Newbie desperately needing help setting up H24-700 for motorhome use ....

[stoney27]

Hi guys .... newbie to the forum ... actually newbie to sat TV. Just had Direct HD installed in my home ... H24-700 receiver and 2 SD receivers, and a SL3 SWM Dish. My wife and I do a lot of traveling and camping on the weekends and holidays and I would like to set up the H24-700 in the motorhome so we would have TV service while stationary on our trips.

What are my options as far as dish/lnb ... will I be limited to using only a SWM type dish/LNB, or can I use a regular multiswitch dish/LNB? Can I just acquire another SL3 and set it up as a portable dish ...what other equipment would I need ... would I need any power inserter or switches or can I just plug directly from the SL3 into the H24-700? Will this give me full HD access?. I realize that depending on my locatioin I may or may not be able to receive my normal locals .. thats not a problem..

I know just enough about this to get in trouble, and what little I do know is from researcing the internet. Any DETAILED help in how to set this system up in my motorhome would be GREATLY appreciated !!!! .... thanks

 

[Hutch1814]

You can use either a SWM or non-SWM LNB. However if you go non-SWM you will need to reset your receiver to a non-SWM LNB. As far as HD goes I would recommend going with just standard def. it's an easier set up and less hassles. Trying to get a line of sight, tilt, and elevation correct is a lot more then you will want to deal with everytime you pack up and go. You can try using a tri-pod method as most do when traveling. You don't need a multiswitch unless you plan on taking your whole system. If you decide HD is what you need I would get another SWM system. LNB, power inserter, and slimline dish. You won't need a switch with this method either as long as you plan on just one receiver. I'm pretty sure I just mixed this whole thread up, sorry!

 

[BobStokesbary]

As Hutch1814 suggests, the first choice is whether or not you want to watch HD or SD and if you want to watch recordings on the road. If you don't care about recordings (since you can always schedule them remotely at home from your PC or smart phone when you are on the road) staying with a SD setup is probably the easiest. Plus the smaller dish is a lot easier to store in your RV. (The slimline takes up a lot more room than it looks like it would.) Also in favor of SD is the tripods are much easier to find and a lot cheaper. Plus, if you decide later that you want a dome, they currently only support SD reception. It takes a dish to get HD.

Second, if you decide on HD you need to decide if you want to mimic your SWM setup that you have or go with a conventional slimline dish. It is probably simpler to go with the conventional dish. You just need to change your setting in the setup screen to whatever configuration you end up with. This eliminates the need for another power inserter and you can use a simpler meter for your alignment.

I took DVR track since we really like to time-shift our viewing and wanted the ability to record shows and watch them on our schedule. We have a second HD DVR in the bedroom and decided to take that with us on our trips. Being new to DirecTV it was just easier for me to go with the whole Slimline SWM setup. That way I didn't have to change any settings on the receiver. Then comes alignment. Unless you want to get into the shouting game with someone inside your RV, you will need an external meter to do the setup. A year ago, when I purchased my stuff, the Acutrac II meter was very reasonably priced and could be made to work with SWM with the DirecTV ASL unit attached. If you go with the slimline SWM setup I strongly recommend a meter.

With the slimline dish you need a heavy duty tripod which is a bit more difficult to find. I picked mine up at the RV show tent in Quartzsite for about $35. They are a lot more than that on various websites.

As for how to do a SWM setup, you can see my other posting here (see my posting #29). The first two setups will seem a bit difficult, but after that it gets easy. The difficult part of the setup is making sure your pole is perfectly vertical. I have several shims that I use under the tripod legs to get everything set correctly. And be sure you anchor your dish securely. It doesn't take too stiff a breeze to cause the ground spikes to work loose.

This is probably too much information at this time. But, I think you will enjoy the experience and you can always get additional help on this site.

 

[stoney27]

Thanks for the replies guys. Well, at this point I'm kinda committed to trying to get HD up and running ... if it becomes too much of a hassle with the alignment then I'll just drop back and go the SD route. If nothing else it will be a learing experience to get my feet wet.

Bob, if I go the "conventional slimline dish" route, can you be a little more specific exactly which dish model# and lnbs I will need? Is there more than one "conventional slimline dish" that will do 99, 101, and 103 sats??

So, as I understand it I basically have 2 options if I go HD ...

option 1: SWM seup .... SL3 SWM dish/LNB to power inserter .... to H24-70o receiver. No receiver setting changes required.

Option 2: Conventional Slimline dish. Coax straight from LNB to H24-700 receiver. Rerun setup and change receiver settings from "SWM to "??" (what will be the new setting text")

Thanks again guys ... It's starting to make a little sense.

 

[BobStokesbary]

A conventional slimline dish would be similar to this.
The SWM dish is like this. I doubt you are trying to get MRV for your RV, but it would be nice to see that your SWM dish has the green label just in case you ever want that capability.
The SD dish is like this.

I say "like this" because I find better prices on some other sites. I just know that Solid Signal is one of the supporters of this forum and use their info for examples. Just note, that you need an additional power inserter for the SWM setup.

Additional note: I also noted that my meter is an Acutrac 22 Pro, not Acutrac II.

 

[schneid]

I'd go SWM to match what you have at home. Diagram here: http://forums.directv.com/pe/Reposi...t/10813358/Whole Home DVR HR24 install[8].jpg You'll need a Slimline with an SL3s or SL5s. Again match home. Try to get one from an installer for a tip. eBay and Craig's List are good too. You'll need a tripod and you can't beat the TV4RV.com HD Combo Kit. The PI can go anywhere in line. For one receiver ditch the splitter in the diagram.

 

[Joe Diamond]

Hi guys .... newbie to the forum ... actually newbie to sat TV. Just had Direct HD installed in my home ... H24-700 receiver and 2 SD receivers, and a SL3 SWM Dish. My wife and I do a lot of traveling and camping on the weekends and holidays and I would like to set up the H24-700 in the motorhome so we would have TV service while stationary on our trips.

What are my options as far as dish/lnb ... will I be limited to using only a SWM type dish/LNB, or can I use a regular multiswitch dish/LNB? Can I just acquire another SL3 and set it up as a portable dish ...what other equipment would I need ... would I need any power inserter or switches or can I just plug directly from the SL3 into the H24-700? Will this give me full HD access?. I realize that depending on my locatioin I may or may not be able to receive my normal locals .. thats not a problem..

I know just enough about this to get in trouble, and what little I do know is from researcing the internet. Any DETAILED help in how to set this system up in my motorhome would be GREATLY appreciated !!!! .... thanks

To add to everything that has been said:

As an installer I would warn you there may be splitters used in your RV. These must be bypassed or be compatible with the LNB you use. If you elect to ignore the advice to use an 18" round dish and SD service (real EZ install) then go the next best choice & use exactly the set up you use at your home. Acquire a set of tools that includes a 7/16" & 1/2" wrench, a compass & clinometer plus a signal meter.
The mast must be plumb and not rotate for every installation. Practice the setup before you travel.
Go for it!

Joe

 

[schneid]

H24 and HR24 or better have DECA/MRV built in making them ideal for an RV install.

Definitely go HD if you are paying for it. It is NO harder to setup than SD. You just need the right equipment. A TV4RV.com HD Combo Kit has all you need to mount a Slimline, establish an absolutely plumb mast and acquire a dead-on shot at the 101. Do that and you will have signal. I do this with a modified "Dish" 1000.2, a DirecTV Phase III mast assembly, and a modded arm with an SL3s.

If SWM, you will need an ASL-1 (or a jury-rigged splitter) to feed signal the meter and power to dish from the PI. The meters only push 18v where SWM seems to need somewhere from 21v - 29v. The receiver must not be connected until you are through with the meter. My box kills the meter once it boots if on-line. I inserted an A/B switch to allow it to boot off-line. It takes as long for the box to boot as align the dish.

You also need a source for the settings for your location. You can look them up before you go (Dishpointer.com) or put an app on your phone. I like Android SatFinder better than Dishponter on the phone.

You can buy better meters all the way up to $600+ but all you need is plumb, posted elevation and tilt pre-set, and a meter peaked to the 101. I do use an Accutrac at about $80.

Bottom line is pay attention to detail and accuracy is paramount.

I also have an Align-a-Site. Way to expensive for what it is but when the gotcha's, gotcha it sometimes helps. Gotcha's are usually caused by Magnetic Deviation. Once Wikipedia comes back up you can read about that.