Dish Tailgater - I don't like!

[Unit505]

Purchased a Dish Tailgater package for a good price back in September. Hooked it up to the TT and set the dish in the backyard. Worked like a champ. Went to Lake Ouachita last week and could only get one or two of the 3 sats for full programming. Came home and placed the dish right back in it's spot in the yard with the same issues. We currently have two residences (just got married) and we both have Dish Network. Sat the dish at my house next to my regular dish and nothing. Brought it to my Wife's house and sat it next to her regular dish and again, nothing. Wound up setting the tailgater on the roof of the house and finally got full signal on all 3 sats and full programming. Called King Controls who makes the Tailgater and was told that the Tailgater really requires perfect view of the Southwest Sky due to the size of the dish compared to the Full Size Dish which is more forgiving since it receives more of a signal.

I am currently contemplating purchasing a standard dish and tripod for $150. The Tailgater might be "Automatic" but it takes me far less time to point a manual dish than it does to move and go through the 15-20 minute programming of the Tailgater 10 times. I almost used the Tailgater for target practice last night - SO FRUSTRATED! I can fire up the chain saw and start cutting down trees at my house, but I can't do that at the RV Park.

My other consideration is to use a 20ft. pole that I have and a Tailgater mount to get the dish up high enough to be of any use. As of now, If I want to use my Tailgater, I'm going to have to preplan my RV Park useage to insure that the park is free of any trees! I should have considered the size of the tailgater before purchasing it. I just did not consider the signal gain of the full size dish vs. the small tailgater.

Ideas? Suggestions?

[davidaf]

I use one of the iPhone pointing apps to make sure I'm getting a clear signal. 90% of the time I setup and walk away. The other times I get to fight a bit but I'd do that with a manual dish in those instances as well.

I also use a G2. It works much better than the original Carryout and the Tailgater. I wouldn't recommend the Tailgater to anybody as I had nothing but problems but many people seem to have no issues. Go figure.

[georgelesley]

greenrvgreen wrote:
Using 100-ft of low loss coax with the Tailgater will be fine, I do that all the time. In fact I often use 150 ft (100+50 with barrel connector), and it works most of the time.

FWIW, the barrel connector seems to be a bigger deal than an extra 50 ft of coax. If at all possible, route your coax directly into the RV and avoid the barrel connector. Also, avoid paralleling next to a power cord.

I love my Tailgater so much, I took it to Vegas and tried to marry it. Yes, it is a tiny antenna, but it is very portable, so it is easy to transport and easy to march out to a clear shot of the sky. And setup is very very easy, and that trumps everything else.

+1. I use an align a site to get an accurate fix on where the sats are, and hold it at the level the tailgator will be at and move around until I find a clear spot. Seldom do I not suceed.

[Denny___Jami]

Unit505 wrote:
Thank you for all of the responses. I have an offer on a dish so I'll at least have a choice. I'm going to wind up making a diy pole for my tailgater to get it up about 15-20ft. I'm also going to redo the cable run into the TT to both shorten the run and get rid of all but one barrel connector. I purchased a 100ft. coax and Dish said there is no way that 100ft. Would work. They claim that only 35-50ft. would work due to signal loss. The tech I spoke to today said that was BS. My big issue is wanting more than will be capable as far as getting a good signal in the heavily wooded parks around my area. I'll do my homework allot more prior to my next trip.

Again, thanks for all of the input.

Edit....I did download Satellite AR. Great App. Wish I had my tailgater here at work. 84 hours of basic cable sucks. Lol. Took me all of 2 minutes to download and find EchoStar 14.

The only time I had any problem with our tailgater it was the connector at the back of the trailer were it comes in.

Denny

[greenrvgreen]

Using 100-ft of low loss coax with the Tailgater will be fine, I do that all the time. In fact I often use 150 ft (100+50 with barrel connector), and it works most of the time.

FWIW, the barrel connector seems to be a bigger deal than an extra 50 ft of coax. If at all possible, route your coax directly into the RV and avoid the barrel connector. Also, avoid paralleling next to a power cord.

I love my Tailgater so much, I took it to Vegas and tried to marry it. Yes, it is a tiny antenna, but it is very portable, so it is easy to transport and easy to march out to a clear shot of the sky. And setup is very very easy, and that trumps everything else.

[Bill___Kate]

dahkota wrote:
If you can still return it, swap it for a Pathway X2. It has a larger dish and can pick up one of two sets of satellites (eastern arc and western arc). We have put the X2 right next to our rv roof mounted dish and found that it will pick up satellites in locations the roof mount won't.

I agree on the Pathway X2 being far superior to the Tailgater. I was continually frustrated trying to find a clear shot for the Tailgater and ordered the X2. Side by side there is no comparison - more than twice the signal strength from the X2. Sold the Tailgater on eBay.

[Unit505]

Thank you for all of the responses. I have an offer on a dish so I'll at least have a choice. I'm going to wind up making a diy pole for my tailgater to get it up about 15-20ft. I'm also going to redo the cable run into the TT to both shorten the run and get rid of all but one barrel connector. I purchased a 100ft. coax and Dish said there is no way that 100ft. Would work. They claim that only 35-50ft. would work due to signal loss. The tech I spoke to today said that was BS. My big issue is wanting more than will be capable as far as getting a good signal in the heavily wooded parks around my area. I'll do my homework allot more prior to my next trip.

Again, thanks for all of the input.

Edit....I did download Satellite AR. Great App. Wish I had my tailgater here at work. 84 hours of basic cable sucks. Lol. Took me all of 2 minutes to download and find EchoStar 14.

[GoPackGo]

As someone else stated, the dishformyrv app is only for Iphones. I have it on mine and it works very well. I understand that the developer has an android version available - you might google the dishformyrv app and then google the developer's name to find it.

When making reservations, some people ask for a site that is 'friendly' for sat receivers.

I have a Pathway X2. I wanted a Dish unit because DirecTV does not put out an HD signal that these small golfball sat receivers can receive.

Tim

[hilldude]

Like my Tailgater, use Satellite AR from the play store look for echo star 14 that is 119. I like if it cannot find all the satellites it will still lock on the other ones.The bad thing not as entertaining for other campers.Remember some times you are entrained some times you the entertainment.

[mikestock]

If you have that much trouble in Louisiana I would hat to see how poorly it would preform in the far northern states where the signal is naturally degraded by latitude.

Denny wrote:
I'm using the Satfinder app for my Android tablet to see if anything is in the way of our Tailgater. Where we are sitting right now 110 is through a hole in tree branches, 119 is in the clear and 129 is totally blocked by a tall tree. Even if I had a regular dish I still would get 129. I'm at my nephews and no matter where I use the app I can't get all 3 satellites so it's 110 and 119 for the next few weeks. The new apps are great just use the devices camera and you can see exactly where the satellite is at.

That is why I ended up with DirecTV. With DISH you need to see 110 to 129 which requires a wide swath of southern sky. With DirecTV you have to get 99/101/103 which are tightly grouped. Usually, if you can see one you can see them all.

[Denny___Jami]

ventrman wrote:

BB_TX wrote:
As long as I can find a reasonable size hole thru the trees in the direction of the sats, my Tailgater does fine. I use the dishformyrv app to locate a hole to see the sats, but still sometimes have to move it a little one way or the other. But much better, at least for me, than trying to aim my 1000.4 tripod mount.

I have an Android Phone. I got on their App Store and could not locate the Dishformyrv App. Where can I get it?

j

It's a Apple app not Android, the Android Satfinder works for me.

Denny

[ventrman]

BB_TX wrote:
As long as I can find a reasonable size hole thru the trees in the direction of the sats, my Tailgater does fine. I use the dishformyrv app to locate a hole to see the sats, but still sometimes have to move it a little one way or the other. But much better, at least for me, than trying to aim my 1000.4 tripod mount.

I have an Android Phone. I got on their App Store and could not locate the Dishformyrv App. Where can I get it?

[Denny___Jami]

I'm using the Satfinder app for my Android tablet to see if anything is in the way of our Tailgater. Where we are sitting right now 110 is through a hole in tree branches, 119 is in the clear and 129 is totally blocked by a tall tree. Even if I had a regular dish I still would get 129. I'm at my nephews and no matter where I use the app I can't get all 3 satellites so it's 110 and 119 for the next few weeks. The new apps are great just use the devices camera and you can see exactly where the satellite is at.

Denny

[TXiceman]

Unit505, I sent you a PM.

Also, we had a Tailgator and 211 receiver that were both replaced TWICE by Dish and King Controls. When I got the last working one back, I sold it on an RV website.

The trailer now has a Winegard RoadTrip MiniMax auto satellite antenna and we carry a Winegard Carryout G2 for when we are under trees.

They work MUCH better than the Tailgator.

Ken

[We_Cant_Wait]

We have the Tailgater and one thing I found missing from the operating instructions that was VERY vital to the proper operation of the unit was that the handle MUST be pointed North in order for the unit to properly pick up all 3 sats.