I've had Dish for about 10 years and have never been hooked to a phone line and have never been charged extra because i'm not.
Tom, Kathy, Nikki, & Kelly
Pets: Lady - Texas Heeler, Dinger - Redbone/Black Mouth Cur Mix
2008 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer 4x4 5.4 ci 3.73 gears
2007 Jayco Jayfeather EXP 254
Husky W/D, P-3
Marv Hoag wrote: I used to take a receiver from home until I purchased a Hi Def receiver for the motorhome. As long as one receiver at home is hooked to a phone, you're good. If all you want is a standard def receiver, buy a Dish 311 on EBAY. They're cheap. Have it activated and take it with you. Simple as that.
We do the same thing - bought a HD DVR and tripple LDN portable dish for the 5er and leave the other recievers at home. Pay the extra $5/mo and have full HD TV in the 5er. Takes a couple minutes to set the dish up with a compass and meter, but once you've done it a few times its just a process. Having the DVR in the rig has the same benefits as having it at home, so not a bad way to go!!
2005 F-350 SRW LB Black Harley Davdsn, 6.0 Pstroke w/auto, Excite liner, ARE "Z" cap w/Yakima rails & slide/tilt window, PIAA 1500 bu lights. B&W TO Ball hitch, Firestone bags
Wife: Stef the quilter
Dog: Chase, the Golden Retriever
3 sons, 8 grandkids
The guy I talked to on the phone at Camping World told me that because the DISH 500 makes use of 2 satellites, it is much more difficult to accurately locate them both- that it takes an experienced tech and good equipment. Basically, he was saying that it would be too difficult to use a tripod with dish antenna, so he recommended (of course) that I buy the Winegard antenna system which will automatically find the satellites when I stop (not the mobile tracking- way too much for me, besides I've got a 5th wheel). What's the real scoop on the DISH 500? 2 satellites? More difficult than the old DISH system? Thanks for your input.
jose995 wrote: The guy I talked to on the phone at Camping World told me that because the DISH 500 makes use of 2 satellites, it is much more difficult to accurately locate them both- that it takes an experienced tech and good equipment. Basically, he was saying that it would be too difficult to use a tripod with dish antenna, so he recommended (of course) that I buy the Winegard antenna system which will automatically find the satellites when I stop (not the mobile tracking- way too much for me, besides I've got a 5th wheel). What's the real scoop on the DISH 500? 2 satellites? More difficult than the old DISH system? Thanks for your input.
basically you are just aiming at one sat, 119 and when you hit that one, 110 is right there. I just carry a single LNB dish 300 with me on the road as 99% of what I want is on 119. locals are on 110 but I lose them anyhow. and if I really want/need 110, I could just reaim the dish. Salesman saw $$$$ in his eyes.
bumpy
Yes, the DISH 500 uses two satellites. For non-HD programming, virtually all the basic cable chsnnels are on satellite 119. 110 is used for your local channels and a few others, mostly premium channels, none of which I subscribe to. Thus when we're traveling, we can get all the normal cable channels by using a single LNB dish, and the crank-up antenna for local channels.
So what I do is exactly the same as garry1p: my DVR receiver gets moved into the RV when we travel. I also built one of those simple little PVC stands whioh I love for its lighweight, small size and incredible ease of setting up.
I have never connected my receiver to a phone line, even at home, and I've never been charged a fee because I don't.
The first couple of years I had the DISH set-up, when in the RV I hauled around the big tripod and the 500 dual LNB dish. It was lot harder to set up, especially in a wooded area, so you'd have to find two holes through the trees. Once I figured out I didn't need satellite 110 when traveling, life got MUCH simpler.
We have the Single LNB on the 5th wheel.. We bring the receiver with us and when we get to where we are going, we set it up...Compass, Use the finder for the Dish on the roof and the electronic satellite finder...We don't get ALL THE STATIONS but quite a few.. No locals, or High Def...
If you travel south into Mexico it won't work very far south. Oddly enough the Canadian service, Starchoice (now Shaw), works all the way into Guatemala. Since they carry nearly all US channels as well as Canadian, they are a good choice if you plan to head below the border if you can get one gray market through a Canadian friend.
wxtoad wrote: Yes, the DISH 500 uses two satellites. For non-HD programming, virtually all the basic cable chsnnels are on satellite 119. 110 is used for your local channels and a few others, mostly premium channels, none of which I subscribe to. Thus when we're traveling, we can get all the normal cable channels by using a single LNB dish, and the crank-up antenna for local channels.
So what I do is exactly the same as garry1p: my DVR receiver gets moved into the RV when we travel. I also built one of those simple little PVC stands whioh I love for its lighweight, small size and incredible ease of setting up.
I have never connected my receiver to a phone line, even at home, and I've never been charged a fee because I don't.
The first couple of years I had the DISH set-up, when in the RV I hauled around the big tripod and the 500 dual LNB dish. It was lot harder to set up, especially in a wooded area, so you'd have to find two holes through the trees. Once I figured out I didn't need satellite 110 when traveling, life got MUCH simpler.
Ted H.
OK, that's great info. We have a DVR and could live with the 119 channel selection. Doesn't the DVR receiver have any hiccups because of not seeing the 110 sat?
Apparently we would be eligible to see our local Chicago channels for no extra charge, but I think we could skip that to make life simple.
Offline
Online
