Belgique wrote:
Some “just curious” questions:
The first start-up acquisition took about 10 min. Next time it was a minute or so. Does Trav’ler remember where it was? Does it look for any bird and once it finds one, extrapolates from it where the DirecTV bird is?
Yes, the Trav'ler remember it's last known location so as long as you do not move the coach (even if things are powered off) when you deploy it again it will return to the specific location and only do the peaking routine. About 1 minute is about right and 8-10 minutes for a new search is also about right.
Does Trav'ler ever get/need a software update from Winegard?
No.
I’m guessing there is no way to fine tune it? I got a bunch of X’s on the setup screen but ignored them and all channels, including DNS, work perfect. No signal degradation in wind or light rain. Surprising to me since strengths are low in a wide open sky:
101 85%
90C 25%
99S 0%
103S 0%
103 CA 50%
103 CB 12%
Those numbers are way too low. The satellites that end with (s) are spot beamed channels and all (almost all) will read 0 or n/a. The 101 should be very close to 100 on all the transponders that do not read 0 and the 99 and 103 (c), (ca), (cb) should be reading in the 70+ range with 80+ not unusual.
If it were to fade would a re-acquire force a finer tune?
If your signal fades you can power off the controller (push power and select at the same time and release) and then power it on again. It will do a brief search routine and peak the signal.
Any tips and tricks on operation that are not mentioned in the manual?
See the above comment about Search and Select.
Bottom line: Trav'ler is a fantastic piece of equipment and Winegard backs it up. If you're an HD and/or DVR fan, it is well worth considering.
Now we need to see if we can figure out why your signals are so low. What receiver are you using? Did you take the B-Band Converters off the coax lines (if you were using them)? You say there were X's. Where did these appear? Did you try using the #3 slimline 5 antenna type and ensure the switch type is set to 01-SWM? If you make any changes to these settings you will need to click the multiple Continue buttons until you get to the end and the screen that shows the Watch DirecTV button.
Since this is a used antenna, also look at the reflector itself. If there are any signs of damage or any indication that face is not perfectly smooth then you may need to replace the reflector as well.
