Receiving DirecTV While Traveling in RV Out of State

[john_d_dobbs]

Hi - I'm using a King Quest VQ4100 Automatic Portable satellite dish in my RV. I understand that it is to scan to the DirecTV satellite - it is a roof mounted unit, not a manual point tripod antenna.



It works fine here at home and in the immediate area (Western Colorado) but we camp in central Utah and both times now, when attempting to find a satellite signal while out of state - I'm getting the dreaded 771 - no satellite signal. I get back home to Western Colorado, and it connects immediately.



Help - I'd like to camp and be able to watch TV somewhere other than my driveway!



Thanks,

John

[john_d_dobbs]

Thanks for everyone's suggestions. I called DirecTV, and I should be able to go anywhere with this setup.

Based on input from other forums, one possibility is that as I'm starting the receiver up, it's trying to bring in the last channel used. Local channels are pulled in from "spot beams" not the "main beam" from sat 101. If I'm out of my local area, I won't be able to pick up the "spot beam".

So the suggestion is to tune to a national channel like CNN before traveling and then as the receiver starts up it should be able to find this. Just a theory, haven't confirmed it yet.

Thanks,
John

[Ralphf10]

Call direct tv and tell them that u are traveling away from home. They can then set u up . If u travel more than 300 miles from ur base area you have to call direct tv.

[kellertx5er]

Where are you John????? People trying to help you but can't if you don't give feedback!

[wa8yxm]

Since DirecTV uses but one sat (101) no matter where you are.. It should work no matter where you are UNLESS you are in the "Shadow" of something (Tree, Building, Etc) or unless there is something blocking the signal. (MSW inverter, LED's. Radar Detector, Jammer)

[lynndiwagon]

I've had that problem with my tripod Slimline 3. It's usually caused by me leaving the receiver on one of my local channels when I take it out of the house and trying to set it up at a location where I don't receive the spot beam for local channels.

[Bill_Satellite]

john.d.dobbs wrote:
Hi - I'm using a King Quest VQ4100 Automatic Portable satellite dish in my RV. I understand that it is to scan to the DirecTV satellite - it is a roof mounted unit, not a manual point tripod antenna.



It works fine here at home and in the immediate area (Western Colorado) but we camp in central Utah and both times now, when attempting to find a satellite signal while out of state - I'm getting the dreaded 771 - no satellite signal. I get back home to Western Colorado, and it connects immediately.



Help - I'd like to camp and be able to watch TV somewhere other than my driveway!



Thanks,

John

You will not be able to watch the Networks (ABC, NBC, etc.) but you should not have any issues receiving the cable type channels like CNN, ESPN, Food Network, and the like.

[SCVJeff]

azdryheat wrote:
---snip--- We never get local channels on the road. I don't know why Directv doesn't let us get the local channels from wherever we happen to be.

Talk to the FCC and advertisers. Its not the providers choice

[sdianel_-acct_c]

we have a dome satellite dish with DirecTV. When we can't get a signal it's usually because there is a tree blocking the view of the southern sky, we are in a valley surrounded by mountains, there is a building next to us, or the RV site is terraced and we are below other RV's. Try the satellite out in the open in a parking lot. Also if you haven't used your receiver in a month it will lock out. The easiest way is to go online to reset the receiver.

[azdryheat]

I have Directv and wireless Genie. Signal is received with a Wingard Trav'ler rooftop antenna. We just traveled from Calif to Florida and Georgia. No problem getting a signal anywhere across the country except in Anaheim due all the trees blocking the view. Our Trav'ler takes a few minutes to acquire all three satellites due to location changes while enroute but it works great. We never get local channels on the road. I don't know why Directv doesn't let us get the local channels from wherever we happen to be.

[Sandia_Man]

Being automated it should be a able to get sat 101 whether in CO, UT or any location that has an open shot to the southern sky. Don't have familiarity with sat domes as we desire HD channels and use a dish mounted on a homemade stand to get all the same channels we have at home. Anytime we have had the same issues you are having it was a loose or poor connection or bad coax. Hope you get it figured out.

[W4RLR]

You could be looking at the wrong satellite. Also if you subscribe to the local channels in your home area, once you travel outside your home area you will not be able to view your local network stations, as you will be out of the spot beam that provides those channels.

[SCVJeff]

Wait a minute..
WHERE are you getting a 771 code, on a local Colorado channel you're trying to,watch, or on any of the CONUS channels: CNN, Discovery, etc.?

Unless your receiver is broken, you will never see a 771 across all channels

[Ivylog]

Same CG both times? Anyone else getting DirectTV there? High mountains to the south of the CG?