Back when I was using a system 'portable', I found an old junk (free) DirecTV single LNB dish and bolted the foot to a small piece of plywood. These are functionally the same as a legacy Dish 300 and will work just fine. There's no reason to have a multi-sat dish, switches, etc. You only have one receiver and if you need to change satellites, the dish is only 10 ft away! Singles are sooo easy to point. I don't even worry about having the mount plumb, just a reference of south. With both the TV visible and a sat meter you can sweep the sky and have it walked-in in no time.
What kind of Dish do I need for tailgating?
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I use a tripod I found online. It's about 3 feet tall folded. When I add the center pipe for dish mounting the dish ends up being about 6 feet in the air. About $40 to $50 on eBay. I've seen people mount a dish to plywood and place on top of a car. Seems to work for them.
I'm western arc, so I needed a dish 1000 to get all the HD. A 500 did not have access to all the HD. I didn't find the 1000 to be any more difficult to point than the 500. Just be sure to get a meter.
While that could work, I find we are often switching between 4 or 5 games at commercials, etc. If they are all on the same satellite then no problem. Usually they are not....
Thank you so much for all of the advice. I think we are going to go with the 500 Dual Lnb. (For free) Is that compatible with the VIP211K Receiver?
Your theory isn't much based in reality. Try firing up a receiver after being unplugged without being able to see a proper arc. The single slot dishes are set up to deal with the issue.
I have used a 1000.2 tailgating for a few years and haven't had any trouble at all. I used to get locals from Atlanta but have since moved and now my locals are only on Eastern Arc. So I need to update my tailgate dish. What are the options to get Eastern Arc? I don't actually need 77 (only 61.5 and 72). At home I have a 1000.4 but haven't kept up with all the new dish options so I'm not sure what dishes actually work. I'm not concerned about being able to aim (I know I can aim whatever dish I need to), I'm only concerned about what works. Is the 1000.4 the only dish available for eastern arc?
This topic makes my head spin! Way back when tailgating was something you did before a game...eat drink be merry, get in the mood etc. Then pack it all up andgo in to the game....
Im guessing that's not how it is now, at least not completely. Im guessing by tailgating you are reaaly talking about going to a parking are in and arounthe stadium and hanging out eating drinking having a good time and watching the game on TV....not actually going to the game? Im not that in to football so I guess I don't quite get it, you can do the same thing at home with abunch of friends, and avoid the traffic etc. But hey ifyou are having fun who am I to tell u different.
It sounds to me like u want to keep it simple and low cost until u see how much work it will actually be to set up a dish, keep it pointed ( the enevitable trip over a cable) andtake it down etc. O would go with what you can get for free and spend the bucks on a good solid tripod to mount it on. Every thing I have ever read about pointing a dish always starts off with picking a solid mounting point and having the mast level (vertically especially).
Good luck and have fun!
Ross
Sent from my DROIDX using SatelliteGuys
Im guessing that's not how it is now, at least not completely. Im guessing by tailgating you are reaaly talking about going to a parking are in and arounthe stadium and hanging out eating drinking having a good time and watching the game on TV....not actually going to the game? Im not that in to football so I guess I don't quite get it, you can do the same thing at home with abunch of friends, and avoid the traffic etc. But hey ifyou are having fun who am I to tell u different.
It sounds to me like u want to keep it simple and low cost until u see how much work it will actually be to set up a dish, keep it pointed ( the enevitable trip over a cable) andtake it down etc. O would go with what you can get for free and spend the bucks on a good solid tripod to mount it on. Every thing I have ever read about pointing a dish always starts off with picking a solid mounting point and having the mast level (vertically especially).
Good luck and have fun!
Ross
Sent from my DROIDX using SatelliteGuys
Tailgating - especially for college football envolves all of that, but still going to the game. We watch lots of other games before our game. I have a trailer that I park which has a couple of flat screens mounted behind a flip up cover. Here in SEC country tailgating is just as important as the game itself! 
You should be able to use a D500 with a twin for just 61.5 and 72. Others have done it.
Unless you really can't afford much and have the room to haul a dish assembly and tripod I would go with the Tailgater. I use to bring a Dish 1000.2 and a Pole to mount it on. It was a pain every morning trying to set it up. Some days it would take 15 minutes and others it would take an hour or more. Once we stopped taking a bus and just drove a truck we didn't have enough room for it. It wasn't worth the hassle especially with everyone having tickets to the game.
Now with the tailgater, it's affordable and extremely easy to set up. It won't take up much space either. All I need to get now is a small and quiet generator. I can't wait for football season.
Now with the tailgater, it's affordable and extremely easy to set up. It won't take up much space either. All I need to get now is a small and quiet generator. I can't wait for football season.
Hi, you could use other dishes if you where to run a check switch each time you switched the receiver from one dish to another. Not really much trouble but it does take a little time to run. You may be able to get by with something as simple as a Dish 500 with the single LNB (common and used as a wing dish) provided all the channels you will want to watch are on one satellite. Do some research then hit the info button twice on the receiver and see what satellite is being used. If everything you want is on the same satellite you would be good to go. Another cheap options might be the Dish 500 with the dual LNB and set it up for 110, 119 or 119,129 Hope this helps, DC
Hi, regarding using a Dish 500 with DPPlus dual LNB you are correct, the spread is not correct for use with 61.5,72.7 but it still works because it is close enough. There will be some signal loss and you would have to split the difference but it will work at least in good weather. BTW - you don't need no stinking tripod. Just get a piece of plywood and mount the dish and some blind nuts with eye bolts for levelling. The micro azimuth on the dish in the picture was for FTA experiments and is not needed with the stronger Dish satellites. Later, DC
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