for cable would make a difference.

When I self installed my satellite dish in my home back before Direct-TV started giving installation away, I hooked up to a splitter in the existing cable system that sent the cable signal to my house (tried to save some installation work in the attic). This caused me to only be able to get every other channel on my receiver in my great room and my master bedroom when I hooked up the receiver boxes to the cable outlets in those rooms. The salesman at Radioshack told me the splitter was the problem and that I would need to run a direct line from the dish to my great room and a separate direct line from the second LDN for my master bedroom. To add more TV's I could come off my receiver and into a splitter and run co-ax to the separate TV's and watch the same program on both TV's.

[garry]

If I can post this it is a picture of a homemade antenna tripod.
Tripod is (was) a dual holagan light holder. You can buy the tripod with lights for around $30 a Harbor Freight or Home Depot.