satellite tv

[Borrell]

new RVer and trying to decide b/w the winegard carryout automatic or anser. Have heard you don't pick up all channels with the anser. Any thoughts or experiences?

[TURBS]

Winegard carry out is awesome!

[BarryD0706]

You don't say which provider you want to use. Unless you already have DirecTV at home, you probably want to go with Dish since they have the pay-as-you-go plan.

Given that, there's only one reason to chose these over the Tailgater and that's that they support two receivers (for different channels on two TVs). (For 2 receivers, the Carryout would require that the two channels you want to watch be on the same one of three satellites for Dish.)

Note that neither of the two you mention will receive high-definition from DirecTV. Anser uses a different satellite for Dish (72&bull than is normally used in your part of the country (110, 119, 129). I don't know if Dish managed to get all the channels that they normally carry on 3 Sats down to one or not. (I don't buy Winegard's claim that using one satellite is an advantage.)

[Borrell]

I have directv and was told to just take a SD receiver from the house with me in the RV b/c you can't get HD. If the anser is the same with exception of 1 step (angle of inclination), then it seems worth it for half the price. unless it's more of a pain to use 1 satellite or you don't get all your channels.

[BarryD0706]

I don't know much about Direct, but if I couldn't get HD, I'd switch to Dish in a heartbeat.

Hopefully a Direct-wise person will pitch in here.

[kjoh75]

First let me say I camp to enjoy the out doors.

As far as the satellite issue. I purchased a Winegard Carryout and have not been disappointed. Heaven forbid if my wife misses a episode of NCIS or Castle. I also use a receiver from home when taking my RV out. The Winegard comes ready for Directtv. It can easily be changed to other satellite carriers like Dish. Just follow the menu instructions that come with it. One thing though. I have heard that if you have outside cable hookups it may not be setup correctly to except satellite. There are pictured instructions out there to help you solve that problem. Make sure your antenna boost switch is off when using satellite too. My RV already had a outside hookup labeled for satellite. Peace in the family. Football season is right around the corner.

[Filthy Beast]

I too go camping to enjoy the outdoors. That said, I also have some nasty chronic pain issues and keep fairly odd hours. I have a 26" tv in the living area and added a 23" vizio to the bedroom. These screens are small enough that I don't see an advantage to having HD on them. I have the old multi satellite dish(3 LNB) and a mounting bracket. I attached he mount to a piece of 3/4 inch plywood.

To test this before this trip to Roswell, going to be hot, I set it up in the driveway with a 5 gallon container of water to hold it in place. It took a total of 30 minutes to set it up the first time and will work good for the hottest part of the day or when I am up at 2:00 AM. Cost nearly nothing. When we are able to travel more I will think about getting a HD dish to take. I use the HD DVR without the B Blocks that you need for HD.

[GASPEDDLER]

To get directv HD you will need a slimline dish like this one from Winegard which points itself and will set you back $1500. That's a lot of beer money!


Or you can do what many on the forum do and purchase the slimline without the self pointing base off of eBay or a local installer for under $100. You can then simply mount it to a tripod or some other device as mentioned above. Here is a pic I just took from my bedroom door of my set up.

I use 32 Inch flat screens and I can attest to the improvement in picture quality HD makes, even in screens this small. HTH

[whj77372]

Gaspeddler stated it very well. If you want DirecTV HD and auto setup, it will be lots of $s. I have DirecTV at home so I thought I would use them for my fiver but not at that price. I went with with Dish for the RV because of cost. I got the Tailgater with 211 receiver, cable and remote for $199. It has worked well for us and it is easy to setup. Draw back is one TV only. Good Luck

[GASPEDDLER]

Here is a very simple standard def set up I ran across in the park this afternoon. An old piece of plywood and a couple chunks of broken concrete. It gets the job done though.

[kjoh75]

With this setup. Did you have someone inside looking at the tv to fine tune the satellite signal? Curious how you found your satellite.

[BarryD0706]

He said he saw that one in the campground. If you have DirecTV I hear you can tune with the receiver. With Dish, the receivers are too slow to respond when there's no signal so you need a "Satellite Finder" meter (~$25).

[Sirsea]

Had the DirecTV antenna with a receiver from home, what a PITA to get set up, plus it is just too big and bulky. Bought the Dish Tailgater and have used it on our current 4-month camping trip and love it. Got a basic programming package of 60 channels for $39 and Distant Networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX) for $12, pay-as-you go.

[GASPEDDLER]

A signal meter as mentioned above Is the easiest way to lock in a signal. You can use a signal meter with all directv dish pointing except for the SWM systems. Leveling is a must with any setup and without it you will not be successful. BTW I can lock in a signal in a matter of minutes, so it can be done....it just takes practice.

[Borrell]

Thanks for the input. Just looking for an easy setup but is the Winegard Anser that easy or does it have issues? Any Anser users out there? It is half the price of the automatic.

[Borrell]

Just figured I would take the receiver on the road for free since I already have Directv (switched from DISH a few years ago for several issues). HD may not be that critical with my incredible $500 Konka TV that came with my Rockwood TT. Is Tailgater a better brand than Winegard?

[BarryD0706]

I think Winegard is the better brand, but Tailgater is considerably cheaper than anything Winegard currently has, but only works for Dish so that's not an option for you. Since you want something automatic, I suggest calling Winegard and asking them your question about Anser getting all of the channels on DirecTV. You could also go to a local DirecTV installer and ask them about channel availability if you only have their Sat 101 (which is all that Anser gets).

[Stg1]

I have Direct and don't care about HD. I have sd receivers so only have to hit one sat. I use a sat mount I found on the net. T've used it for 5 years with no problem. You make it yourself using pvc pipe and only costs about $20 in material. It's wind resistant and easily portable. Including the link below.

http://bbrv.dreamstation.com/sat.html

[Taylorgso]

Carryout vs. Anser: I have Carryout with DirecTV. I chose the Carryout because it can be mounted to the ladder on the RV (which I have done), and hard wired to power, etc. This way it's less susceptible to being disoriented by wind, etc., and if you're camped with a clear view to the satellite from the RV, you don't have to go out in the inclement weather to set it up. With Anser, you set the elevation for your area, then the Answer finds the satellite, but it is NOT totally automatic. I have extra cabling and can dismount the carryout and set it up on picnic table, etc., if I don't have clear view from the RV. its a PITA, though, and I won't do it for just an overnight.

[B and B]

I am in Canada on Shawdirect. I use a Winegard Carryout for SD. I can receive several HD channels as long as they are on the same satellite. I used to carry the dish, mount etc and find the satellite and works sometimes other times not. At $800 show price couldn't beat the option of the Carryout.