r111rt Report post Posted July 4, 2011 We own a 30 foot Monaco Monarch motor home. We're looking to buy an automatic satellite dish for the roof. What is the best satellite to use? Is it preferable to get a multi-limb satellite or in motion satellite. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest BillAdams Report post Posted July 5, 2011 Very few people who own in-motions antennas use them often and many never use them. I highly recommend the Winegard Trav'ler series of antennas for the best reception and the best end user experience. All of the satellite at the same time, use any receiver, use multiple receivers, use a DVR, whatever! This antenna puts all others to shame (for which I will likely catch a bunch of flak). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HarleyJones1 Report post Posted July 5, 2011 +1, no flak from me. It's the best. I've had mine work through moderate tree cover many times. I'd like to see a dome make that claim. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gradybird Report post Posted July 5, 2011 I have the Winegard Traveler. It's very good and very easy Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kingfr Report post Posted July 5, 2011 +2 for the Trav'ler. If you want Directv HD, it, or the Motosat lookalike, is the only game in town. We have had an in-motion dome for four years, have used the in-motion feature only once to watch TV. We do look at it when we get on a campsite to see if we can get service on the site. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bschilz Report post Posted July 17, 2011 I just bought a new Itasca Ellipse which came with a King Dome. I had LaMesa RV take the dome off and install a new Winegard Trav'ler as well. It is the only satellite dish that will allow me to get all of the HD channels on DirecTV and allow me to use the DVR. No other dish can make that claim. It's just what I was looking for! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bthomforde Report post Posted July 18, 2011 I just bought a new Itasca Ellipse which came with a King Dome. I had LaMesa RV take the dome off and install a new Winegard Trav'ler as well. It is the only satellite dish that will allow me to get all of the HD channels on DirecTV and allow me to use the DVR. No other dish can make that claim. It's just what I was looking for! I'm not saying the Trav'ler is the wrong choice but Motosat says they have a dish that will get HD on all the major satellite providers. http://www.motosat.com/index.php/tvante/69.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest BillAdams Report post Posted July 18, 2011 Brian, You are correct. Both Winegard and MotoSAT make a fully automatic antenna which will receive the 5 DirecTV satellites and an antenna to receive the 3 Dish Network Satellites (also setups for Star Choice and Bell Express Vu). Winegard is the only manufacturer which uses the specific reflector specified by the provider and the Winegard series of antennas have not required a single software update since it's release in Jan 2008. The MotoSAT does look better and it glows blue at night but for the hundreds of dollars saved on a Winegard I can get by without the blue light. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bthomforde Report post Posted July 19, 2011 Bill, you know I have Motosat system since I bought it from you, you also know I've had some problems with it, if I was to do it again I'd buy the Trav'ler. But I was replying to the post that said the Trav'ler was the only unit out there for all HD channels, I was only trying to point out their was another choice, if anybody cared. My Motosat has been fine since I replaced the LNB but the next coach will have a different system unless something changes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest BillAdams Report post Posted July 19, 2011 Brian, I was not disagreeing with you, just adding some detail. MotoSAT used to be the leader in open face TV antennas. They still make an excellent antenna. They just aren't the best any longer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
larhode Report post Posted July 19, 2011 Add my vote for the Winegard Travler. It's a great system, works much better than my old kingdome. With my old kingdome, if a house fly flew over the antenna I'd loose my signal. With the Winegard, I've received a good signal even when there were a few tree branches over my coach. Just one other thought to consider, Dish or Direct TV. I had direct TV with my kingdome and was happy with their service. However, I switched to Dish with the Winegard because they have a new RV service that allows you to connect and disconnect multiple times during the year with no fee. So if you're not using your coach for a few months, you can disconnect and save some money, then call back and reconnect when you go on your next trip. Also, the Winegard Travler made for Dish network is a little bit less expensive than the one made for Direct TV. Just something to consider, I'm not saying Dish is better than Direct, but those two considerations are something to think about. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Barnero Report post Posted December 7, 2011 I have had nothing but praise for my Traveler. If you aren't dead sure you will use the antenna in motion, there is no real need for an automatic. The Traveler is so easy to use it can't get much better. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rx2Sail Report post Posted December 12, 2011 We are newbies to the MH world and just bought a 2006 FW Southwind that came with King-Dome 9702. Haven't used it as previous owner took the sat receiver. Also have Zenith ZHX-313 (Home Theater DVD+Hi-Fi VCR w/Surround Sound); 2-RCA TVs; Jensen VR 185 Sirius Satellite radio; Videl Control Center Model 380150 (C61-4222). Have no manuals or specs. We aren't full time travelers, but will be going that route in 2-3 years. At this point have only used cable hook-ups and DVDs. Can now only utilize surround sound (SS) from DVD and not cable or radio. How can I get SS from cable and radio? Would like to upgrade TV to HD. What will I need to replace? If we are only part-time at this point, is there satellite TV (Dish vs Direct TV) that is better? What would I need to convert and will the King-Dome work? Thanks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted December 12, 2011 Rx2Sail, Welcome to the Forum. Your King Dome will work with either Dish or Direct. There are some step switchs in the dome that can be set to either one.(Google Winegard with your dome and you can get the manuel on how to make the switches). Your TV may already be HD. However if it isn't it will still work on the satellite. You should not have to do anything to watch TV. If you do want HD your will have to replace your dome with an automatic dish. Winegard has what you will need on their web site. Do you now have either Dish or Direct TV? If you do you can take a receiver from your home and put it in your coach when you travel. If you have Direct I beleive you can watch every thing they offer because they use only 1 satellite. Dish uses 2 satellites 110 and 119 and your dome will cycle between the 2. I hope this helps and if I have stated something wrong you can rest assure that someone will correct me. Good Luck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
w6pea Report post Posted December 12, 2011 I have a Jamboree 26Q, Class-C. I have DTV at home. My RV doesn't have a satellite antenna on the roof, If I was going to get one does anyone have any suggestions to as which manual antenna to use. Thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest BillAdams Report post Posted December 12, 2011 No 2006 RV is going to have factory installed HD TV's. If the previous owners did not update the TV's to a flat screen HDTV then you still have analog TV's that will never receive and HD signal. That does not mean that they will not work, only that you will not get an HD picture. If you do still have analog TV's you will need to get a digital to analog converter and you will want to ensure that this converter has an analog pass-through. Here's the one I recommend which is available at your local Radio Shack: http://www.radioshac...oductId=3150939 That takes care of the over-the-air (OTA) TV signal. Do you have or want to have satellite TV in your coach as well? While the OTA TV signal is free (where available) the satellite TV signal is a pay as you go proposition. If you don't want to pay $50-$90/month for your TV service then you will not want satellite TV. Your dome can be set to receive the Dish Network or DirecTV programming but depending upon your provider and the age of your antenna you may or may not be able to receive the HD programming (HD from DirecTV is impossible with a dome and older domes can't switch to the newer Dish Network HD satellite(s)) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest BillAdams Report post Posted December 12, 2011 I have a Jamboree 26Q, Class-C. I have DTV at home. My RV doesn't have a satellite antenna on the roof, If I was going to get one does anyone have any suggestions to as which manual antenna to use. Thanks There are many choices. If you want a portable ("I like camping in the trees") then I would suggest the Winegard Carryout so you can move it around as necessary to find a gap in the trees ($600 ish). This antenna will receive all of the DirecTV SD programming but no dome antenna can receive the DirecTV HDTV programming. If you want it all and you want it to be automatic then you should look at the Winegard Trav'ler SK-3005 which is permanently roof mounted, fully automatic and capable of receiving all of the DirecTV programming. You can also but a tripod mounted, manually pointed antenna which will save you huge amounts of money upfront but can add additional frustration to the setup process. If you only move a few times per year a tripod is an excellent choice. If you will actually be traveling and would like to watch TV when you stop then an automatic antenna would be a better selection. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desertdeals69 Report post Posted December 12, 2011 Direct TV uses five satellites, 99, 101, 103, 110, and 119. I prefer the Moto Sat for Direct TV HD. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
w6pea Report post Posted December 12, 2011 Bill Thank You for the info. My neighbor moved out and left the DTV dish, The people that moved in took it down. I got it after they put it in the dumpster. Maybe I will make myself a tripod for it. Out of a antenna mount I bought from Radio Shack a couple of years . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kikeehn Report post Posted December 12, 2011 Posters, I use the Winegard Carryout mounted on the ladder mount. Why I use the carryout is because the tv's in my motorhome are SD. We have 3 receivers at home, 2 HD and 1 SD. when we go on a trip I just disconnect the SD receiver from the TV its connected to and connect it to the connections in the coach. Since that receiver is already authorized,I don't have to pay for another receiver. I did check with Direct and its perfectly ok with them. I don't really need HD, but I do like my TV. As far as local reception I do have a Digital converter box for the coach TV's. KerryK Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest BillAdams Report post Posted December 13, 2011 I have seen the RF Mogul prototype and discussed the antenna with one of the owners. The folks who started this new company are all the former MotoSAT executives who suddenly became unemployed about a year ago. The appear to have partnered with a very good company (Wi World, a Korean company specializing in this type of satellite antennas) and created a very good looking system. They say to expect the pricing to be a bit lower than MotoSAT but a bit higher than Winegard. Putting a 3rd player in an already small market could have very interesting consequences in this market. Since this antenna will not do anything new and different (the goal is to receive satellite TV) RF Mogul will need to separate themselves from the industry leaders somehow and that somehow has yet to be disclosed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wigginsjsr Report post Posted December 21, 2011 We have the Winegard system, and it really works well. Motosat will tell you that you can not convert the Winegard from Direct to Dish, but that is wrong. My unit had the antenna for Direct. I called Winegard and received the equipment to convert for a little over $200. Took about 30 minuntes to install. We are taking delivery of a new Monaco Knight in a few days, and Monaco is offering a KVH 5 dome antenna for free. I have traded the KVH back to them for the labor to move my Winegard from the old to new coach. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest BillAdams Report post Posted December 21, 2011 Actually, MotoSAT is half right. You cannot convert a Winegard Dish Network antenna (SK-1000) to the DirecTV HD antenna (SK-3005) due to the smaller motor in the SK-1000 which does not have enough power to lift the larger dish and LNB required by the SK-3005. However, you can change the SK-3005 to the SK-1000. There is also a way to swap from Dish to Direct with the Winegard and not be stuck paying for a whole new antenna but it's certainly going to cost more than the $200 you paid. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rayherron Report post Posted December 26, 2011 Bill, I have a question which I cannot find any reliable source for. I have purchased an SK3005 and the center which is installing it tells me that I need a B-Band converter for it. I had read the specs on Winegard site and it states no additional converters are required. I have an directv HR23-700 DVR which I had planned to move from home to the mh. I thought that I could simply hook that up to the SK3005 without adding any additional equipment. Can you tell me if I need additional interface equipment? Thanks Ray Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest BillAdams Report post Posted December 27, 2011 It is very likely that you do need the B-Band converter. Since they only cost a few bucks a piece this should not be an issue anyway. Only a few receivers had a built-in BBC so in almost all cases a DirecTV HD receiver will require these converters. DirecTV says you don't as they assume you are in a home with an antenna equipped with a SWM LNB (and you are not!). Additionally, each time you move between your home setup and RV setup you are likely going to have to run through the "Repeat Satellite Setup" routine to switch between the 2 different kinds of antennas. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
