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So.. my husband is retired and staying up in Michigan in our 5th wheel for the summer. I still get to work (medical insurance momma) and have our house. After reading many entries about this subject, I thought I understood until I talked to DirectTV.
There is no cable TV available at the campground he is staying at, so I thought I would order DirectTV for our house and get an extra receiver for the camper. I know he will need sometype of dish also, but didn't want to order the mobile antenna they are offering. I understand he won't get local channels up there, but should be able to get all the other ones, right? DirectTV tells me that I can't do that because I need 2 accounts since we are in different locations.
Can someone help me understand what I need so I don't have 2 bills and I don't have to talk to 5 different people who keep transferring back to each other. Satellite TV for Dummies is my level at this point, so please keep it simple.
Thank you so much for any help!
-- Edited by sjdahlgr on Monday 2nd of May 2011 10:03:32 AM
Just order 2 satellite recievers and have them install them at your house. Don't tell them you are going to be in two locations. Then, either tell them you also want to take it on the road when you do travel, and will they give you an additional dish to use. Or, go to Camping World and get a Wineguard Carryout automatic satellite dish.
Either way, when RV is set up, hook up the satellite dish to one of the receivers (you have taken from the house) set up and watch TV.
I take one of the house receivers all the time. I got tired of trying to find the satellite with a manual dish and bought the Wineguard Carryout. It is pricey but absolutely idiot proof. Well, maybe, it does have to have a clear view of the southern sky.
What he said!!!!! Have DirecTV install the unit in your home with 2 receivers (pick and 2 TV's). Tell them that you would also like the mobility kit as well (you may or may not get this) in case you just want to go tailgating and take a TV along (no mention of RV). Then, once you have the 2 receivers just take/ship one to MI and everyone is watching TV. There are a number of options for antennas for the RV from a tripod mount to the Carryout as mentioned above to an automatic roof mounted system. If you are not going to be moving the RV then I would just get a tripod. Set it once and forget it. Even if you will be traveling back and forth, if the only place you need it is in MI and you will always return to the same site, just leave the tripod until you return (assuming over the weekend). If you will need the sat. service while traveling or in multiple locations then I would suggest one of the automatic antenna solutions.
I won’t go into the technical details – but if you don’t go too far from your home base location where you are subscribing to the “locals” you will probably get them when in the RV.Too far can mean 100 miles or it could mean 400 miles.It depends on where you are in the spot beam. (Don’t worry about that techo talk, just try it - might work.)
Naturally, all of the “easy” recommendations above, which are correct, only apply to standard definition dishes that are sometimes called “the mobile kit.”HD requires a bigger and a somewhat more complicated dish to setup, but it can be done.
If you want the fully automatic HD mobile version, Bill Adams, post above, can set you up.He’s got the “good stuff.”
I did exactly what you wish to do, ordered a second receiver, declined the home installation and stuck it in the camper. Used the tripod dish for a while then got a Vu Cube. In my area if one is situated more than 25 miles from the home base there are no Local Stations, but everything else. For locals I use the RV antenna and usually receive adequate reception. I think the second receiver is something like $5.00 additional per month.
Thanks everyone. I thought there was a way to do this without having to pay for another service. (At least I got to talk to half of the DirectTV employees :) Appreciate all your help... Probably won't be the last time I need suggestions!!!
