Taking my DirecTV on the road with me

[walkerjs]

Okay, so in addition to the tailgating threads I thought I might ask for a quick internet feasability study of my own regarding setting up a portable DirecTV for when one isn't at the home base.

My parents (who get Dish currently, DirectWay internet ironically) live out in West Virginia and during the hunting season I would be going down there to camp/hunt/fish all those other fun things. I was thinking that while down there why not take the ultimate in the comforts of home with me? I figure I could get a round 18" single LNB dish (for simplicities sake) and a fence pole to attach to my Jeep (all plumb and level of course once at the campsite), take the receiver I have in the home office with me, and a laptop computer with a PCMCIA TV card to act as my television. Much like the desktop computer I have with a TV card works right now. Power the receiver with a 300W inverter I already have in my Jeep, and the laptop has it's own battery while still able to power that from the power inverter.

Sound feasable? It's my receiver with access card I figure it'll just pick up whatever channels I'm currently subscribed to (one premium plus ESPN GamePlan) plus my locals since the receiver really doesn't 'know' that it would be elsewhere during the brief time I'm out in the woods. Once I get back home everything goes right back where it normally lives. I'd even have an extra fully charged car battery with me just in case I drain the Jeep's battery while watching Discovery Wings or whatever when camping at night. So how much current does the average Sat. receiver draw anyway?

I just think it would be really cool to have a tent in the middle of the woods with a dish parked outside of it.

 

[charper1]

one would have to assume that as long as you can "see" the satellite you can get service. the only thing you would lose is your local channels once you were outside their spot beam.

 

[deezoneezo]

Like he said. You can take it wherever you want as long as you can get line of site. Your locals are being spot beamed to wherever it is you live nd therefore you will not get locals. Have fun though.

 

[fkostyn]

Correct: As long as you have line of sight you will be fine. The locals are spot beamed (I can not get my Phoenix locals at my Mother-In-Laws in Denver.

I just use an old cheapie camera tripod that I modifided to accept the dish. The tripod itself has a bubble level - which makes getting the dish level easy.

Two great things to get are a compas and a satellite finder. With these two items - I can typically have the dish up / running / aligned in about 5-10 minutes.