I've been trying to decide between satellite and terrestrial antenna, I live in a highly wooded area , I had Direct tv but shut it and for reasons I wont get into( No I wasn't disconnected due to no payment) I want to switch to dish but they say they cant get a signal from here, My question is do the portable satellite dishes work in areas with a lot of trees? If not I need a recommendation on a digital antenna , I live about 50 miles north of Houston Texas, The antenna I currently have wont pick up the Local CBS or ABC affiliates I only get maybe 5 channels. Any help would be very much appreciated
Satellite or antenna
- Thread starter Jim_037
- Start date
Bogie
Well-known member
In general a satellite dish needs a clear view of the southern sky. A regular size dish is susceptible a diminished or no signal because of trees. A portable dish (and I am assuming you are talking about a King or Winegard) is more susceptible to this issue because the size of the dish is much smaller. They work fairly well with a clear view of the satellite. While my Winegard doesn't receive HD channels, it works fairly well in my experience.
If you have an iPhone, there is an app called "Satellite Pointer" (among others) that can help you with this. You need to know which satellite you are looking for . In the case of DirecTv, I believe it's the 4S which is at 101 degrees on the horizon. You can probably use Google to find out which ones Dish uses. After you launch the app, you hold the phone up in the right direction and it will show you where the satellites are. You can see on the screen if there are any obstructions.
If you decide to go with a terrestrial antenna, pointing it in the right directions is important also. You can go to TVfool.com After you put in your location, it will show you which direction to point the antenna for individual stations and the estimated signal strength.
If you have an iPhone, there is an app called "Satellite Pointer" (among others) that can help you with this. You need to know which satellite you are looking for . In the case of DirecTv, I believe it's the 4S which is at 101 degrees on the horizon. You can probably use Google to find out which ones Dish uses. After you launch the app, you hold the phone up in the right direction and it will show you where the satellites are. You can see on the screen if there are any obstructions.
If you decide to go with a terrestrial antenna, pointing it in the right directions is important also. You can go to TVfool.com After you put in your location, it will show you which direction to point the antenna for individual stations and the estimated signal strength.
Last edited:
I have my current Antenna pointed in the right direction, I have an app for that. I still cant pick up certain channels. I was hoping someone could recccomend a better antenna
Flick
Well-known member
Please let me chime in on this because we have a Winegard Pathway X2 that uses Dish that we have been using for several years now and I have thought many times it would make a better boat anchor than a satellite dish. The X2 I wouldn’t recommend now, but it’s the one I bought.
However, with that being said, I have a list of things you have to follow for it to work properly, and when it works, it works great and with limitations will carry 2 receivers.
Here’s one thing that’s a necessity. As has been said, you need a clear view of the southern sky and that means no trees. You could put it above trees, cut a path thru the trees or put it on the other side of the trees (50’ or less coax), but it will not go thru the trees. In Conroe, your azimuth or compass reading will be about 208 deg. If you can’t get a clear view of that sky, you’ll be waisting your time with satellite unless they have some new technology to help you out. I’d suggest you call them and let their technician give you the facts.
wdk450
Well-known member
The high UHF signal from the satellites is absorbed/diminished by water. Heavy rain clouds will knock out the satellite signal just as will the water retained in tree leafs and tree trunks/limbs. Dry dicidious leaves in the fall cause less of a problem. Be aware that the incoming signal to the dish is actually much higher in elevation than the center of dish pointing would indicate. The smartphone apps will show you this. I have seen dish installations on steeply pitched roofs that evidently work while the dish seems to be pointed at the nearby roofing shingles.
I have been using a Dish network dish on a fold up tripod for many years now. The portable automatic aiming white plastic domes have very small dish antennas in them. In satellite reception bigger dish diameter equals more signal; although with these digital based systems it pretty much works if you have enough signal, doesn't work if you don't. No snowy pictures with weak signals like old analog TV systems.
I like the portable (not fixed mounted to RV) dish antennas because they give me the portable option to maybe find a hole in the tree canopy. I ran my dish antenna once at a campground in Nebraska that had a large total tree cover over the RV spaces 200 feet away from my trailer with 200 feet of coax. Low end UHF signals like those used for digital TV are much less affected by water vapor/trees, but are still reduced from clear sky. More of a problem with low UHF TV signals is terrain blockages like hills and mountains. They pretty much cut off the low UHF signal.
If your TV use is minimal, you might look into cellular internet providing you access to TV signals, or the upcoming Elon Musk/ SpaceEX / Starlink Global Internet service. Right now I use my ATT smartphone service for 30Gb (before throttling) hotspot link to my laptop for about $85 a month (including $1 a month for 36 months for an IPhone 10). If I got the TV service directly to my phone without using the hotspot option, the ATT cellular data is truly unlimited (throttling only on hotspot data).
I have been using a Dish network dish on a fold up tripod for many years now. The portable automatic aiming white plastic domes have very small dish antennas in them. In satellite reception bigger dish diameter equals more signal; although with these digital based systems it pretty much works if you have enough signal, doesn't work if you don't. No snowy pictures with weak signals like old analog TV systems.
I like the portable (not fixed mounted to RV) dish antennas because they give me the portable option to maybe find a hole in the tree canopy. I ran my dish antenna once at a campground in Nebraska that had a large total tree cover over the RV spaces 200 feet away from my trailer with 200 feet of coax. Low end UHF signals like those used for digital TV are much less affected by water vapor/trees, but are still reduced from clear sky. More of a problem with low UHF TV signals is terrain blockages like hills and mountains. They pretty much cut off the low UHF signal.
If your TV use is minimal, you might look into cellular internet providing you access to TV signals, or the upcoming Elon Musk/ SpaceEX / Starlink Global Internet service. Right now I use my ATT smartphone service for 30Gb (before throttling) hotspot link to my laptop for about $85 a month (including $1 a month for 36 months for an IPhone 10). If I got the TV service directly to my phone without using the hotspot option, the ATT cellular data is truly unlimited (throttling only on hotspot data).
mlpeloquin
Well-known member
First get the "Dish Align" app. Then press on the dish in the upper left corner and select your signal provider. It will show you a picture of the direction that the antenna should point in. Trees, houses, and all else will show up. You can determine if you could use a portable dish to get a signal through the trees, brush, building, etc.. Then make the decision to purchase a portable dish.
Daley07
Active Member
I bought this Winegard PL-7000R Satellite for my RV. That's a good product. This satellite device is constructed using high-grade materials. The military-grade aluminum alloy reflector is far superior and sturdier than the previous satellite we had. Also, it has a sleek, portable, and lightweight design and UV resistant dome antenna that has an automatic signal acquisition.
Last edited:
