Portable vs. Old Fashioned Dish Satellite Antenna

[Teamfour]

I am looking to buy equipment to receive satellite broadcasts via Dish network. We would only use it 3-4 times a year so I am leaning towards the old fashioned dish vs a portable unit. Specifically a 1000.2 eastern arc unit. I can't justify spending $400 on a portable auto unit.

Any advice on using the old fashioned dishes? I am kind of nerdy so the task of manually pointing a dish doesn't intimidate me (have done this on home units).

[waiter21]

I use a 1000.2 antenna and my home receiver, model 322G. (Western arc)

Its an older receiver, Model #322G that we use at home. When we travel, we pull that receiver out of the house and use it in the MH. This is basically 2 standard definition receivers in one box. It has two remotes, one for each of the receivers. One of the remotes is an Infrared remote, it must be line of sight of the receiver. The other is an RF remote, and works anywhere withing about 100 ft of the receiver.

I use a two LNB (110, 119) antenna at home. (I think they call it a System 500)

I use a 1000.2 (three LNB - 110, 119, 129) antenna that sits on a tripod when we travel. The 322R receiver only uses two of the LNBs (110 and 119). I replaced the nuts on the Elevation and Skew with wingnuts to make adjusting easy. I also use wingnuts to mount the dish reflector so I can take it on/off for storage while traveling.

Pointing is fairly easy. I set the elevation and skew angles, cover the two outer LNBs with cans (110, 129) so it only sees 119 (the middle LNB), find Sat 119 with a sat finder squawk box, uncover the LNBs, and in almost every case, just a little tweaking and I'm done.

The tripod MUST be level. otherwise you'll be chasing satellites for hours. (experience)

[ScottBrownstein]

Sure, me too. Installed a crank up winegard 18 inch dish with elevation sensor. I have pointed a lot of dishes in my time. All you do us get azimuth and elevation for where you are, crank up to the elevation you need. Rotate the compass rose to north and the turn to the azimuth you need. If you are not level you can tweak the elevation
..and voila you get signal. Most of the time I don't even bother with the signal meter as it just comes in. Works with Directv (sd), Dish (SD & HD) . About $239 with shipping from PPL. Don't buy it from PPL on Amazon as its cheaper from their Web site.

Wish my other dishes had elevation sensors, that is the key since if you have one parameter right, the other is trivial.

[Teamfour]

Thanks all! I am looking at this unit paired with a VIP211K.

https://www.amazon.com/NETWORK-1000-.../dp/B00P49YTEA

[NMWildcat]

$75? Check Craig's list in your area. I'm betting they will be much cheaper. When folks move these type dishes are just left on the roof so you can pick them up cheap or free if you take them off. That's how several of my friends got their 'rv dishes'.

[Teamfour]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

$75? Check Craig's list in your area. I'm betting they will be much cheaper. When folks move these type dishes are just left on the roof so you can pick them up cheap or free if you take them off. That's how several of my friends got their 'rv dishes'.

Wow, I never thought of that...and I have left dishes on roofs a couple of time.

[WolfWhistle]

I have a 500 dish with tripod that I used with vip211k ... I usually could acquire 110 / 119 easily ... at times it would take too long ... I bought a Winegard carry out and love it. It has figured out how to shot through the trees when I know I couldn't have done it manually. If you came and got it, I would give the 500 setup yo you.
WW

[Telstar]

I had the older Kingdome on the roof and carried a DISH 1000 with tripod for when the signal was blocked by trees pointing a manual DISH is a piece of cake with the DISH FOR MY RV and DISH ALIGN apps on your phone. I traded my outdated Dome for the new King Tailgater which works on the roof and on a tripod. ($350.00 at Camping World). Now I don't have to mess with the big antena anymore.

[MMMH]

The New Mexico Wildcat is right, I have a few rentals and every new tenant wants a different satellite system so I end up with a pile of them that the satellite companies don't want back. What a waste. Personally, I like the Dish tailgater which I permanently mounted, a lot less hassell and I don't have to store it. I paid $400 for the 211 receiver and the Dish, free shipping. I opted for adding the receiver to my home acct. for $7 a month so I don't have to call them when I want to go somewhere.
I've forgotten about the money I paid for it, and I like it when I'm far from home and I can see the ballgames I like. I record the stuff I like on a hard drive and watch it when we get back to the MH. Life is good.

[Big Vic]

With a little practice, you can align a free standing dish in a few minutes. Big advantage is being able to put the dish wherever you wish (depending on length of cable). Parking in the shade is no problem.

Key is to start by making sure the dish mount is absolutely level, then point the dish towards the sats using a compass. A simple elevation adjustment and you are done.

I have a dish mounted on a PVC pipe made base, which comes apart to stow easily.

[Teamfour]

Thanks again all. So to hijack my own thread...how do the portables, i.e. Tailgater, work in the eastern part of the USA since they only receive the western arc satellites?

I should mention I am not concerned with receiving local channels.

[ScottBrownstein]

They are all more than 22,000 miles away away and visible from all points in the CONUS.

[pkaplan]

I have been told by Dish that if you are going to be in the NE (I travel to Maine in the summer), you must have an antenna that will pick up the eastern arc. They have told me that they only portable antenna that will pick up the eastern arc (as well as the western arc in case you travel west) is the Winegard Pathway X2. I can not personally vouch for this as I have not yet made my purchase but that is the one I am leaning to. Note that the X2 is:
1. A larger dome than some of the other portables,
2. Is a 2 receiver antenna,
3. Will ONLY work on DISH, can not be used with / converted to Direct TV - per the dealers.
4. With the proper receiver will receive HD channels.
Note that I have read other posts that say that you need to pick a receiver that will work with only 2 satellites (per other posters, the Wally receiver must see all 3 satellites to initiate.
Hope this helps - but suggest you verify information before relying on it since I have not yet purchased or installed.

[ccsvolsfan]

I have used both. I really like My Winegard x2. I have used a satellite finding app also.The app makes it easier to avoid trees. There is also a good TV station locating app.

[BTishman]

What is the name of the app?

[ccsvolsfan]

TV antenna finder free and satellite pointer

[BTishman]

Thanks

[tuckerdog1]

A little sidestep on this. My brother subscribes to Dish. He was was thinking about getting one of these portable dishes for his RV. Instead he downloaded an app to both his phone and tablet. I think he said it's called Dish Anywhere. Using the app, he can access his Dish account as long as he has a decent WiFi signal, or good cell signal ( he has unlimited data should he need the cell signal ). He bought what he called a dongel that will receive a Bluetooth signal from the phone or tablet. It cost $20 or $30. He plugged the dongel into the back of the tv, and it receives the signal from phone or tablet. And that gets him the show to the tv.

[satdog01]

I have the pathway X2 that works only with Dish. It is a bigger than Tailgater, but I do not lose signals until there is a very hard rain, and is very short duration. Call it R2D2 as it looks similar. As stated before will shoot through trees etc. just have to set it away from other campers, as the reflections will get false set up. Unit gives you a choice of Eastern or Western arc during setup. I use app called "Satelitte Finder Lite". Just have to know satellite you are looking far, it actually shows a picture of all satellites in an arc. Easy to set up dish where it does not hit objects.

[camperone]

About you satellite ; if you call dish and want a a satellite dish out to where you are with a stand and sat it up and you will get local channels also!
But carding it around was a hassle so we got the king tailgate and it works very good , but only tv! Unless we buy another receiver !
You would think they could have made these receivers run both tv's!
That was the plus to have my home receiver and home antenna !