Satellite and Extended Camping

[Hvymtlc5]

We are brand new to RV camping. Our fifth wheel came with a Winegard satellite auto-locator/receiver and tripod. Right now we don't think we will ever use it - the room it takes up might be better used. We plan on an extended camping next year (12 months out or more). We have a digital antenna on the roof to get local channels when available. How important is it to keep (or sell) this receiver? What is the cheapest satellite service for basic TV when on the road (we have cable now so know nothing about satellite)?

[amandasgramma]

Me Again wrote:

amandasgramma wrote:
You will NOT get your home base locals. IE, My home base is Bend, Oregon....I can get them when I'm there, but when we go to Quartzsite, we get Phoenix stations for the locals. I simply get online and do a "chat" with Dish and they change our "receiver's location". I have done this at least 8 times since last Oct. One time the assistant told me I couldn't do it, and I told the person to talk to their supervisor. 🙂 he came back and made the change. 🙂 🙂 All done in less than 5 minutes. -- takes 10-15 min. for the locals to show up on the tv.

In our Jan/Feb swing through the SW I used Directv's "chat" session to change my address. It worked well, better that calling them.

BTW you are changing your billing address, so you want to set your account up to automatically charge to a credit card.

We have two HDDVR's the live in the trailer and a Geni and one HD Rec in the SB. Trailer spends the summer in a RV park a hour from the SB, so everything is cool. Can watch locals at the trailer in the summer. Chris

We are NOT changing our billing address. We're changing the LOCATION of our receiver. I've been doing this for 6 months and in the last 2 months our LOCATION has changed 5 times.....each time, I've double checked my account and my mailing or billing address has NOT changed.

[NC_Hauler]

RustyJC wrote:

Roman Duck wrote:
With direct tv you will receive your local channels no matter where you are.

Not if you're out of the spot-beamed area for your local channels. We live in the Houston, Texas area, and about 150-200 miles is the limit of my spot-beamed reception area for Houston local channels for DirecTV.

Rusty

Agree....I live in Asheville NC and have been impressed where I've been able to pick up my local channels....As far east as Myrtle Beach, also in WVa, BUT, when I traveled to the Outer Banks...I couldn't pick up my local channels....the channels were blank....but the over the air antenna picked up several network channels and that was good enough. IF, as Rusty stated, you are out of your "spot-beamed" area, you WON'T be able to pick up your local channels that you receive at your home.....You would have to let Direct TV know of another zip-code area and if not mistaken, you would then receive the local channels offered in THAT particular area..

[Me_Again]

amandasgramma wrote:
You will NOT get your home base locals. IE, My home base is Bend, Oregon....I can get them when I'm there, but when we go to Quartzsite, we get Phoenix stations for the locals. I simply get online and do a "chat" with Dish and they change our "receiver's location". I have done this at least 8 times since last Oct. One time the assistant told me I couldn't do it, and I told the person to talk to their supervisor. 🙂 he came back and made the change. 🙂 🙂 All done in less than 5 minutes. -- takes 10-15 min. for the locals to show up on the tv.

In our Jan/Feb swing through the SW I used Directv's "chat" session to change my address. It worked well, better that calling them.

BTW you are changing your billing address, so you want to set your account up to automatically charge to a credit card.

We have two HDDVR's the live in the trailer and a Geni and one HD Rec in the SB. Trailer spends the summer in a RV park a hour from the SB, so everything is cool. Can watch locals at the trailer in the summer. Chris

[RustyJC]

Roman Duck wrote:
With direct tv you will receive your local channels no matter where you are.

Not if you're out of the spot-beamed area for your local channels. We live in the Houston, Texas area, and about 150-200 miles is the limit of my spot-beamed reception area for Houston local channels for DirecTV.

Rusty

[Roman_Duck]

amandasgramma wrote:

Bob Shaw wrote:

Me Again wrote:

Hvymtlc5 wrote:
We just don't want to spend 100.00 a month (if that's what it costs) for satellite service if we can get some local service off the antenna. We're selling our home before we go so there is nothing to piggy-back off of. We're not very techno-savy yet, but I think we could steam a lot of programming from wifi off the phone or local camp connection.

Very few local campground wifi connections will work very well for steaming and they really do not want you doing that. Picture 150 sites stream at the same time. Steaming via a phone is pretty costly also.

Both Dish and Directv offer RV plans that provide LA or NY major locals as you travel. It is called "Distance Services" and requires forms and registration be submitted. Other than that they spot beam the locals across the country, and if you move 300-400 miles you loose locals. Dish will change your address without to much of a problem. Directv likes to limit it to two changes a year.

Chris

Chris, I've had quite the opposite experience. I did not go with DISH because they charged after two changes per year, and Direct TV did not. I snowbird and make several trips per year and only have to call Direct and tell them my new service address to get the local (spot beamed) channels. I've made as many as 6 changes per year with no issues.

I disagree with you, too. IF you get locals at your home base, then you can get locals in the area you're visiting. You will NOT get your home base locals. IE, My home base is Bend, Oregon....I can get them when I'm there, but when we go to Quartzsite, we get Phoenix stations for the locals. I simply get online and do a "chat" with Dish and they change our "receiver's location". I have done this at least 8 times since last Oct. One time the assistant told me I couldn't do it, and I told the person to talk to their supervisor. 🙂 he came back and made the change. 🙂 🙂 All done in less than 5 minutes. -- takes 10-15 min. for the locals to show up on the tv.

With direct tv you will receive your local channels no matter where you are. The only way that you would get local channels at your new locale, would be, if you had your billing address changed to that. In addition local channels are only available if there is no cable service at your new address

[NC_Hauler]

silvercorvette wrote:
I have Direct TV and love it. I already pay for it in my house so when I leave home I just bring 2 of my 4 DVRs with me. I leave the other 2 DVRS home to record local stations and it does not cost a penny extra. I get the same HBO / Showtime channels I get at home plus history, outdoor channels, If I get too far from home I loose ABC, NBC, CBS but all it takes is a phone call to Direct TV to have them switch local station coverage. But if I do that my hime DVRs will not record local stations while I am away

My unit cost over $1,000 but it is bolted to the roof and unfolds and folds itself and it automatically will find the satellite in your area.

I suggest you see how it works out if you switch to Dish at home.

Basically the same, I've had Direct for years and Dish before that....Had a Dome satellite and when camping in the mountains with Dish, had a hard time, at times, getting a signal...Went with Direct TV..seemed it could get "over" some mountains better than Dish...I purchased the Travler SK3005, (believe that's right), initially expensive...but going on 3 years now of trouble free service...When we travel, I take our two Direct TV receivers and can watch TV in Living room and/or bedroom...Never let me down, push a button, satellite lined up and this satellite get's Hi-Def television...Where we do some of our camping, there is only one over the air channel we can get....

I think the Satellite is around $1600, not a cheap "initial" investment...but over time, to me, WELL worth the expense.

[silvercorvette]

I have Direct TV and love it. I already pay for it in my house so when I leave home I just bring 2 of my 4 DVRs with me. I leave the other 2 DVRS home to record local stations and it does not cost a penny extra. I get the same HBO / Showtime channels I get at home plus history, outdoor channels, If I get too far from home I loose ABC, NBC, CBS but all it takes is a phone call to Direct TV to have them switch local station coverage. But if I do that my hime DVRs will not record local stations while I am away

My unit cost over $1,000 but it is bolted to the roof and unfolds and folds itself and it automatically will find the satellite in your area.

I suggest you see how it works out if you switch to Dish at home.

[amandasgramma]

Bob Shaw wrote:

Me Again wrote:

Hvymtlc5 wrote:
We just don't want to spend 100.00 a month (if that's what it costs) for satellite service if we can get some local service off the antenna. We're selling our home before we go so there is nothing to piggy-back off of. We're not very techno-savy yet, but I think we could steam a lot of programming from wifi off the phone or local camp connection.

Very few local campground wifi connections will work very well for steaming and they really do not want you doing that. Picture 150 sites stream at the same time. Steaming via a phone is pretty costly also.

Both Dish and Directv offer RV plans that provide LA or NY major locals as you travel. It is called "Distance Services" and requires forms and registration be submitted. Other than that they spot beam the locals across the country, and if you move 300-400 miles you loose locals. Dish will change your address without to much of a problem. Directv likes to limit it to two changes a year.

Chris

Chris, I've had quite the opposite experience. I did not go with DISH because they charged after two changes per year, and Direct TV did not. I snowbird and make several trips per year and only have to call Direct and tell them my new service address to get the local (spot beamed) channels. I've made as many as 6 changes per year with no issues.

I disagree with you, too. IF you get locals at your home base, then you can get locals in the area you're visiting. You will NOT get your home base locals. IE, My home base is Bend, Oregon....I can get them when I'm there, but when we go to Quartzsite, we get Phoenix stations for the locals. I simply get online and do a "chat" with Dish and they change our "receiver's location". I have done this at least 8 times since last Oct. One time the assistant told me I couldn't do it, and I told the person to talk to their supervisor. 🙂 he came back and made the change. 🙂 🙂 All done in less than 5 minutes. -- takes 10-15 min. for the locals to show up on the tv.

[Bob_Shaw]

Me Again wrote:

Hvymtlc5 wrote:
We just don't want to spend 100.00 a month (if that's what it costs) for satellite service if we can get some local service off the antenna. We're selling our home before we go so there is nothing to piggy-back off of. We're not very techno-savy yet, but I think we could steam a lot of programming from wifi off the phone or local camp connection.

Very few local campground wifi connections will work very well for steaming and they really do not want you doing that. Picture 150 sites stream at the same time. Steaming via a phone is pretty costly also.

Both Dish and Directv offer RV plans that provide LA or NY major locals as you travel. It is called "Distance Services" and requires forms and registration be submitted. Other than that they spot beam the locals across the country, and if you move 300-400 miles you loose locals. Dish will change your address without to much of a problem. Directv likes to limit it to two changes a year.

Chris

Chris, I've had quite the opposite experience. I did not go with DISH because they charged after two changes per year, and Direct TV did not. I snowbird and make several trips per year and only have to call Direct and tell them my new service address to get the local (spot beamed) channels. I've made as many as 6 changes per year with no issues.

[RedRam]

We have satellite in our stick house but when we were gone camping up to 5 maybe 6 months at a time we took box with us.I bought a small tripod and managed to get a extra dish and set it up myself.I would call Dish and give them the new address and zipcode and everything was fine.

[Roman_Duck]

We have direct tv in the sticks and bricks(no cable available n our area) Having a receiver in the rv costs us an additional 6.00 a month. if you upgrade to a dvr it's 12.00 a month. we travel all over and it's nice to watch the local news channel from our home area, no matter where we are, at least east of the Mississippi. Our total package with a genie system in the S&B and a single receiver in the rv costs us 79.00 with all the surcharges. We don't have the top program package, but one below, We also don't use the pay channels, such as; HBO,showtime, etc.
We looked at the dish system a couple of times, but the programing packages were not the same as DTV. We would of have to upgraded to a more expensive package. Service tech support are also top notch with DTV. We been customers of DTV for 17 yrs; actually we were with another company and eventually it merged with another and DTV was formed. The 18" dish is so much nicer than that C Band 60" dish, couldn't imagine what it would be like having that 5 foot dish on top of the rv... just saying

[sdianel_-acct_c]

you probably won't be able to stream any programming. Campground wi-fi won't handle it and unless you have a grandfathered unlimited plan you can't afford it. I would keep the satellite dish until you're sure you won't want it. DirecTV is about $90 a month but you can put it on vacation when you're not using it. Some parks you won't be able to get over air channels. You can get Directv in your home and add a receiver for the RV cheaper than cable at home and satellite on the road. That's what we did when we first started traveling but not full timing.

[Me_Again]

Hvymtlc5 wrote:
We just don't want to spend 100.00 a month (if that's what it costs) for satellite service if we can get some local service off the antenna. We're selling our home before we go so there is nothing to piggy-back off of. We're not very techno-savy yet, but I think we could steam a lot of programming from wifi off the phone or local camp connection.

Very few local campground wifi connections will work very well for steaming and they really do not want you doing that. Picture 150 sites stream at the same time. Steaming via a phone is pretty costly also.

Both Dish and Directv offer RV plans that provide LA or NY major locals as you travel. It is called "Distance Services" and requires forms and registration be submitted. Other than that they spot beam the locals across the country, and if you move 300-400 miles you loose locals. Dish will change your address without to much of a problem. Directv likes to limit it to two changes a year.

Chris

[Hvymtlc5]

Lots of learning to do - didn't know there were restrictions on wifi. We'll check with DISH or Direct and see what they can offer.

One of the question becomes, do you want to be able to record things on a DVR? Once that question is answered then the other question may be solved.

Nope - don't need to record.

[sdetweil]

donn0128 wrote:
What brand receiver? Dish and now Direct both offer a month to month service. Personally, I would dump the cable at home and sign up for satelite service. Then for no additional cost take your receiver(s) from home when you travel.

do you have a pointer to Direct's month to month program?
I looked and the traveler package doesn't say anything about
terms.