Tripod and Dish for RV

[tcreek]

Looking for a reasonable source to buy a tripod and dish with LNBs to use with my Hopper w/Sling in my trailer. Have the Traveler on the roof, but will be parked in a treed area for the next two months. Need to setup a tripod about 15 feet from the trailer.

I should mention I'm in Alaska, so shipping needs to be reasonable also.

Found one on Amazon for less than $200 including shipping. Anything better available?

Thanks,
Tom

 

[Brussam]

If this is a one time deal, then maybe. For more than once, I recommend the TV4RV.com HD Tripod for $135. The tripod is a surveyors unit with adjustable length legs that allows setup on uneven ground. It is rare that you find level ground in a campground outside the site pad. The package for $170 has several items that are very useful.

You get the DPP 1000.2 Dish from eBay, last I saw was about $50 for new one.

 

[NYDutch]

I modified a basic $25 tripod roof mount with about $15 in additional hardware to add adjustable leveling feet and handwheel shaft locking. I use it with an easy to adjust/aim 1000.4 dish, but the slightly smaller 1000.2 would also work. I've been using the tripod extensively since 2008, and other than an occasional spritz with WD-40, no maintenance has been needed. I anchor the tripod with either a 5-gallon bucket 1/2-2/3 filled with water or one or two "dog tie out" screw in anchors and adjustable tent tie downs.

 

[tcreek]

If this is a one time deal, then maybe. For more than once, I recommend the TV4RV.com HD Tripod for $135. The tripod is a surveyors unit with adjustable length legs that allows setup on uneven ground. It is rare that you find level ground in a campground outside the site pad. The package for $170 has several items that are very useful.

You get the DPP 1000.2 Dish from eBay, last I saw was about $50 for new one.

Like that tripod, but $100 shipping is more than I'm willing to pay right now. Not desperate enough yet.

 

[Jackonearth]

I modified a basic $25 tripod roof mount with about $15 in additional hardware to add adjustable leveling feet and handwheel shaft locking. I use it with an easy to adjust/aim 1000.4 dish, but the slightly smaller 1000.2 would also work. I've been using the tripod extensively since 2008, and other than an occasional spritz with WD-40, no maintenance has been needed. I anchor the tripod with either a 5-gallon bucket 1/2-2/3 filled with water or one or two "dog tie out" screw in anchors and adjustable tent tie downs.

Here's a stupid question. Where'd you get the $25 tripod
And what additional hardware did you get?

 

[Brussam]

Roof mount tripods are very cheap and are not useful for RV use as is. If you are a machinist type, you can kludge one up like NYDutch did.

I am into the 12th year of my TV4RV.com and I had to engineer nothing.

 

[tcreek]

Roof mount tripods are very cheap and are not useful for RV use as is. If you are a machinist type, you can kludge one up like NYDutch did.

I am into the 12th year of my TV4RV.com and I had to engineer nothing.

I'm not an engineer either, so broke down and ordered from TV4RV.com.

 

[tcreek]

Along these same lines of thought, what is the better and best satellite meters for aligning the dish? I've heard the Birddog is one of the best, but have no experience with any of them.

 

[NYDutch]

Here's a stupid question. Where'd you get the $25 tripod
And what additional hardware did you get?

I found mine on eBay about 10 years ago, but the $35 Winegard SW-0010 is identical except mine included the 1-5/8" shaft for the dish mount. The additional hardware consisted of fifteen pop-rivets, three 5/16" threaded inserts for furniture leveling feet, three 8" x 5/16" carriage bolts, three 5/16" plastic handled 'T' nuts, three 5/16 lock nuts, six 5/16" hex nuts, three 5/16" wing nuts, and three 5/16" fender washers. The only tools needed were an electric drill with a 1/8" bit, a pop-rivet tool, and a couple of open end or adjustable wrenches. All of the hardware was purchased at a local True Value hardware store. The photo shows the leveling foot assembly, but not visible are the two pop-rivets that lock each of the swivel feet in a fixed position. Assembly time was about an hour, and no machine shop was needed...

I'll also add that in 10 years of using this tripod, I've only needed to stick boards under the feet twice. Once due to a steep side hill location that was beyond the range of one leg, and once due to extremely soft, wet ground.

 

[Brussam]

For non-Hybrid use, I had good luck with an Acutrac 22 Pro (discontinued) and a First Strike FS1. The FS1 will identify the satellite to insure you are pointing at the correct one. Plain meters can tell you you have a good signal but not what satellite it is from. The Birdog is very good, but pricey.

There are new meters that claim alot of capability but I have not tried them.

For Hybrid (Hopper 3) the Allied Instrument Super Buddy is needed to handle the signal. The latest version new can be $900 but can be found for around $300 on eBay but probably needs a battery.

 

[tcreek]

For non-Hybrid use, I had good luck with an Acutrac 22 Pro (discontinued) and a First Strike FS1. The FS1 will identify the satellite to insure you are pointing at the correct one. Plain meters can tell you you have a good signal but not what satellite it is from. The Birdog is very good, but pricey.

There are new meters that claim alot of capability but I have not tried them.

For Hybrid (Hopper 3) the Allied Instrument Super Buddy is needed to handle the signal. The latest version new can be $900 but can be found for around $300 on eBay but probably needs a battery.

Thanks, I ordered a FS1. The other two are just to pricey for what I need.