satellite TV for RV'ers

Casi wrote:
I travel and camp in my living quarters horse trailer. My husband and I are retired. He does not like to ride. I was thinking that if I got a portable dish that he would like to go more if he had something to do while I ride. I don't know anything about portable satellite, where do I start? We do have Dish network at home.

Thanks for any advice you might have!

Since you already have service with Dish Network, you just need a portable antenna. Something like the Winegard Carryout G2 or the King Dome (Flex?) portable dome will get you setup in 5-10 minutes after arrival at your new site. The cost $500-$600 but they are easy and automatic. Since you should have plenty of space in that setup you could also carry a tripod with a home style antenna which you much manually setup and point. These usually cost around $150 but are much more work to setup.

{tpc} wrote:
How does it work when your in the middle of a billing cycle then? We don't have auto pay, but it seems...well at least if you try to do it online, that if your in the middle of a billing period, they charge for the whole period.
.............?

As I understand it, the day of the month you initially start the account is the day of the month for the billing cycle from that point on regardless of the actual usage. You don't get a new start day when you reactivate. So if you initially started service on a 13th, was idle for several months, reactivated on the 28th of a new month, you would have to pay as if you reactivated on the 13th. Could be wrong. Wouldn't be the first time.

Since you said "Portable" I am going to suggest DISH NETWORK (unless you already have a direcTV account at home)

There are many portable antennas for Dish including the Tailgater which is specifically designed to work with the VIP-211 line of receivers and the Winegard Pathfinder X-2 Which is the one I like best at least on paper.

DISH works well with a SINGLE RECEIVER and a portable "dome" or "Cube" type antenna... (With multiple receivers or multi-channel DVR's you really need a "DISH" type antenna)


Basically this is what I recommend.
First: your account should be an RV account, again unless you already have a house account.. Legal reasons I woudl rather not go into today.

Second. Install the receiver near the main TV or the target TV in any case and connect using HDMI cable (IF You have multiple TVs ask about the 2nd)

Now Run BRAND NEW RG-6 Coax (Do not listen to the "Re-task the park cable" folks, Install NEW RG-6 to any handy connection point,, OFTEN this can be done without drilling a hole but if you need to drill. Have no fear. it's not that bad (I did it both ways) To do a no-holes in siding install find a way into the channel where the water pipes run and drop down to the basement that way (or under the RV)

Now: Set up and use,, This is basically the VIP-211/tailgater version.

With Receiver NOT PLUGGED IN, (or power to it switched off) hook up antenna. Look for a spot where you have a clear view of the South West (Equator south of Hawaii is a good "Target angle" NOTE: Sat Finder apps for your smart phone can really help here. Set Tailgater down and secure it against non-approved legs.,

Plug in and turn on. It should set up

Winegard Pathfinder.. Same thing only I do not know how the pathfinder gets power.. You may need to hook up a power cable for it.

Job done

You do need to call DISH with your account number when you move so you can get Network TV (ABC, NBC, CBS and so on) since Fox is a jerk.

How does it work when your in the middle of a billing cycle then? We don't have auto pay, but it seems...well at least if you try to do it online, that if your in the middle of a billing period, they charge for the whole period.

Ok that is confusing. Lets say this:

Unit was last used 7/25 - 7/27 and 8/1 -8/6 (in the middle of billing cycle 7/12-8/13). Haven't used it since.

Next cycle was 8/13 - 9/14
upcoming cycle is 9/14 - 10/15

So lets say on 10/10 I decide to use the unit. Does my cycle start from 10/10 to 11/11? Or do I pay for the 9/14 to 10/15 cycle?

{tpc} wrote:
............ What doesn't is the rv pay as you go plan, which seems to bill you in advance but if your not using it, takes a couple of cycles to revert back.

Its kind of tricky in that respect. But if your using it all the time or just bringing a home receiver on the road, this may not be an issue.

Do not authorize auto pay. If you do, they will automatically charge your credit card each month whether you are using the service or not. Make it manual pay and they can only send you a bill and request that you pay. If you do not pay, they will stop the service for that month and any following months you do not pay. When you are ready to restart it just call them and tell them to restart it and charge your credit card for another month.

I also have a pathway x2 and it works as advertised. What doesn't is the rv pay as you go plan, which seems to bill you in advance but if your not using it, takes a couple of cycles to revert back.

Its kind of tricky in that respect. But if your using it all the time or just bringing a home receiver on the road, this may not be an issue.

Moved from General RVing forum.

We have dropped our cable connection, and signed up for Dish and had a system installed at home. Then, we bought a Winegard Pathway X2 satellite dish and VIP211Z receiver so we can receive Dish signals while on the road. The Pathway X2 is fully automatic. All you do is set it outside with a cable attached to the RV. Turn on the reciever inside, and follow the set up menu. Viola - In about 8-10 minutes, the satellite dish is tuned in, and all your channels are there.

Also have Dish. Much easier if you have a receiver dedicated to the RV. You can buy one and register it to you or get one with the Tailgater or similar type antenna and the Dish Anywhere package. The receiver comes with the package and stays with the RV. No need to recite the numbers on the receivers, Dish has your account number tied to your telephone number with all the receivers registered to you. I used my cell number on the billing info to make the process easier.

If you are within about 250 miles of your home area you usually don't need to call as once the satellites are found they usually automatically work. Further away you will need to tell them the zip code where you are staying and they will send the signal for the stations. If you do that you will probably need to call again once home to have the codes sent to your home system. None of this takes more than 30 minutes to accomplish. If you are taking the home receiver with you you'll have to reinstall it at home and have the power on before you call Dish. If using the Dish Anywhere receiver you may be able to call from the road on your way home.

Another trick you may think about is the iPhone app "Dish for my RV". If you're in a heavily treed area it will be a help to find the best site for your antenna. That said, I've found the Tailgater much easier to set up than trying to get a signal with the home type antenna. A friend we go camping with usually gets his Dish system up and working within a short time. I on the other hand have spent hours getting a signal and our antennas are next to each other. The Tailgater solved that issue.

And I agree wholeheartedly with Roy about practicing at home a couple times before going on the road.

Good luck.

We have had Dish at home for years. Several years ago I bought a vip211 receiver and Tailgater antenna (auto sat finder) for the RV. It only adds $7/month to your home account and you get all the channels you get at home. Unless, that is, you are outside the spot beam where you get your local network channels. But in that case you can just call a Dish, tell them you are in your RV, you are currently in X city, and you want to change your service address (not your billing address). Within a few minutes you will be watching the local channels of the nearest major city.

Check dishformyrv.com.