2021 Satellite Update

[rames14]

We are getting our new 3230CK prepped at the dealer. We were going Winegard Travl’r, but with Super Solar there is not enough room. We need DirecTV for NFL Sunday Ticket (son is trainer with TB Bucs). Looking for options and experiences.

[dieselguy]

We've been using a Pathway X2 for years with absolutely no issue. We put it in the shower stall while on the road. I did put a thru wall connector in the slide to hook directly to the receiver as the OEM coax generally has poor crimp connectors anyway along with multiple splitters. Some really like the roof mounts, but for us camping at the lakes ... 50% of the time a roof mount would be useless because of the trees. The Pathway X2 eliminates the dish being stuck in one place on the roof. There are several other automatic satellite dishes besides what we have.

[rames14]

I didn’t think the Pathway worked with DirecTV. Does it get HD on Direct?

[dieselguy]

I'm not sure if it works with Direct or not ... I have Dish. However ... it doesn't matter as there are several choices of auto setup dishes out there, and more than one will work with Direct TV. Satellite compares to a phone ... all kinds of choices ... any of those choices get a similar result whether talking or watching TV.

[Carl n Susan]

If you want HD with DirecTV (and why anyone settles for SD is beyond me) you need a roof top (Winegard or RF Mogul) or a portable SL3 dish antenna on a tripod. None of the automatic portable antennas with supply HD for DirectTV.

I find it hard to believe you can't find room for the rooftop antenna. But I have not seen a Super Solar setup yet. I carry a portable SL3 for when my rooftop is blocked. It is pretty easy to setup once you understand the process.

[rames14]

Carl, Winegard agrees. They need 36” radius for the Travl’r. I have two A/C’s, 3 Fantastic Fans, Winegard 360+, 4 solar panels and the shower bubble. The unit is 37’5”. So, it looks like I will carry a normal dish and the G3 on the roof. So, if it’s raining or we’re in for one night, we’ll use the push button. Longer stays we’ll set up the normal dish.

[PNW Fireguy]

RF Mogual convert here. Not a SS owner or fan however I think where there is a will there is a way. We have 2500 watts of roof top solar and an RF Mogul Eagle with a Winegard Razor. We do do have a bit more real estate as we are longer but a little thinking outside of the box wll help. The first thing I would check is whether the panels used in the SS system have bypass diodes as well as how they are wired. If they have bypass diodes I might be inclined to plan for some degree of shading when the dish is deployed since the bypass diodes will negate the shaded panel from effect the rest of the PV array. If you decide to go with a roof top unit do take a look at the RF Mogul. As an owner of both units the RFM has some significant benifits over the Winegard Trav'ler IMO.


We also carry a 1000.3 WA and s sat buddy for the occassion when we need a ground deployment.

[Montana Man]

I don't know why any antenna that can be roof mounted couldn't be ground mounted. Aside from the convenience of a rooftop, mounting on the ground will increase your chances of acquiring a signal.

[rames14]

At $2000, that’s an expensive piece of equipment to have on the ground, but anything is possible. For us, it would defeat the purpose. The Travl’r would take about half of our basement. (Solar took a big chunk). Plus, in inclement weather I would be outside.

[rames14]

Thanks for all the replies. Still waiting on final word from the dealer. I think we will use a two prong approach. We will probably carry a tripod mounted dish for longer stays. It may even allow us to get satellite in Alaska. If we didn’t want to watch NFL Sunday Ticket (Mom likes to watch for her son on the field. He got a lot of screen time during the Super Bowl), I would be on Dish. Maybe DirecTV will improve since ATT is selling it off at a loss (they destroyed value). Probably a G3 or similar ilk on the roof for when I’m lazy or we just stop for a night at a Harvest Host. Places we boondock in Colorado and Wyoming have zero cell or television signal. Thanks again.

[Mikendebbie]

I will ask a dumb question. We have Dish with a Tailgator.
Does Dish have some package comparable to Direct TV NFL Sunday Ticket?
We have had Dish for years and it has been good. I quit watching most sports a few years ago when the knee-thing started...just lost interest...so I have no idea what NFL packages are available.

Why not drop Direct TV and go with Dish and use a small portable antenna like the Tailgator?

[PNW Fireguy]

Sunday Tticket is a DirecTV exclusive. With that said Dish offers a program that provideds scoring & highlights of every NFL game. Nothing even remotely the same, but better than nothing.