All this talk of satellite TV on the forum has me asking myself a question that some of you may be able to shed some light on and help me make a decision.
I currently have a Tracvision L3 in motion dish. It came with the coach. It was set up for Direct TV. I have Dishnetwork. I have a 211 HD receiver to use for Dish service. I have not been able to use it. I tried briefly to set it up and reprogram it for Dish but was un able to get a signal. I thought at the time that it was because of tree blockage. The self check for the Tracvision shows that there are no problems detected with the dish (plugged the Tracvision into a laptop for software updates and self check diagnostics) . I bought the A/B keys for the dish and feel that with enough effort on my part I can get it to work. A $100+ tech support call to Tracvision may also be needed.
Here is my question, Is it worth it?
The system will bring in HD on Dish but it seems from what I've read that it will need a satellite switch to be able to go from one satellite to another. I'm not sure how much that switch will cost. The L3 is a dated system. I know that others have replaced this system simply because the newer technology works better. Should I take the chance and maybe throw good money after bad getting the L3 to work (maybe).
I see Wineguard has a in motion system for about $1000. I think Tracvision also offers a newer in motion system but for a bit more money.
If I decide to move to a new system, what would be a better choice ( I will stay with Dish)?
I prefer the in motion system, just don't know who has the best unit out there now.
Recommendations?
We had an in motion and returned it for an auto find type. We are on the east coast and most of the inter states are tree lined and it did not work well because of tree cover. So my take is that they would be great out west or where you have clear skies above.
From what I understand, the only advantage to an in-motion system is that you (or someone) can watch TV while going down the road. Who does that??? Unless you travel with kids who need video pacifying while traveling (and they have DVD players and games and all manner of hand held gizmos) there is very little advantage to having any kind of in motion anything. Most coaches are properly set up that the front TV will not operate while the engine is running, anyway. Our Kingdome is original to this 2002 coach and is beginning to fail. We are yanking it out and replacing it with a Winegard Traveler, which we have had before and very much like. My understanding is that the Tracvision folks are only supporting the units that still remain in use and are no longer manufacturing ... they are on their way out. Gary Omel has some better info on this, however.
We installed the Winegard Traveler after looking at all the choices. We felt that in motion was unnecessary, but we wanted HD. DW wanted a dome type dish. From what I found "DISH" is the only HD provider choice in a dome arrangement due to their satellite placement in space. As we wanted to stay with DIRECTV we choose the Traveler.
We have a 211K in the house and another in the U300. We sold an earlier model of the Tailgater (see: dish tailgater | eBay (http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=dish+tailgater&_sacat=0&_from=R40) ) because the Dish Network satellite footprint did not extend very far into Mexico for the small dish that all the rooftops and portables have. The Tailgater does work well where the RV is close to trees and if you use an iPhone with a satellite finder app, you can instantly see if there is a clear view to the satellite.
The down side is someone can steal it if you leave it outside and you have to take it out of the compartment. They weigh almost nothing so even a small child could carry one.
Pierce
search the forum, if you you can live without in motion (i had in motion direct dome and traveler from winegard both on the coach when I bought it - LOVE my Traveler - search old post on FoFum and you will see many testimonials.
Took Dome in motion off top of coach and included with my U-270 trade in
Traveler sees all three satellites from Dish at once, and there is no switching lag - full service just like at home, and absolutely sees through trees much better than domes.
Downside of traveler - you can't tell till your set up if your signal will be blocked at your parking site, but I have only had 2 spots that I was blocked by trees, moved a bit and I regained signal.
When I bought my coach last summer, it had an In Motion set up that worked in the parking lot but not beyond...
The coach also came with a Tracvision unit (with all components) stored underneath in one of the bays... I decided not to install the Tracvision as I would not need 'in motion' service but my plan to upgrade TV's to the latest LED units and get High Definition + 3D TV (your right...who needs that) but I hope to for once...to get ahead of a curve...any curve! ;)
My online search led me to RF MOGUL company. Seems top management and top engineers left Motosat after the company went thru something....and this crew developed and are now marketing their own product. I like new things so went for it. It is manufactured in Korea. Bought it from them directly and installed it myself.
so far, so good! My unit has locked on, in 4-6 minutes.
Not important for sure, but here is a link to what I wrote, back in September 2012 regarding this RF Mogul unit.
Memory Roads: Satellite TV Upgrades, Motosat or RF Mogul? (http://memoryroads.blogspot.com/2012/09/satalite-tv-upgrades-motosat-or-rf-mogul.html)
@MemoryRoads The RF Mogul looks interesting. I'm doing a carry out on a tripod now and it's getting really tired of hunting for satellites. Pushing a button and walking away sounds awesome. Where did you buy from? and what's the price range?
see ya
ken
At the time, late summer, there were few dealers for RF Mogul per state, so I took the chance and called them directly. Suggested a discounted price if I would be a test subject doing an install with feedback to them.
They agreed, so my price was under the price listed then. Found some issues with instructions etc. but installation and all else went smoothly.
They did have a mechanical glitch in the early units(which I rec'd) but I was able to fix mine as soon as I found the problem and they have changed the design on their units solving the issue. I checked out a unit installed last month on a Foretravel to confirm mfg. change... and it was the new design.
I've been very happy with the unit!
I have used inmotion receiver to drive around tornados in the midwest. I was driving to NW Iowa and there were huge storms coming so I had to see where they were going and the direction and have the ability to move out of the track. I was on I 80 at the time and turned north and drove up to state route 20 to avoid them.
Yet, in today's tech world, I can do the same weather map and alerts on my iPhone with TWC App.
We use Weather Forecast & Reports - Long Range & Local | Wunderground | Weather (http://wunderground.com) to plan and adjust routes.
When we had functional DirecTV while on the move, we enjoyed listening to music channels. We have dropped DirecTV on the road and at home after 12 years of subscription. We don't miss it at all. We do like to receive radio broadcasts or Internet streams of NPR when we are stopped.
That is true and that trip was before the advent of smart phones doing that. But I still have used it to run from storms as they tell the county and you can see it. I travel a lot in the spring and that time is always ripe for tornados.
OK. I've been out and about in other countries on a boat, a bus or just playing with 3rd world communication necessities and now have to pull my head up from the sand here in the U.S..
Now, like John S. is doing, probably going to at some point, travel thru weather that can be monitored....
So, what are the best/most reliable methods available for that at a cheap price if possible?
It doesn't seem that we need rooftop in motion $2K tv or internet equipment for that, or do we??
We use iPhones. Our iPhones do provide Internet access most of the time. With tethering, I can view the weather on the larger screen of my MacBook. I rely heavily on the information from Weather Forecast & Reports - Long Range & Local | Wunderground | Weather (http://wunderground.com) and information on the Internet from state departments of transportation.
I generally don't use television broadcasts for information on weather conditions for travel. I especially don't use it on the road because we generally don't receive any kind of television broadcasts, satellite or terrestrial.
Thanks for all the input.
I never considered the ability to monitor weather in real time on a local tv channel, that would be a good function for in motion satellite service. I thought the ability to record programming while driving would be a big plus.
How much better, if at all, is the stationary dish to the in motion? I read that the stationary dish is a bit larger but I'm not sure that the slight difference in size would make a big difference in reception.
I also like the idea that the entire dish and components are covered under the dome. I would think that this would help protect the electronics from dirt and moisture.
HD service is only available with stationary dishes. I wouldn't be without it. All the essentials are covered in a stationary dish, so I don't think protection of electronics is an issue. We found dew to be an important factor in reducing signal strength in in motion dishes.
I have an in motion system from trac star....had some problems initially, but alll working great now. Its a good thing to have while traveling for sports, etc. Passes the time....not watching TV while driving but passengers do....I do get benefits from it as well!!
I had in motion dome and Stationary Wineguard Traveler. Stayed with Stationary - easier one button set up, big dish sees through dew, trees and rain much better than dome, HD w/o switching delay between Satellites since triple LNB
That is exactly our experience, Tim. We had the TracStar, and although we did iron out some problems (excellent customer service)... for the reasons you cite, we went to the Winegard Trav'ler. And very pleased we did - especially with the HD DVR. We have the same set-up in the winter home, so we suspend one account and activate the other (with DNS service to receive and record networks in the coach - we needed two accounts). Happy campers!
I am thinking of adding a stationary traveler set up too.
My TracVision R6DX does In motion HD quite well. It is not true that HD is available only on stationary dishes
Do you have service with dish or direct TV?
I was under the impression that HD In motion was not a problem with Dish but was a problem with Direct.
How long have you had your KVH system?
Any issues with in motion or stationary reception?
Is KVH still servicing and selling equipment for RV use?
I read they were leaving the market. The last few times I emailed them with questions I had no response. They used to follow up with phone calls by the next day.
We had in motion on last coach and Travlr on this one. We took a spare Dish Hopper from the house and put a Joey in the bedroom. It is perfect for us. If we wanted another TV in the bay we could add another Joey. Easy set up. Very pleased.
2 subjects maybe... I'm not sure.
Christmas Day, Dec. 25th, I was driving my car out to Nacogdoches from Florida. In S.E. Louisiana, I found myself possibly too close to a tornado.
The car's radio was squealing alerts every few seconds but I was on a One lane(in each direction) road with an 18 wheeler in front of me and another behind. Ditches and no shoulders to my right. Blinding rain and near no visablilty...but no one was slowing down.
It was the First Time I really thought "my goose was going to be cooked" or 'toast'.
Would a simple radio shack device do well in our travel modes?
I'd rather have an Audio alert than be glued to a tv or computer, while I'm driving.
We have a CB with weather alert as well as a Midland weather radio. They both work well but the constant alerting can be a pain.
Keith
An all hazards weather alert radio (Google it) can be programmed to sound only the local alerts you want to hear. I have one, but rarely use it.
My Android phone can also alert me in a similar manner, based on the alerts I want to hear me my location.
Thanks all! I usually have my computer on 24/7, connected to verizon towers, so I can access weather info as suggested, but just ordered the Midland WR 300 from Amazon for $45. for the ability to receive the Audio Alert required to pay attention! $45 solution! Again thanks.
I am about to purchase the equipment for our change from Kingdome to Winegard but I am wondering how great the difference is between the Winegard SK-3005 antenna and the Winegard SK- SWM3. There is about $50 difference on Amazon ... I am thinking that the SKM3 is just the newer model?? Help?
Hey, Carol.... As we surmised in our conversation, Winegard states, "The TRAV'LER SK-SWM3 replaces the TRAV'LER SK-3005." It is in tiny italic print at the bottom of this page:
DIRECTV HD in the RV - Winegard TRAV'LER Automatic Mobile DIRECTV HD Satellite (http://www.winegard.com/travler/travler-directv-slimline.php)
SWM3 is the new Winegard DirecTV HD open dish. There is only limited inventory of the SK-3005 available. Both mount the same to the roof.
SK-3005 locks on to 5 satellites which covers all channels and spot-beamed locals. SWM3 locks onto 3 satellites. Don't know why they changed the LNB to 3 satellites.
Winegard SWM3 web site note: "Programming refers to all national programming on 99°, 101°, 103°. Does not include local programming. "
SK-3005 has 4 coax cables that can serve 4 receivers or 2 dual-tuner DVRs without extra equipment. Multiple coax cables are usually run to the inside the coach.
SWM-3 has a SWM module built-in and can feed many SWM capable receivers, which includes most of the recent models. A dual-tuner or the new 5-tuner DVR only needs a single cable feed from the antenna. A SWM splitter is included to feed several receivers, each with a single cable from the splitter. SWM-3 is the latest DirecTV antenna technology. Only one coax cable is fed into the coach, no matter how many receivers there are.
I don't know how an RV with SWM3 antenna can receive spot-beamed locals if they are on the 'other' 2 satellites, but other than this limitation, I don't think there is any disadvantage to the SWM3.
If an RV is borrowing a receiver from a non-SWM home setup, there may be additional steps to get the receiver to work with an RV SWM3 setup. Some old receivers may not work with SWM3.
A separate SWM module is needed to connect the new 5-tuner DVR to an SK-3005 antenna. SWM stands for Single Wire Multiswitch. We plan to install a 5-tuner DVR. The latest dual-tuner DVR is the HR24. The first 5-tuner DVR is the HR34. The latest 5-tuner DVR is the HR44.
Don't know why we have weather radio mixed in with Satellite TV, but we do.
Anyway, I always take along my Reecom R1650. This is the weather radio of all weather radios. It is S.A.M.E. All Hazards/Weather Alert Radio With AM/FM Radio and all alerts and be programed to alarm or be ignored. If you don't want to hear about Tsunami Warnings, or Avalanche Warning, they can be disabled. The siren alarm is enough to wake the dead! This radio is used by many emergency service departments to re-broadcast the Weather Station Alerts locally. Has a 200 hour battery backup in standby. Can be set up to monitor up to 26 counties, or just one county. Highly rated in the Ham radio forums. Found mine on Amazon. Reecom (http://www.reecominc.com/)
Does the R1650 scan for active weather channel? When we get to a new campground or stopping point, I can press search to find the local weather channel on our current weather radio.
not sure if it is just a TV item or the capabilities of the type of Dish/Receiver one has, but I'm also getting 3-D TV! Cool stuff!
RF Mogul Dish and Samsung LED tv.
Gives me headaches and vertigo
I had a chance to see a 3D tv at Gary Omel's when we were in Florida. He popped in the 3D version of the movie "Avatar" and I was totally hooked. We discussed the options and the way we really use the TV in the motor home and decided to stick with the SK-3005. I am more than satisfied to watch one show and record 2 others, and we really do not use the bedroom TV for more than DVDs now and then. If our viewing habits included regular use of the bedroom TV as well as one in the bay for use outdoors, or if we regularly traveled with kids I would have perhaps gone for the SWM3. Additionally, Amazon has added the caveat that there is a "3 to 6 week shipping" window ... and that did not meet with my April 1 appointment at FOT!! I am now bouncing around with a tape measure and vacillating between a 40" and a 46 " TV. The actual sizes are not all that much different! The 46" looked just dandy in Gary's coach ... what to do ... what to do ...
We have a 46" and like it a lot and do not feel it is too large.
Bigger is better!
Gary
What Barry & Gary said! Buy the big 3D one and cry once...
see ya
ken
Pulled the trigger ... went with the 46"!!
Carol,
I'll bring the popcorn!
I saw a thin framed 46" Toshiba at Costco on sale about 1 month ago. I bought it for the Foretravel but thought I would wait till it warmed up to install it. In the mean time I decided to put it in the house. I took the 32" that was in the bedroom out and put the 46" in its place.
It didn't take long to decide that, no way was the little 32" ever coming back in.
I went back to Costco and bought another 46" for the Foretravel.
I put in the 46 inch and love it. I used a Samsung and it has been wonderful.
I just put in the new Samsung 32" 5500 Series Smart TV that just came out...purchased from Best Buy for $479. Finally took out my old CRT and what a difference it made. Took me a while to figure out how to mount it. FT wanted $3500 to build and install it in a cabinet, MOT want about $900......I did it for about $20 in parts and a day of labor! Have to say that its an excellent install and looks great. Was able to just mount it on front of the cabinet and put the DVD player directly below it...fits perfectly. Also tied the TV in with my audio deck and used a switch box so I can use all speaker in in my coach to run it through......sounds great! One of the best features is it is solid as a rock, does not move at all and can be easily removed with the simple 90 degree turn of 2 anchor brackets and lifting out the TV!
Did the same in my bedroom......installed a 22" Samsung using basically the same mounting system and was even able to add an extra drawer where the old VHS player was installed!
If anyone is thinking of changing out their TV's in a GV.......feel free to call or contact me.........it's really a neat and simple install~~~~~!
pictures please...
Will have to send later.....I forgot my cord to transfer the pics to my computer.....no smart phone, old school! Be a couple of weeks, but I will send. In Kerrville, Tx for a month or so.........