Recommendations for satellite dish

[Retiredin1993]

We are about to start out in our 5th wheel and want to get TV on the way.  What is everyone recommendations for the satellite and receiver.  We may be in trees some of the time and want to be able to move it around to get a clear path of the southern sky? Our 5vr does have the satellite  prep package on the roof to connect the satellite to the TV.

 

Thank you in advance

Edited July 2, 2021 by Retiredin1993

[travelinbob]

I would recommend a portable dome of some kind. We fulltimed for years and used one of the metal dishes on a tripod and it was a PITA every timed we moved. Now since we got off the road FT we have been using a dome and its soooo much easier, should have done it 15 years ago. With ours we can only have one TV hooked up to it unlike before we had both TVs hooked up. Not that big of a problem, on the 2nd TV I hook it up to the roof antenna so we can have the local channels.

 

[LindaH]

We are Dish customers and have a Winegard Trav'ler on the roof with a Hopper 3 receiver.  With this setup, we can watch a program while at the same time recording multiple other programs no matter which satellite any of the programs are on.  If we brought our Joey along, we could also watch a second TV, but we leave it at home. 

We mostly boondock, so sitting under trees that block the satellite dish isn't a problem.  However, if we were often blocked by trees, I'd probably get a Winegard Pathway X2 dome satellite dish, even though that would limit what we could do (in our case, we'd have to bring along another receiver such as a Wally to work with the dome since the Hopper 3 doesn't work with domes).

If I were going to stick with just a dome, it would be the Winegard Pathway X2 with the Wally receiver, like this:

Pathway X2 Portable Satellite TV Antenna and DISH Wally HD Receiver Bundle | Winegard Company

Edited July 2, 2021 by LindaH

[Second Chance]

56 minutes ago, LindaH said:

We are Dish customers and have a Winegard Trav'ler on the roof with a Hopper 3 receiver.  With this setup, we can watch a program while at the same time recording multiple other programs no matter which satellite any of the programs are on.  If we brought our Joey along, we could also watch a second TV, but we leave it at home. 

We mostly boondock, so sitting under trees that block the satellite dish isn't a problem.  However, if we were often blocked by trees, I'd probably get a Winegard Pathway X2 dome satellite dish, even though that would limit what we could do (in our case, we'd have to bring along another receiver such as a Wally to work with the dome since the Hopper 3 doesn't work with domes).

If I were going to stick with just a dome, it would be the Winegard Pathway X2 with the Wally receiver, like this:

Pathway X2 Portable Satellite TV Antenna and DISH Wally HD Receiver Bundle | Winegard Company

I'll second this recommendation. We've used a Pathway X2 with a Wally for six years and are very happy with it. It's possible to add a portable hard drive to the Wally to give it DVR and programming capabilities, too (which we have done). The Pathway X2 will support two receivers, but both sets have to be tuned to channels that are on the same satellite. The portability is why we've stuck with the X2 rather than a Trav'ler on the roof. When we pulled into our current site at a FamCamp on a large Army installation in Georgia, it was obvious the trees were going to be an issue. I had to move the antenna twice to nail the hole in the trees and pick up the satellites - but that would not have been possible with an antenna fixed on the roof. The X2 is superior to the other Dish automatic portable antennas because it has the largest reflector and therefore the strongest signals. The MyDish app for smartphones makes it very easy to change our location as we move around so we get the local channels for whichever market we're in. No more calling customer service and waiting on the phone!

Rob

[trailertraveler]

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.  

[whj469]

It is Dish or DirecTV. Look them both over and do what meets your needs. How long can you stop service?

[trailertraveler]

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.

Edited July 2, 2021 by trailertraveler

[TXiceman]

With the portable antennas, you will do well with the Winegard Pathway X2.  I had poor luck with the King antennas.  

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

If you go Hopper receiver, none of the portable antennas will work with it, so you are stuck with the root top Traveler antenna.

Dish has a pay as you go monthly plan if you do not want a contract plan.

We use a Traveler (Pre Hopper3) and carry a Winegard Carryout G3 when we are under trees.

Ken

Edited July 2, 2021 by TXiceman

[whj469]

We have the same pause policy as yours with DirecTV which we have had for many years.

[Dutch_12078]

Dish has a pay-as-you-go no contract "Dish Outdoors" plan that lets you start and stop service pretty much at will. You do need to buy your equipment though, instead of getting it free with a 2 year contract.

https://www.dishformyrv.com/

[trailertraveler]

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.

 

[GlennWest]

11 hours ago, Dutch_12078 said:

Dish has a pay-as-you-go no contract "Dish Outdoors" plan that lets you start and stop service pretty much at will. You do need to buy your equipment though, instead of getting it free with a 2 year contract.

https://www.dishformyrv.com/

That is what we used before streaming. Still have the Pathway unit. It served us well. With  pay as you go starting and stopping easy as pay or not.

[Retiredin1993]

1 hour ago, GlennWest said:

That is what we used before streaming. Still have the Pathway unit. It served us well. With  pay as you go starting and stopping easy as pay or not.

Glenn, what apps do you use for streaming?  I am looking at Verizon's streaming box for $69. bucks using unlimited plan.  I know in some places their maybe times when their signal may be weak and might not work.

 

[GlennWest]

We use a Roku device. We have a grandfathered wifi unlimited with Verizon. So far we have not been without good signal. Now my work keeps us in metropolitan areas. We don't  boondock or state parks. After retirement this may change. Now US Mobile is offering unlimited service for $45 single line and less with more lines. They state If it uses a sim card it works. So a large tablet that uses a sim card would work. Just a thought. I like my larger tv screen. But we watch whatever we want to with Roku. Something I really like about Roku. When we buy a movie, it is ours to watch anytime over and over. No more dvds to store.

 

 

Edited July 3, 2021 by GlennWest