Diplomat Don wrote: Bill....I've found that my satelite works everytime if I follow the same sequence.
I turn the TV and DirecTv box on at the same time and leave the sat dish off. Once everything warms up and the TV says "Searching for satelite", I turn on the sat dish and let it search. If I turn the sat dish on before the other equipment is searching for it I have issues.
Don hit it right on the head. With the DVRs and the HD receivers you should wait until the unit has booted up and displays the message searching for satelite. Some of the newer units may take more than 5 minutes to boot up to that point, which may have already timed out the dishes satelite search. If you have an old box, they start searching for sats right away. I don't have a slimline dish, but I do have the in motion move in view winegard dish with the HD DirectTivo (HR10-250), and if I turn the dish on it will time out its search and go into standby mode before the Tivo boots up fully so I wait to turn on the dish when the tivo displays searching for satelites message.
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2001 Itasca Suncruiser
Diplomat Don wrote: Bill....I've found that my satelite works everytime if I follow the same sequence.
I turn the TV and DirecTv box on at the same time and leave the sat dish off. Once everything warms up and the TV says "Searching for satelite", I turn on the sat dish and let it search. If I turn the sat dish on before the other equipment is searching for it I have issues.
Don hit it right on the head. With the DVRs and the HD receivers you should wait until the unit has booted up and displays the message searching for satelite. Some of the newer units may take more than 5 minutes to boot up to that point, which may have already timed out the dishes satelite search. If you have an old box, they start searching for sats right away. I don't have a slimline dish, but I do have the in motion move in view winegard dish with the HD DirectTivo (HR10-250), and if I turn the dish on it will time out its search and go into standby mode before the Tivo boots up fully so I wait to turn on the dish when the tivo displays searching for satelites message.
True for older RV Sat systems. If the Sat system has built in DVB (most built after 2006 have built in DVB) then the status of the receiver being on or off does not matter. IF the RV sat system requires that the receiver be on, before the search, then yes, wait that 5 to 10 minutes. Doug
I had a similar problem with my new Discovery, if I left the power on to the in-motion dish while I was parked, after a while it would "go crazy" and start tracking for a sat again. Wasn't Direct TV's fault, was the "software" in the dish. The dish company (KVH) were great. I bought a serial cable to connect my laptop to the plug next to the dish power switch,and they talked me through updating the "firmware" on the dish. No more probs since then.
We love Direct TV, but they could improve their customer service. (we had Dish, and theirs was lacking too.)
Direct TV has the majority of their programming on Sat. 101 which simplified our lives. With Dish their programming is split between 110 and 119 which made it necessary to negociate (I need to check with Johnny T about why my spell check's not working)what we were going to watch. For example: If I wanted to watch Larry King, DW couldn't watch anything that wasn't on sat 119. Switching to Direct TV solved that problem. If you and your spouse watch the same thing, in the same room, then you won't have that problem. Our Dome (Winegard automatic that we love) would go back and forth (with Dish) if one of us accidently turned from a channel on 119 to 110. Then we would have to go through loading that bar, and the 1 thru 5, 2 thru 5 etc. It drove us crazy.
Long story short, no way would we go back to Dish. (at home Dish wasn't a problem---except for that constant "loading the bar, and 1 thru 5 etc.) It seemed that Dish went out more frequently in inclement weather.
We found Direct TV's customer support to be the same as Dish. It seems we do speak with more techs from the U.S.
It may all depend on your viewing habits on how satisfied you will be with Dish. Dish didn't work for us because of the above reasons.
We also learned that turning the receiver and TV on, letting them search for awhile, then flipping the switch on the Dome worked best.
* This post was
edited 12/15/08 07:26pm by Finally *
2005 Tiffin Phaeton 40QDH
2009 Lincoln MKX
and Milli
I have the wingard in motion dome and I leave it on all the time and never have any problem I leave the receiver on but if I tuen it off it takeds bout 5 min to receive a picture I have direct tv much better than dish which I had before
del lewis
2002 Infinity 32R
2000 Saturn L Toad
also 2002 Explorer Limited toad
Brake Buddy
If you have Direct TV you should get satelite 101
You mentioned sat 110 and 119, they are Dish satelites. I don't believe you can get Dish satelites with a Direct reciever.
I have Dish with the King Dome and have never had any problems.
Could be....in the quest for the latest and newest stuff (HD and all) things, under certain circumstances just don't work right. Or...the customer (us) are really not that familiar....and what works in the house (the installer usually sets things up and we never have to touch anything again) might take a bit more fiddling when it comes to the motorhome....every time we set up...we have to re-set the satellite system....many times it just takes a maybe 20 second delay for the system to set itself up...and we don't know it. So we get impatient and blame the whole system. Happened to me...until I realized what was going on.
I have DirecTV. Never a problem...taking the control box out of the house and putting it in the motorhome. I keep it S & S.....no HD, no special "packages" (meaning just ONE satellite: #101)...and no rooftop system...I use the tried and true tripod, dish, strength meter and compass. Sure...sometimes it takes 5 minits to set up (after a bit of practice) but it always works. Keep in mind, too....that outside your local "spot beam" you won't get your networks (ABC,NBC,CBS,Fox) so for that, just put up your amplified, directional antenna and push the "ant" button on the (I have a "passive") switchbox. Too much "hi tech" can mean too much problems.
RayChez wrote: If you have Direct TV you should get satelite 101
You mentioned sat 110 and 119, they are Dish satelites. I don't believe you can get Dish satelites with a Direct reciever.
I have Dish with the King Dome and have never had any problems.
Direct uses--- 101/110/119 AND 99 and 103. The 101 has all the SD broadcasts. The 110/119/99/103 is for the HD and spot beaming of Network channels. On most non DVB Domes the Direct receivers will lock into a Dish Sat when searching. Just as a Dish receiver will lock onto the Direct Sats if non DVB. Doug
The OP said he had a SK-3005 Winegard dish. It does not require the TV or HD receiver to even be turned on or during while it does a search.
My DirecTV HD H-20 receiver loads up faster if I don't even plug it in to power, until the SK-3005 has found and locked on the satellites. Also I unplug the power to it while it is on signal before I stow the dish to move.
Try that and it may work better for you and stop a lot of the pushing the reset button, and long start ups.
Larry Full Time Since 99
1999 34Q Discovery DP ISB 275HP 6 Speed Allison
Banks Powerpack
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2001 FXSTI HD
08 HHR LT2
Ive learned some real good stuff here. I was wondering if you all use the data port? (not the telephone, but the data port). Does it make a huge difference? Any suggestions if your receiver does not have a data port?
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