Satellite TV service while in U.S.--Shaw or Bell subscribers

[MamaGoose]

Hello!

We've seen Canadians with Shaw satellite dishes, I don't recall seeing Bell.
I am wondering how your subscription service works. Do you get Canadian programming? Is this a Canadian satellite service? Is there some kind of different account you need to have? We have a home in Canada and a Shaw dish on our house. We have a house in the U.S. with cable TV service. We RV in both countries and getting what TV service we can with our batwing antenna or cable in parks that offer that. We're thinking of spending most of next summer traveling across Canada, so we're just tossing around some ideas about TV service. Installing Shaw satellite hardware on the motorhome is super expensive, so that's a big negative. We are considering changing to Dish at the U.S. house and then using a tailgater on the motorhome and taking our receiver with us if Dish will work in Canada, which I have been told it does. If it'll work for the few weeks we'll be at the house in Canada, we might just use it here and discontinue Shaw entirely. Not sure yet.

With Shaw, is it a matter of installing a Shaw dish on the RV in some way, having a receiver in your RV, authorizing it with Shaw, and then you have service? I've seen a Shaw dish being used as far south as Yuma. The Canadian had it installed in his motorhome by a local installer in Yuma, don't know how the account was set up or how billing was done, or if Shaw knew the customer was in the U.S.

Thanks for any input/ideas. We always have Shaw on seasonal break when we're not here, but I think there's a 6 month maximum for that.

[Lenny_K]

We use Shaw down in Quartzsite. We have the large dish on a tripod and always have good reception regardless of strong winds or rain. The most important part of finding the satellites is to have your stand perfectly level.
I had an old PVR (that I have since replaced) that was dying on me and I had to contact Shaw numerous times to help me out with it and had no issues about us being south. They asked me where I was located and told them.

[almcc]

You probably know that you can refresh your receivers via the net if you go to the Shaw site, you may have to sign up. As far as tech help from the US, if you are calling from your Canadian phone they probably won't know, and in talking to them they don't have that "Ma Bell" attitude, you will probably get help.

They can't appear to be advocating use in the US to keep the American networks happy.

[MamaGoose]

Thanks for the responses, folks! Really appreciate it!

[almcc]

We have Shaw at home and we move the receivers to the RV when on the road, we've used it as far south as Mazatlan Mexico. The 3rd new sat is ranged so you won't get it in most of the US, it has the HD programming so you will have to settle for the same programs in SD.

We used to use a tripod (no problems) but now have a Winegard dish on the roof. The tripod aiming works well if you start with a stable level tripod, I've tried to aim other people's Shaw dishes, with "mickey mouse" tripods it's an exercise in futility. There are programs and apps that give the exact elevation, angle and skew for Shaw if you input your latitude and longitude.

Bell is a non-starter, their equipment is ranged like Shaw's third sat.

[rbrand]

her&I wrote:
Although we sold our motorhome a couple of years ago, we always had great success with Shaw. We had started using them when they were still known as Star Choice before they were bought out by Shaw. Had a receiver in the motorhome and a tripod for the dish. Obtained a printout from Shaw for the co-ordinates for North America. The year the Olympics were in Vancouver we were in Mesa, Arizona and had trouble getting a signal. Were on the phone with a technician from Calgary for a very long time. He finally had us bring in a techie from Direct TV who got us set up and the Shaw representative arranged for us to have programming credits to cover the cost. This was at a time when Ma Bell would cut off your service if they found out you were using their equipment south of the border. Have had Shaw since.

We had the same experience with Star Choice but when it became Shaw they will no longer give any customer service outside of Canada. But we were very happy with it.

[her_I]

Although we sold our motorhome a couple of years ago, we always had great success with Shaw. We had started using them when they were still known as Star Choice before they were bought out by Shaw. Had a receiver in the motorhome and a tripod for the dish. Obtained a printout from Shaw for the co-ordinates for North America. The year the Olympics were in Vancouver we were in Mesa, Arizona and had trouble getting a signal. Were on the phone with a technician from Calgary for a very long time. He finally had us bring in a techie from Direct TV who got us set up and the Shaw representative arranged for us to have programming credits to cover the cost. This was at a time when Ma Bell would cut off your service if they found out you were using their equipment south of the border. Have had Shaw since.

[quartzster]

If you use a portable setup for Shaw and you have a working account, it is not that difficult to find the signal if you use one or two very good apps on your cell phone.

I mounted a second dish to my trailer in texas and within 5 minutes had a signal.

There are several good videos on youtube that show you tips.

And yes you get all the same programming you are subscribed for at home, except for when you get too far south and you lose some HD channels.

[MamaGoose]

Harvard wrote:
You will need to have a Shaw subscription IN CANADA (and never tell Shaw otherwise). Then you simply travel with your portable Shaw dish and tuner which are never installed on the motorhome. A tripod for a ground mount of the dish works fine.

Ah, I see. We've been that route before when we had our 5th wheel, here in Canada. Managed to successfully find the signal exactly 2 times. Dish and tripod are now...actually, I don't recall where they ended up. I do wish the Shaw hardware was compatible with tailgaters. Oh well...

[MamaGoose]

joebedford wrote:
Shaw Direct will work anywhere in the lower 48. However, their latest satellite with a lot of the HD channels has footprint only in Canada.

Bell no longer works much below the 45th parallel.

Sounds like you're going to spend more than 182 days in the USA. Welcome to the I.R.S.

No, we don't spend more than 182 days in the U.S., never. We have been snowbirding there for a few years now, been remitting all the proper paperwork and will continue to do so. We're going to be changing residences here in Canada, just not sure when that'll happen, though. In the meantime, we're retired and we want to travel and see more of Canada next summer and we won't be spending much time at the house in Canada. I may have given the impression that we're moving to the U.S., which is not the case. I've since edited my original post.
I see it looked like we were planning to spend a few weeks in Canada...I meant we won't be at the house much, but we'll be traveling. In Canada. 🙂

[joebedford]

Shaw Direct will work anywhere in the lower 48. However, their latest satellite with a lot of the HD channels has footprint only in Canada.

Bell no longer works much below the 45th parallel.

Sounds like you're going to spend more than 182 days in the USA. Welcome to the I.R.S.

[Harvard]

You will need to have a Shaw subscription IN CANADA (and never tell Shaw otherwise). Then you simply travel with your portable Shaw dish and tuner which are never installed on the motorhome. A tripod for a ground mount of the dish works fine.