Satellite Simplicity - Montana Owners Club

RKassl · 10-14-2008, 12:45 AM

We have had Dish NW for several years. Thinking of checking out Direct TV because of $$. Is it an easier to hit Direct TV vs Dish NW while camping. Any advantages to Direct. Some have said they get their locals while in their home time zone? Any truth to this?

Thanks!

Glenn and Lorraine · 10-14-2008, 01:15 AM

Yes, We have Direct and we do get all the locals (CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, PBS and a few other local stations) when we are in the area of our home ZIP code. Time zone has nothing to do with it. Florida is in EST but once we leave our zip code area we no longer get the locals. For instance, northern Florida and the whole east coast are EST but we do not get the locals or major networks. For these we have to rely on the antenna.

Back in May we had The Winegard TRAV’LER DIRECTV Triple LNB Multi-Satellite TV Antenna installed at CW. This dish takes all the guess work out of finding the 3 satellites. Push a button and the rest is automatic. It really shows it's worth when setting up for just one night. Yes, we do still carry the portable dish but didn't use it one time all summer.

noneck · 10-14-2008, 02:07 AM

We get our locals all the time even when far away but it is one of the major feeds out of NYC. Like Glenn its DirecTV and we've been with them for a very long time... Don't have the push button to automatically set alignment but often setup in obstructed area's so tripod and lashing to ladder work just fine.

richfaa · 10-14-2008, 03:00 AM

The local channels are on a "spot beam" and the coverage can vary. Example we received our local Cleveland, Ohio spot beam channels when in Elkhart, In @250 miles west, In Canada @ 250 Miles North and in Southern. Ohio @200 miles south. You can google "Directtv spot beam" and get the spot beam list. You can also google "spot beam" and learn how it works. MOST directv packages include the "Locals" as part of the package..

Glenn and Lorraine · 10-14-2008, 03:15 AM

Rich, are you saying you can get YOUR LOCAL TV channels or the Networks?
By LOCAL I am refering to the LOCAL TV stations in your immediate stick house area.

I only have my DirectTV since last May and when I asked DirectTV about getting all the local channels we receive in Clearwater/Tampa the answer was NO. BUT for an extra monthly charge of $30.00 I could get the Networks out of New York. NO THANKS. I'll save the extra 30 bucks a month and use the antenna that came with the Monty. Besides we are on the road during the summer months and that is repeat after repeat after repeat time for the networks.

Charlie · 10-14-2008, 03:29 AM

Glen-
What Rich says is correct about the spot beam. I have Dish Network. This past week I was in near Ft. Smith, Arkansas and was picking up Dallas local stations. I doubt that I would be able to pick up Dallas in Little Rock.

Before I moved to North Texas my locals came out of Houston and I could pick them up as far as the Texas/Oklahoma border and well past San Antonio until about a year ago. They must have squeezed the spot as the coverage area would not go that far out any more.

Exnavydiver · 10-14-2008, 03:51 AM

Glenn, our DNS service is only 11.99 and that covers ABC,NBC,CBS,FOX and CW. It cost extra for PBS so we dropped that. We downloaded the DNS waiver Application and FAXed it to DTV, we had a response in three days. When we were at home we had local channels but you can only have one or the other, local or DNS. not both. So we didn't shoot for the locals whil in Wi. this summer and opted to just use the DNS. The batwing antenna gets most locals very well... Dave

Jolu · 10-14-2008, 04:53 AM

We get our local Colo. Spgs. stations when we leave home as long as we are within the DTV spot beam coverage. When we are out of the coverage area we just use the batwing antenna as Glenn mentions.
If you use a tripod to setup the DTV Slimline dish you can make a pointer that will hit the satellite easily and the use of a surveyors tripod makes the job much easier also.

ols1932 · 10-14-2008, 04:59 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by noneck

We get our locals all the time even when far away but it is one of the major feeds out of NYC. Like Glenn its DirecTV and we've been with them for a very long time... Don't have the push button to automatically set alignment but often setup in obstructed area's so tripod and lashing to ladder work just fine.

I may be wrong, but you are not getting the locals through the major feeds out of NYC. You're getting whatever is being broadcast in NYC. Unless of course you live in an around NYC, then that would be local for you.

kerry · 10-14-2008, 09:28 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by RKassl

We have had Dish NW for several years. Thinking of checking out Direct TV because of $$. Is it an easier to hit Direct TV vs Dish NW while camping. Any advantages to Direct. Some have said they get their locals while in their home time zone? Any truth to this?

Thanks!

Like Dave (EXNAVYDIVER) says, 11.99 for DNS from DTV. Works great. Use your antenna to get the locals wherever you are at the time. I have the Slimline 5LNB Dish to get the HIDef. Kerry

Exnavydiver · 10-14-2008, 11:02 AM

When you get the DNS service you get east and west feeds on ABC,NBC,CBS, and FOX, there is only the one CW so you are getting 9 separate channels. One good thing about the E&W feeds is that if you don't have DVR you get a second chance at watching your favorite programs... Dave

bigmurf · 10-14-2008, 01:35 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Exnavydiver

When you get the DNS service you get east and west feeds on ABC,NBC,CBS, and FOX, there is only the one CW so you are getting 9 separate channels. One good thing about the E&W feeds is that if you don't have DVR you get a second chance at watching your favorite programs... Dave

Dave: Are you using BOW on your Hughes Net dish?

kerry · 10-14-2008, 02:05 PM

One exception on the DNS is they will not give you East & West feeds on the HiDef channels. If your in the West, you get the West. If your in the East, you get the East. Kerry

mail2us · 10-14-2008, 03:45 PM

If you have just the basic dual lnb dish, will directv upgrade the dish to allow for HD on our digital TV? Is there a cost to upgrade the dish. I realize that the HD receiver/DVR receiver is a rental and you pay a monthly fee for HD service. Not sure about the dish though?? tks. Dennis

Allen in MT · 10-15-2008, 02:43 AM

I have the Dish Satalite system with the basic package with local programing which is $5.00 extra. When I go South I call and have them change the local to Phoenix so I can get the local news there. I think my monthly cost is $37.99

RKassl · 10-15-2008, 07:12 AM

Are you saying that you subscribe to your local stations in your stick house? Then when you travel a call to Dish gets you the local networks in your new area? I have never heard of this, but i would love to do it too. Do you call the standard customer service number for Dish?

gojodo · 10-16-2008, 03:15 AM

We get the NY/LA local feed for our Direct TV as well. I spoke with the rep at Direct who explained that you must have a "permanent" residence to get the real local channels due to FCC regulations. The NY/LA feeds are the exception to that rule. Some people have periodically called Direct TV and changed their Permanent residence address which entitles them to get the local channels but I don't think it works if you are moving around all the time. John

Allen in MT · 10-17-2008, 03:17 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by RKassl

Are you saying that you subscribe to your local stations in your stick house? Then when you travel a call to Dish gets you the local networks in your new area? I have never heard of this, but i would love to do it too. Do you call the standard customer service number for Dish?

The first time I did it was last year when we were in Dolan Springs, AZ I call and explained thatI coulkdn't recieve my local MT news ao I wanted the local news channels for the area and I got the Phoenix news. and when Igot back to MT I had it switched back, Maybe it was a fluk but I will be trying it again this year.
Allen

richfaa · 10-17-2008, 04:43 AM

Glenn.I will PM you on the subject of Local channels.

mail2us · 10-17-2008, 07:30 AM

Richfaa, I have read a little on spot beam and DirecTV spot beam. Somewhat confusing. If I have Orlando FL local channels as part of my package, and select the Tampa channels by their channel number are you saying I could get Tampa channels on DirecTV also which is about 80-90 miles from Orlando? The receiver and remote we have does not see to allow any transponder changing with it but seems automatic. It's about 1 year old. Pls advise. Tks. Dennis

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