Piperflyer
Well-known member
I'm new to all this satelite tv stuff and I am wanting to install a roof mounted dish to my 5th wheel.
My question is do I go with Direct TV or Dish?
My question is do I go with Direct TV or Dish?
Pro/Con
- Thread starter Piperflyer
- Start date
MTPockets
Well-known member
We travelled full time for four years using the Dish Tailgater... Being portable we never needed to worry about parking under trees that block the signal... We only have one TV. If more than one, my understanding is you need Direct TV. You can hook up multiple TV with roof mount dish with either Dish or Direct...
danemayer
Well-known member
There are a few considerations like number of receivers, auto-aiming, portable vs roof mount, High Def vs Std Def, etc. Our Getting Started with Satellite Guide, in this folder, will help you sort through the choices. It was written a while ago, so some of the dish choices have been updated or expanded. But it'll give you a good idea.
farside291
Well-known member
We have DTV and a tripod mounted dish...only because the roof mount system is expensive. We take the equipment from home. Works great. Living and bedroom are hardwired. No wireless clients in the RV. With DTV we could go wireless if we chose to and be able to watch DTV under the Awning! I marked the tripod and dish with a marker to help with alignment at the locations we travel to for work.
Dumboldles
Well-known member
We use a roof mounted sat dish. We like the Dish system pay as you go plan
Dumboldles
Dumboldles
macjj
Well-known member
I had the roof mounted system installed, works great. No fudging in trying to locate and track the satellite (as I had to do with the ground mount). Used the home system, which worked OK, however I could not get local feeds while on the road, only home feeds. Contacted Dish and was told I needed to purchase the RV receiver at an additional cost. Decided it was not worth the effort, find enough digital channels on the Wineguard to satisfy my needs
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What a tough question to answer. All I can say is I wanted the HD and local signals from DTV so I went with the permanent roof install. It took me about three hours to install and I love the one button set up. For me the expense was worth it. I had been looking for years and never could talk myself and the wife into spending the big bucks for our older rig so when we bought the new Big Country I decided it was time so I jumped in with both feet. No looking back now.
Steve
Noofear
Well-known member
I've had Dish and Direct in the last year when I installed the Satellite Dish on top of my roof I went with Dish the program I think is better and the price is a lot cheaper. The cost of the rooftop satellite dishes also about $400 cheaper going with Dish then Direct
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Landmark50
Member
DirecTV has more sports oriented programming. Dish is more entertainment movies etc.
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IronJ
Well-known member
The newer dish tailgater will run 2 boxes with some limitations...
That said, I chose dish because I already had it at home and in the beginning I could not justify/afford a fancy auto aim gizmo...
So I found an old tripod and a used dish on craiglist and used my equip from home. ..was a lot more work, but did the job fine for 3-4 years. ..
Now my new rig has 5tvs in it....BUT we generally watch only 2 diff programs...
So the tailgaiter it is...one box in main ent center and one in bedroom.
Then wireless hdmi boxes on other tvs
I have looked at direct several times....dish is always cheaper for what I need/want
sent from space via an invisible beam from a flying metal dish
That said, I chose dish because I already had it at home and in the beginning I could not justify/afford a fancy auto aim gizmo...
So I found an old tripod and a used dish on craiglist and used my equip from home. ..was a lot more work, but did the job fine for 3-4 years. ..
Now my new rig has 5tvs in it....BUT we generally watch only 2 diff programs...
So the tailgaiter it is...one box in main ent center and one in bedroom.
Then wireless hdmi boxes on other tvs
I have looked at direct several times....dish is always cheaper for what I need/want
sent from space via an invisible beam from a flying metal dish
mlpeloquin
Well-known member
Direct TV at home and on the road. Use antenna for local news and weather. I purchased a home dish, Bird Dog meter, and made a stand out of PVC pipe. Didn't cost much and stores in a small box. It sets up fast and I don't have to worry where we park.
TheDobermanGroup
Member
When traveling to a new location, do you have to remove the Satellite dish from the roof?
danemayer
Well-known member
Hi TheDobermanGroup,
Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum.
Dishes designed for roof mount, like the Winegard Travl'er, fold down electrically by pushing a button when you're ready to travel. Some people have mounted Tailgaters on their roof or ladder, but they're designed as ground-based dishes. Most would have to be removed before travel.
IronJ
Well-known member
with my dish tailgaiter, it is designed to be either PERMENANTLY mounted to the roof...OR used as a ladder or ground based unit...
as of now I have chosen to NOT mount mine to the roof simply because we have ran into several situations where the rv is in the shade which is GREAT for the rv, but not so much for finding space based satellites....
we travel with my brother in law and he has the roof mounted high dollar unit.....and on more than one occasion he has to watch the game with me.....LOL..
I like be able to park where I want under as many trees as I want and not worry about getting a signal.....
Bohemian
Well-known member
Dish uses fewer satellites thus it's antenna is simpler. It aims at only one spot. Upside, more antenna options esp for HD. Downside. Less programming available, esp HD.
Directv uses up to 3 different sat positions. Fewer antenna options. No automatic carryout antennas avail for HD. Upside, much more programming available, esp in HD.
Directv uses up to 3 different sat positions. Fewer antenna options. No automatic carryout antennas avail for HD. Upside, much more programming available, esp in HD.
mlpeloquin
Well-known member
Unless you want other then English language, the 101 and the 119 are all you need. In fact I only align on the 101 and get every thing in HD. All stations including the sports stations like MLB in the 700's. We pay for MLB and my wife will not live without seeing the Red Sox. Born and raised in Boston. If you have Direct TV at home or Dish at home, that should be what you are comfortable with. We used to take our home receiver with us, but we changed our home system the the Direct TV Genie System. So the RV has the older receivers. The Genie System is harder to set up so I do not want it in the RV. All slave receivers in the Genie System cannot be moved without resetting them. As posted previously, i use a home dish, home made PVC stand, and a Bull Dog meter. Set up anywhere. I did not opt for the Traveler Dish because I had installed it in my old class C and too many times I could only get a space under large trees. Good for the heat, but makes the expensive dish worthless. I did like the one button setup, but i can setup and get my signal faster with the setup I have now.
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IronJ
Well-known member
No, dish uses 3 satellites...119, 110,129.....while your home type dish will pick up all 3 with the correct alignment, the tailgaiter has to adjust when you change channels...hence why the secondary box is limited to what channels it recieves...you should see exactly the same programming at home or with the dish tailgaiter , with the exception of locals with are operated on a "spot beam " and are only available within a certain radius of any given zip code.
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TheDobermanGroup
Member
Thank you! I appreciate everyone's in site. There is a lot more to RVing than I realized.
JohnDar
Prolifically Gabby Member
We've used our GM1518 automatic antenna with a DISH 211 vIP receiver for about four years at our seasonal summer site. Until recently. The tree canopy has grown to the point that it cannot "see" the satelites. Even had the DISH tech out and he couldn't see them. So now, it's sitting at home, waiting to be sold. Actually, other than a couple of summer shows, the programming is old movies, a lot of music channels, and holy roller junk.
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