Instructions for setting up satellite TV?

[beachlovingmom]

I will be retiring soon and we are ready to spend extensive time on the road. We have the Direct TV satellite box from the house, the Direct TV HD dish, a stand to put it on, coaxial cable and the SatFinder Pro app on my iphone.

Could someone be kind enough to tell me the step by step directions for what I do when I get to a campground? We are in a travel trailer. I am not sure where to start.

Thanks so much!

[rhagfo]

Dutch_12078 wrote:
Our entire basic manual setup Dish HD satellite system (receiver, dish, meter, tripod, and cables) cost less than the cheapest automatic dish alone. My entire setup and aiming time is typically about 15 minutes from the time I open the storage bay door.

Well, I don't need the fanciest toy, nor do I want to spend 15 to 30 minutes out in the rain setting up the dish, we spent $400 total for receiver and cube.
I typically lift to the roof of the 5er and let it do its thing, the interesting part as it uses three different satellites, we can hear it adjust when changing chancels!

[1L243]

When I had my first manual SD Dish setup was consistent about 15 minutes with compass and screamer meter. Then I got my manual HD 3LNB Dish antenna Setup started taking longer more like 30 minutes. Once when at a location for about a week I spent hours with my manual HD dish. Fed up went to Radio Shack to see if they had something would help me out. They did, they were a authorized Dish Satellite installer. They sent out a tech even with his fancy equipment took him 45 minutes to set my signal. Just one of those things.

My Dish Tailgater which is automatic carryout cost $345. I use the Dish 211k receiver in the house so I just take it with us so no need to buy a receiver. If you do it will be another $100. Portable works as advertised. Turn it on. Sat receiver goes though setup automatically in about 7 to 10 minutes of have a signal and downloaded program guide. You can shave off a few minutes if you don't want the program guide downloaded.

First Tailgater lasted about 6 months and was replaced under warranty. Second Tailgater lasted 16 months and I bought a new one from CW. Sending the broken one in for repair with shipping might as well just buy a new one with new warranty. CW offers a 3 year extended warranty which I got.. Point is the Automatics are a little electronic machine and the can go bad.

I still carry my manual dish as a spare...

[Me_Again]

jconnally wrote:
I'm kinda lazy and cheap. I mounted my Slimline HD dish with a very short pole on a piece of 2x12 about 2 feet long. The only meter I use is the one on the TV in the setup menu. The trick is making sure the pole is plumb. Once the pole is plumb I get the proper coordinates by using the zipcode on the setup program. The skew always remains the same so then it's just the elevation which I set next, then slowly rotate the dish while watching the TV screen. Normal setup time is less than 5 minutes total. If it's out normal tailgating spot then the elevation hasn't changed I kinda know the direction so it's about a minute to fine tune. I am happy with around 90% on all 3 satellites. Sometimes I'm happy at 80%.
I'm sure a heavy rainstorm would cause me to lose reception but it really hasn't been a problem.

Like someone said earlier, try it at home and you'll get comfortable and realize it's not hard.

Joe

What Joe said^! I have a Directv SWM HD setup and it is quick to setup. Mount has elevation and skew scales built in. Plumb the mount and swing the azimuth with the setup meters on the TV screen. Chris

[Dutch_12078]

Our entire basic manual setup Dish HD satellite system (receiver, dish, meter, tripod, and cables) cost less than the cheapest automatic dish alone. My entire setup and aiming time is typically about 15 minutes from the time I open the storage bay door.

[rhagfo]

1L243 wrote:
Setting up manually can vary. Are you setting up for SD or HD. HD signal is harder to obtain more sats. Trees and obstructions will cause you headaches.. Buy yourself a retirement present and get a automatic carryout Sat.

Grey Mountain wrote:
I fought the portable dish, signal meter, level ground, etc., for years, then bought a Winegard CarryOut portable. Set it outside where there is a clear shot of the southern sky, plug it in, it will find the signal all by itself. For about $700 or $800, you are in business.
Don't need the Carryout now since I have a roof-mounted dish on my current MH but I carry it as a spare.

GM

Not retired yet, but love our Dish Cube, set it out and let it do its thing and find the signal. great reception.

[reubenray]

nomad297 wrote:
If you buy your equipment from www.tv4rv.com, it won't be as complicated as others make it sound. I haven't needed a signal meter yet and I get on the 101 just using a compass and a level.

Bruce

+1 on this. I usually have mine setup in about 15 minutes with no expensive meter. Get your elevation, azimuth and tilt using the below website. The key thing to start off with is to get the shaft plumb. Also make sure you are using the right LNB configuration. I did this wrong once.

http://www.dishpointer.com/

[Grey_Mountain]

I fought the portable dish, signal meter, level ground, etc., for years, then bought a Winegard CarryOut portable. Set it outside where there is a clear shot of the southern sky, plug it in, it will find the signal all by itself. For about $700 or $800, you are in business.
Don't need the Carryout now since I have a roof-mounted dish on my current MH but I carry it as a spare.

GM

[1L243]

Setting up manually can vary. Are you setting up for SD or HD. HD signal is harder to obtain more sats. Trees and obstructions will cause you headaches.. Buy yourself a retirement present and get a automatic carryout Sat.

[2oldman]

Sat TV for RVs

[jconnally]

I'm kinda lazy and cheap. I mounted my Slimline HD dish with a very short pole on a piece of 2x12 about 2 feet long. The only meter I use is the one on the TV in the setup menu. The trick is making sure the pole is plumb. Once the pole is plumb I get the proper coordinates by using the zipcode on the setup program. The skew always remains the same so then it's just the elevation which I set next, then slowly rotate the dish while watching the TV screen. Normal setup time is less than 5 minutes total. If it's out normal tailgating spot then the elevation hasn't changed I kinda know the direction so it's about a minute to fine tune. I am happy with around 90% on all 3 satellites. Sometimes I'm happy at 80%.
I'm sure a heavy rainstorm would cause me to lose reception but it really hasn't been a problem.

Like someone said earlier, try it at home and you'll get comfortable and realize it's not hard.

Joe

[Bull_Rider]

We have the Dish Hopper, and the big 3 LNB antenna. I use Dishpointer on my Droid phone, plus I have a cheat sheet with all of the azimuth, elevations and skews by zip code for the U.S.

I have the El Cheapo tweaker meter that is of marginal value, but does help. Some days it's fairly easy, dial in the settings, peak the value for the sat signal and you look like a hero.

Other days, not so much. The steel lag bolts in a picnic table can really mess up a compass that's being used for azimuth.

It's a skill that's much easier learned by having someone show you the steps.

[hershey]

My suggestion is to get your dish, a tripod and coax and an inline signal meter. Find an open area for your first attempt and find a neighbor who has their dish mounted similarly and ask for their help.
I haven't found anyone yet that didn't like to impress a newbie about something that they know about. They will be glad to walk your through the process. Hands on with an instructor will make it a snap to learn the process and like riding the bike, you never forget. Trust me.

[nomad297]

GordonThree wrote:
my quad LNB dish is huge compared to those mini 18 inchers

Bigger is better. Less signal loss during rain.

Bruce

[GordonThree]

donn0128 wrote:
That plastic pipe mount is simply too light for a direct hd dish. Those things weigh a lot.

I just noticed how ancient that posting is, 2007 is forever in technology terms.

that's one thing that is holding me back from taking my hopper, my quad LNB dish is huge compared to those mini 18 inchers