Best RV Satellite Configuration?

[jstaffon]

I've read a number of posts about satellite systems for RVs. I know some of the posts are a little dated so I wanted to revisit this subject, taking into account new technology. I have a 2016 Forest River Rockwood 5th wheel. I spend three months during the winter in RV parks in Arizona. I spend summers dry camping/boon docking with only a generator. My priorities are : 1) HD picture quality; 2)portability; 3)ease of setup, 4)cost. I can't, at this time, mount anything on top of my 5th wheel due to height restrictions where I store my rig. I'm also not real keen on putting something on my trailer because there are some occasions when I park under trees. Something more portable better suits more of my types of camping. I'm leaning towards a normal dish mounted on a tripod, remote from my camper. I'm told they offer the best picture but I'm not sure that's still true with new technology. Can someone help and offer suggestions based on actual setups and configuration? Thanks in advance!

[jim_michelle]

Hello jstaffon,
Have you had any issues with the Wally not finding all the satellites on setup to where it doesnt allow you to view what satellites it did find? There have been previous posts aboth the Wally not allowing viewing if all sat's not found whereas the 211z will let you go ahead and view if only 2 found.

[Big_Katuna]

Thanks for the follow-up.

I went with the Pathway as well and could not be happier.

I had Directv for about 15 years and switched to DISH a year ago.

While I never had problems dealing with DTV, DISH has been easier and are way more RV aware. Just call and tell them the new zip.

[jstaffon]

I want to thank everyone again for your help. I want to close out this post by discussing my decision. I've made my purchase and have been using it for the past several days. I know the title of the post says "Best RV Satellite Configuration". This is the configuration I chose and not necessarily considered the "Best" configuration. Everyone who posted have very nice configurations that I'm sure works well for them. Thank you all again!

I bought the Winegard Pathway X2, the Wally receiver, Winegard Carryout Tripod and a Seagate 1 TB external USB drive for the DVR function of the Wally. Dish recommends a "powered" external drive for the DVR .. I went with a standard external drive which is powered through the USB port. It works fine.

The setup and configuration was a snap and worked as advertised. I was a little confused why Dish charges a one time fee of $40 to activate the DVR feature in the Wally but that's the way it is. It was well documented on the website so I was expecting it but it seems like a frivolous charge. The Dish packages available for RVrs are a little costly but you have the option to turn them ON and OFF whenever you want. If you turn OFF before the end of a billing cycle, you'll get credit applied to your account for when you reactivate your service. One of the things that was confusing to me and even some of the Dish support people were the Local Channels and how that works while you travel. One person told me to choose the city (whether you were there or not) where you wanted the local channels from. One person (after hours support) told me I couldn't change my location and I had to use the local channels from where the bill was being sent to (i.e. my home address). Neither of those are true or work. I am currently about 110 miles west of Phoenix. If you told Dish you were in Phoenix but not really in Phoenix, your channel guide will show Phoenix local channels but you'll get an error message when you select those channels stating that you are outside the viewing area. Don't try to trick Dish just tell them exactly where you are and you'll get the local channels for that area. In my case, it turns out the local channels for this area are in fact the Phoenix local channels. As you move across the country, just call Dish and give them a physical address ... like maybe a Walmart parking lot or RV Park and they will change your physical address in the database and you'll get the local channels for that area. They do a really good job managing local channels which are: ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and CW. There are a few other PBS channels, etc but the big 5 are the ones I mentioned. I'm not advocating Dish over DirecTV ... just stating how well my configuration and service works.

We've had some rain in the area and the X2 performs well. I've seen rain drops on the surface of the dish but the picture is crystal clear. No issues related to weather conditions.

My future plans are to buy another Wally so I can watch different channels on my living room TV and bedroom TV.

I couldn't be happier with my decision and how well it performs. If anyone has any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. Thanks!

[Bigbird65]

My DirecTV HD Portable System is up and running and it meets Op's requirements. " My priorities are : 1) HD picture quality; 2)portability; 3)ease of setup, 4)cost." I bought all of the components on eBay.

The system is easy to setup and align to satellites 99, 101, and 103. I use this app for my Android phone. It will give you the Tilt (skew), Elevation, and Azimuth for the DirecTV satellites. It even has a handy compass for pointing the dish in azimuth.






When I was first learning to align the dish I used this monitor outside the trailer but I can now align it using my assistant (DW) inside the trailer. We communicate using cell phones.

[Bill_Satellite]

jstaffon wrote:
Does anyone know if you can use any external hard drive brand for the DVR function on the Wally?

No, not any. But certainly many. Check at the Dish website for parameters. Most folks use an externally powered HD but some smaller UBS drives will work as well. Personally, I would get one using an external power source.

[jstaffon]

2oldman wrote:
I've used this for years. Cheapest for sure, maybe a couple hundred bucks. Doesn't walk off at night. HD is the only way to go. Single coax feeds 2 tuners in the DVR. Downside? Takes a while to learn the skill of aiming it.



I record almost every show. Zipping past the commercials is much more pleasant than being tied to a live program.

Here..here! We have a couple Tivos at home and love the commercial skipping feature.

[2oldman]

I've used this for years. Cheapest for sure, maybe a couple hundred bucks. Doesn't walk off at night. HD is the only way to go. Single coax feeds 2 tuners in the DVR. Downside? Takes a while to learn the skill of aiming it.



I record almost every show. Zipping past the commercials is much more pleasant than being tied to a live program.

[jstaffon]

Does anyone know if you can use any external hard drive brand for the DVR function on the Wally?

[Bill_Satellite]

You would need an internet connection.

[jstaffon]

TechWriter wrote:

jstaffon wrote:

Also, do you have experience or good research comparing the Wally to the Dish 211

z

?

Your best bet is a 211

k

receiver -- is has an RF out for a 2nd TV and it has a built-in OTA (Over-The-Air) tuner which allows you to connect directly to your RV's batwing antenna.

Going to make my purchase today. I'm still stuck on the receiver part. I'm leaning towards the Wally because of the RF remote and newer interface. I also saw an advertisement on the Wally regarding "Apps" like Netflix. I subscribe to Netflix. Can I watch movies through the Dish Satellite connection or do I need to have broadband internet?

[BB_TX]

jstaffon wrote:
........
People have told me the dome type dishes tend to walk away in the evenings while you sleep.
.........

I don't think there is any epidemic of portable dishes walking away. Has rarely been mentioned here. But many of us do secure them one way or another. I bought a plastic coated steel dog tie out cable and sometimes lock mine to a tree, strut, or other secure object. But even on those times I have not locked it, no one has ever bothered it.

[jstaffon]

Thanks again for all of your help! As I've posted before, this forum and its members are awesome!

[TechWriter]

jstaffon wrote:

Also, do you have experience or good research comparing the Wally to the Dish 211

z

?

Your best bet is a 211

k

receiver -- is has an RF out for a 2nd TV and it has a built-in OTA (Over-The-Air) tuner which allows you to connect directly to your RV's batwing antenna.

[Bill_Satellite]

The Wally uses an RF remote which is nice when the receiver is out of sight. Otherwise, they are both good receivers and both will work with an added hard drive and adding the $40 DVR option (one time fee). The Pathway X2 is larger and has a much better antenna inside than the other portables which I recommend if you have the space. The Pathway X2 and Playmaker are Dish only and compatible only with the 211/Wally series of receivers. The others will work with Dish or DirecTV. You may be confused about the SD/HD part. The domes cannot receive ANY HD programming from DirecTV but work like a charm with Dish!