Dish on the Go Questions

[trailertraveler]

Finally got a notice from Direct TV that they will start systematically ending their SD service in July 2021. I currently have a portable SD dish (one LNB) which is usually not that hard to setup. I am not looking forward to trying to align a 3 LNB larger dish. So, is anyone using Dish on the Go with an automatic portable dish. If so what receiver and what dish. I am not necessarily looking for all the bells and whistles of multichannel viewing or recording. Reviewing the program packages, it appears that the Dish On the Go Channel lineup includes ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox out of Denver, is this accurate? Thanks for any assistance you can provide.

[travelinbob]

I have Dish at home and when traveling I use a Tailgator and the Dish Wally and it could not be any easier. For years and years I had Direct TV and fought with their big oval dish and sure wish I would have changed years ago. I get the local news where ever I am by changing my service address if I go out of state. 

Only problem is that the Tailgator only works for one TV, before we had both TV's on Direct TV. Now I hook the bedroom TV in the RV up to the antenna on the roof when on the road.

[LindaH]

We have a Trav'ler for Dish on the roof of our RV with a Hopper 3 receiver.  However, if I were to go with a dome antenna, I'd get the Winegard Pathway X2 with a Wally receiver.  The Pathway X2 can be used with 2 receivers and is capable of receiving both the Eastern and Western arcs.

https://winegard.com/products/satellite-tv/portable-antennas/pathway-x2/pathway-x2

[TXiceman]

The portable Dish antennas will only view one satellite at a time.  Winegard antennas beat King antennas hands down.  There are some antennas with two out puts, but still the two receivers must be on the same satellite.

Here is a list of Winegard antennas and receivers.

https://winegard.com/plans/satellite-tv/dish

Ken

[RioRichard]

Any of the auto portable dish systems will work great.  I have the Winegard Pathway X2 which is the largest portable antenna on the market and a Wally.

Depending on your chosen package....I don't think that local channels are included unless you opt for those.  On the cheapest package (that I have had activated in the past) local channels are an extra $12/mo which I didn't opt for.

Edited June 9, 2021 by RioRichard

[trailertraveler]

Thanks for the quick responses. We only need to run one TV at a time. I have a repeater that will transmit the signal to the bedroom TV when wanted as long as the receiver has two outputs.

We RV about six months a year, so the capability to suspend the DTV service saved a considerable amount. That is why I asked about the Dish On the Go Plans. In the past the Dish's Denver service area was not spot beamed so it made sense that the On the Go might include network channels out of Denver. Just wanted to try to confirm that with an actual user. 

[GlennWest]

Might want to consider streaming. That is all we done for 2 years now. Still have our Pathway 2 unit and receiver but have not used it. 

[trailertraveler]

2 hours ago, GlennWest said:

Might want to consider streaming. That is all we done for 2 years now. Still have our Pathway 2 unit and receiver but have not used it. 

Streaming has not proven to be a very viable option for us.  We do not have an unlimited plan so even with three devices the 45GB limit before throttling does not last long. We would need to get an iphone or ipad that can be hard wired to the TV and dedicated to the TV. We spend a fair amount of time in areas where there is poor or no cell signal at all so that would not always work for us as satellite has.

[TXiceman]

like trailertraveler, streaming is not an option for us.  We are often in areas with little cell service to no cell service.  Sarellite is our only choice for TV if there is not off air signals.

So if you only hangout in well served cell areas,  you can probably stream the TV IF you have a very large use data plan.

Ken

[trailertraveler]

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?