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Topic: Changing Travl'er from Direct to Dish or the other way (Read 662 times) previous topic - next topic - Topic derived from Changing Travl'er fro...

Changing Travl'er from Direct to Dish or the other way

Andrew,
are you sure it's a 100 and not 1000.  I have the winegard travler 1000 with direct tv.  Winegard told me I just need to change the backplate, LNB and arm to change to dish.  You may want to check with winegard to see if yours can be converted to direct.  Maybe we can swap parts.  Their main concern was the control box version.  You can see the version when you start it up.

John M
John & Carm Morales

"We travel not to go anywhere, but to just go.  We travel for travel's sake.  Our great desire is to move."

Changing Travl'er from Direct to Dish or the other way

Reply #1 –
Quote from: John Morales –
Andrew,
are you sure it's a 100 and not 1000.  I have the winegard travler 1000 with direct tv.  Winegard told me I just need to change the backplate, LNB and arm to change to dish.  You may want to check with winegard to see if yours can be converted to direct.  Maybe we can swap parts.  Their main concern was the control box version.  You can see the version when you start it up.

John M

You can change a Trav'ler from Direct to Dish with a simple LNB swap, but not the other way around.

The Dish turret lacks some components needed to support DirecTV.

From Winegard's site

Quote
Q.
What happens if I switch service providers with my TRAV'LER antenna?
A.
 Depending on your previous and new service providers, it may be possible to convert your TRAV'LER antenna to be
compatible with your new service provider. The following conversions are possible:
SK-SWM3 to SK-1000, SK-3005 to SK-1000, and SK-1000 to SK-3003

http://www.winegard.com/wp-content/uploads/catalog-sheets/WC-1144.pdf
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320

Re: Changing Travl'er from Direct to Dish or the other way

Reply #2 –
I converted my traveller from Dish to DirecTV HD.  At that time, Winegard absolutely insisted it was impossible, the whole assembly needed to be changed.  I  did not remove the hinged arm, nor did I replace the dish itself.  Here's how I did  it:

Remove existing LNB.  I  purchased a new DirecTV HD LNB directly from Solid Signal.

Obtained a arm (which has the mount integrated  for LNB) from a junk dish.  Approx. 8" down from LNB end,  hacksawed the arm in  two, giving  me a mount, and about  6 inches of arm remaining. 

This stub of arm, along with LNB I then mounted on  the existing hinged LNB arm.  It works out that the amount of offset this provides is an exact compensation for the different angles of Dish and Direc dishes.  I adjusted the arm length to a calculated position and fastened the  two arms together with hose clamps, meaning to fine tune it and then bolt the  two together. 

The changes in the  control box were trivial.  Basically I fired the dish up, it locked in, and it worked that way  for years.  I  never had to do anything else to it, as a matter of fact those hose clamps are still up there! 

Gotta say, I was pretty pleased with this hack.  If anyone is seriously interested in doing this I'll look for my notes, measurements, etc. 
"Not so  long ago we were a nation of risk takers, riding five million pounds of  thrust straight into space."  Joe Gresh
Chuck Pearson
1996 U295
2018 Can Am X3 TurboRS

Re: Changing Travl'er from Direct to Dish or the other way

Reply #3 –
Chuck that is very cool.

Seems that the control box would want to skew fine tune to the 3 Directv satellites, and with some satellites having digital IDs.  Did you have to change control box settings to have it peak on Directv satellite locations?  Do you think that both Dish and Directv control boxes are the same?

Thanks, Barry

Re: Changing Travl'er from Direct to Dish or the other way

Reply #4 –
Quote from: Barry & Cindy –
Chuck that is very cool.

Seems that the control box would want to skew fine tune to the 3 Directv satellites, and with some satellites having digital IDs.  Did you have to change control box settings to have it peak on Directv satellite locations?  Do you think that both Dish and Directv control boxes are the same?

Thanks, Barry
In the past ( few years ago) DTV used regular band for HD, they now use a special KU LNB. I went through this. You can make the old Dish 1000 work with DTV, but you won't get HD. I have done it, by just reprogramming the Winegard box.This is why winegard say's it won't work, even if you switch the LNB. The control box inside the dish is different for the DTV KU lnb.
Also, it has to really peak prefect. In the North west, because it is fringe, DTV HD can blink in and out on RV dishes with a small amount of wind. Especially the closer you get toward Canada.
Dishnet works off the same LNB frequency as SD DTV programming. That is why you can get dishnet HD with regular dishes.
Chris and Tammy White  CDA Idaho
Previous owners 1997 U295 36' 3126 Cat 300 HP Build # 4998
Former Foretravel tech & RVIA certified tech
Former owner Custom Satellite home/RV satellites 
Former owner Vans LTD  van conversions
Unemployed, panhandler, drag racer NHRA #6348

Re: Changing Travl'er from Direct to Dish or the other way

Reply #5 –
Quote from: Barry & Cindy –
Chuck that is very cool.

Seems that the control box would want to skew fine tune to the 3 Directv satellites, and with some satellites having digital IDs.  Did you have to change control box settings to have it peak on Directv satellite locations?  Do you think that both Dish and Directv control boxes are the same?

Thanks, Barry

Barry, I  did this back in 2011 and used the system up until 2015 when I terminated the account.  I  did a fair amount of research into it,  here's a thread Modify Winegard Traveler for Directv? | DBSTalk Community
Then, as now, lots of people were explaining how it was impossible for various reasons, but the  system functioned in a near perfect fashion for years. 

This reminds me I need to follow  up on DBS Talk forum.  I had decided to manufacture a retrofit kit for this purpose but chose not to pursue it.  As I recall, on my controller, I just set it for DirecTV standard definition. (the manual was printed to be generic to direc and dish, and what do you know, the software was the same) The center LNB locks in and the two outside LNBs are then in proper position for the HD birds.  I assume these are peaked by skew but time and non involvement have contributed to a mental purge of details.  I do, however, still have the dish and assume I could fire it up without a receiver and possibly review the settings. Also, when I return to coach can snap a pix of modified arm, dish network reflector, and direc LNBs. 

As far as new satellites, controllers, etc., it's certainly possible things have changed though I'd be surprised if directv has swapped out their HD birds. 
"Not so  long ago we were a nation of risk takers, riding five million pounds of  thrust straight into space."  Joe Gresh
Chuck Pearson
1996 U295
2018 Can Am X3 TurboRS

Re: Changing Travl'er from Direct to Dish or the other way

Reply #6 –
Chuck,

Thanks for the follow up explanations.  Always wondered how our Winegard works.  Years ago Cindy & I installed a Travl'r 5-LNB antenna and when we later added a Geni receiver, had to add an SWM-8 which we attached inside to our 4 coax cables.  Never did deal with your Dish antenna conversion, so we will not need your settings, thanks.  Winegard now has the SWM-8 built in the LNB on their 3-LNB Directv antenna, so only one coax is run in from roof.  We do like our 5 tuner HR44 Directv receiver and when we connect Internet we can record on-demand shows, too.  Bedroom has a client receiver that works very well, so both TVs can watch & record their own HD shows.  You sure are a trail blazer.  Thanks, Barry