RV HDTV /DTV question

[rollingrocktx]

Glad I found this site, been doing some reading.

I am searching for a way to use my portable DTV dish and put HD in our camper. Right now we are using a standard 18" dual LNB running 1 TIVO (single cable) and one older non HD box. We have 3 LCD's in the camper but want to upgrade to HD.

Is there a way to get all the newer HD signals from just aiming at 99 or 103? And if so
what LNB can I use?

Any help would be appreicated.

BTW, I know from other RV'ers that have tried using the 5LNB HDTV dish and they cannot seem to aim it properly while camping. Is there a way to do this without the large 5LNB?

Thanks

 

[jdc2006]

As far as I know you can't use a dual LNB for HD. You'll need a ka/ku slimline dish along with the 5Lnb or newer 3LNB which is used for 99, 101,103. Believe me I've actually tried mounting the slimline 3LNB to a smaller DTV triple sat. dish. It doesn't work.....The way DTV built their equipment you must use the slimline dish to obtain a properly working system. These dishes are a lot more involved to tune in. As an installer I've met a lot of rv'ers who will actually go out and buy a Birdog Meter or SuperBuddy meter just to aim the Slimline. Any monkey can use those meters but without one its almost impossible to line up a slimline with no experience.

 

[Jimbo]

Glad I found this site, been doing some reading.

I am searching for a way to use my portable DTV dish and put HD in our camper. Right now we are using a standard 18" dual LNB running 1 TIVO (single cable) and one older non HD box. We have 3 LCD's in the camper but want to upgrade to HD.

Is there a way to get all the newer HD signals from just aiming at 99 or 103? And if so
what LNB can I use?

Any help would be appreicated.

BTW, I know from other RV'ers that have tried using the 5LNB HDTV dish and they cannot seem to aim it properly while camping. Is there a way to do this without the large 5LNB?

Thanks

Welcome to the site

You may be able to get the newer 3 lnb set up (99, 101, 103).
What is wrong with using the 5 lnb ?
Setting up the 3 lnb will be nearly identical to the 5.
The old single lnb set up will not get you HD, actually it will a few, but not what your looking for.

I have HD in the 5th Wheel and a portable 5 lnb set up I use when I go, I ran dual lines into the 5th wheel so I can watch other than what I'm recording as well.

If it were me, I would take the 5 lnb set up out in the yard and play with setting it up, do this till you get comfortable with it, then when you go, you don't have trouble and you'll be up and going in no time, and you'll also have ALL your channels

Jimbo

 

[rollingrocktx]

As far as I know you can't use a dual LNB for HD. You'll need a ka/ku slimline dish along with the 5Lnb or newer 3LNB which is used for 99, 101,103. Believe me I've actually tried mounting the slimline 3LNB to a smaller DTV triple sat. dish. It doesn't work.....The way DTV built their equipment you must use the slimline dish to obtain a properly working system. These dishes are a lot more involved to tune in. As an installer I've met a lot of rv'ers who will actually go out and buy a Birdog Meter or SuperBuddy meter just to aim the Slimline. Any monkey can use those meters but without one its almost impossible to line up a slimline with no experience.

Thanks, I actually have a 1st gen sat in my garage with a 3NLB, it was the one used to pick up the 10 or so HD sations on I think 110.

Setting up my DTV when we camp takes me about 5 min or less but then again I am only hitting101 and 109.

What does this thing do for me?
New WNC slimline 3 KA/KU Directv lnb - eBay (item 260327761355 end time Dec-10-08 16:02:34 PST)

One of these days someone is going to come up with a gadget to get all the HD's for RV's

This is how we set up our rig now. This method keeps it lower to the ground and less wind movement and much easier to store in the RV.

 

[jdc2006]

You need to replace that entire setup and replace it with a ka/ku slimline dish. That lnb your asking about is the slimline 3lnb. The first generation of slimlines used the long 5LNB which looks at the following sats. 99,101,103,110,119. DTV is phasing the 110 and 119 out. Pretty much the only programming left on these birds are international and spanish programming. That three lnb passes the signals from 99,101,and 103. Most people are pretty safe using the small slimline3, but your going to NEED the slimline dish to obtain your entire programming package if HD is included. If your going for just standard definition the little round dish you have locked on the 101 sat is fine. Their are RV setups for the slimline dish I just don't remember the website. I have met a lot of guys which rigged something up like you have for the bigger dish. In short if you want your HD programming your going to have to have a slimline dish with either 3lnb or 5.

 

[rollingrocktx]

You need to replace that entire setup and replace it with a ka/ku slimline dish. That lnb your asking about is the slimline 3lnb. The first generation of slimlines used the long 5LNB which looks at the following sats. 99,101,103,110,119. DTV is phasing the 110 and 119 out. Pretty much the only programming left on these birds are international and spanish programming. That three lnb passes the signals from 99,101,and 103. Most people are pretty safe using the small slimline3, but your going to NEED the slimline dish to obtain your entire programming package if HD is included. If your going for just standard definition the little round dish you have locked on the 101 sat is fine. Their are RV setups for the slimline dish I just don't remember the website. I have met a lot of guys which rigged something up like you have for the bigger dish. In short if you want your HD programming your going to have to have a slimline dish with either 3lnb or 5.

Thanks for the info.

So does the new slimline 3LNB set up get all the HD or just the 10?

If I went this route do I need the sat-signal meter?

Are you talking about the Winegard versions of the slimline?

 

[jdc2006]

Winegard versions of the slimline are fine. Their are a few other manufacturers and they are also fine. The new 3Lnb will pick up all HD programming in fact the 99 and 103 are the sats for HD. For size and simplicity go with the 3LNB. If your buying a dish off the net I suggest you make sure you have everything you need for the dish. Most of the items are sold separately. Make sure you have the following

Dish with hardware - usually sold together and includes reflector and feed tube assembly

Az/El backing assembly (without this their is no way to set the dish)

Support arm with braces or "monopoles"

And LNB

You can usually find a package deal on ebay which sales everything but make sure you read the auctions. Some only come with dish and nothing else.

The dish is ALOT heavier than that little 18" you had in the picture. Your going to need to beef up whats its mounted to but get the dish first and build something around it.

You may need a meter to easily tune the dish. You have to understand that with the little 18" your only looking at one bird. With the slimline you have the capability of looking at 5 sats, which in turn makes the entire tuning and peaking more difficult for the average joe. If you can afford a meter like the Birdog or Superbuddy and you do a lot of rv'ing I suggest you invest in one. It will save you hours of cussing the sky trying to find the signal.

 

[rollingrocktx]

Winegard versions of the slimline are fine. Their are a few other manufacturers and they are also fine. The new 3Lnb will pick up all HD programming in fact the 99 and 103 are the sats for HD. For size and simplicity go with the 3LNB. If your buying a dish off the net I suggest you make sure you have everything you need for the dish. Most of the items are sold separately. Make sure you have the following

Dish with hardware - usually sold together and includes reflector and feed tube assembly

Az/El backing assembly (without this their is no way to set the dish)

Support arm with braces or "monopoles"

And LNB

You can usually find a package deal on ebay which sales everything but make sure you read the auctions. Some only come with dish and nothing else.

The dish is ALOT heavier than that little 18" you had in the picture. Your going to need to beef up whats its mounted to but get the dish first and build something around it.

You may need a meter to easily tune the dish. You have to understand that with the little 18" your only looking at one bird. With the slimline you have the capability of looking at 5 sats, which in turn makes the entire tuning and peaking more difficult for the average joe. If you can afford a meter like the Birdog or Superbuddy and you do a lot of rv'ing I suggest you invest in one. It will save you hours of cussing the sky trying to find the signal.

Thanks again, I may have to go with a tripod mount if I go this direction...as for meters, man those are expensive. I have the little signal meter from radio shack, works pretty darn good, but I often use baby monitors to hear the signal from the "signal meter" hey it works.

I suppose having HD on the camper maybe too much to ask. we have 3 LCD's on there and do pick up local's in HD so at least we have that.

Now if I could fool the spot beam...that would be cool.

 

[MikeinBaja]

As noted above, yea you need the newer dish - and a tripod mount is the only way to fly. When looking at buying/building a tripod, make sure you are comfortable with it on uneven ground. Adjustable legs (telescoping legs pack nicely for RV). Remember that the top of the mast must be level.

Pretty good deals out there on used (2 or so year old models) Birdog meters. I use mine in the RV (with a slimline) and tune the dish in about 10 minutes max. You really need a decent meter or you pay for it with longer set-up time. The sats you need to hit are a very long way away - and with the new dishes you need to "see" multiple sats at the same time to get everything (except locals maybe with that spot beam issue).

Look for a good used meter that identifies the signal strength of the sat you are peaking to as well as signal quality. Mine isn't the newest meter - but it sure does help setting that dish up quickly (especially in the dark or after a long day).