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AgZep · 04-29-2007, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toastie

What was the cost?......thanks

Can't remember, as we bought it about three years ago. I'm thinking somewhere around $65, but my memory could be fuzzy. Given how useful the thing is, whatever it cost was reasonable.

Minnie's Mate · 04-29-2007, 10:24 AM

Your Safari came pre-wired for satellite. That means the cable used in your walls has the right insulation in the jacket for the satellite. I think you will need to press the button the same as if you were hooking up to cable so the signal comes from the cable wire and not the bat wing antennae. You would just hook the satellite cable up to the regular cable connection on the outside of you Airstream.

Minnie's Mate · 05-17-2007, 01:37 PM

Sunday afternoon I called Directv and ordered their Directv Disaster Readiness Kit. On my first call, the lady I spoke to referred me to Wineguard. When I called back, the guy I talked to found it under temporary installation dish. It arrived Tuesday via FedEx. Price including overnight shipping was just under $84. It includes an 18" dish, dual LNB, tripod, 50' of coax, phillips head screwdriver, appropriate wrench, level, compass, instruction manual, anchor stakes, and installation DVD. In the last line of the DVD, the narrator says "so whether your [permanent] satellite dish is knocked out by a storm or you are away from home camping,..." so they plan on you using their temporary installation dish as a camping setup.

I will say this, their tripod is not exactly what I would have chosen as my first option. It doesn't have adjustable length legs. But, it does look very sturdy in the DVD. I plan on assembling everything this weekend so it is ready for our trip to St. George Island, FL over Memorial Day Weekend.

I got the dish mostly for those occasions when cable either isn't furnished or is either so basic or of such poor quality that it isn't worth bothering with as was the case this past weekend (lots of channels, just the ones we wanted to watch had a lot of snow in them). I'm assuming that I won't have to change the wiring set up in the cable plate to use satellite and change it back when we have cable provided, will I?

Now I just need a satellite finder.

bigeasy63 · 05-17-2007, 02:24 PM

The other day I was reading on Sirius.com about a new backseat tv system they have. Right now it only has a few channels but I think Disney is one of them. I have not personnaly seen the units or their quality, but their radio rocks. Also they have the tiny antenna that merely needs to see sky. I'm sure this system will advance over time and the old dishes will be obsolete. You might also check at a Dodge dealership to look at one as they are putting them in select vehicles as an option. Sorry I don't know more about the system but it sounded neat.

The bad thing with new tech stuff is it is usually pricey. $$$

bigeasy63 · 05-17-2007, 02:29 PM

SIRIUS Satellite Radio - New: SIRIUS Backseat TV

Pick · 05-17-2007, 04:57 PM

I just use a dual LNB dish mounted to a piece of 4X4. Got my extra dish at the solid waste facility.
Folks, you all need to get the DirecTV sat receiver with the built in off air ATSC tuner. That way you can get local stations in digital format off air, for free!!!! You just enter the zip code you are located in, and the reciever automatically searches for channels in your area, and puts them in the channel directory! Works really cool and lets you input 2 zip codes if you are between cities.

Phil Gobie · 05-17-2007, 05:09 PM

Have you looked at the Sling Box? This is a device that lets you view your cable or Sat. from home via the Internet. This also lets you see your local stations for news or what ever. We have one and it works pretty good depending on your Internet connection. I think I remember you got a Verison card? Another advantage is there are not any monthly charges. The boxes run a couple hundred bucks depending on the model you get. Check it out.
Phil

starflyte1 · 05-17-2007, 05:10 PM

Pick, did the dish you picked up at the solid waste facility come with the built in off air ATSC tuner? And, is it only to pick up local chanels?

Pat

Pick · 05-17-2007, 06:12 PM

I just got the dish antenna there, not the receiver. The ATSC tuner is for the new digital and HD off air broadcasts that most TV stations are broadcasting now. Our local UHF channel 20 is broadcast in NTSC analog format, but they also broadcast the ATSC digital signal on UHF channel 16. Most if not all TV stations are doing this, because the analog channels will go away in 2009.

You need a standard TV antenna to hook up to the antenna input of the ATSC tuner. You could hook up the Wineguard "Batwing" antenna up to this port.

Devoman · 05-17-2007, 06:13 PM

I have not really even taken the time to figure mine out yet.I have just been very busy with work lately.I could not figure out how to set it up.I will need someone in the future to show me how to do this.

CharlieE · 05-17-2007, 06:14 PM

One possible source for a second dish is from a direct TV or dish network installer. Many of those installers are independent contractors paid on a per system to install. I knew of one in my town who was working for Dish Network and was replacing competitors systems. Apparently he didn't have to return the dishes etc. that he romoved when he installed the replacement system. Consequently he had a back yard full of dishes. Someone who sells new systems or TV sets might know who the independent contractors are. Just a thought. Or the yellow pages might give a hint. For what it's worth.

starflyte1 · 05-19-2007, 04:31 PM

First, I would like to say that this thread is the best I have read as far as explaining Direct TV. I hope that it is ok to ask this in Devoman's thread.

However, I am still confused.

First, Minnie's Mate, what is a LBN? Did your disaster readiness kit come with a receiver? If not, what did yo buy?

Thanks,
Pat

str8strm · 05-19-2007, 05:28 PM

the people at Direct TV can talk you thru how to set up the satellite. We have it at home and got a winegard at CW to use with the MoHo. I first tried setting it up in the backyard. You do NOT need a satellite finder. Hook up everything and in the menu you will get to a point where you set up to find the satellite.....it beeps and shows you when you have the best signal. To do with when camping have one person outside with a walkie talkie and the satellite dish and another monitoring the TV and and the satellite signal. You can input zip code or lat long from a garmin, etc and it gets you very close to where you need to be, then its just fine tuning and securing the dish so you don't trip over it, or wind the dogs leashes around it

We like to have it for once in a while sporting events

Minnie's Mate · 05-21-2007, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by starflyte1

First, I would like to say that this thread is the best I have read as far as explaining Direct TV. I hope that it is ok to ask this in Devoman's thread.

However, I am still confused.

First, Minnie's Mate, what is a LBN? Did your disaster readiness kit come with a receiver? If not, what did yo buy?

Thanks,
Pat

Pat,
The kit that I got from Directv does not come with a receiver. It is for current Directv customers. You have to take one of your receivers from home. To me this is no biggie. We actually have an extra receiver left over from when we got our DVR (digital video recorder commonly referred to by the popular brand name "TiVo") but we would have to pay a monthly subscription fee ($5) to keep it activated if we wanted it exclusively for the Airstream.

What we did get was the tripod, dish, proper cable, and LNB. The LNB is the little knob looking thing that the dish reflects or focuses the signal on. It is the thingie attached to the arm held out in front of the dish.

The dish assembly requires only five screws total to put together (four for the dish and one for the LNB). The tripod requires the center mast to be inserted into the tripod and the set screws to be tightened. Very easy set up. It even comes with the correct wrench and phillip's head screw driver you will need to put it together and aim the dish. You don't need to reassemble the dish every time you set up, just remove it from the mast, remove the mast from the tripod, and fold the tripod. Of course there is the aiming and securing the tripod so it doesn't tip over, etc. etc. etc. But assembly and use is pretty basic. BTW, the tripod makes the dish stand pretty tall (about 4' tall-good? or bad?)

While this dish is intended to serve as a temporary installation while you wait for the dish installer to make your permanent installation, or in case a storm damages your permanent installation, or if you have to evacuate during a hurricane, etc., the installation DVD that comes with the kit clearly states that you can take it camping. So Directv doesn't mind if you use it for that purpose.

We will be putting it to the test this weekend while we camp on St. George Island. I have been told that local channels are virtually impossible to get via antenna and cable isn't available in the camp ground (State Park). I'll try to remember to take a photo this weekend of the dish set up and in use.

starflyte1 · 05-21-2007, 04:35 PM

What come first: dish or receiver? And, what receiver? From other posts, I gather there are different receivers. Some full feature and others not.

I am ready to buy: dish, receiver, RG6 cable (that is the right one, isn't it?)
Can I just go to Circuit City and buy, or how should I do it?

Sorry to be so dense about this. But, I do appreciate your patience.

Pat

HowieE · 05-21-2007, 06:25 PM

The #6 post on this thread may show you how to set things up.
http://www.airforums.com/forums/f450...dem-32516.html

One thing with satallite TV is make sure you are carring at least 50ft. of cable to get around those trees depending on where you park.

HiHoAgRV · 05-22-2007, 09:49 AM

We have been hauling ours around for years and have a few tips. As mentioned above, there are tons of abandoned dished if you look, ask, snoop...
I made a mount from an old 1' piece of chain link fence pipe. It slips into the clamp on the back of the dish. It's possible to carve a wooden dowel and hammer it into the other end of the pipe, then screw a wooden foot as a platform to stabilize everything. Make the wood a 1' x 1' x 1' triangle shape with a small piece of 1x2 on each corner (a three legged stool might look funny but it won't wobble). Mount the dish towards on of the feet pointing to the other side so the mass of the dish is sorta centered on the platform. I cut the dish arm off about 3" in front of the dish and welded a hinge to the upper surface, gravity keeps it in position during use and it folds for storage. Ya' gotta be picky to keep everything aligned when you weld it.

Our RV's/TT's have never been pre-wire for cable or sat so we run the cable through a window or behind the fridge or through a door - anyway to get to the receiver (that we brought from the house)

Aligning the dish. Hook up all of the cables before you plug in the reciever to 110v. Otherwise it will find the sat, show great signal strength but has gotten confused and won't show any picture. There are more than 1 sat's up there and it is possible to get aligned on the wrong one - no picture.
Bring a compass, know the zip code or lat/lon of where you are camping and if you have a few extra coins, spring for the signal meter. That way the spouse firing up dinner won't have to be hollering 'move a little more!' to the one twisting the dish.

Minnie's Mate · 05-22-2007, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by starflyte1

What come first: dish or receiver? And, what receiver? From other posts, I gather there are different receivers. Some full feature and others not.

I am ready to buy: dish, receiver, RG6 cable (that is the right one, isn't it?)
Can I just go to Circuit City and buy, or how should I do it?

Sorry to be so dense about this. But, I do appreciate your patience.

Pat

Pat, the best thing to do is to go to the web site for the service provider of your choice, either Directv or Dish Network and decide which service you would prefer. Directv tends to lean more toward sports programming while Dish Network has tended to lean more toward movie programming. I have had Directv for about 8-9 years so I really don't know how they differ any more. Get the toll free number for the service you prefer from their website and call them to see if they are offering any packages in your area. Generally speaking, Directv has offered free home installation of the complete system for up to four receivers (you need a separate receiver for each TV you want to watch a different TV program on, i.e. one for the master bedroom, one for the living room, etc., if you want to watch different TV programs on each of them at the same time) but they will require you to sign a 2 year service agreement. They will also offer three months of all of the HBO/Show Time type channels to try and get you hooked on those. Directv sometimes will drop ship the receivers to your house. You might get them to also ship the "disaster readiness kit" to your house at the same time under the guise that you will hook it up yourself while you wait for the professional installer to contact you and set up the permanent installation on your home.

IIRC, when I looked at their web site trying to find the "temporary installation kit", they will offer you a choice of free DVR or HDTV receiver with two year agreement. That one will have to be your decision. As of 12/31/07 all channels will have to be broadcast in high def so you will need a high def receiver eventually, but we really love our DVR. If you don't have a high def TV, you have to have a separate converter box to convert the high def image to the lower resolution analog type signal in the current non-high def TV's. Sorry, I can't advise you on which way to go there. Ask the customer service rep for assistance on this question and they may be able to help or they may not. Generally, you will get a knowledgeable cust. rep about 50% of the time, but they will at least be located in this country and not an offshore country where it is the middle of the night when it's the middle of the day here.

I wouldn't go to Circuit City or other big box retailers for the receivers simply because you will have to buy the equipment or have a hassle arranging for the free installation and free equipment. I just think it is easier to deal with the service provider directly.

If you tell the cust. rep at Directv or Dish Network you are looking for a system for your RV they will refer you to a third party retailer like Wineguard. Their system might be more compact than the "disaster readiness kit" but it will probably be more expensive. For example, the least expensive unit Camping World has on-line is $170 and doesn't come with a receiver, that's another $99.

I know this is a lot to read and a lot to digest. You might want to call one of the satellite service providers and ask for more information. If you get a good cust. rep they can give you much better explanations than I have.

HowieE · 05-22-2007, 03:14 PM

Hi Devoman

Don't buy a receaver for when you are traveling. If you have Directv at home just take one of the receavers from home when you travel. You are paying for it use it, it's not doing anyhting while your on the road. My trailer set up cost nothing other than the tripod, time and cables. If you do want to buy a receaver try and get an older Hughes model GAEBOA on E Bay as the setup program is much more user friendly. The newer receavers are designed to be set up once by the installer and forgotten.

I would not consider a fixed dish on the trailer because it limits where you can park. There is no need for a meter as one is in the set up program from Directv. You will need a compass.

If you tell Directv you are using it in a trailer they will try and sell you Network availability from New York or Calif. at an additional. You can get 95% of the Networks off you antenna unless you are realy out in the woods.

One limitation I have found is when in Canada I have to use a city south of my location in the US and aim off if it. The Canadains when they come down here get a chart to aim with for all our major cities.

starflyte1 · 05-24-2007, 02:10 PM

Thanks for all the replies and for all the time it took to write!

Finally figured it out, with lots of help, enough to talk to Directv. The salesperson I talked to was very efficient and explained everything.

I have just ordered Directv directly from them. An installer will bring the equipment Saturday afternoon.

I am having it installed in the tt. That is probably a mistake-I think I should have it installed in the house and just move it to the tt. May call and change that.

Anyway, thanks again. Another decision made.

Pat