Can anyone tell me what to order from Direct TV so that I can take a receiver occasionally on vacation, and hook it up to a tripod and get service. Apparently, ordering the "Genie" won't do it as each invididual receiver must be connected to the GENIE

We have Direct TV standard at house. We take one of the receivers with us. We do not get local channels but, we don't care.We have a Carry out automatic dish to make set up easier.This is an easy way of going if you have Direct TV in your house.

I didn't order anything from DIRECTV... It is permissible to use your present DIRECTV account anywhere in the USA away from your present ZIP CODE. The only thing you will lose is your local TV stations if you are presently getting these. All I did was take a SAT RCVR from the bedroom and hooked it up to a PORT from a portable SAT dish I got from a local RV dealer. I set up the portable SAT DISH using the beeping type SAT FINDERS and mounted it inline with RG cable close to the SAt dishI ran the 150-foot long RG CABLE into the trailer through my window flap but your can probably get into the trailer through the storage door area.Inside the trailer I plugged the RG cable into the ANTENNA JACK of the SAT RCVR. Then I ran VIDEO cables from the SAT RCVR to the VIDEO INPUT on the HDTV set. If you brought along a second SAT RCVR you can connect it to the second PORT on the SAt DISH and setup this for your second TV set located in the bedroom. Each TV in your can watch separate SAT TV stations doing this.Using the TV remote I selected the VID channel I was plugged into.Now I scan the TV to look for TV CHANNELS just like you do at home.You should now be ready to watch SAT TV. You will need to use the SAT RCVR remote to change channels. The audio level will have to be controlled by the TV remote.I did this for a few years until the NATL BROADCAST came out with their digital TV signals form the local towns. These TV signal are full high def mode so I stopped bringing along all of my SAT DISH stuff and now watch HDTV from the local towns using my OTA BATWING antenna setup.I also would say to be sure to have your DIRECTV acct info with you as I had to call them using their 800 number a few times to re-activate the SAT RCVR. Mine was the older type and it sometimes would lose the activation if I unplugged it for any time... I would just tell them this is my DIRECTV from the bedroom that I am using in my RV and it needs to be activated again. You can also do this ON-LINE if you have your DIRECTV account number and access to the internet. There are probably other ways to do this but this is what worked for me for a couple of years. Traveled as far away as OKLA from my VA home and watched DIRECTV from my account.My DIRECTV storyRoy Ken

Do you have the "Genie" whole house DVR- What type of receiver is it in your bedroom? The installer that came to my house told me I could not separate the bedroom receiver from the "Genie" and have it work.

Sat TV for RVsTake receiver from houseBasic DTV from houseDirectv on the road from house

josslund wrote:Can anyone tell me what to order from Direct TV so that I can take a receiver occasionally on vacation, and hook it up to a tripod and get service. Apparently, ordering the "Genie" won't do it as each invididual receiver must be connected to the GENIEIf you do not currently have any DirecTV equipment you certainly can use a Genie. You just take the Genie and not the remotes in the RV. If you want to be able to leave sat. TV working at home while you are away as well then you can order a Genie, plus an H25 and clients for the other TV. You would then be able to take the H25 with you as it is its own stand alone HD satellite receiver. You will need to ensure your tripod setup uses the new DirecTV SWM LNB but otherwise there are no concerns.So take the Genie with you or not. The choice is yours. If you want to have access to a DVR while on the road but don't want to take the Genie you can have DTV provide you with the Genie, an HR24 DVR plus clients and that the HR24 in the RV when you travel.I have a Genie in my living room and a client in the bedroom giving full access to everything on the Genie on that TV as well. Whatever you do at home you can do in your RV.

Direct TV for motorhome | Good Sam Community

22 Replies

edatlanta
Explorer II
Mar 23, 2014
I have been using the heavy duty tripod system from TV4RV for almost 4 years. If you are very careful when setting this tripod system up you can have a signal immediately without any tweaking. Then you just have to make small changes to max the signal and you are done. It is that accurate if you are precise in setting it up.
rvjames
Explorer
Mar 22, 2014
Gary at DIYRV wrote an extensive article on the ins and outs of RV satellite TV recently. He is very sharp with that stuff. Have a look at it may give you another perspective.
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Mar 21, 2014
I would have DirecTV add another receiver to your home setup. Any of their receivers will work. If you want to be able to take a DVR into the RV then be sure they set you up with an HR24 and if you don't want a DVR then have them install the H25 (tiny) receiver. This receiver does require the DirecTV SWM setup but you are going to want to use that with your tripod setup in any case to make the setup and installation the easiest. When you buy an antenna just be sure they provide a SWM3 LNB and the 21V power inserter.
I assume you know you could also simply move your Genie between the house and the RV is you don't want to pay for an additional receiver plus the additional monthly charges.
For the antenna/tripod setup a number of RVers use the equipment from this supplier (I have no connection to them). TV4RV
aclay
Explorer
Mar 21, 2014
I am getting directv installed at the house with a Genie and mini-genies. Down the road, I want to buy an additional receiver that I can use at the house or in the RV. Should I order the receiver from DirecTV? I'm thinking that's the easiest thing, and just have them add it to my house, and I can take it with me on the road. I realize this can't be a mini-genie. Which receiver do I need? Follow on question, where is a good place to buy a dish & tripod to take to the RV? what models do I need to get HD, I want a receiver and a dish that get HD. I'm ok with manual aiming, I don't need the auto aiming system. I just want a simple oval dish & tripod kit.
josslund
Explorer
Mar 21, 2014
Thank you, you have been a tremendous help.
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Mar 21, 2014
josslund wrote:
Bill.Satellite wrote:
If you want to keep working receivers at home and in the RV at the same time as you indicate you DO NOT want to setup any kind of an RV account (not sure there is such a thing either). Changing any programming while you travel will kill the Network programming at home. If you plan to travel extensively and want service in both places you may need to setup 2 separate accounts. Otherwise, one of you will need to use the OTA antenna for your Network programming if you travel too far from home.

Bill
Let me see if I can sum this all up. I can use the existing dish I have, IF I order if I order the HV24 (non DVR I believe). I want to be sure that I do not make any changes to programing while on the road if I don't want to interfere with my home programing (not a problem, as I just want it to be easy to move the receiver, no one will be using at home). If I go to far outside of my service area, I might lose local stations (I usually travel in S.W. US). Am I missing anything in this summary?

The H24 is not a DVR. The HR24 IS a DVR. You make the choice as either one will work but a DVR will require that you run 2 coax cables from the Dish to the receiver unless you get a different antenna/LNB combo.
If you don't care about what's happening at home, TAKE IT ALL! It's easy. It costs very little to change your current setup to a SWM setup and you can use the Genie at home along with the clients and then take the Genie in the RV (along with all of your favorite recorded programs). Who doesn't want to be able to watch and record 5 different channels simultaneously!?
The local Network programming is spot-beamed and generally available within 300-1000 miles of home depending upon the market and the size of the spot beam. If you drive out from under this beam you will get NO Network programming but you can always use your roof top (Batwing) TV antenna if you are within range of the local OTA TV broadcast.
josslund
Explorer
Mar 20, 2014
Bill.Satellite wrote:
If you want to keep working receivers at home and in the RV at the same time as you indicate you DO NOT want to setup any kind of an RV account (not sure there is such a thing either). Changing any programming while you travel will kill the Network programming at home. If you plan to travel extensively and want service in both places you may need to setup 2 separate accounts. Otherwise, one of you will need to use the OTA antenna for your Network programming if you travel too far from home.

Bill
Let me see if I can sum this all up. I can use the existing dish I have, IF I order if I order the HV24 (non DVR I believe). I want to be sure that I do not make any changes to programing while on the road if I don't want to interfere with my home programing (not a problem, as I just want it to be easy to move the receiver, no one will be using at home). If I go to far outside of my service area, I might lose local stations (I usually travel in S.W. US). Am I missing anything in this summary?
josslund
Explorer
Mar 20, 2014
Thank you for that information. I would appreciate any other input, as this is not what I've heard from other RV'ers who have gone from Ca. (where I'm located) to Florida, perhaps this is recent technology?
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Mar 20, 2014
If you want to keep working receivers at home and in the RV at the same time as you indicate you DO NOT want to setup any kind of an RV account (not sure there is such a thing either). Changing any programming while you travel will kill the Network programming at home. If you plan to travel extensively and want service in both places you may need to setup 2 separate accounts. Otherwise, one of you will need to use the OTA antenna for your Network programming if you travel too far from home.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Mar 20, 2014
I can not tell you what to order, I will let others do that but I can tell you this.

MAKE SURE YOU GET AN RV ACCOUNT, not a home account... The reason...

Many get a home account and take a receiver with them in the RV, exactly as you plan to do, Drive a few hundred miles and suddenly the latest episode of SURVIVOR on network TV is not there.. In fact none of the big networks (ABC NBC, CBS and so on) are there. The reason is your Local Network television stations are "Spot beamed" and you drove out of the spot (Think of a spot light you drove out of the light and into the dark, it is not like a spot beam, it is a spot beam).

With an RV account, you qualify for "Distant Network Service" with DirecTV you get your choice of the NYC area or Los Angles area. network stations (or both)

And you can still carry the spare receiver into the house and use it there.

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