Dish TV

[glsponchos]

Being new to RV is already learning through the firehose.  In this case I'm also new to Satellite.  My coach has the standard antennae and the previous owner installed a traveler antenna.  I'm told the antennae are configured for Dish.  We watch more TV than we should, and we're used to being able to record multiple programs at once, as well as watching something other than we're recording.  The options Dish offers are pretty slim.  The salesperson talked about home satellite options, Hopper III that are better, but Dish won't sell them for RV use for quality reasons.  Does anyone have any experience with Dish and DVR use ?  Their packages aren't that great.  Have to buy a lot of channels that we would never watch.

[wigginsjsr]

Have been using Dish for 8 years in my RVs.  Currently take a Hopper and 1 Joey from home when we travel.  You can use Prime Time Anytime to auto record all 4 major networks from 7 to 10 pm each night plus watch any other 2 channels or record any other 2 channels at the same time.  I have the 1st generation Hopper.  The newer Hopper has even more capabilities.

I never heard that they won't sell for use in RVs.  Just find a Dish dealer and tell them what you want.  I don't see how you arrive at the conclusion that their offering are slim.  I just hate to see any service bad mouthed when a person has no experience with that service.  If you have a Winegard Traveler antenna you have the ideal setup for good tv service from Dish, you need to work with a dealer rather than directly with Dish. 

[dkreuzen]

glsponchos was told the same thing I was. I wanted to put a Hopper in my RV and Dish said NO. I had a 211k in the RV and Dish will not allow more than one non-Hopper receiver on a Hopper home account. A few months ago I was told by Dish that more than one of the new Wally's was going to be allowed on the home account so I switched to a Wally and they still won't let me have two. 

[glsponchos]

I've spoken to them twice on the topic.  May not have used Dish, but I'm clear on what I've been told.  The salesman suggested that I go out on Amazon and buy a Hopper III.  He changed his mind and said it wasn't compatible.  He did mention different hoppers and also the VIP 722.  Anybody have experience with that unit.  Again, Dish won't see it to me, but said I could buy off Amazon.  For clarity, I'm a full timer and have no permanent services

[BillAdams]

You absolutely CAN use a Hopper (not a Hopper 3) with your Trav'ler.  That gives you 3 tuners which is generally enough but you can also add a Super Joey if you would like to add 2 more tuners plus have the ability to watch to different channels on 2 different TV's.  That can also be done with a regular Joey but you don't get the added tuners.

You will also need to add some switches (1 solo node at a minimum) but this is also easy if you (or the person you hire) knows how to follow instructions.  If you are anywhere near Houston, TX you can setup an appointment with Dave at Sats 2 Go www.sats2go.com and he will get you all the equipment and set it all up as well.  There are also a number of mobile RV satellite dealers around the US.  Check with the larger local campgrounds and see if they have a recommendation for an installer.

This used to by my business so I might be able to direct you to someone I know if you let us know where you are currently located or plan to travel.

You can't change the Dish Trav'ler over to work with DirecTV, but you can buy a DirecTV Trav'ler, replace the Dish Trav'ler (about a 30 minute job with minimal tools and no new roof openings required), pack up the Dish Trav'ler and sell it.  This is only if you happen to prefer DirecTV.  However, if you are not familiar with either, DirecTV is very much like Dish in that you have to buy packages that contain a large number of channels you will never watch!

[glsponchos]

Thanks for the intel.  Do you know of anyone in the Indianapolis area ?

[hermanmullins]

13 hours ago, BillAdams said:

DirecTV is very much like Dish in that you have to buy packages that contain a large number of channels you will never watch!

Amen to too many channels you don't watch. I see where Dish is offering something like pick your own. It might be more expensive to pick only the channels you want than a package. We have the 200 something package and have two favorite settings. One for us and one for the grandkids.

Herman 

[BillAdams]

The "pick your own" is called the Flex Pak and it's just a marketing scam.  You can't pick your own channels, you start with the 60 they choose and then you can add various groups of channels.  To get the channels you want you still have to take stuff you don't.

[BillAdams]

The closest that I am aware of would be Elkhart Satellite in Elkhart, IN.

[wigginsjsr]

The reality is that if you don't tell Dish, they don't know if you are in an RV or at home.  When I want to change locals while traveling, I just tell them I have made a temporary move and they change the locals with no issues.  The issue is what will work with your model antenna.  In your case, the original Hopper and Joey should work fine.

[wayne77590]

I have the VIP-722 and I have taken it with us for 10 years on our RV trips.  I do not have a roof top satellite dish so I use a Winegard Carryout portable antenna.
(I'll be looking to install the Traveler soon.)

With the VIP-722 and the Traveler you have a combination of options.  Watch one, record one, or play back one, record two depending on the mode switch.  The mode switch is for dual televisions or single television.  If you have the proper wiring going to each television, then the 722 has a "distribution out" that will send the TV signal to the bedroom (or any other) TV. In the dual mode each television can watch their own channel.  In the single mode each television receives the same channel.  When in single mode the recording options change (don't remember exactly what the change was).  The VIP-722 is a good receiver. I have two of them here at the S&B.  When we leave I take the one not used to much with us. 

I also have the USB External 2tb hard drive. All the programs we have recorded and have not watched yet get placed on the external hard drive from the main 722 and we take it with us.  The hard drive is proprietary formatted to work on dish system accepting external hard drives.

Here at the S&B I also have an HDMI wireless transmitter that sends an HD signal to a bedroom TV that does not have hard wire connectivity. That device would also work in a MH to send the signal to any TV close by.

I'm gadget poor!

p.s.,  I use the BOMB (Box of Many Buttons) with a proper splitter for distributing signals so I don't have to keep disconnecting and reconnecting wires.

Oh, and the VIP-722 has an antenna in connection for the OTA antenna. Once scanned using the VIP-722 the TV channels show up in the Guide. The satellite channels in the Guide are light blue and the OTA signals show up in yellow.  There is an ability to edit the OTA channels so those in a language that is not understood, or any other  channels can be edited out. I sure wish I could do that with the satellite channels. There is so much junk and inappropriate listings that I just don't need to see.

[hermanmullins]

Wayne, 

I have a722 that stays in the coach. It cost me $7.00 per mo. I wired it to the Winegard Traveler the same as it is wired in the house. One line in to a splitter, the one line out into the receiver and one to the bedroom TV. The remote is programmed to our local channels and our favorite Dish channels.  If we will be in a location for several days we may call Dish to give us the locals where we are. Works well for us.

Next project is to up grade our over the air antenna.  Plan to us extra cable from the Traveler.  

Herman 

locals. 

[wayne77590]

Yep, any extra receiver on the account will cost $7 a month.

Do a lot of research on OTA antennas, I had the "Jack" put on and I'm not happy with it at all.  I'm thinking of putting on an omni-directional once I complete my research on them. Or the one that looks like a halo and automatically adjusts to the strongest channel signal.

[danorske]

I wonder if a "Hybrid 1000.2 LNB" could be installed on the Traveler and work? Any Ideas?

[desertdeals69]

I just switched my slimline 5 lnb (Directv) for a new SWM3 lnb on my Motosat open face dish.  I also installed a new RF Mogul controller.  Works great as long as I have a clear view of the southern sky.

[BillAdams]

2 hours ago, danorske said:

I wonder if a "Hybrid 1000.2 LNB" could be installed on the Traveler and work? Any Ideas?

Yes, it can be if you are trying to install a Hopper 3.  It does take a couple of extra manual steps to get the things to work out properly but it can be done.  My personal recommendation (which is of no value to anyone) is that you do not do this and stick to the Hopper 2 or below.

[dkreuzen]

An update to my issue of having more than one non-Hopper 3 device on my home account. Earlier this summer when I called to add a second Wally the person at Dish told me to call one of their dealers and they would take care of it. This was new, I usually got an definite NO when I asked.

I called the dealer and told the guy who answered that I had an RV with a Trav'ler dish and what I wanted to do and he told me to just purchase the Wally and have it activated and that he didn't understand why they wanted me to call him.

I got the second Wally, installed it, called Dish to activate and low and behold they did. The conversation seemed a little strange like they didn't know exactly what to do, kind if like the person I was talking to had never activated a new receiver before.

Anyway after "fighting" with Dish for the last few years and getting lame excuses I finally have two operational receivers in my RV.