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I know what I want. What do I need to get there?


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In another thread, a forum member mentioned it might be better for a n00b to say what they want a sat system to do and allow experienced people to provide suggestions to get them there. So, here goes.

 

I want Dish on 2 tvs. I will buy the equipment and use the pay-as-you-go service.

 

I have 3 tvs in the coach, but the outside tv is rarely used. I have 2 Sat inputs for my coach, one for the living room and one for the bedroom (more on the bedroom later).

 

I do not know how difficult it is to find a satellite. A Pathway X2 would eliminate that issue, but I do not know if the X2 best meets my wants. When we travel, we move a lot so I would have to find a satellite often if not using an automatic.

 

I would like a DVR in the living room. The DVR could be a Hopper or other method, like a generic hard drive.

 

I would prefer a wireless connection for the bedroom because there is so little room for a receiver there. I would have to install a shelf under the tv for a regular sized receiver. Not hard to do, but another item I'd have to deal with. Wireless would also enable me to use the outside tv on the rare occasions we would watch tv outside.

 

I think that is it. Your experienced guidance is appreciated.

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Well, I'm no expert but from what your wanting to do I would recommend looking into a Winegard Traveler system. I have a Pathway X2 now. But I'm upgrading to a traveler so I can do basically do what your wanting to do, run a hopper DVR setup.

2005 Foretravel U270

2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee 

2016 Polaris RZR Turbo

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I want Dish on 2 tvs. ... A Pathway X2 would eliminate that issue, but I do not know if the X2 best meets my wants.

 

The problem with any dome is that in order to watch one program on the living room TV and a different program on the bedroom TV, both of those programs must be on the same satellite. The same goes for recording one program while watching another...both programs must be on the same satellite.

 

You'd be much happier, IMO, given your requirements, with an open-faced, multiple-LNB dish such as the automatic, roof-mounted Winegard Trav'ler or a similar dish on a tripod, or other ground mount (which would require manual setup).

LindaH
2014 Winnebago Aspect 27K
2011 Kia Soul

 

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We have used Dish network with a Winegard Traveler dish for several years and it works great. Push a button and in a few minutes it finds the satellites, all 3 of them. The dish and LNB's are the same as used in a sticks and bricks so what ever can be done there should work in your RV. We only have a DRV and only use one TV so I can't speak to Hopper and wireless.

 

We like having the Local TV channels wherever we go so Dish Network works really great for us. I go online and start a chat session with Dish.com, tell them I am in an RV and changed locations. I then give them an address, usually an RV Park in the city I want the local channels to be from, and in 10-15 minutes we have the new local channels.

 

We have been in Alaska for the last 5-6 weeks and have had the Fairbanks locals and now the Anchorage locals. We even got the satellite signal about 150 miles north of Fairbanks, almost to the arctic circle. The only catch with being this far north is the mountains sometimes block the view of the satellite since it is so low in the sky. It is strange seeing the dish on top of the roof almost pointing into the ground.

Al & Sharon
2006 Winnebago Journey 36G 
2020 Chevy Colorado Toad
San Antonio, TX

http://downtheroadaroundthebend.blogspot.com/

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Well, I'm no expert but from what your wanting to do I would recommend looking into a Winegard Traveler system. I have a Pathway X2 now. But I'm upgrading to a traveler so I can do basically do what your wanting to do, run a hopper DVR setup.

 

Exactly. If you want a DVR setup, then it's either (or both I'd recommend) a Winegard Travler + an open-faced dish like a 1000.2 or 1000.4.

 

For three TVs, you could get a Hopper and two Joeys.

 

Finally, don't bother buying the equipment -- you'll still have to pay lease fees -- and technology keeps changing. (I lease a Hopper 3 and own a now useless older Hopper and two older Joeys.)

SKP #79313 / Full-Timing / 2001 National RV Sea View / 2008 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
www.rvSeniorMoments.com
DISH TV for RVs

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Exactly. If you want a DVR setup, then it's either (or both I'd recommend) a Winegard Travler + an open-faced dish like a 1000.2 or 1000.4.

 

For three TVs, you could get a Hopper and two Joeys.

 

Finally, don't bother buying the equipment -- you'll still have to pay lease fees -- and technology keeps changing. (I lease a Hopper 3 and own a now useless older Hopper and two older Joeys.)

Sorry but this info is not correct. There are no additional fees if you own your own equipment and use pay as you go. You do have to specify you want a "RV Account" when you get service. Also there is no reconnect fee if you call just before the months service ends and tell DishNetwork you are not going to be using the service / on the road for a while. You do have to reconnect before the current running year is up. We own our own equipment a TWO TV set-top box, a VIP222k. This unit will also do DVR if you purchase the DVR unit and add. ALL program packages now include local channels at no cost. The downside is if you own your own equipment you cannot get the discounted program packages. You pay full price. We use the 240 channel package and pay $75.38/mo. When at home / brick & mortar we disconnect until next trip at no cost. This is the feature that works for us as we don't use DishNetwork continuously. When at home we use free streaming Roku and OTA. Hope this helps.

 

rocmoc n AZ/Fld/Baja

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Finally, don't bother buying the equipment -- you'll still have to pay lease fees -- and technology keeps changing. (I leasea Hopper 3 and own a now useless older Hopper and two older Joeys.

Zulu is correct if you use your equipment all the time. You cannot recover the expense of equipment purchases. The only benefits from equipment purchase is if you do not use the service more than 9 months a year (the minimum for free equipment) or if you do not want to have a 2 year commitment.

 

By the cost of early termination of a 2 year commitment is not as mush as the other equipment you have to purchase if the form of a roof or ground dish which is most cases is unique to either Dish or DirecTV. So vendor hopping done by many in home environments doesn't work so well in the RV environment.

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Mark & Dale
Joey - 2016 Bounder 33C Tige - 2006 40' Travel Supreme
Sparky III - 2021 Mustang Mach-e, off the the Road since 2019
Useful HDT Truck, Trailer, and Full-timing Info at
www.dmbruss.com

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Receivers are cheap. We, full timers traveling, are very limited what we can get from Dish or Direct. I, for one, not going to manually set up a dish. I once did this on the side and am good at it. So we have to buy aftermarket dish and receiver from Dish or Direct. So I see no benefit in a contract. We carry it year round but pay as we go.

2003 Teton Grand Freedom towed with 2006 Freightliner Century 120 across the beautiful USA welding pipe.https://photos.app.goo.gl/O32ZjgzSzgK7LAyt1

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I noticed that. If DISH has an "on demand" feature with it's programming, a DVR is not necessary. But, I do not know if DISH offers "on demand".

 

DISH does offer "On Demand", but it requires a broadband Internet connection and can be pretty data intensive.

Dutch
2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A
F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS
2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump
ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system

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  • 2 weeks later...

To do what you want is simple. Dish Hopper (model 1 or 2) + Joey will give you two TVs with satellite and DVR capability. You will need either a Winegard Trav'ler or a Dish home style antenna and a tripod. The Joey receiver is very small and fitting it to your bedroom will not be a problem. You will need one other piece of equipment - a Solo Node which lets all the parts talk to one another. You can add a second Joey for the external TV if you want to watch TV with the bugs. I run a Hopper 1 and Joey in our motorhome and a Hopper 2 and Joey in our house. If you go with a Hopper, it must be connected to a standard satellite dish, portable units and domes cannot be used.

 

I don't believe that you can get Pay as you go with the Hopper setup in any configuration. But it's best to ask Dish about that.

 

The alternate way of doing this is to get a Dish receiver (the Wally, for example) and add a HD to allow you to record. This type of setup might be eligible for pay as you go.

Roger & Mary
2014 Phaeton 36GH
2012 Honda Fit
Zoe (lab mix) and the cats (Sam & Milly)

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Pay As You Go is available for any equipment, including the Hopper. The issue for PAYG is the equipment has to be purchased, not the style of the equipment..

Please click for Emails instead of PM
Mark & Dale
Joey - 2016 Bounder 33C Tige - 2006 40' Travel Supreme
Sparky III - 2021 Mustang Mach-e, off the the Road since 2019
Useful HDT Truck, Trailer, and Full-timing Info at
www.dmbruss.com

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Pay As You Go is available for any equipment, including the Hopper. The issue for PAYG is the equipment has to be purchased, not the style of the equipment..

 

Exactly... I have two Hopper 2's and one Joey on my PAYG account, and recently took a VIP211K off of it. All purchased...

Dutch
2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A
F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS
2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump
ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system

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Any idea how difficult it is to setup a Dish home style antenna on a tripod? "Setup" as in erect it on the ground and then find the satellites.

 

In our last campground , there was a guy next to us that thought his set up was very easy . Same as you describe . I asked him what that truck with the writing on the side was and he said it was about 50 bucks . He'd been unable to get a signal and called a tech guy to do it .

 

It worked . ;)

Goes around , comes around .

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In our last campground , there was a guy next to us that thought his set up was very easy . Same as you describe . I asked him what that truck with the writing on the side was and he said it was about 50 bucks . He'd been unable to get a signal and called a tech guy to do it .

 

It worked . ;)

 

And your neighbor moved how often?

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And your neighbor moved how often?

 

He was/is still supporting our social security system and stays in one place from 6 weeks to over a year , depending on the job . He can afford to 'call someone' . ;)

 

From what I've seen , the operation of set up is not very intense . Most have it down to a few minutes , provided there is a clear shot in the desired direction .

Goes around , comes around .

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Any idea how difficult it is to setup a Dish home style antenna on a tripod? "Setup" as in erect it on the ground and then find the satellites.

 

Unless we're in a heavily treed area and I have to play a bit to find a signal through a narrow opening, I can typically set up our tripod and dish, including aiming it, in 15 minutes or less. The most critical part is making sure the tripod post is dead level.

Dutch
2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A
F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS
2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump
ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system

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