Direct TV for your trailer.

[DirtyMax88]

Good Morning Everyone. We will take delivery of our new Landmark (Newport) next week. It feels like we have waited forever, even though its only been about 7 weeks. Anyway, we want to get Directv for our trailer. I am assuming we will need to get an HD satellite dish, as well as the HD boxes? We have Directv at our house right now, but I didn't know if it was as simple as telling them we need a few more HD boxes, or get a new or different plan for the trailer and house, combo. Has anyone had experience with this? The last thing I want to do is give Directv any more money, if I don't have to. The dealership is going to install the Direct tv dish for us, but didn't explain how the setup/connection was going to work. Any and all your opinions and experiences are appreciated! Thank you!

 

[hoefler]

Just take the receiver from home with you, no extra charge.

 

[danemayer]

Hi DirtyMax88,

If the dealer is installing a Winegard Traveler on the roof, there will be 2 coax connections prewired at the roof. They terminate in the Universal Docking Center (UDC). The dealer should install jumpers in the UDC as shown in the attached drawing.

A lot of people just take their home receivers with them when they travel. I used to do that. The big limitation is that once you get outside your home geography, you'll be outside the spot beam reception area for your local channels. That means you won't get ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, or WB network programming.

There are 2 solutions. One is to change your service address. The other is to subscribe to Distant Network Channels (DNS). But since you'll be talking to Directv about your home installation, they may not cooperate on the change of service address, and you won't be eligible for DNS if you have local channels at home.

If you add receivers for the RV, make sure they add them on the same account, which will cost you $7 per receiver per month. There shouldn't be any new charges for programming.

You can then periodically call to change the service address to wherever you are located. This works well if you stay in the same place for a while. They will probably not change the service address every week or two.

If your location varies, sign up for DNS at $15 per month. This gets you either New York or Los Angeles stations that provide network programming. The signup can be a pain because an affidavit is required along with a copy of your current trailer registration.

 

[DirtyMax88]

Thanks hoefler.

 

[cookie]

If you are using a SWM, the coax wiring may be a bit different than the one in Dans PDF file.

Peace
Dave

 

[DirtyMax88]

Thanks Danemayer for your reply. I'm not sure what satellite dish we are getting, they told us that directv requires or uses a different dish for HD then dish network and such. So we can take our home DVR with us, put it in the LR of the trailer, and it will be like we never left?? How does all the signal acquisition and programming work? I guess it doesn't matter once the dish is up? As far as the local channels go, we wouldn't just receive the local channels in the area we were? We aren't full timers yet, so we will be taking the trailer all over the place. Is the DNS something that you would sign up for through your satellite provider, or a completely separate thing?

 

[mountainlovers76]

Just take the receiver from home with you, no extra charge.

Same here. I bought a separate Slimline dish, SWM LNB and tripod. Take a HD receiver from home and when I get to my destination go to setup, enter the zipcode, align dish to the settings for that area and find the signal. Finding the signal is the hardest part unless you are installing the auto align dish, then no problem.

 

[DirtyMax88]

Same here. I bought a separate Slimline dish, SWM LNB and tripod. Take a HD receiver from home and when I get to my destination go to setup, enter the zipcode, align dish to the settings for that area and find the signal. Finding the signal is the hardest part unless you are installing the auto align dish, then no problem.

What's the abbreviations SWM LNB.... I will have to find out if we are getting the auto align dish. Sure seems worth it since our dish is going to be permanently mounted on the roof. Thanks!

 

[danemayer]

If it's not an auto-aiming HD dish, don't bother having it installed on the roof.

SWM LNB: the dish focuses the satellite signal onto the LNB which is located on the end of the arm coming out of the dish. The older technology is called multi-switch. The new technology is called single wire multi-switch. The old one may have 4 coax connections. The newer SWM typically has one. For SWM they will install a splitter either on the roof, or in the UDC so that the single wire breaks out to service more than one location in the trailer.

If you take your home receivers with you, you may have to reconfigure on the receiver menu, depending on how your old receivers are configured at home, versus the new dish/LNB. If you have multi-switch at home, when you put the receiver in the trailer, if it has SWM, you'll have to change a setting on the satellite setup from multi-switch to SWM. And depending on the age of your receivers, they may not be compatible with a SWM satellite dish/LNB.

You subscribe to DNS by calling Directv. Ask for the Distant Network Services dep't or you may end up wasting a lot of time with people who don't understand what DNS is or that you can have Directv in an RV.

 

[mountainlovers76]

What's the abbreviations SWM LNB.... I will have to find out if we are getting the auto align dish. Sure seems worth it since our dish is going to be permanently mounted on the roof. Thanks!

Dan gave you a good explanation of the SWM LNB. Since you are getting the permanently installed dish, make sure it is HD compatible. Many are not.

 

[lynndiwagoner]

It would be helpful to find out what kind of dish they're installing on your new rig and what kind of equipment you have in your house. Answers will depend on that fact. There are many solutions and we have the answers.

 

[DirtyMax88]

Thank you all so much for a ll the replies and info. I am going to call the RV dealer this evening and get this straightened out, then on to Directv. I didnt realize this was so in depth and technical. I hope this weren't dumb questions. This is our first fifth wheel setup with all these "bells and whistles" so to speak. We haven't had satellite tv in our trailer before. Again, i sure do appreciate all the info, hope to run into you all at the campgrounds and enjoy an adult beverage!

 

[HornedToad]

You subscribe to DNS by calling Directv. Ask for the Distant Network Services dep't or you may end up wasting a lot of time with people who don't understand what DNS is or that you can have Directv in an RV.

When I signed up for DNS I didn't call, I just downloaded the form off the Direct TV website and mailed it off with the requirements. A few weeks later my box picked up the East Coast (New York) feed of the local channels, being out west I thought I would get the West Coast (LA) channels. I don't remember if the form let me select between NY or LA, but if that is important you better call. It will make a difference in the sports programming.

At first I was disappointed when I tried to watch a PAC 12 football game scheduled on network TV and instead got the East Coast feed of an ACC game on that channel. Then I realized I could pick up the local channels with the West Coast feed on my over the air antenna, and at the same time on another TV watch the East Coast game with the Direct TV box. My disappointment was erased with this option and the addition of the sports package which allows me to watch just about any game or conference I choose.

 

[danemayer]

Thank you all so much for a ll the replies and info. I am going to call the RV dealer this evening and get this straightened out, then on to Directv. I didnt realize this was so in depth and technical. I hope this weren't dumb questions. This is our first fifth wheel setup with all these "bells and whistles" so to speak. We haven't had satellite tv in our trailer before. Again, i sure do appreciate all the info, hope to run into you all at the campgrounds and enjoy an adult beverage!

Not dumb questions at all. This is all pretty complicated and those of us who have already figured it out didn't get there easily. It would be a rare RV Tech who was up to speed on all this stuff and Directv/Dish provide minimal support for RVs. They generally point you to the hardware provider. Putting it all together is not easy.

Btw, after you've got it all working, it probably won't be long before you're wondering how to get the audio to play through the sound system. That can also be difficult - although your rig may have come with a soundbar that might make it easier.

 

[jnspenc]

May I ask why a permanent mount antenna? I have the Newport and SWM system installed with Winguard self aiming antenna that I can move around so the trees don't block signal. I also installed the wireless Genie Mini for bedroom and outside tv so you can watch any channel on any TV without sharing like some setups that share the channel selected with both inside and outside TV.


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[DirtyMax88]

Not dumb questions at all. This is all pretty complicated and those of us who have already figured it out didn't get there easily. It would be a rare RV Tech who was up to speed on all this stuff and Directv/Dish provide minimal support for RVs. They generally point you to the hardware provider. Putting it all together is not easy.

Btw, after you've got it all working, it probably won't be long before you're wondering how to get the audio to play through the sound system. That can also be difficult - although your rig may have come with a soundbar that might make it easier.

Yes, out Newport comes with the sound bar. Thanks again!

 

[DirtyMax88]

May I ask why a permanent mount antenna? I have the Newport and SWM system installed with Winguard self aiming antenna that I can move around so the trees don't block signal. I also installed the wireless Genie Mini for bedroom and outside tv so you can watch any channel on any TV without sharing like some setups that share the channel selected with both inside and outside TV.

We were going with the permanent mount mainly because of some peoples "sticky fingers" We didnt want it to grow legs one night and then we are without a dish. I like the idea of the wireless genie. We have that at the house, and its pretty nice. I was kind of wondering how the outside tv was going to work, so it's usually hooked into one of the tv's inside.

How do you like your Newport, btw? That's the floorplan we picked as well. Cant wait for it to come in. We had to order it, since the place we bought from didn't have any with the stadium seating, and we had a regular gas stove added, instead of the induction cook top.

 

[DirtyMax88]

Not dumb questions at all. This is all pretty complicated and those of us who have already figured it out didn't get there easily. It would be a rare RV Tech who was up to speed on all this stuff and Directv/Dish provide minimal support for RVs. They generally point you to the hardware provider. Putting it all together is not easy.

Btw, after you've got it all working, it probably won't be long before you're wondering how to get the audio to play through the sound system. That can also be difficult - although your rig may have come with a soundbar that might make it easier.

Also, would be pretty cool to have to outside tv sound played through the outside speakers. Especially for tailgating or catching some of the pre-game, pre-race chatter. I am thinking that would be tricky to do. Probably similar to what you are talking about above. Have you tried this Dan?

 

[danemayer]

Also, would be pretty cool to have to outside tv sound played through the outside speakers. Especially for tailgating or catching some of the pre-game, pre-race chatter. I am thinking that would be tricky to do. Probably similar to what you are talking about above. Have you tried this Dan?

I don't have the outside TV (wasn't offered on 2011s).

If you have an outside sound system driving the outside speakers, I'd think you could run a cable from TV audio output to sound system audio input. Our RV Audio Connections Illustrated User Guide might be helpful.

 

[DirtyMax88]

I don't have the outside TV (wasn't offered on 2011s).

If you have an outside sound system driving the outside speakers, I'd think you could run a cable from TV audio output to sound system audio input. Our RV Audio Connections Illustrated User Guide might be helpful.

Thanks, i will take a look at that and see what I can do. Appreciate all the info Dan!