Alternative to roof mounted satellite - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Ckerr · RV-Dreams Family Member

Alternative to roof mounted satellite

The Bear II · RV-Dreams Family Member

The answer is yes.

All you would do is run a cable from the portable dish to the satellite receiver box in the motorhome. Disconnect the cable coming from the roof top sat dish and connect the cable from the portable sat dish and you're good to watch sat tv.

Setting up the portable sat dish is a firly simple process if your handy with tools. The main thing to remember is the mount for the sat dish needs to be perfectly plumb and very stable to prevent being blown over. Look for a tripod with adjustable legs to mount the dish on.

Keep in mind, based upon following Howard and Linda's travels on this website for the past 5 years, I think they've only had 3 sites where they were unable to use the roof top mounted sat dish. One of the sites was for a 3 month stay and they bought a portable dish to use at that site.

NorCal Dan · RV-Dreams Family Member

I had my installer put in an a/b switch so I can switch between the roof mounted antenna and my portable. My coach has a satellite input connector next to the cable input in one of my basement compartments where I hook up the portable dish.

RonaldNC · RV-Dreams Family Member

Most newer motorhomes have an outside connection for a remote dish, which can be accessed inside via a switch. I have it and it's pretty easy.

Ron

Ckerr · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks all! I knew you guys would have the answer!

Jake62 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Sorry if this is a stupid question, (my last RV back in the early 90s didn't have this technology) why do you need a satellite dish on the RV if you mainly stay at campgrounds with cable and/or wi-fi, other than if you want to watch tv or have internet connectivity while on the road. Do campgrounds general charge extra for cable and/or wi-fi?

NorCal Dan · RV-Dreams Family Member

You'll get many different answers on this...but I have the sat dish on the roof as it was the only choice for DirecTV HD channels. Most of the CG's we have stayed at offer some type of TV channels, but the quality was always lacking and they weren't HD. I have been a few places where I could pick up OTA (Over The Air) digital signals in HD. But I am finding that the digital OTA signals don't carry distance very well meaning you need to be close, like 30 miles, or less from the transmitter location.

My personal experience with CG's that charge for WiFi access are not worth it. The coverage and bandwidth was terrible, and tech support was useless. We bought an aircard to ensure we would always have internet.

foxriverguy · RV-Dreams Family Member

We have a Winegard Carry Out portable satellite receiver. It finds the signal itself. All we do is set the dome onthe graojnd or on a picnic table and point the handle to the North.

We treid a small dish on a tripod and NEVER once found a signal. That technology is for the birds -- IMHO>

TXRVr · RV-Dreams Family Member

However, one of the complaints people have is that they can't get reception if parked under trees.

We treid a small dish on a tripod and NEVER once found a signal. That technology is for the birds -- IMHO>

It has been my experience that regardless of which end the sat ant is mounted on the rig, the campsite tree will be there to block it. smile

I have helped many fellow RVers with a portable dish find their signal. Most try to do it without a signal generator. That's a must have piece of equipment. Some have the connections wrong or try to run the signal thru the tv amp (that won't ever work).

The best thing I ever bought for my portable set up was a rubber coated mushroom shaped boat anchor. I hook it onto the bungi cord that came with the tripod. Nothing else is needed to keep the dish upright even in heavy winds.

Ckerr · RV-Dreams Family Member

We currently have a tri-pod with a manual satellite. We might see about adding one of those boat anchor things to it. Sure would be easier than trying to stake it. Thanks TXRVr! We also use a signal meter to aim it. Not a huge problem, it's just a pain if we are only staying in one spot for a day or 2. That's why we're thinking about switching to an autofind portable dish. That and it would be a little easier to haul around!

Delaine and Lindy · RV-Dreams Family Member

We are in a Mobile Suites and have the roof mount Traveler 3 by Winguard. We try very hard never to park under or near trees, trees are only a hazzard waiting to happen. However this park were are in is very old park and we are setting on two sites and still had to use 40' of shore cable for elect and 30' of sewer pipe.

So we had to set up the Slim Line 3 from Direct-Tv and of course had to put it together. First time in a year we have had to use the Tri-Pod. Took about 30 minutes from start to finish for HDTV. Our Mobile Suites has a cable connections for the Roof mount and for the Tri-pod system. Just have to switch the RG-6 cables. Good Luck. GBY....