trailertraveler

The Dometic awning (a model 9200 I believe) will power out but not in even when connected directly to a 12 volt source. The switch has four wires. When a volt meter is connected to the two wire pigtail feeding the motor it reads 13.4 volts (trailer plugged into 120 AC) or -13.4 volts when the in or out direction of the switch is activated. Reversing the leads of the volt meter produces the same results but with reversed readings for the appropriate switch setting. This test was repeated numerous times always with the same results. When tested hot to ground (RV frame) both in and out test 13.4 volts. Here is my problem, a new motor works in both directions when connected directly to a 12 volt source, but will only work in the out direction when connected to the power wires from the in/out switch. Any ideas, comments, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

We have a Roku TV. The apps update just like the ones on our Roku device. We still have Direct TV. If I have good cell signal and the terrain or tree cover will not permit signal or if I just don't feel like setting up the dish; I can sign into many of the Roku apps that are in my Direct TV subscription using my Direct TV pass word. Others I can sign into on my tablet and use the smart view feature in conjunction with the Roku to watch on the TV without using hotspot data. We also watch a number of the free streaming services like Pluto, Crackle, Filmrise, IMDb, Stremium, etc. 

58 minutes ago, Kirk W said:

 

1 hour ago, trailertraveler said:

South Wire, the manufacturer of Surge Guard, sells a bonding plug. Discussions on the internet range from never use an unbonded ground generator to power an RV to bonding is not necessary if no EMS system is in use. 

This is a totally different issue and has no relationship to the operation of a ground fault. The Surge Guard or Progressive-EMS are both designed to protect your equipment from electrical issues that take place outside of your RV and keep them from entering the RV. A GFCI protects you from an electrical problem that takes place in some device which you have connected to that outlet or one of the downstream outlets that it protects. They serve entirely different functions with no effect of one on the other. 

Thanks for the responses Kirk!

I understand that I raised two different issues. Actually three, including use of a grounding rod. I was interested in the reasons for/benefits of using the bonding plug, reasons to use the Surge Guard when using the generator and the need for a grounding rod.

Sorry if my original post was not clear.

I know the issue of bonding the ground and neutral on small generators has been discussed before. I did a search and found numerous discussions but did not see any mention of any impact on the function of the GFCI outlets. I saw mention of GFCIs not working (not resetting) on another internet discussion but it was not specifically an RV forum. I know that my Surge Guard will not pass the power without the ground/neutral bond plug. I have also seen various opinions on whether it is necessary to use a grounding rod when powering the RV. There was one comment about connecting the grounding lug on the generator to the frame of the trailer, but it was not clear whether this was instead of or in addition to a grounding rod. Several years ago I asked Yamaha about using the bonding plug and they recommended against it. South Wire, the manufacturer of Surge Guard, sells a bonding plug. Discussions on the internet range from never use an unbonded ground generator to power an RV to bonding is not necessary if no EMS system is in use. Any comments, references, suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Also, are there compelling reasons to use Surge Guard when on generator power?

8 hours ago, 2gypsies said:

I sure wouldn't want to be in a large crowd at this time.

I believe Octoberfest in Daytona starts October 14. No telling what things will be like in 10 weeks. Could be better or could be worse. I am having a hard time trying to figure out what to do in the next two weeks.

We stayed at Nova Family Campground in Port Orange a couple of years ago. Nothing fancy, but a nice quiet campground. Lots of water and electric and no hookups sites as well as full hookup.

So far this year we have travelled in DE, MD. VA, NC. SC, GA & FL. We travelled a lot on Blue highways and I can not recall a really bad one. US-17 from Norfolk, VA to Yemassee, SC has been greatly improved in recent years with bypasses and long stretches of four lane. The bypass around Wilmington, NC and the SC-31 bypass around Myrtle Beech, SC are mostly completed and greatly improved travel in those areas.   In my experience, Florida state highways seem to be well maintained.  We travelled portions of I-95 (FL, GA)), I-75 (FL), I-77 (NC), I-70 (MD) and I-81 (VA). The sections we were on were in pretty good shape. The major construction on i-95/695 on the West side of Baltimore has pretty much been completed and traffic flow was much improved.

12 hours ago, John Reich said:

area where I could set up and work during the day.

What do you need to setup? If it is just a laptop and a notebook or clip board, I have been to a number of parks that have club houses that would be suitable when activities are not scheduled. Some have had ethernet connections for internet. As mentioned, band width could be an issue depending on your needs and the park's system. In some areas (Las Cruces, NM is one) there are Wifi Access Points identified as CableWifi. Two years ago the speed was consistently 30MBS+. You log in using your account from a provider such as Spectrum, Xfinity, etc. If the park has long term residents that have Xfinity internet their router may be transmitting a public access point. In my experience speed varies from about 5MBS to as high as 30MBS. Not sure if Spectrum and others do this also. I think Xfinity still sells access to their Wifi system without a home account.

Some parks have pay for Wifi that has a high speed no limit option. The last one we used was in North Carolina from Sky Best. The speed was 15MBS+. Cost was $60/month.

I have had three Verizon jetpacks, the last being an 8800. It was on a previously offered plan, but was slowed to useless speed after the 15GB limit.  In my experience, if the jetpack does not have an external antenna port, there is not much advantage to it over a phone, except for the fact that if you take the phone with you, your network or connected devices loose their internet connection. My phone and tablet, often gave as good a speed as the jetpack and after the data limit was reached could still be used for on device data without the severe throttling imposed on the jetpack.

Not sure about their products for business, but if you are a veteran, you could check out USAA or Navy Federal Credit Union. Penn Federal is also popular with RVers because of their credit card cash back program on fuel purchases. 

Thanks!

3 hours ago, mptjelgin said:

you can add an external check valve just downstream from the pump.  

By this do you mean the intake side of the pump between the pump and the water tank or the output side of the pump?

My intent was/is not to promote Direct TV but to give the OP ideas to explore how to resolve short term issues with not being able to get satellite reception when cellular signal is available.

1 hour ago, Dutch_12078 said:

I can cast (or via HDMI cable) a lot of programming from my phone, tablet, or PC to the TV, but is that really any more efficient than streaming directly to FireTV or Roku devices?

Another advantage for me is that it lets me access many of the channels in my Direct TV subscription on a second TV without a second receiver and the location of the second TV is not dependent on satellite signal compatible wiring. Not sure that mirroring is more efficient as it does have some challenges but my tablet does not support an HDMI cable.  

31 minutes ago, Dutch_12078 said:

I can cast (or via HDMI cable) a lot of programming from my phone, tablet, or PC to the TV, but is that really any more efficient than streaming directly to FireTV or Roku devices? As for streaming DTV, can you stream your local OTA channels or recorded programs without the receiver connected to the Internet? 

The advantage to mirroring (not casting) or HDMI for me is that it counts as on device data not hot spot or tethering data (I do not have an unlimited plan). Using the Roku requires using hot spot or tethering data if there is not another adequate internet source. It does not require a network connection. My receiver is never connected to the internet. I don't record anything and do not even know if my receiver is capable of recording.

31 minutes ago, Dutch_12078 said:

Of course there are many individual content provider apps, but that's irrelevant to the question of streaming your satellite service's subscription programming.

As I tried to explain, many of the apps for channels (ABC, CBS, Fox, etc.) that are included in my Direct TV subscription permit signing into their app on the cellphone or tablet or Roku using the sign in through your provider option. This option also provides streaming access to those with subscriptions to a number of cable providers such as Spectrum, Cox, Verizon and Xfinity. 

I use this method because Roku does not have a Direct TV app but, I can still access many of the content providers included in my Direct subscription using their Roku apps and the sign in method described above.

Never wintered there, but have visited in October numerous times. We love the area around Caballo Lake and Elephant Butte Lake. We seriously considered moving to Alamogordo which is a little further South with a little more development and lots more in the way of services and things to do. In the Summer the mountain towns of Ruidoso and Cloud Croft are not far away. Las Cruces which is even larger is about an hour and a half away.

3 hours ago, Dutch_12078 said:

DishAnywhere streams from the Hopper that receives its programming via satellite. There are a few channels available that can stream directly from the content provider though. Roku, FireTV, Android and iOS devices need the app. PC's just need a browser.

With Direct TV, the satellite receiver does not even need to be hooked up to stream channels in your subscription package. My Direct receiver is never connected to the internet or a network. Unfortunately the Direct app is not available on Roku. However, quite a few of the networks including ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, PBS, USA, Bravo, TLC, etc. have apps for Roku. The two step sign in process includes a validation that the channel is included in your subscription. The validation seems to time out after a period of time which varies for each channel.

 If I have a fast enough internet source and am not concerned about data usage, I can stream through the Roku devices or Roku TV. If I am concerned about data usage, I can stream the Direct TV app or the desired individual channel app on my phone or tablet and project that to the Roku device or Roku TV. The Roku does not need to be connected to the internet or a network to view the program streaming on the phone or tablet. Some phones and tablets (including most iphones) can connect by HDMI cable to the TV giving more reliable video transmission.

11 hours ago, Dutch_12078 said:

Check out some of the free streaming apps

In addition to the ones already mentioned, we use Crackle, Film Rise, and Plex.   If you have Amazon Prime, there is a lot of content for streaming. Locast lets you stream local over the air stations in various locations across the country.

11 hours ago, Dutch_12078 said:

If you have cable or satellite at home, there are a number of free apps available that use your cable login as well.

Direct Tv account lets you stream your channels. I think Dish may let you do the same thing.

16 hours ago, TXiceman said:

With Direct, you will not get any HD channels on the portable antennas.

Keep in mind that starting in July 2021, Direct TV is shutting down their SD service in phases so the portable automatic dishes for Direct TV will be obsolete before too long.

I received this email.

Quote

We’re writing with exciting news and an urgent reminder. We are in the process of moving from standard definition (SD) to high definition (HD) programming.
For the past few months, we’ve been working on service improvements that will:
• Deliver HD programming to you, at no additional charge, and
• Provide better HD signal strength during inclement weather

As such, some channels will no longer be available on DIRECTV® SD receivers. Please be advised the channels below will be the first to be removed from viewing on your outdated equipment on July 13, 2021.
• Channel 214 MAVTV
• Channel 233 Game Show Network
• Channel 305 ION
• Channel 328 TV ONE
• Channel 339 Fuse
• Channel 345 RFD TV
• Channel 361 AccuWeather
• Channel 372 Trinity Broadcasting Network
If you want to view these channels, you need to replace your SD receiver(s) with more advanced equipment. By updating your outdated equipment now, you’ll avoid complete service interruption when DIRECTV stops providing SD programming in the near future and benefit from our work to provide the best entertainment experience.
Please call 877.777.9080 as soon as possible to arrange your upgrade at no additional cost to you*.
We’ll take care of the details – including equipment and standard professional installation, if needed – at no additional cost or commitment. You’ll sit back and enjoy the results.
If you’d rather not upgrade now, you can continue to use your current DIRECTV standard definition equipment but as noted above, some channels will not be available as of July 13, 2021.

16 minutes ago, whj469 said:

How long can you stop service?

With Direct we have been able to suspend service for three months twice a year which works with our travel schedule. We have done this for over 15 years. I believe you can suspend for up to six months a year. It is my understanding that the time in suspension does not count toward the term of any contract agreement. You can suspend in the middle of a billing cycle and they credit your account a prorated amount which carries over to the first bill when you restart service. Dish has a Pay as you Go Plan, but I am not familiar with all the details of that plan.

We have had Direct TV standard definition (SD) with the Distant Networks package for about 15 years. We used a portable dish that was capable of supporting two receivers (we only used one). On a couple of occasions, I had 300 feet of cable out to get an open shot at the sky. Setting up the dish using the relatively new cell phone apps was pretty easy. That said, Direct has finally announced a date certain starting in July 2021 for the discontinuation of their SD services. As far as I know, at this time there is not a portable automatic dome that will work with Direct TV high definition (HD) service.

In my research for whether to switch to Dish, the location of the satellites became an issue of concern for me. The spread of the satellites used by the portable dishes, 66-119 degrees or 110-129 seemed to require a much more open view of the sky than the 99-103 degree spread of the Direct satellites. We travel in the East a lot so the 129 satellite is pretty low on the horizon increasing the need for an open view. We also like to travel in the mountain regions of the West and Southwest where the terrain may block the view of satellites that are spread apart.

Direct replaced my receiver and dish for free and will not raise my cost for 2 years, so for now I will see how much harder it is to align the larger dish to three satellites instead of one.

Each year, cell phone and Wifi internet seems to improve. Depending on where you travel and how you camp, streaming may or may not be a viable alternative or additional source of TV. The Mobile Internet Guide is a great resource to help select equipment and data plans if you choose to explore the streaming alternative.  

Welcome to the Escapees Forum!!

I have had Mifis and used the hotspot feature on cell phones. All were with Verizon and were subject to the hotspot data limit before throttling back to a speed that is pretty worthless for other than checking email. If the Mifi had an external antenna port, then the Mifi with antenna attached would do better in areas with a weak cell signal. The last Mifi I had, 8800L, was often slower than the phone or tablet. My phone does work when in hotspot mode. One of the disadvantages to the Mifi, in my opinion, is that there is no capability to use on device data. With the phone or tablet the device can still be used to stream video even if the hotspot limit has been reached. Depending on the phone or tablet, it may be possible to view the streamed website on a TV by mirror casting or using an HDMI cable and not use hotspot data. I believe most iphones can use an HDMI cable to connect to a TV.

I rarely use either a Mifi or phone as a hotspot. I tether the Mifi or phone to a router and connect the computers to the router by ethernet cable. In my experience this gives the highest speed internet connect possible with the equipment in use.

It seems that several folks on the forum are using the "Visible" phones as hotspots. Hopefully one of them will come along and share their experience.

t

1 hour ago, Jaydrvr said:

Did you perhaps pay the Delaware Memorial Bridge toll and mistake that for the NJ toll? It's right there as you enter the NJ Turnpike.. Jay

I believe the Delaware Memorial Bridge Toll is now only collected West bound. Coming East from Delaware to the Southern end of the NJ Turnpike there is no bridge toll just the toll/ticket booth at the entrance to the turnpike. 

My guess is that the OP went across one of the bridges to Northern New Jersey and perhaps went through an Easy Pass only access to the Turnpike.

Thanks again to those that responded. I am still researching what to do. Direct says they will replace my receiver for free. Not sure what model they will provide.

In my research, it seems that Direct uses satellites at 99, 101 and 103. The Dish western arch is 110, 119, 129 and the eastern arch is 61.5, 72.7, 77. 

In the 17 years that we have had Direct SD, the 101 Satellite has been relatively easy to lock onto just about anywhere we have been from Montana to the mid-Atlantic states. It is high enough in the sky that the dish does not have to be all that far away from even pretty tall obstructions. Looking at the Dish satellite locations the 119 and 129 look to be pretty low on the horizon and the western arc satellites are spread over a much wider degree range. The Tailgator and Playmaker can use the Dish 61.5 satellite in place of the 129, but this greatly increases the spread of the satellites being used. The Pathway X2 can use the Dish eastern arch satellites which seem to be higher in the sky and less spread out. If the automatic dish can not acquire all the satellites, can channels on the satellites it can acquire be watched?

So, any experience on how much if any switching from Direct to Dish affects being able to actually get a satellite signal without always being in a wide open lot or the desert would be greatly appreciated. Also, the automatic dishes all seem to recommend no more than 50' of coax. In some cases with the SD dish we have used up to 300' and still gotten good reception. Any experience/comments on what the real world limit on coax length for the automatic dishes is? 

How far are you willing to commute? There appears to be several RV parks within 20 miles of Palatka. The only one we have stayed at is St. John's RV Park near St. Augustine close to I-95. They do have a long term area and recently added new full hookup sites. Here is a link to some reviews.

We have stayed at Pecan Park a couple of times. The jet noise is extreme. We stayed at Flamingo Lake off of the I-295 West Beltway near Jacksonville for a night in April. Seemed like a decent park. Don't know about their long term policies/rates. There are a couple of other parks off the West Beltway, but we have not stayed at or been to any of them. There are also more parks a little farther South in the Waldo area.