First time user satellite TV questions

[jesseannie]

Please don't tell me to use the search function my question is just basic and doesn't come up.

I don't have satellite at home never had it on the road. So I am completely clueless.

What is the easiest most user friendly system out there. We will be pretty remote sometimes so I don't think an internet/streaming type of thing will work?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Jesseannie

[wa8yxm]

rk911 wrote:
‘easy’ and ‘user friendly’ can mean different things to different people. .

I will start by saying I can not expand much on the advice already given in this tread.

But I can sure second the quoted text above.. I've seen things that I can't figure out that others ... Well once they explain it the concept of "Face Palm" comes to mind.

And by the same token, I've helped others who did the face palm.

My favorite was helping a genuine MENSA member with a computer problem.. Though I'll admit, I'd been taught that "Fix" less than 24 hours before she ask for it. Still She was MENSA (That means smarter than ME, Likely smarter than thee as well).

[Johno02]

AT&T service is very poor, no signal al all in many locations. Verizon is a lot better in this area, but is still spotty and unreliable. Don't know about the others.

[Bill_Satellite]

The automatic portable antenna you choose can make a very big difference in your experience with satellite TV. I think the Pathway antenna is the best (X2 if you are a Dish customer) due to the full sized 18" antenna inside the enclosure.

[Lwiddis]

“And cell service on both major networks is very bad.”

Which ones died? T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint or Verizon?

[Johno02]

Did not have any local OTA stations this trip, so we purchased portable dish and Wally receiver, with Pay as you go plan from dish. As far as we are concerned, it is a bunch of junk. Dish will not stay locked on satellite, any rain or heavy fog blocks signal, but programming, when we can get it, is pretty good. This is just for RV use, will cancel account when we get home, and restart next time we are out. Supossed to get three satellites, but most time only one or two. We have dish out in the open, with clear line of sight to entire southern sky. No local stations in OTA range, so satellite is the only option. And cell service on both major networks is very bad. And this is in the center of a major southern city on the Mississippi River. Its better than nothing, but not what it costs.

[CA_Traveler]

X2 with Bill - RF Mogul makes antennas not receivers.

We have a single DVR DTV receiver that is moved from home to rig. Trees or not we always have recorded shows to watch, another option.

Being remote have you considered how you are going to power the equipment? Solar, batteries, generator for example. And inverter if you don't have one.

[Lwiddis]

“my question is just basic and doesn't come up.”

Then your question isn’t basic.

[Bill_Satellite]

recievers are either DISH, DirecTV or RF Mogul (RF Mogul makes both DISH and DTV equipment). quality in picture depends on your TV (analog or digital)...presumably you have a newer digital set. if that's the case unless you pay for HD you'll get SD TV from the sat providers (720p) which is good.

suggest you stick with DISH or RF Mogul. RF Mogul sells compatible DISH equipment, knows RVs and RVers and can provide a turn-key solution including installation should you wish it. Another authorized re-seller is Solid Signals (1-877-312-4547). I would avoid the local DISH outlets...kiosks in the mall, store fronts, etc and DISH itself simply because they may not understand unique needs of RVers.

For US customers, satellite receivers are made by DirecTV or DISH....That's all. Has nothing at all to do with RF Mogul.
There are various antenna manufacturers for the reception of the satellites signal including DISH and DirecTV (for Home Use or mounted on a tripod for RV use) and Winegard, RF Mogul, King Dome and KVH for mobile satellite TV reception. Solid Signal is a re-seller of various products and services but does not provide service or manufacture any satellite TV related products.

[wa8yxm]

Well Sat 101 time This does get technial but I'll start simple
First: Your antenna. You have 2x2 choioces
Rooftop DOMES. may be of the IN-MOTION type. you can record as you drive
However.. Only one channel at a time on DISH and only SD on Directv
Rooftop DISHES, only work when parked,,,, And can feed multiple receivers on either service, Just make sure you have the CORRECT DISH.

Portable "Domes" or Cubes. like rooftop
Portable dishes: Rooftop antennas do not work if you are parked under the (Voice of Doom Mode) EVIL SIGNAL EATING TREE(/voice of doom mode) Portables can "Get around it" but you have to TAKE AIM.

Dish or Direct:
Dish uses 3 satellites, all in the same band for both SD and HD, so a "Dome" or "Cube" type antenna can get one station at a time. (Two or more only if they are on the same satellite.

DirecHDTV uses one bird (Same band as above) for SD and two more for HD, which no current dome can recive

Then you get to where the birds are.. Dish is out over the Pacific for the most part.. *(If you are on the far east coast there are some over the Atlantic you can use) Direc is due south of Kansas.

And next is senethign called DNS or Distant Network Service
DrecTV has a couole of Super Cities, NYC area and Los Angles, with DNS (WHich you can subscribe to if you have an RV account but not witih a HOME account) yoyu can get network stations (ABC, CBS and all the Three Letter Acronyms) anywhere.

DISH used to do that but they got caught being a bit free with the DNS Waivers so a judge shut 'em down.. Now they no longer offer that so you have to call 'em every time you move. Sad situtation. but I would not let it stop me from using Dish. (My reasons for choosing Dish over Direct are somewhat not something I care to discuss here With one exception)

FInally we have the programming packages (This is the one exception)
DIrecTV is big iunto Sports (I am not)
DISH carries the NASA channels (WHy I like Dish)

[Big_Katuna]

Such complicated answers.

Buy a Winegard Pathway X2 carry out auto sat finder.
It’s the only one that gets eastern and western arcs.
That is a good thing.

Get a Wally reciever which is designed to work with Pathway.
On power up it defaults to menus telling you what to do.

Hook a cable between the sat box and pathway and a HDMI cable to the tv and your done.

There are no carry outs that get HD with Directv.

[rk911]

jesseannie wrote:
Thanks Don we really not fanatical TV watchers but enjoy the series like NCIS, blue bloods etc. I am a news junky. I would like to keep it as simple as possible on the equipment side even if we sacrifice some quality in the picture
So what are some brands to look for or do I get it all through a sat provider?
Jesseannie

recievers are either DISH, DirecTV or RF Mogul (RF Mogul makes both DISH and DTV equipment). quality in picture depends on your TV (analog or digital)...presumably you have a newer digital set. if that's the case unless you pay for HD you'll get SD TV from the sat providers (720p) which is good.

suggest you stick with DISH or RF Mogul. RF Mogul sells compatible DISH equipment, knows RVs and RVers and can provide a turn-key solution including installation should you wish it. Another authorized re-seller is Solid Signals (1-877-312-4547). I would avoid the local DISH outlets...kiosks in the mall, store fronts, etc and DISH itself simply because they may not understand unique needs of RVers.

[donn0128]

If you select Dish pay as you go, or a Dish subscription, almost any of the portable automatic domes will work. Best? Place to buy? Search online. There are several decent brands with different features. IMHO stay away from anything made by Winegard. I have had enough issues with them that I simply do not suggest them to anyone. Personally I dont use a dome as I have Direct and use either an automatic roof top or a ground based open face dish depending on the situation.
Hope things work out for you on your upcoming move to full time.
Since your already in an apartment, you probably dont have much junk to get rid of. Dont make the mistake of putting stuff in storage. Sell or give away everything you wont take with you. Storage fees can far outweigh the cost to replace stuff.

[VoodooMedicineM]

Now I use a house Dish antenna and set it up myself. It's not hard to do. Satellite is only 23000 miles away. This year I could not find the high definition satellite 129. If I could do it over from the beginning I would get a dome that finds the birds on its own.

[jesseannie]

Thanks Don we really not fanatical TV watchers but enjoy the series like NCIS, blue bloods etc. I am a news junky. I would like to keep it as simple as possible on the equipment side even if we sacrifice some quality in the picture
So what are some brands to look for or do I get it all through a sat provider?
Jesseannie