Portable satellite set-up

[Dijoeboss]

I'm looking to buy a portable satellite set-up for my XL, what recommendations on products and or service - I'm currently looking at the King vq-4500 - thoughts?

Dish vs. direct tv ?

I'm sure this topic has been brought up before.... Sorry if it has!


2013 Georgetown XL 350
Bunkhouse
2002 F250 4X4 CC
2012 Jeep Liberty

[BandJCarm]

Oh my.

Two years ago I started with this same post. I got a lesson here! And I needed it.

I have Direct TV at home. I have a portable dish, this one:
DIRECTV SWiM HDTV Satellite Dish Tripod Kit for RV / Mobile / Portable - Installer Oasis

Tried to locate satellites, had no luck. Got a DISH account and an automatic Pathway X2. Pathway works. Either me or DISH are idiots (or both) and they kept cancelling my account, so I sold that stuff out of total frustration and am back on the Portable tripod dish and taking a Direct receiver from home. I WILL HAVE to learn how to point it better, many do it well.

I could get an automatic pointing dish for Direct TV..........but it would NOT be HD. I can't live without HD. So I'm spoiled, sorry. Only DISH has automatic dish plus HD on it.

If you have DISH at home, stay with it. Get any automatic pointing dish and go!

If you have DIRECT at home, like me, try the tripod and learn how to point it first. The Winegard Travl'r is an expensive option but automatic..........but questions remain as to how portable it is.....Winegard says none, but some have done it. It is the only automatic pointing dish that gets HD from Direct TV.

One note: 93.3298% of the time you will have to run a coax directly from the physical dish/tripod/whichever, straight to the receiver. You can't go through the trailer, unless manufacturers have figured this out and bypassed the 'switch' by now. I used a short 'flat coax' through the window. Youd think TT manufacturers by now would make a very simple, through the wall, short coax connection with F connectors on each end, but of course they have no clue. Neither does any dealer in America (IMHO).

Good luck.

[wrapperman]

We have a swim system at home but I had an extra Directv HD receiver that I keep on my RV. Directv gave it to me when we upgraded to the swim system. The cost is only 5.00 per month so not a deal breaker to keep it on the RV. I use the AR satellite finder app on my smartphone. Makes aligning it simple and most of the time within 10 - 15 minutes setup time and if I need to I can still use a satellite finder connected inline with the antenna. I ran a dual coaxial cable from the TV cabinet to one of the cargo bays.
Here are some pics of my mods I did.

[TimVWulp]

Dish Tailgater or king easy to set up. All you need is one coax cable to power and get the signal from the tailgater (no 12v power needed). I use a Vip211z receiver for the trailer this unit is SD and HD capable. I have the Dish Hopper at home and can watch all the home channels I subscribe to on the Vip211z receiver. I have also added a 1 gigabit Western Digital desktop hard drive to the Vip211z receiver for a one time fee of $40. to make this a DVR receiver. The good thing about this setup is that you don't have to pay for a DVR rental ever on this receiver. The set up is easy and is displayed step by step on the television each time you set the system up in a new location. The big thing is you need a clear sky to the south (no trees) or a hole through the trees to the south southwest.
With dish you don't need to sign up with a long term contract if you own your reciver. You should be able to go month to month service so you only pay for the months you use the system. If you have dish service at home it costs around $7 per month to activate the receiver. If you don't have dish at home you will need to setup a month to month service with the programming you will want.

Hope this helps Tim

[bob dirt]

I have Direct at home so I found a used Winegard carryout on CL for $200. Used my receiver from my cabin I am selling. Rewired my coax connection by my front door to go to the receiver. Couldn't tell you if I have HD or not. Picture is great. I run the receiver on a 400 watt inverter and everything else is 12v....and I love my portable solar panel

[ov845]

I've been with DirecTv since '97. Always had great service, when it came time to get sat in the TT, I had one of my old receivers connected to a King Quest for DirecTv. After reactivating the receiver it took 30 seconds for the dish to connect and about 2 minutes to get channels up and running needed 24 hours for downloading the 2 week guide. It's just my wife and I, so outside, bedroom or living room we're watching the same TV. No need for additional receivers. Great picture quality. I guess it depends on how many people are watching different channels at the same time and how picky are you for picture quality. Remember one thing, you're camping! Enjoy your trips and satellite! :-)


Happy Camping!

2012 Ram 1500 Crew Cab 5'7" Bed
Engine 5.7L Gear 3.92
Airlift 1000
2015 2809W Windjammer
Husky Centerline WDH

[emtp82]

I have used the Dish Tailgater and my only real complaint with it was the customer service. No one seemed to know how the Pay As You Go option truly worked. Each time I suspended service it was a different process, may or may not include a fee, or just cancel your entire account all together. I wish you were able to suspend and restart service from their website. It would save a lot of the hassle. Plus the automated voice sounds creepy. LOL.

The option of not having an ongoing monthly payment for a service that I am not using all the time, will get me to go back, but not with a big smile on my face.

[BandJCarm]

Originally Posted by emtp82

I have used the Dish Tailgater and my only real complaint with it was the customer service. No one seemed to know how the Pay As You Go option truly worked. Each time I suspended service it was a different process, may or may not include a fee, or just cancel your entire account all together. I wish you were able to suspend and restart service from their website. It would save a lot of the hassle. Plus the automated voice sounds creepy. LOL.

The option of not having an ongoing monthly payment for a service that I am not using all the time, will get me to go back, but not with a big smile on my face.

Same with me. NO matter how many folks said 'It's easy', it wasn't.

[Cover Dog]

I have also had problems with dish customer service, but after reading on another forum that most customer service calls go to the Philippines I did the following as was suggested.

When calling I ask for CS in the US, they ask me why, I tell them I have a hard time understanding them and I'm connected to the US. US customer service has made a notation on my account that I am only to have CS from the US.

Customer service has been perfect since getting only US representatives.

[Iggy]

Originally Posted by Dijoeboss

I'm looking to buy a portable satellite set-up for my XL, what recommendations on products and or service - I'm currently looking at the King vq-4500 - thoughts?
Dish vs. direct tv ?

I have Dish Network and the "Pay As You Go "program. It is specifically for RVers. All you do is call them and tell them to active your box for the month and pay up front. No setup fee or cancellation fee and NO Contract.
You do pay about $8 more for the monthly service.

I do this when travelling for short periods of time and I do not have SAT at hope so it works for me.
I also have the DISH Network auto seek portable antennas as I have tried a dish on tripod and its become a big pain when driving many different states.


I use the DISH Tailgater antenna and the VIP 211K receiver that works with tailgater.

[Mickeystamper]

I have the pathway x2 and it is great. Using the correct receiver, it will automatically find satellites on either the western or eastern arc. No extra power cables is needed because it is powered from the coax cable from the receiver. Dish will also allow a pay as you go with no contract. The Pathway is only Dish specific.

[Dijoeboss]

Thanks for all the help and replies!


2013 Georgetown XL 350
Bunkhouse
2002 F250 4X4 CC
2012 Jeep Liberty

[cmalberto]

Originally Posted by Dijoeboss

Thanks for all the help and replies!

2013 Georgetown XL 350
Bunkhouse
2002 F250 4X4 CC
2012 Jeep Liberty

So tell me you have this figured out...How are you going to run SAT(I have Dish with Pathway 2) to your TV and which one?

We pick our XL 350 up tomorrow-ish/early Wednesday. And I have paced back and forth how to get from Sat(pre-wired) or maybe park connection to the receiver(no clue where to locate) and then to TV - preferable HDMI.

My 2016 will have HomeTheater that I can forgo or wire depending on where the receiver is.

I have hole in my head where I have been scratching all day today. The dealer wasn't of much help either.

[RooVader]

I never leave home without my pathway x2 and receiver/hard drive. I love dish customer service and have never called in, I just use the online chat. So easy and convenient.

[BillMFl]

I had Direct TV home plus RV option for several years. Picture was fine but did not like their lack of flexability with activation/sleep. I could only deactivate for 3 months at a time and wound up paying for the service when I wasn't using it. Reading here about Dish having a more flexible plan may work better so I will look into it. We have a complicated combination of home, vacation cottage, RV and live aboard boat, and trying to find a single source that can accommodate all four has been frustrating. I know, too many toys! Gotta simplify my life soon.