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Old 09-27-2012, 12:00 AM   #41
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I'm curious with you "Dish" guys, do you still receive your local channels when far from home? I've just started using a Directv dish on a tripod...love it as I take a receiver from home and it only takes about 5 minutes to set up know that I know what I'm doing. I knew that I wouldn't get locals away from home but have found that receiving the networks via over the air is not as reliable as I thought it would be in some areas.
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Old 09-27-2012, 12:10 AM   #42
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depends on how far away you get....dish "spotbeams" local programming...i usually get my locals up to bout 150-200 miles out from home...but technically you are not supposed to do that...dish says you have to use the programming in the area you are in....but in order to do that you have to have them change the active zip for the box you are using....so you may get locals, but not YOUR locals.... and i agree..if you are far away sometimes getting the locals OTA is worthless...
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Old 09-27-2012, 08:43 AM   #43
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Signal strength meter

I am currently using a tailgater, but before that I was using a Dish 500 triple LNB tripod. I used an inline signal strength meter at the dish. It had a sensitivity knob that would let you fine tune the sat. signal right at the dish tripod. It saved me a lot of time and shouting back and forth from RV to dish. I think that I bought the strength meter at Radio Shack, but the phone app might do the same thing.
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Old 09-27-2012, 10:49 AM   #44
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i too have a signal meter...my issue with it is that while it does a decent job of telling you signal strength, it wont tell you that your pointed at the wrong satellite like the box will...the phone app does not either, but it is handy to check line of site, and get your bracket angles all pre dialed in...of course my installer buddy has a fancy schmancy one that is digital and gives you all three feeds signal at once.....but for that price i might as well just buy the tailgaiter and be done with it!! LOL
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Old 09-27-2012, 11:09 AM   #45
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When I last checked to get HD with DirecTV you need a dish that is about $1,500.00! The Dish with the tailgater was about $500.
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Old 09-27-2012, 11:38 AM   #46
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Indy Steve View Post
I'm curious with you "Dish" guys, do you still receive your local channels when far from home? I've just started using a Directv dish on a tripod...love it as I take a receiver from home and it only takes about 5 minutes to set up know that I know what I'm doing. I knew that I wouldn't get locals away from home but have found that receiving the networks via over the air is not as reliable as I thought it would be in some areas.
We have Directtv and currently are 335 miles or so southwest. Satellite is the third thing done after leveling. (I have an awesome DH) Usually takes him about 5 minutes.... this time a bit more due to elevation and tilt being different......

Anyway, we still have our locals.

We purchased a carryout but didn't get 1/2 of our channels since we have HD. The dish is big and bulky but we will put up with it!!!! Not willing to spend close to 2k for a rood mounted HD winegard!
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Old 09-27-2012, 11:47 AM   #47
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We pay $5/mo for local channels, so we get whatever is local wherever we go. Just call Dish and give them the zip where we are.
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Old 09-27-2012, 06:29 PM   #48
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Just to clarify, I only use the app for the camera/line of sight, and the dish settings. The SatFinder Sig strength gizmo was useless (only has audio output so need an earbud and no idea which satellite you're pointed at). I used the TV screen signal to align the dish.

We were quite close to home for our shakedown test and received all the usual channels. When we were on Bell TV we got our same Ontario programming when we were wintering in AZ. I thought it was because our account was setup for those channels so present location had no effect.

Will find out in Jan how the Shaw Direct system works in AZ.
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Old 09-28-2012, 04:57 AM   #49
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I use a tripod. I glued some line levels on 2 sides of the tripod near where the mast goes in. Set the whole thing up in my garage(concrete floor) and made sure the tripod was level before gluing the levels on. I set the tripod up...making sure it is level the slide in the dish and mast. Use the Iphone app and aim the Dish. Usually takes about 15 minutes from start to finish.
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Old 09-28-2012, 08:46 AM   #50
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im curious (and maybe this needs to be in a thread of its own) how all of you other dish users who have to MANUALLY aim your dish accomplish this?? what is your preferred method, tools, steps, and equipment??
It has been pretty simple for me. The longest setup time I had was 15 minutes with DirectTV and that is without the meter.
  • Using one of the many phone apps, I plug in the zipcode from the GPS and get the azimuth and elevation. If other people are nearby I cheat a little and notice where there dishes are pointed. I also have the advantage of outside speakers on the TH so I turn them on loud enough to hear the signal strength beeping.
  • I get the dish mostly level, or at least level enough. The more level you are the easier to align the dish.
  • Using a compass I align the dish with the correct azimuth.
  • Next I set the elevation taking into consideration how unlevel the dish is.
  • I start rotating the dish around the correct heading for the dish while listening to the signal strength. If I get no change in signal I increase/decrease elevation and rotate around the correct heading.
  • Once you detect a positive change in signal, making small changes in elevation and azimuth, zero in on the satellite.
  • When maximum signal strength is attained lock the antenna.
75% to 85% of the time, I get the dish aligned in about 5 minutes. The longest time was 15 minutes. The only time it took longer than that (which is why I do not include it) was the time I was trying to find an opening in the trees canopy to see the bird. It took about 5 times to find a hole big enough for the dish to see the bird.

Having the meter would speed things up a lot and though it is not all that expensive, I have been getting by just fine without it...
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Old 09-28-2012, 09:06 AM   #51
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I have a tripod in case i am in a wooded area and need to get out away from the trailer to get signal which usually takes less then 15 minutes inculding running cable etc.... i also have a bracket mounted to the top of my ladder which i use in open areas. I find it way quicker to get the signal. I am picky about having the trailer level and levelled the bracket when it was installed. With the outdoor kitchen i am able to turn the volume up so i can hear when I hit a signal and with bell it gets higher pitched the better the signal, usually my 6 yr old son will tell me the numbers as it gets close....lol
Last week was in Loudon NH, which is 500 miles south so i had to change the elevation a bit but still able to get it in in less then 5 minutes.....
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Old 10-08-2012, 04:25 PM   #52
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setting up tv

we have a Dish reciever we pay extra for and my husband has a sattelite finder on his Iphone usually takes about 15 minutes to set it up its a great app.
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Old 10-08-2012, 05:36 PM   #53
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^^ What is the name of the app he uses?

The other important thing to keep in mind when manually aiming; is that it's much quicker if you go slow. What I mean is this: as mentioned by others get your mast level and set your dish angle. Then when you want to find the satellite, move the dish about a millimetre at a time (1/16 inch for my American friends.). Wait 10 seconds, then move it another millimetre. This may take you 10 minutes to do a full sweep of the area where the satellite should be, but trying to find it by covering more area will just end up taking longer.

I've had a few friends call me up frustrated; trying to aim their dish. I go out onto their roof and they offer me a GPS and/or compas. I tell them "no need", I look to see where the sun it, look at my watch, and then proceed to aim.
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Old 10-09-2012, 07:10 AM   #54
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app for Iphone

dish for my rv satelite finder
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Old 10-09-2012, 07:21 AM   #55
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[QUOTE=ken0042;262044...Then when you want to find the satellite, move the dish about a millimetre at a time (1/16 inch for my American friends.)...[/QUOTE]

1.0 mm = 0.03937" to be exact. I always thought angles were measured in minutes, degrees, radians. Wrong again, dern it!
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Old 10-09-2012, 07:59 AM   #56
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using app

all you do is walk around holding phone in air looking like a idot and you have it ..... :0)
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Old 10-09-2012, 10:15 AM   #57
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as an update to my issues i was having aiming my sat lately, on my last outing, i took the whole tripod apart and started from scratch, making sure everything was tight....i also took the bubble level off the top of the mast and chucked it as far as i could!! apparently, it was the source of my frustration, as the top of the mast was not cut level from dish.....i went back to my "fence pole level" , using the dish pointer pro app on my phone for the angles, and a simple compass.....had a 75% signal lock on 110,119,and 129 in about 10 min total setup time!...

which only led to more frustration, as i had the opportunity to watch the texas rangers lose on friday, as well as texas tech on sat!!!.....luckily i had some campfire smoked jalapeno venison sausage, and cold beer to ease my pain...LOL
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Old 10-09-2012, 11:46 PM   #58
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I now have a Tailgator after having a dual LNB and then later a Triple LNB manual dish. The triple which was HD was much harder to get set up than the dual LNB. I went from 15 minutes to 30 to 60 minutes. This made me look at the Tailgator. I already had dish and the right receiver at home.

Setup is simple I get HD programming. The only negative I have is that each time the sat receiver is turned off you have to go through the 5/10 min setup and program guide download. When on Batts and not Pedistal power it can be a pain. I would like to find some way to cut power to the Tailgator by means of a switch on the Tailgator it's self so once its pointed in the right direction you don't have to go through the setup each time..
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Old 10-10-2012, 01:09 AM   #59
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yeah, that triple lnb can be a pain....i looked at the tailgater REAL hard this year, but just could not justify spending 375$ on something i would use maybe 5 times a year. it USUALLY only takes me 15min to set up and lock my triple lnb at 60-75% signal...

PLUS i bring one of my dual tuner boxes from home and i can watch one program on the main tv, and something totally different in the bunk, bedroom, or outside.....which is nice when i have my teenage son and his buddies with me....cant use my 922duo box with the tailgater.....

i guess thats the price i pay, and i get to keep setting up the triple lnb tripod...lol
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Old 10-10-2012, 06:23 AM   #60
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At the beginning of this season we purchased the Tailgater package and we’re very happy with it. Setup is easy as long as you have a clear shot at the southern sky. There are times when we have trees to deal with and we can’t get a signal, or just pick up two of the three satellites. I like the fact that the basic programming package includes HD and local channels.

Once it’s setup I have a length of light chain that I use to secure the Tailgater against theft.

1|234, we turn our receiver off every night and don’t have to go through the setup or program download when we turn it back on the next morning.
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