[jfaberna]

I'm stuck on DirecTV due the equipment I own and extra good package I have, so to get HD, I have to setup a tripod with the Slimline dish so I can use it in all it's glory. They make an automated Slimline for the roof, but that's like $2000 installed and you better not have any trees around. Murphy's law says there will be.

So I found TV4RV.com's heavy duty tripod and their folding arm kit. The biggest advantage is the precision and the genius of the design. You use a real compass that installs temporarily in the tripod as you set the legs, each completely adjustable for length and reach. You are setting the tripod itself to exactly point at the correct azimuth for your location. Next level the top of the tripod by adjusting the legs, keeping the compass heading exact. it's a 3 minute at most job. Then you remove the compass and bubble level and set the dish on the tripod with it's alignment mark exactly matching the tripod's mark. In my case, I have the folding LNB arm, so nothing to do but lower it and tighten a thumb screw.

If you have your tilt and elevation set for your location, you will get a signal almost every time. From there it's only fine tuning--wife on cellphone telling me if the signal strength meter on the receiver setup screen on the TV is going up or down.

I think I've shortened the time to setup my dish to 10 minutes and 1 beer. The key to a Slimline setup is a perfectly stable and level pole for the dish to clamp to. The TV4RV tripod guarantees you can set it up right and repeat it from campground to campground.

BTW, their tripod works with the DISH Network oval dish for those needing HD on all 3 satellites at the same time for the Hopper.