Adding Dish Network receiver

We have Dish Network at home now. It is less expensive to add one more receiver in our 550 classic. I have contacted Cary about mounting it in the shelf to the left of the AC, above the compartment with the door. I have the extra antenna with tripod now and will add the receiver soon. We will send the receiver to Necedah and have them build a shelf to be installed by me at home. Any other tips????

 

I don't know how the Dish Network system works, so not sure if my system can help you. I purchased a small antenna (digital TV) and sent it to Camp-Inn. Craig and Cary rigged up a beautiful mount with a removeable 5' pole on the outside of the tear.

I'll take some pictures tonight and post them.

 

Here's one photo where you can see the antenna with the custom mounting hardware built into the side of the teardrop.


As this antenna works VERY well, I will add a thread about this with more pictures later.

 

The Dish Network Antenna is actually the dish for satellite signal reception. I have had limited success with the antenna for digital TV. With Dish we will have the same set of channels, something like 200, as we have at home. Also the dish must have a clear view of the southern sky. This may mean using a length cable between the dish and the receiver. I have never yet set up a dish on a tripod using a signal meter. I guess I will learn.

 

So do you have two Dish accounts? or can you use one account at home and on the road?

 

Evan,
We have 3 receivers at our house. When we moved in to the 5th wheel for 9 months we just took a box from the house and put it in the 5th wheel (2 actually - 1 in the bedroom and 1 in the living room.) Our son took care of the house and he wanted local channels on the dish so he could watch local sports and we didn't care if we had San Antonio local news, so we just took ou satellite dish that we bought seperately on a tripod and set it up and locked in. No, we did not have seperate accounts. If Dish knows you're taking it on the road it makes them nervous (I guess they think you're going to steal it.) But we travel and this is just another bedroom, period. Get a dish on a tripod, tell the local satellite guy what you're wanting to do and he'll tell you how to set it up. We have a meter that tells us what we need to know. I have the instructions in the 5th wheel so I can't post them here, but if you need them I'll try to get them to you.

 

We don't have cable or dish, but this sounds like a reason to go with dish if we were to sign up - at least it could come with us.

 

Linda,
My wife and I are going to add the other receiver to be the next "bedroom". You are right Dish doesn't like knowing the other receiever is mobile. Do you need to make adjustments for a camp of several days? Just wondering, Thanks, Steve

 

Steve,
Everytime you move the trailer you will have to set up the dish on the tripod and sync it to the receiver. The instructions aren't hard, but I don't have them available at the moment...will try to get them to you next week if you'll remind me! We just had a new grandson born last night and we're sorta tied up at the moment! Carson's his name and he's a DOLL!

 

Linda,
Your first? We have six.
I was wondering if a good setup holds for a few days. I adjust our dish two or three times a year at the house. Take care of the new baby, Steve

 

Nope! We beatcha! #8! And we still have an unmarried (but hopefully not for long)son. I told him I want an even dozen grandbabies and so that means he has to have 4! Our twin daughters have 3 each (5 girls, 1 boy)and our son 1 girl and now 1 son. Our youngest son thinks the pressure's off him to have a boy now that his brother had a son to carry on our last name and I told him that he's definately WRONG!

As to the satellite dish - once it's set up, anchor it down with pegs and it holds till you move it! We lived in our 5th wheel 9 mos. in Texas and it stayed the whole time! Of course we got Arkansas local news and weather instead of San Antonio's but we didn't care cause we had The Weather Channel and Fox News...what else do you need? We could have contacted Dish and told them we'd moved and given them the zip code and they would have given us local news/weather, but our son wanted to keep Ark. news/weather as he was back at the house "housesitting." Hope this helps!

 

Steve,
No, Carson's #8 for us! We beatcha! But he's the newest and right down the road!

As to readjusting the dish - we never readjust ours at home - it's locked in on the roof and we don't go up there! When you travel, you take another dish on a tripod (we have extra cable length in case we need to place it where we can get a clear view of the sky) and you have to do the angles and asmuth (my husband's job). I stand inside and tell him when he's locked on. oops...in the Camp Inn I'd LAY inside and tell him!

 

Linda,
My wife and I use cell phones, at home, when the one at the house needs adjustment. I have used the cell without her and put both on speaker and waited until I got the right squeal from the TV. My dish at home is on a wood post and sometimes it shifts. I have the new dish and the tripod. The receiver is next to avoid R&R every time we go on the road. Any nibbles on the big house? Steve

 

Oh, now I understand - being on a post rather than the roof makes it easier. If you do that you shouldn't have any problems with the same set up on a tripod.

Nibbles on the house - maybe...we have friends that have shown interest in it and loved it. They are on a missionary trip to Africa, due back mid-late March. Must be moved out of the current house they're renting by May 1 because it's sold. Another close friend to me that they just didn't want to commit until they got back from the trip...so MAYBE (PLEASE GOD!) We are SO ready. We plan on moving into the 5th wheel in a campground in Texas and shopping for a house there...but theRaindrop will be on order you can bet on that! Waiting for it is going to be a killer, I'm sure. I'm just here trying to figure out all the little extras we want on it and dreamin the dream....If we can find a smalleer (3/2) house with room for the 5th wheel, we'll set it up for overflow when the 6 older grandkids come to visit (or others) and then travel with the Raindrop. That 5th wheel was just too big to drag all over the country, but the minivan and Raindrop isn't. AND I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!darn it!

 

I just finished setting up and installing a Dish Network Receiver in my 550. I was able to dial in the signal pretty quick. The tripod will fit in the front storage, with the wheel chokes and stuff. The dish antenna will need to go inside.
I added a small inverter. We can run the receiver and TV off the battery. I think the receiver consumes 20 watts. We should get many hours between charges on the battery.
FOX news and Discovery channel, on long hunts and rainy days, don't seem so bad.
Steve