Satellite TV Question

[GSwaim]

Do I dare pipe in here as a DirecTV and Dish Network Dealer? Doing a proper RV installation of service, equipment and customer operation and maintenance training is tricky at best. It's time consuming and there are many pitfalls least of which is to think you can call Dish or DirecTV customer support and get any factual RV information. The corporate customer service representatives aren't trained on RV equipment or the policies so you are banking on the luck of the draw when you call them. That's why you get a different answer anytime you call them. Here are some facts and suggestions:

1. If the person that you hire to install, configure and repair your brand of Mobile satellite isn't an authorized dealer for both the type of service (Dish or Direct) and the brand of satellite system you are installing, don't hire them! There are many so-called dealers out there that aren't knowledgeable on the equipment or the service so be careful.

2. All of DirecTV equipment is leased if gotten from any retail outlet and almost all is the same coming from an authorized dealer. You want it this way too. If you were to find a way to pruchase the equipment it would be very expensive and have a 90 day warranty. If it failed after that you would have to purchase it all over again. This would make you want to drop the service and that would also cost you several hundreds of dollars in early termination making you crazy. This is why they lease the equipment to you. If it fails they simply replace it.

3. Both Dish and DirecTV have their advantages and disadvantages. Most RVers (90%)have DirecTV. Neither company can offer you local (ABC, CBS, NBC, & FOX) for every place you may stop for the night. Those broadcasts are owned locally and are subject to copywrite laws so you get them only where your account service is. Service address changes can be performed periodically but not once a month. Both companies can provide one set of local channels fixed in a particular local market in the Pacific and Eastern time zone on transponders that are broacasted nationwide. These are called Distant Network Services and require special paperwork called a Mobile Vehicle Declaration. Since Dish Network a few years back didn't follow the government’s administrative rules they must use All American Satellite to provide this service instead of Dish Network.

4. HD programming really requires an open faced multi-satellite mobile satellite system to be dependable and easy to use. DishNet HD can be gotten under a dome but the list of restrictions makes me wonder if its worth the effort and I'm a dealer for every brand of mobile satellite company in existence. Only two companies build an HD open face system: MotoSat & Winegard. Like the service providers each of these systems have their advantages and disadvantages so do your research before deciding which is right for you.

5. Digital Video Recorders (DVR) can be used in RVs even wothout a phone line. This makes for a very nice setup since we are free to go do what we want when we want and watch our favorite shows when we come back.

This list could go on forever. My goal wasn't to make everyone here knowledgable enough to become an installer. I only am trying to help you avoid some of the major pitfalls. I will be at the POG rally in Kerrville this fall and would delighted to give a seminar to all the fellow Prevost folks on the particualrs of satellite TV.

[Kenneth Brewer]

I would be interested, for one. Thanks.

[Mark3101]

Mark, you can use a Trac Star for in motion Standard Definition Direct TV (which their new soft ware was e-mailed to me today for the "run lock verify" message you will soon be getting ) and a Winegard 5 lnb stationary dish for HD when parked. You should install (if using HD DVR's) 4 AB or ABC switches (depending if you park the coach in a building) to switch between in motion, stationary or external dish and 2 multi-switches. The two 2x4 multi-switches will allow the Trac Star and the external "dual lnb" satellite on your building to "light" up both tuners on 2 HD DVR's and also keep them "on signal" when Direct Tv sends out the up dates so yo will always have signal when you decide to go on a trip and you won't have to call them for a "hit".

I guess I don't want to mess with setting up another dish for HD. We are getting by very well with just the SD stuff and only using the 101 satellite. After I found out about the receiver firmware issues from tracstar, it was easy to get them both setup right. I don't have to call often for a hit, and you can do it online so it isn't too bad even if you have to do it.

[Mark3101]

Also in the latest firmware up grade, the IR (infra red) pulse time for holding down on a button (on the Direct TV remote control) for 2 seconds which made that button "repeat" the command was changed to .5 seconds What this does is completely screw up some of the commands from an automated system such as an AMX or Crestron remote system. So, in other words, if some of you with AMX or Crestron control systems start experiencing a "double firing" effect, you will need someone to change the programming to "fire" the IR command for .4 seconds to remedy the problem. Once again Direct TV totally messes up our day Did I say I HATE Direct TV???

I will have to test that this weekend as we are going for a short trip down to Minneapolis for a couple of days. I have not had an issue ..yet..but with all the firmware updates, who know when it will hit me. At least I have a fairly close by Crestron dealer who is very good if I do need some changes. I have a love/hate relationship with DirecTV and have had for years. They do seem to try to make it difficult!

[Willis Michell]

GSwaim: Thank you for your input. I get my coach worked on @ CoachWorx in Clew Fl. Bennie can set up my receiver and do needed programming. Who do I call to lease a receiver. When I purchased my coach used, it came set up with in motion satellite which the previous owner put in. His receivers were leased and now I need receivers to lease. When I call Direct TV (about 10 times now) I have gotten 10 different answers as to what to do. Any ideas? I just want basic TV nothing special.

[jelmore]

Neither company can offer you local (ABC, CBS, NBC, & FOX) for every place you may stop for the night. Those broadcasts are owned locally and are subject to copywrite laws so you get them only where your account service is. Service address changes can be performed periodically but not once a month.

Gary, not quite right on those locals. We switched to Dish Network for two reasons: HD on our KVH antenna ... and local channels. With Dish, you can call in a new service address and they will authorize your card to receive those channels. You can do this any time, even daily. The price for the locals are included in the basic programming package. Takes about 15 minutes and they show up in your on-screen guide. In most markets, all network broadcasts are HD.

[GSwaim]

HD under dome with Dish Network is possible but there are many issues with this setup causing you to do timely mantenance and configuration. This is due to Dish Network having two different sets of satellites depending on your location (East or West). An owner must load keys for east or west coast satellites and program thier satellite system to point to the right satellites. Then there has to be multiple Check Switch test performed on the receiver to get the auto toggle feature to work for the master receiver. Oh BTW, this configuration is also limited to one receier tuner since there is the problem with two receivers or the dual receiver PVR causing conflicts with the system when one tuner wants a different satellite than the other. Overall I find most people end up giving up with all of this because of the lack of dependability and heavy maintenenace.

I'm a satelltie dealer for all brands of mobile satellites and both Dish & DirecTV. I get both services for free and have all the equipment to recofigure the system when needed and I won't even put up with the hassle of using Dish Network HD under a dome. Just my two cents.

Dish Network's policy on locals doesn't include changing your service address each night you stop. That doesn't mean you can't do it but don't be surprised if you call and they say we can't change your address again when they see you have changed it everytime you move to a new location. Personally, I would hate to purchase a mobile satellite system with full intent of getting locals everywhere I go as well as satellite programming, then find I have to do manintenence on my system to make it work before watching TV tonight and then get "I can't change your local service address" when I call Dish Network.

Jim, has your KVH been dependable with this setup?

[jelmore]

Jim, has your KVH been dependable with this setup?

Dependable? Dependably difficult. But I wanted my HD!!! I learned way more than I ever wanted to learn about Dish Network and KVH. I agree most owners (all but me?) would never put up with it and would take easy standard definition over difficult HD. I found patience worked well. Since Dish changed their HD technology on their 129 satellite a year ago, in-motion tracking from that satellite stopped working. And, when stationery, the KVH would drift when tuned to weaker transponders on 129 that carry HD locals on a spot beam. For HD content, we would get 129 tuned in and then turn off the antenna. Then, either receiver could watch any HD channel including locals. When in-motion, there was never any problem watching standard definition programming on 110 or 119. It tracked flawlessly. KVH introduced a software patch that addresses many (some?) of those 129 issues. They have also introduced a switch that allows your choice of receivers to be the primary receiver. We never did either of those and got by.

I was (embarassingly) showing the new owner how to work the Dish setup and his eyes glazed over. I pretty sure he will switch to Direct TV because it's easy. He was told that his DirectTV HD receivers were compatible with the KVH R5, but according to KVH he won't be able to get HD signals.

I guess I preferred difficult HD over easy SD. But for the casual user taking occasional trips, I'm sure easy is the best path.

And, we never had any issues changing locals, even on a daily basis. That said, usually the only time we did that was when we were outside the broadcast range of the local channels. When were within range, we used the roof antenna to watch locals. Amazing that HD looks so good over the air.

[ajducote]

This is the solution I decided to use. It is not a perfect solution, but works for me. See this thread:

http://forum.prevostownersgroup.com/...r-SV-360/page3

I use the MotoSat SL5 98% of the time for HD, but I can switch to the in motion KVH for SD with an A/B switch if I decide I need to use it.

I would be a lot easier and a lot nicer if 1 dish did everything, but that just does not seem possible.

[michaeldterry]

I guess I don't want to mess with setting up another dish for HD. We are getting by very well with just the SD stuff and only using the 101 satellite. After I found out about the receiver firmware issues from tracstar, it was easy to get them both setup right. I don't have to call often for a hit, and you can do it online so it isn't too bad even if you have to do it.

I agree with Mark! My wife loves her HD at home, but we get by just fine with SD in the bus. I may be one of the last dinosaurs, but I'm just not a discerning enough TV viewer to really appreciate the HD difference to the extent that most seem to! I don't know how we did it, but we got DirecTV to set our service so that we get our local (home) channels no matter where we go in the bus. The only thing I would like to change (but I'm too cheap) is to be able to use an RF remote to change channels from anywhere in the bus. To use an RF remote, I'd have to upgrade to an HD receiver or DVR - which is an additional monthly charge (I think about ten bucks). Because I have the standard receiver instead of the HD receiver, the RF remote is not compatible. So when we're rolling down the road and Vita is watching her judge shows on the front TV, she has to go to the rear salon to change channels. Man, life can be hard for us frugal guys (cheapskates)!