Satellite TV/Good bye sour grapes

[Lumatic]

After years of poo pooing those softies that can't leave their city creature comforts behind them I have decided to join them. Oh the shame of it. OK now that I'm all done with remorse.........

So what do need to set up Satellite TV in my stream. I plan on using one of my home recievers and get a tripod stand. I have an extra 2 eye dish. Would a single eye be less hassle. What other gizmos do I need to make it work?

[HowieE]

You will need to install a connection for the Sat. on the outside of your trailer and a connection inside. I install mine just below the table that my tv sits on and ran the wire up through the cabinet and mounted the connection in the table top.

[jcanavera]

I'm assuming you have a dish which hits two satellites at once. Biggest issue for you will be aiming since you have vertical, horizontal, and a skew setting to deal with.

Jack

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by jcanavera

I'm assuming you have a dish which hits two satellites at once. Biggest issue for you will be aiming since you have vertical, horizontal, and a skew setting to deal with.

Jack

Thanks. I've got the wiring part down. What I need to know about is the hardware.

Would I be better off with just a single eye? I can get a used one of those free.

What do I need to aim the sucker?

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by Lumatic

After years of poo pooing those softies....

for one horrible moment I thought this was a thread about laxatives

[n2916s]

If you have Direct TV, use your remote to go to the satellite aiming page -- type in the zip code of your camping location and you'll get azimuth and elevation. You should have an elevation gradient on the side of your antenna mount -- set this first. Then using your handy boy scout compass get the azimuth more or less dialed in.

On my satellite receiver there is a tone that rises in pitch as the signal strength increases so I just crank up the volume so I can hear it outside and then sweep the antenna in the general direction the compass indicated until I peak out.

Then twist off cap, sit, watch game.

mike

[jcanavera]

Dish Satellite also has an aiming page based on the zip code. As noted in the post above you will get the same information as Direct. Your receiver also has a tone which will change with strength as you aim for the best signal.

Aiming to a single satellite is easy, although the Dish screen if you have a two satellite dish, will also give you the skew setting also. Obviously if you have a single satellite dish, you will only get the programming that you have subscribed to that the specific satellite that you aim at supports.

Here is a link to a list of the different Dish network channels and the satellite locations that these channels reside on. EKB: Dish Network Channel Chart (Unofficial)

Typically you will find most of the standard channels on the 119 and 110 degree satellites.

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by Lumatic

What do I need to aim the sucker?

A compass and a level. In your neighborhood, the dish should be pointing pretty close to South, and nearly vertical, and a skew about 75 degrees or so. There is an area of your receiver that says "point/aim dish". Enter the zip code you are in, and it will give you a bit closer angles. Point at 119 West first, and get the satellite to "Lock". It will say "locked" on the screen, then change the satellite to 110, and do the same.
After you've done this a few times, It'll only take a few minutes to dial it in.

[ArtStream]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

for one horrible moment I thought this was a thread about laxatives

You're killin me here!
You're a sic individual and I love it

[Denis4x4]

Both DishNetwork and Direct TV use a "spot beam" from the satellite so you will be unable to view network stations outside your viewing area. Check with your provider as there are some network packages available.

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by Denis4x4

Both DishNetwork and Direct TV use a "spot beam" from the satellite so you will be unable to view network stations outside your viewing area. Check with your provider as there are some network packages available.

I have Dish Network and set local channels at home. Is this what you mean by "network stations". It is my understanding that even though I subscribe to the extra local channels at home I won't be able to pick up other local channels on the road. Is this what you mean by "network package"?

I also have a Winegard batwing to pick up stations of the air, and am wired for cable where it is available.

[HowieE]

Originally Posted by Lumatic

I have Dish Network and set local channels at home. Is this what you mean by "network stations". It is my understanding that even though I subscribe to the extra local channels at home I won't be able to pick up other local channels on the road. Is this what you mean by "network package"?

I also have a Winegard batwing to pick up stations of the air, and am wired for cable where it is available.

Your "network Channels" will be available within about a 100 mile radius of your home. This assumes you live in the center of that "spot beam area", center of the city that the beam is directed to.

In order to receive LOCAL network channels broadcast in the area your are camping, say 400 miles from home, you will need a digital converter box after June 12th. With the converter box and your Winegard you will get what ever channels are available in the area you are camping.

You can hook up both the satellite and the winegard to your tv using a splitter installed backwards. However you may see interference on the lower channels, 2,3,&4. You are better off to install and A/B switch to isolate the 2 sources. You will need to install a cable from outside your trailer to the tv are for the satellite because the cable installed by Airstream goes to the tv amplifier and you will want to have access to both without removing wire when switching between sources.

The attached pictures shows my setup to receave local annolog network channels, campground cable, staellite, and local didigal channels.

[HowieE]

The wiring picture did not upload.

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by HowieE

Your "network Channels" will be available within about a 100 mile radius of your home. This assumes you live in the center of that "spot beam area", center of the city that the beam is directed to.

In order to receive LOCAL network channels broadcast in the area your are camping, say 400 miles from home, you will need a digital converter box after June 12th. With the converter box and your Winegard you will get what ever channels are available in the area you are camping.

You can hook up both the satellite and the winegard to your tv using a splitter installed backwards. However you may see interference on the lower channels, 2,3,&4. You are better off to install and A/B switch to isolate the 2 sources. You will need to install a cable from outside your trailer to the tv are for the satellite because the cable installed by Airstream goes to the tv amplifier and you will want to have access to both without removing wire when switching between sources.

The attached pictures shows my setup to receive local analog network channels, campground cable, satellite, and local digital channels.

The Dish Receivers have an excellent over the air HDTV tuner, I have one. Attach the Wineguard to the dish unit and you are set. No splitter or switch needed. In fact, the receiver on my Dish DuoDVR™ ViP® 722 will pickup a viewable signal when the internal tuner on my Mitsubishi HDTV will not.

[Lumatic]

It sounds like you guys may be able to clear up a few more details for me. I am literally going out the door heading for arthroscopic knee surgery. I will get back in touch when I can.

[ScottW]

I used an external tripod and dish for a few years. I got tired of getting wet when it was raining, dripping with sweat when it was hot, etc.

I finally installed a Winegard 'Travler' satellite ant on the top of the trailer. All I do now is push one button. All of the slewing and skewing is done automatically - locks up three satellites perfectly.

The trailer looks like it belongs to NASA when the dish is up. It is also fun to watch the thing in the search mode. Grab a cool one and walk outside for the show.

[utee94]

Originally Posted by ScottW

Grab a cool one and walk outside for the show.

I thought the whole point was to avoid going outside!

-Marcus

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by utee94

I thought the whole point was to avoid going outside!

-Marcus

But he can carry an umbrella and watch the show, or get drenched and be the show...

[Lumatic]

Maybe you can help me figure out if this will work. This is what I have to work with:
-Unamplifed Winegard Sensar antenna connected to a
-Winegard 7296 signal amplifier outlet plate (replaced OEM outlet plate, has 12v power outlet, 1 coaxial input jack, 1 coaxial cable TV input jack, 2 coaxial ouput jacks, 12 v amplifier on off switch)
-outside coaxial input jack connected to input jack on Winegard 7296

I want to be able to run either cable TV or satellite through my outside jack (at different times). Winegard tech says I can not run a satellite signal through the 7296 amplified outlet plate. If I put an AB switch in my coaxial cable upstream of the 7296 amplified outlet plate so that A will send a cable TV signal to and B will bypass the 7296 amplified outlet plate and send a satellite signal directly to my satellite receiver, will that setup work???

Thanks,
Marshall

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by Lumatic

Maybe you can help me figure out if this will work. This is what I have to work with:
-Unamplifed Winegard Sensar antenna connected to a
-Winegard 7296 signal amplifier outlet plate (replaced OEM outlet plate, has 12v power outlet, 1 coaxial input jack, 1 coaxial cable TV input jack, 2 coaxial ouput jacks, 12 v amplifier on off switch)
-outside coaxial input jack connected to input jack on Winegard 7296

I want to be able to run either cable TV or satellite through my outside jack (at different times). Winegard tech says I can not run a satellite signal through the 7296 amplified outlet plate. If I put an AB switch in my coaxial cable upstream of the 7296 amplified outlet plate so that A will send a cable TV signal to and B will bypass the 7296 amplified outlet plate and send a satellite signal directly to my satellite receiver, will that setup work???

Thanks,
Marshall

Hi Marshall,

I took a look at the Winegard manual, see the attached pdf file, and it shows a cable in the back. I can see no reason for the dish feed not to work there. The manual says the when the unit is switched off the feed comes from the cable input and when it is on it comes from the antenna.

What I did and would recommend to you is to add a second outlet for the cable/dish feed and connect both to your dish tuner allowing it to receive signals from the antenna and the dish simultaneously. You could buy a wall plate like shown here Decora wall plate single F Coax Coupler connector at Wal*Mart to get the fitting. Remove it and drill an extra hole in your Winegard plate and install the second fitting there. By having both connected at the same time you can record from both sources at the same time.

Speaking of recording, I strongly encourage you to get the 722 DVR. It allows you to hookup and external hard drive via a USB port and store recorded programming there. There are a couple of commercial-free HD movie channels in the HD package. I have 61 HD movies and some other HD programming stored on a 500 GB Western Digital external hard drive. You can even use it to store photos.