RE: Get 119 signal, no 119 programming, Dish 500
Success! I bought a Radio Shack "satellite finder," unplugged the coax on the receiver, did the 6-1-1, zeroed out checkswitch, did the 6-1-1, set it on 119, used the meter until I got a strong signal, paged thru the transponders on 119 until I hit pay dirt, ran checkswitch again, and everything is good. I'm so used to eyeballing Direct TV & hitting the satellite thru a basketball-sized hole in the trees, I didn't realize the sweet spot on 119 is so relatively small on Dish. Plus the signal "strength meter" in the Dish menu options is waaay slower than on Direct. But, hey! I'm on my way to saving over $700 a year. That's about six tanks of diesel around here...
RE: Get 119 signal, no 119 programming, Dish 500
Thanks, but it's one of those dinky Camping World tripods w/out enough room between the base and the ground for much of an anchor. Works great with Direct TV and bungees in camp, though.
RE: Get 119 signal, no 119 programming, Dish 500
Thanks for the input. I've got to wait until the wind dies down to try again (stupid tripod blows over, nothing to anchor it to on the porch), but I will switch the cable to another input, although it's on the second one I've tried so far. We currently have Direct TV on the camper, but paying $60 a month whether we use it or not. It's a piece of cake to set Direct up, and if we weren't under contract to Dish for another 18 months it would be a no-brainer. Direct will let us suspend service once a year, but it's rare we don't use the camper for months at a time.
RE: Get 119 signal, no 119 programming, Dish 500
I'm set to 500 on the receiver, get signals from both 110 and 119, but can't get programming from 119. I'm actually on the porch of my house, so I'm only about 50-60 feet away from the roof-mounted dish for our home service. I'll try the tin-foil hat on the 110 LNB to see if I can force it to acquire 119 and see what happens. Any further suggestions greatly appreciated...
Get 119 signal, no 119 programming, Dish 500
I have full-blown Dish installation (HD, local channels, multiple receivers etc.)at home, want to take a Dish receiver rom home on the road. I got a separate portable Dish antenna w/ dual LNBs, and have tried (unsuccessfully) to tune it at home with one of our receivers. I get signals from 110 and 119, but only 110 programming. I have run checkswitch, tried resetting the receiver, etc. but can't get the receiver to move from 110 and pick up both satellites programming. I get the 119 signal with a "wrong satellite" message when I try to tune to 119 as the primary satellite. Help!!
RE: I75 VS I95? Which is flatter?
From Washington, DC to Miami I-95 is pretty flat, plus you will avoid the Atlanta traffic nightmare. I can't speak for north of DC, but as I-95 is mostly on coastal plains east of the Appalachians, it should be pretty flat all the way. Depending on where you're going in Florida, I-10 is flat from Jacksonville to Texas if you need to cross the state from either highway. Have a good trip.
RE: I-75 in Central and Southern Georgia
Last I was on it two mos. ago it was miles and miles of concrete shoulder barriers, highway barrels, etc. between Valdosta and Tifton. I hit it at a good time and had no delays, but I avoid it like the plague when I can and take rural soutes. Takes longer, but you get to enjoy the scenery, if you have the time. Check the NASCAR schedule, if there's anything going on in Daytona (I know it's across the state) be ready for delays.
RE: Need to find Ca. Mountain road grades
This may be more than you need, but I've found both the East and the West directories invaluable:
www.mountaindirectory.com
RE: Sand gnats in Savannah and Charleston area?
They're usually out in the spring and fall when the temp is between 60 and 70 and little wind. December should not be a problem. Don't get hung up about the gnats, they're a minor annoyance.
RE: Savannah restaurants?
Sorry to tell you Williams burned to the ground about two years ago. The owner has opened a new restaurant on the left just before Williams in a little strip mall, sorry don't recall the name, but I hear the same menu as Williams. One of our favorites is Fannie's onthe beach at Tybee.
RE: Sand gnats in Savannah and Charleston area?
We've lived in the Savannah area (Tybee Island) for 30 years and have got where the gnats don't bother us much. But when they are bad, wear long sleeves (probably not a problem in September, anyway) and a cap, spray Deep Woods Off into your hands and apply to any exposed areas, including your hair where not covered by the cap. A lot of folks swear by Avon's "Skin So Soft," but I'd rather have the gnats.
Logistics of getting 4 new tires
We've had our 5er for about two years, have about 20K miles on original tires. This might sound like a dumb question, but if you want to replace tires, how do you do it? I'm not in the market quite yet, but when the time comes, I can't visualize pulling the camper into the crowded parking lot of a local Goodyear or Firestone store and asking them to replace the tires on a 34 foot fifth wheel.
RE: Camping in South Georgia
We have spent several nights in Stephen Foster and enjoyed it immensely. Several good pull-through sites, very quiet the times we were there, although it is popular with groups such as scouts. The swamp is low because of the droughts in recent years.
RE: Grade Braking - Chevy 2500HD with D/A
I have the same truck, pulling about 3000 lbs. less than you. I leave it in tow/haul mode when pulling. I've crossed the Rockies four times without any problems, actually ran into steeper grades in the Smokies in NC. I guess the first thing to consider is that in tow/haul without any brake application you've got 14,500 lbs. plus your truck weight all using the Dmax compression and the Allison trying to slow you down. If you hit your brakes occasionally on the downhill run you've got your trailer brakes and your truck brakes helping the Dmax. If you start off slow you don't have to sweat as much keeping it slow. Also, if your trailer brake controller will let you set a higher boost, i.e. your trailer brakes work a little more, that can help you, too. If you don't already have it, I suggest a book called the Mountain Directory West. It gives a lot of good info about steep grades, mountain passes, etc. that can come in real handy for route planning. The same publisher has a Mountain Directory East. Have fun!
