This has been discussed before but here is my experience.H24 is hooked up for HD at home with a dish separate from the house. It uses a SWM device.I had previously used a simple SD receiver in the trailer that worked only with the 18" dish. It had a beeper that made it easy to set up the dish when RVing. The H24 does not have that feature. Trying to find the satellite alone was futile.I went to Camping World and bought the Winegard satellite finder. (Note it had been previously opened with an Exacto knife and taped up in a way that was not evident without careful inspection). When this was inserted the dish cycled in a sequence which I finally decided was the receiver sending different voltages to test the connection. After many tries with the receiver settings using multi switch and 18" round dish I moved the dish multiple times pointed at the expected azimuth and elevation trying to avoid trees. Finally the satellite finder stopped cycling and allowed me to max the satellite reception. The receiver then showed suitable values in the transponder and allowed me to finish the setup. Much effort but I can now use SD reception in my favorite campgrounds.Bill W7VP

amateurw7vp wrote:.. a beeper that made it easy to set up the dish when RVing. The H24 does not have that feature. Trying to find the satellite alone was futile.Yes, but using a camera like the Swift Hitch makes it pretty easy. And I don't use the screens that show each transponder, I use the one called Signal Meters. Much faster reaction time. I much prefer HD.

Glad you got your sat tv up and running, we love having all our subscribed channels while RVing. I use the signal meter page on the receiver and a compass whether it's Directv or Dish network, SD or HD sat dish antennas. I can see our HDTVs through our rig's windows so I can see receiver's signal meter if I can't hear it or receiver doesn't provide an audible tone for pointing. I always start with a level mast since I've been running HD for many years, with SD it didn't matter as much as I could just approximate azimuth and have some signal right off the bat. Been doing it so long whole process takes about 10 minutes, most of which is unwinding/connecting coax and mounting sat dish antenna unto tripod.

I have the same set-up. H24 receiver,at home I use #17 slimline 3S & # 01 SWM.In the motorhome with the winegard dome,I use #02 18x20 & # 02 multiswitch.Siggy

Try #1 18" round and #2 multiswitch in the future. Since nothing other than 101 had any programming of any value (other than a few local markets which still broadcast SD locals) the #1 setting can help prevent the antenna from locking onto an incorrect satellite. For anyone trying to point an 18" dish (single LNB and SD only) the #1 option is by far the best option. For those that have never used the Winegard signal meter the little dial is a gain controller. You want to hook everything up with the antenna pointed AWAY from any possible satellite and set the gain so the needle is in the middle of the scale. Turn the antenna toward the satellite and each time the meter peaks out turn the gain down until centered again. Turn a bit more. If the signal drops you are going the wrong way. If it goes up again and peaks out stop and turn the gain down until it is centered again. Repeat until turning both directions causes a loss of signal. You now have the max signal available. Assuming you are pointed at the correct satellite you will now have the best available signal.

Connect DTV H24 to 18" round dish | Good Sam Community

photobug
Explorer
Sep 06, 2017
want to hear a really weird one? I've got a winegard g2+ dual hooked up to an hr24. fire up the power and let the receiver and dish set up. Then I get a signal loss at line 2 error. I go into the set up menu, dig down to the signal strength page, then back out without changing anything, now got full functionality. (no hd, won't receive on small dish)
WNC
Explorer
Sep 06, 2017
Is there a "wiki" page(or thread) for a basic (SD) RV satellite setup? I have a H24-700 Directv box I will be using for the camper. It is out of a spare bedroom that never gets used, so once it is setup for the camper, I don't plan on changing settings. I am currently hunting(Craigslist, FB, etc) for a free dish to use with it at the camper. I gather I should be looking for just an 18" round, correct? Do I need a slimline? What's the cheapest place to get a tripod for it, once attained?

Been researching this and am lost amongst the various acronyms and what gear is/is not required for SD vs. HD. Along with my H24 box, what is the necessary required equipment I will need and how do I go about initial box setup for the dish and then getting it setup and aligned with a signal at the campsite. I plan to do a dry run in the backyard before I attempt at a campground.

Thanks for the help!
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Apr 24, 2017
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/27694224.cfm
amateurw7vp
Explorer
Apr 24, 2017
I have built a mechanism to fine tune the elevation angle of my 18" round dish. How do I post a picture of it here?
Bill
amateurw7vp
Explorer
Apr 21, 2017
Still won't work. There is only one connector on the outside of the trailer for that receiver. It must be switched between the HD dish at home and the SD dish when camping. Thus there is only one cable from the dish on the inside of the trailer and it must go either to the SWM or the receiver. It could be done your way by adding another connector to the outside if the trailer but that is not going to happen. So now draw it with only one connector from the dish. Can't be done can it? Much easier to build a bypass switch (maybe an hour to build) and make two short RG6 connectors to go with it. Less than $5 all up with stuff from the junk box.
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Apr 21, 2017
I still must not understand the setup. My apologies. This is a standard 2 coax setup allowing to different antennas to connect to the same receiver. This was all I was talking about but I can't be sure that's the way your system is setup.
amateurw7vp
Explorer
Apr 21, 2017
When we are home the HD dish is attached to the rear of the trailer with two RG6 cables. One of the cables is attached to the SWM from the inside of the connector that goes through the wall to the outside. The other side of the SWM is connected to the receiver. The receiver is set up for LNB3 with single wire multi-switch (SWM). The second cable from the HD LNB goes through the wall directly to the bedroom receiver.

When we are camping we use a 18" round dish withh a dual LNB and without a SWM. The first cable comes in through the wall and must be connected directly to the receiver thus bypassing the SWM. In order to do that the SWM must be disconnected from both the LNB cable and the receiver so that the LNB cable from the dish can be connected directly to the receiver.

To avoid all the cable switching I built the DPDT bypass switch with 4 connectors. I know if no way an A/B switch with only 3 connectors can be made to work.
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Apr 21, 2017
I may be wrong. It sounded like you had 2 different coax runs depending upon which antenna you were using. You know your setup better than I do.
amateurw7vp
Explorer
Apr 21, 2017
I am still not getting it. The SWM LNB the cable from the LNB first goes to the SWM through a wall cinnrctor and from the SWM a second cable goes to the receiver. For the 18" dish the cable from the dish goes directly to the receiver so the cable inside the trailer that comes from the connector coming into the trailer from the dish must be disconnected from the SWM and connected to the receiver after disconnecting the receiver from the SWM. That can't be done with just an A/B switch but can be done as I have described it by completely bypassing the SWM thus permitting the receiver to send the proper voltages to the 18" dish.
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Apr 20, 2017
It will work but I don't know your exact setup. The SMW is connected to your coax. If one side of the A/B switch has the SMW power inserter and the other coax line does not then there you have it! I only know that it works since I have done it but, again, I cannot be certain of your particular setup.

Forum Discussion

Connect DTV H24 to 18" round dish

About RV Must Haves

Related Content

18" tire question - ANOTHER UPDATE

Weight Distribution Shank....2.5" receiver end X 18" Long

18" vs 20" Wheels

Upgrading to 18" truck tires

18" vs 20" tires for towing on truck