Best way to use home receiver in RV?

[stilmo@stny.rr.com]

New to this forum and to Dish satellite service. We're liking Dish very much, had it installed recently at home. We have a ViP 612 receiver with a 1000.4 antenna pointed at the Eastern arc satellites. We were told by the representative when we ordered Dish that we could simply move the receiver to our camper with the Kingdome antenna on the roof and we'd get service in our camper. Not true. We found out the Kingdome is non-operative (bought the camper used), and the installation tech said it wouldn't work anyway. We'd need to use the RV receiver and pay for additional service. We don't want to do that.

So, questions...
We need to buy another antenna. For now, we'd like to do this as inexpensively as possible as we don't use the camper for significant amounts of time through the year. It seems to me we could buy a 1000.2 with a tripod for a very reasonable price and that should work. This antenna should pick up the same satellites our roof antenna is getting. Most of the units being sold online seem to have the Western arc configuration. We live in New York State (5 hours west of the city). I think it makes sense we should go with an Eastern arc antenna. True? Or, can we pick up Western satellites in New York State?

What is the difference between Eastern and Western? Just the LNB? If I buy an antenna and also buy the other LNB can I just swap them out to change from one to the other? We are intending to full time RV in a couple of years so will be traveling across the country regularly.

For now...we're planning a 2 week vacation in Nova Scotia, leaving on July 5. Can we receive signal using the 1000.2 in Eastern configuration in Nova Scotia?

Oh, also with our receiver, it's currently set to receive Eastern satellites. Would it cause any problems at all to the receiver if we do have an antenna that brings in the Western satellites? Does the receiver switch back and forth easily?

Thanks for reading this far. Sorry to be asking so many questions, but hoping for some good knowledgeable answers.

 

[garys]

I'd get the dish with both EA and WA lnb assemblies, if you can find los with EA, you can use WA but you won't have your locals (in HD al least).

 

[TechWriter]

We need to buy another antenna. For now, we'd like to do this as inexpensively as possible as we don't use the camper for significant amounts of time through the year. It seems to me we could buy a 1000.2 with a tripod for a very reasonable price and that should work. This antenna should pick up the same satellites our roof antenna is getting. Most of the units being sold online seem to have the Western arc configuration. We live in New York State (5 hours west of the city). I think it makes sense we should go with an Eastern arc antenna. True? Or, can we pick up Western satellites in New York State?

I suggest buying a 1000.4 just like you have at your house. The 1000.4 has an Eastern Arc LNB set and the LNB "arm" is bolted to the dish so it can be swapped with a Western Arc arm if you like. Removing the arm also makes it easier to store while traveling.

What is the difference between Eastern and Western? Just the LNB? If I buy an antenna and also buy the other LNB can I just swap them out to change from one to the other? We are intending to full time RV in a couple of years so will be traveling across the country regularly.

Generally, Eastern Arc (sats 61.5, 72, and 77) is best East of the Mississippi and Western Arc (sats 110, 119, and 129) is best West.

For now...we're planning a 2 week vacation in Nova Scotia, leaving on July 5. Can we receive signal using the 1000.2 in Eastern configuration in Nova Scotia?

I think you'd be better served with Eastern Arc sats. Judge for yourself -- use Satellite Finder / Dish Alignment Calculator with Google Maps | DishPointer.com to check the aiming requirements for Eastern & Western arc dishes. Using Halifax, for Western Arc I selected sat 110 from the drop down and got an elevation setting of 21.3 degrees. Then I selected sat 61.5 (Eastern Arc) from the list and got an elevation of 38.5. The higher the elevation, the easier it will be to aim your dish over trees and houses.

Oh, also with our receiver, it's currently set to receive Eastern satellites. Would it cause any problems at all to the receiver if we do have an antenna that brings in the Western satellites? Does the receiver switch back and forth easily?

Switching between Western & Eastern arc is done with a "Check Switch" and sometimes cycling power on the receiver. That's it. However, buy a good tripod (Satellite TV for RV - Tripod - Slimline - Dish - DirectTV - RV television - Recreational Vehicles - RVers - DishTV - Satellite Dish - FTA - Tripod) and signal strength meter. I use an Accutrac III+ because it displays the signal strength of all 3 LNBs simultaneously. You can try aiming the dish with a cheaper meter, but don't get a cheap tripod.

 

[DasHoss]

The 1000.4 no longer has WA capabilities. Get a 1000.2 with an EA twin. You can get the WA lnb and use whichever arc gives best los. The 1000.2 also is a smaller dish so you will take up less space in the rv. Either way the .2 provides the most flexibility for travel

 

[TechWriter]

The 1000.4 no longer has WA capabilities.

Beg to differ. WA LNBs are still available (check eBay) and they still work on 1000.4s.

Get a 1000.2 with an EA twin. The 1000.2 also is a smaller dish so you will take up less space in the rv. Either way the .2 provides the most flexibility for travel

Yes, the 1000.2 is 20.7"H x 25.9"W and the 1000.4 is 22.3"H x 27.8"W. However, on a 1000.4 you just need to remove 2 screws to detach and swap LNB arms. On a 1000.2, the arm is spot welded to the alignment mechanism which is attached to the dish with four bolts.

It also looks like the 1000.4 still has better elevation controls -- the fine tuning adjustment.

Looks like a horse a piece.

 

[stilmo@stny.rr.com]

Thanks, all, for your responses. I'll end up going with the 1000.4 EA configuration.

 

[hdflsts2002]

I would have to agree with TechWriter as this is my current setup. 1000.4 with both EA and WA LNBs so that I have the best shot at getting reception where ever we are. Also like the fact that the 1000.4 can be completely broken down for easy storage and transport. Not only is having EA and WA LNBs an advantage for your physical location in the country but also when your say in what should be an EA preferred area but that damn tree didn't get the memo. TechWriter is also spot on with not going cheap on the tripod, but I would also say don't go too cheap on the meter. You can sight it with a $20 buck meter but until you've done it several times you might be mussing with it more than you think. For me I'd rather have a good meter that tells me what I'm seeing on which LNB and save time and stress. Stress is never good and time can be better spent drinking beer while watching your TV. (dang there really needs to be a beer drinking smiley)

 

[Jakester3]

I am changing over right now to the 1000.4 EA setup for the RV from 1000.2 EA and have made my mind up to use both WA and EA depending where we are at. I have aimed the 1000.2 through trees, under trees, set it up on the roof of another persons camper (with their permission of course. He wanted to watch the Charlotte night race even more than I did) and have run up to 200' of cable at the campground. Having both options is good advice. Just bought a Berger Tripod, have used the Winegard steel one for the last two years but it can be a PITA sometimes getting it adjusted plumb. Just bought the machined aluminum mast from TV4RV. I use an el cheapo 7" lcd portable, the el cheapo meter, and the reciever for the setups. Once you do it once or twice I usually get it the first time anymore. Ijust drag an extension cord from the RV to wherever I set up the dish and use the meter and receiver to get close, remove the meter to fine tune. I have the whole thing down to 20 or 30 minutes not counting time to clear the switch if I do that. I also found that to use the coax wiring in the camper I had to make some changes. Even though our camper is a 2011, and one of the options is cable / satellite ready it really is not. The way they wire it through a Jensen amplified antenna panel you need to reverse some connections, and add another jack to the Jensen plate if you want to run the sat right into the exterior camper input jack, then split it off inside so the amplified antenna is still usable with a satellite compatible splitter. The only downside is sometimes I get some BS from hardcore campers who rub me a little with "having satellite TV is not camping". But I am the first person they come running to if the sky starts to darken and they want to know whats up on the weather channel.

 

[TechWriter]

I use an el cheapo 7" lcd portable, the el cheapo meter, and the reciever for the setups. Once you do it once or twice I usually get it the first time anymore. I just drag an extension cord from the RV to wherever I set up the dish and use the meter and receiver to get close, remove the meter to fine tune.

You might think about a better meter to reduce those trips back and forth to the RV. I did that for a long time, but there were times when I was just too far away so wife & I used walkie talkies to acquire sats. That got old fast.

My meter of choice is the Accutrac III+. It shows the signal strength of all 3 sats in real time which makes sat acquisition very easy. The meter does not identify sats like other meters, but I find if you're pointed in the general direction, this isn't a problem.

I also found that to use the coax wiring in the camper I had to make some changes. Even though our camper is a 2011, and one of the options is cable / satellite ready it really is not.

I haven't met an RV that had a decent AV setup. I ended up installing my own RG6 cable runs and just bypassing the existing RC setup entirely.

 

[Jakester3]

You might think about a better meter to reduce those trips back and forth to the RV. I did that for a long time, but there were times when I was just too far away so wife & I used walkie talkies to acquire sats. That got old fast.



My meter of choice is the Accutrac III+. It shows the signal strength of all 3 sats in real time which makes sat acquisition very easy. The meter does not identify sats like other meters, but I find if you're pointed in the general direction, this isn't a problem.

Actually aiming the thing to me is the easy part, at least once I had done it once. We go mostly to the same state park and use 2 different sites for the most part. On the one WA is fine, the other you can't hit 129.



I haven't met an RV that had a decent AV setup. I ended up installing my own RG6 cable runs and just bypassing the existing RC setup entirely.

I wasn't very clear in the post. When using the 7"LCD I take it, and the receiver to the location of the dish. I have to run an extension cord out there buts its not that much of a pain.

RV - Built from the lightest and cheapest materials known to man and assembled with staples and glue. A few screws also unless they can figure a way to use a staple instead. And that holds true from a $7000 popup to a $250000 class A motor home. Granite counters, glued to particle board, which is stapled to the cabinet. If they could figure out how to staple the axles underneath, they would. And they give you some quality speakers too. You ought to see that junk, first thing I ripped out. Now the Jensen radio/CD/DVD is not all bad, but its not an Onkyo or a Denon either.
But anyway by adding a splitter and a jack to the camper I now can either hook cable right in if availible or connect the dish right in. It was advertised as satellite ready. Even the camper dealers mechanic said it was not and told me how to mod it.