Dish TV

[C&P RV]

Originally Posted by Foldbak

My understanding it that with Dish I'll need 2 Wally receivers. Also I can't exceed 50 feet in cable length with the King. If I use 30 foot cables will it provide power through the KeyTv? Someone said there's a power injector. Which dish uses it, King or Winegard? The Winegard provides a 25 feet cable. Is that the max for power?

I'm not an expert but let me try to address your questions.

Both the Winegard and King are limited to 50 feet (which includes the camper wiring).
The power injector is produced by Winegard - not sure if it would work with King.
Regardless of the brand of antenna, there are TWO cable connections for outputs that allows for 2 receivers, so you would only be able to use the KeyTV for one of the two Wally Receivers and the other would require a direct run.
It's my understanding that the cable run from the wet bay KeyTV to the wall connection at each location is direct (ie no additional splitters) but the KeyTV does "split" the signal to support each of the 3 connections - living room, bedroom, garage/outdoor TV.
As stated by Bourbon Country, even with two receivers you are limited to watching channels beaming from the same satellite. You may get one signal in HD and the other signal at a lower resolution.
I have had success using the KeyTV connection on a couple of occasions with my Dish Tailgater / Wally combo, but it is hit or miss so much that I just run the cable in through a window and use a pool noodle to close the airgap.

Again, not an expert.. just relaying what I've found as I have researched this same issue over the last couple of years.

Good luck!!

[VagabondLove]

Originally Posted by DutchmenSport

The internet topic has come up multiple times so this is a repeat of what we use.

In time we purchased a WeBoost signal booster ($500) which works very, very well with both the AT&T phones, my wife's Verision work phone, and our ZTE (Visible) phone.

Which weBoost model do you have? Do you do anything special to get your cell data to work over the weBoost? Our Connect RV 65 (with the directional antenna) has never worked well for data, and weBoost is not willing to swap out the unit that is 3 years old... my bad for not running it through its paces after my initial purchase, but we intentionally try to stay near Verizon towers (we both still work, from home, which is the RV).

-Howie

[Daryles]

Originally Posted by AZMont

I really like the picture with the dish unit on a pole attached to the RV ladder. What product is that? Can you install it without climbing the ladder once the retaining assembly is in place at the top of the RV ladder?

The pole holding the Dish antenna came with the WeBoost.
The pole holding the WeBoost we bought at Menards
https://www.menards.com/main/grocery-home/housewares/cleaning-supplies/cleaning-tools/libman-reg-16-threaded-aluminum-duster-extension-handle/613/p-1444438078184-c-7113.htm?tid=7163716758120184753&ipos=1

I made my own Flagpole Buddy to mount them.
No you don't have to climb the ladder to install them. That's the idea.
For the WeBoost, the outside antenna must be forward of the indoor antenna (i.e. closer to the cell tower) to prevent a feedback loop and you get a red light on the amplifier (inside). I have big spring Clamps(like clothes pins, Lowes) to Clamp the pole to the forward edge of the bedroom slide if the cell tower is in that direction.
Link to my review of the WeBoost (post #7).

https://www.montanaowners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83185

We have been dry camping in Canada for the last 2 months (Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper) and used it extensively. Worked great. Unfortunately we could not use the Dish. Too many tall trees.

[Rick n Kelly]

We returned from 2 week trip to CO, my KeyTV worked fine with the Playmaker and Wally. I was running it though bottom of LR slide. I found the inside KeyTv connection behind the the TV and jumped to wally works great.

[Foldbak]

Originally Posted by C&P RV

I'm not an expert but let me try to address your questions.

Both the Winegard and King are limited to 50 feet (which includes the camper wiring).
The power injector is produced by Winegard - not sure if it would work with King.
Regardless of the brand of antenna, there are TWO cable connections for outputs that allows for 2 receivers, so you would only be able to use the KeyTV for one of the two Wally Receivers and the other would require a direct run.
It's my understanding that the cable run from the wet bay KeyTV to the wall connection at each location is direct (ie no additional splitters) but the KeyTV does "split" the signal to support each of the 3 connections - living room, bedroom, garage/outdoor TV.
As stated by Bourbon Country, even with two receivers you are limited to watching channels beaming from the same satellite. You may get one signal in HD and the other signal at a lower resolution.
I have had success using the KeyTV connection on a couple of occasions with my Dish Tailgater / Wally combo, but it is hit or miss so much that I just run the cable in through a window and use a pool noodle to close the airgap.

Again, not an expert.. just relaying what I've found as I have researched this same issue over the last couple of years.

Good luck!!

Thanks for your input! I think I finally have a grasp on this whole sat thing.
I'm going to order the King Tailgate Pro, 2 Walley's and a tripod. I'll use a 30' cable from the dish to the sat input in the wet bay. I'll remove the plate and isolate the cable to the LR TV and connect directly. I'll use the second output and connect to the basement feed. So I'll bypass Key TV and go directly to both TV's. As long as I don't exceed the 50' cable run I should be good.
Wow that was a lot of brain power. An investment of $740 with a $400 Visa card from Dish for switching from DTV. It's going to cost me $340 plus $5 a month. Plus my home monthly dropped $20 a month!


Now I can rely on Sat and not use so much data so I can continue with T-Mobile 50 gig plan. If this works it will cost me $55 a month for internet and sat in the trailer! Fingers crossed!

[Bourbon County]

I just received a flyer in the mail, Camping World is offering $100 off if you buy a Dishnetwork satellite antenna and Wally receiver "limited time offer"

[Foldbak]

Originally Posted by Bourbon County

I just received a flyer in the mail, Camping World is offering $100 off if you buy a Dishnetwork satellite antenna and Wally receiver "limited time offer"

Thanks for that but everything's been ordered via Amazon. Received everything except the dish and receivers. Should have them today or tomorrow. I'll be installing and testing this weekend and be ready for our next trip out in 2 weeks.

[Bourbon County]

I will be very interested in how you connect to your satellite dish; were you able to utilize existing onboard wiring, did you have to install an additional port, etc. Please update once you have it to your liking.

Bear in mind if you are planning on utilizing both feeds from the dish, it requires 2 home runs to the location of the individual receivers. You can't split the raw satellite feed.

Good luck

[Lee-CI]

Originally Posted by Foldbak

I just finished talking to Dish. I was so shocked I had to ask several times.

$109 a month for 120 package including NFL package and ESPN.
$5 a month for outdoor package
I will get the same service on the road. Sounds to good to be true.

Works pretty well Tony as long as one has a clear view of the southern sky. We have the King antenna with dual outputs. The two Wally receivers don't play nicely with one another through the KeyTV, so I installed a bulkhead F connector just below the KeyTV and moved the output going to the bedroom from the rear of the KeyTV to the bulkhead connector. We don't watch OTA at night from the bedroom and have never used cable, so this suites our needs.

And yup - other than the equipment, cost is only an additional $5 per month

Edit: Don't know if this has been covered already, but if you travel to a remote area and want the local channels where you are set up, just call Dish and let them know the Zip code where you are located. Then call them again once you get back to the sticks and bricks for your local channels at home

[Foldbak]

Originally Posted by Lee-CI

Works pretty well Tony as long as one has a clear view of the southern sky. We have the King antenna with dual outputs. The two Wally receivers don't play nicely with one another through the KeyTV, so I installed a bulkhead F connector just below the KeyTV and moved the output going to the bedroom from the rear of the KeyTV to the bulkhead connector. We don't watch OTA at night from the bedroom and have never used cable, so this suites our needs.

And yup - other than the equipment, cost is only an additional $5 per month

Edit: Don't know if this has been covered already, but if you travel to a remote area and want the local channels where you are set up, just call Dish and let them know the Zip code where you are located. Then call them again once you get back to the sticks and bricks for your local channels at home

Thanks Lee. All equipment has arrived except the receivers which should be here this weekend. l already anticipated this and removed all of the coax outlets and will be replacing the multiplexers with a bulkhead fitting. I'll install a duel bulkhead in the wet bay below the KeyTv and connect the LR and basement directly to it. The sat will connect to the bulkhead in the wet bay. I ordered a 35' cable as well. I'll try the 50' and see if it works. If not I'll pair up two 35's. I'll get this working in my driveway instead of the campground and spare DW all my cussing! I'm also going to feed the 360 antenna into the wet bay so if I can't hit a sat I might be able to use the antenna for local TV.


So basically bypassing the KeyTv all together....

[Lee-CI]

That should work nicely for you buddy! I was roaring laughing in referencing sparing the DW all the cussing.

Both of my coax runs are 50' and I've not had any issue from signal degradation due to length. Since we prefer COE sites, I have to be selective on which sites we choose due to all the trees. Now if either of us got froggy and headed up to Alaska, then it is my understanding Dish won't work worth a flip that far north. At least not with the small tailgater style antennas.

[Foldbak]

Ok folks. Here's the outcome of weeks of research and planning.

Kicked DTV to the curb at home and had Dish installed. Painless.
Purchased King Tailgater Pro and tripod, two Dish Wallies and two 50' RG6 coax cables. Painless.

Procedure took roughly six hours. Waiting for tech support would have reduced an hour. Not having to troubleshoot and replace the basement factory coax cable would have reduced another hour. Thank god it was the basement cable that was bad. Disconnected the basement TV from the KeyTV mod and installed a plate below the KeyTV mod that runs directly to the basement TV. Slightly painful.

Results, King sat output 1 to KeyTV sat input, King sat output 2 to basement TV input. Both work perfectly! Even through the duplexers and 50' of coax! So I can still receive over the air TV. This is important if I'm in a location where a football game that I want to see is televised locally and not on Dish.
In the end as long as I choose a location that has line of site south I have satellite. I can use my 50 gig internet plan as secondary instead of primary.
Happy today. Leaving for the south Fork American River Friday. I'll let you know how it works out.

[Lee-CI]

Awesome Tony! I'm pretty sure you are going to like this setup. Other than trees, the only real con is that the small tailgater antennas don't do real well through rain clouds. YMMV on the left coast

[Foldbak]

Originally Posted by Lee-CI

Awesome Tony! I'm pretty sure you are going to like this setup. Other than trees, the only real con is that the small tailgater antennas don't do real well through rain clouds. YMMV on the left coast

I'm still a bit unsure about the start up procedure when camping. I assume that I plug into the primary port and turn on the wally and it leave it alone for 10 minuets to do it's thing? It there anything I need to do other then confirm the state I'm in?

[Lee-CI]

Other than confirming the state you are in, if you wish to have the local channels for where you are located - a call to CS would be required.

I use the Wineguard TV Signal Finder app to ensure that I picked a good spot for the antenna. Sorta neat actually as one can view the location of the satellites in the sky from their phone

[Foldbak]

First time use at a campsite with many trees. I set the tripod on the truck bed cover and connected the cables. I was able to shoot between the trees and hit the sat. Turned on the receivers and in 5 minuets we were up and running.