Looking at getting some sort of satellite next spring. I currently have DirecTV at home. I've never had Dish. It boils down to wanting an HD picture. I know you can't cheaply get HD with a sat and DirecTV. Only Dish has HD with portable sats. Question is how hard is it to get HD with a DirecTV satellite? I've read it's really hard and after talking to the guys setting it up at our house they also say it's pretty tough without an expensive sat finder. Next thing is monthly costs. We wouldn't always be using the service. So keeping DirecTV at home and going with Dish would cost about $40.00 a month I think. If I keep my DirecTV and use a home receiver then it would be no different than home use. Not sure if I want to switch to Dish. That would be the easiest thing to do but I've heard a few cons on their equipment. We had Comcast for awhile before getting DirecTV and the software Comcast uses is horrible. DirecTV is simpler to navigate and set/delete programs IMO.For those that have had both are they really that much different?So it boils down to keeping DirecTV and trying to setup a portable dish or switch to Dish and go with a Winegard or Tailgator.

Don't forget all of the NATL BROADCAST stations transmit in full high def mode. You can get all of these for free from the local towns using your OTA BATWING antenna...Roy Ken

goducks10 wrote: I've read it's really hard and after talking to the guys setting it up at our house they also say it's pretty tough without an expensive sat finder.If you've followed any posts on here about this you'll know it does take practice, but is quite do-able. And no, you don't need an expensive meter. That's just how the DTV techs are trained.Aim DTV SWM post

You have direct at home/ Take the receiver with you from home. As for dish costs, it can run from a couple hundred for a complete manual setup to a couple thousand for an automatic roof top setup. We have and carry both. most of the time I setup my ground antenna. I spend maybe 250 dollars including a heavy duty tripod and enough coax cable and fittings to make what I wanted. I have since converted to a SWM system with a new genie and wireless slaves at home. This will be out go setup next spring when we leave again

I have direct and use a slim line dish and i do have HD channels. Most of the time in setting up the dish i have very little problem.I fine Satelite 110. from there i go up and down on the dish and i can fine 119 and 101 with out much trouble. I never use a meter. I do use my IPhone compass. Good luck.

Dish or DirecTV? | Good Sam Community

BB_TX
Nomad
Nov 19, 2014
We have had Dish at home for many years and Dish in the RV for the last 3 years. Very satisfied with both. Used a tripod mount first. Sometimes difficult to get aimed. Now use a Tailgater and much happier.

When we travel, a quick phone call to Dish will get us reprogrammed for the local network channels of the nearest city with those channels. Wife likes her regular programs. I like to watch the news and local weather in the correct time for the zone we are in.
gatorcq
Explorer
Nov 19, 2014
I would first ask you to read this Post.

Link to Post

My next statement is easy. We had 1, HD receiver and 1, SD receiver.
Example Rapid City, SD. Direct TV only broadcast the locals channels in HD. So my SD receiver did not work with the local channels. AND I am not willing to pay $$$ for east/west coast feed.

So, I knowing what the spot beam was, I was able to tell Tech support my service address was in Denver, when we spent 5 months in Custer State Park, South Dakota.

So before you decide, figure what you really want in the way of local channels unless you are willing to spend extra $$$ for the DNS East/West coast feed on Direct TV.

Good luck on your decision making.
ventrman
Explorer
Nov 19, 2014
We added a Dish Tailgater to out Account for $7.00 a Month. It is painless to setup. All you have to do is to point the Handle to the Southeast, plug everything up go through the Prompts, and you will be watching Satellite in less than 10 Minutes. It automatically finds the Satellites. I have mine Setting on the Ground chained and Padlocked to the Landing Gear on the 5th Wheel. It works great.
Where I used to live in Erin, TN, I could not get Directv, but Dish worked great.
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Nov 19, 2014
There is no monthly fee for owning or using a Tailgater. You buy it, you own it, end of story. Now, if you added an additional receiver to your account to use WITH the Tailgater, you are paying $7/month for the additional receiver that you added to your existing Dish account. If you have a 211 series receiver that you move between your home and your RV you would have no additional monthly fees.
Vannnce
Explorer
Nov 20, 2014
I like my dish, and now they'll come set up my dish free when i move. But for some reason every other month theyre raising my bill which is making me mad
endlesssky
Explorer
Nov 20, 2014
If you would like a how to demo with a winegard ant. call me in dallas at 9306 last 4.

After the rain of course, looks like another week.

Wineguard has an antenna that will do direct or dish, an is semiauto so easy to set up.
Kenc_AL
Explorer
Nov 21, 2014
Bill.Satellite wrote:
It's really a no-brainer! You have DirecTV....use it.
To get HD you need an open faced antenna either mounted on a tripod or a fully automatic roof mounted unit. Start out with the tripod and if you don't like spending 20-30 minutes at each new location getting setup you can spend about $1800 for a roof mount. Time and money are sometime interchangeable and you need to figure out which is more important to you.
If none of that sounds like any fun, you are still going to have a high expense if you want to go with Dish unless you want to also convert your house over to Dish. Paying for both services (even when it's only when you travel) makes no sense at all.

Concur: I use the Pathway X2. Locks HD in 8 minutes, have choice of eastern or western arc which is excellent option when camped in trees and when moving around the country, larger dome than tailgater less rain fade and with Dish pay as go you are not stuck with new 12 month bill. You can be up and running, HD everything you need package for under $500. If cash is not a problem, spend the $1,800 above.

http://www.amazon.com/Winegard-PA6002R-Pathway-Satellite-Antenna/dp/B00G1XB8O2/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1416581782&sr=8-14&keywords=portable+satellite+dish
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Nov 21, 2014
Clicky
RJsfishin
Explorer
Nov 22, 2014
It will never cease to amaze me how much hassle and expense people will go thru to see a little sharper HD picture. My locals are in HD, my Direct isn't.
Its always so simple, the kingdome locks on in a minute or less, and aiming a tripod (in the rare case of trees) is so simple too,..w/ the little receiver whose beeper you can hear for a city block.
Life has enuff problems w/o making more. I'm in love w/ simplicity.
I know, this dint help the OP one bit,,,,,sorry.

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