DirecTV?

[csbwright]

I have been told and I've read that it is possible to get DirecTV in your RV by using a receiver from your home. We have an extra satellite dish (18x20 oval) and I messed around with it a bit today but had no luck.  We have only had the RV for a couple of months so my knowledge of RVs is next to nothing as well as my knowledge about hooking up satellite TV! haha We have the dish mounted on a base to stand up on the ground and there is a coax connection in one of the outside storage areas. The RV was a previously owned when we bought it (it's a 2012) and there is a label that says "cable/satellite" so we assumed you could hook the dish into that but we were unable to get anything inside.  I have a winegard plate inside the entertainment center inside that has a button you can push which I was assuming was to switch between cable and satellite since it appeared the cable connected to that ran into the RV wall area (to that connector outside???).  There is a Cable in/Cable out connector next to that and there's coax cables coming from each of those (both leading nowhere...assuming previous owner had different equipment hooked up to it). I tried both cables, we tried pushing the button, tried different cables on the satellite (it has 2 cables coming from it), changed the settings on the receiver, etc.  We have an H21 receiver. I've read about a b-band converter but am unclear if I actually need one of those? Or am I completely off in how I'm trying to set this up? Any advice would be appreciated.  Thanks. 

 

[therealsimpsons]

Welcome to the forum! I will try to answer regarding DirecTV after you have the proper hookup and antenna. For some of the electronics/TV/antenna gurus on here, the first thing they will want to know is whether or not you have a digital TV or analog. It would also be helpful if you put the RV information in your signature line so folks will know what you have. It makes it easier to diagnose and make suggestions.

The cable/satellite connection in a bay (?) on the outside of your RV is likely for when most campgrounds had cable service at the campsite; a cable that you could plug in to your RV. That connection was for a cable connected to a "switching box" so you could choose to get your TV signal that way, or use the crank up over the air antenna in case you were some where the campground didn't have that service.

We have a roof-mounted DirecTV satellite dish which is connected to a DirecTV receiver in our coach. That same receiver is in my office when we are at home. When we leave, I unplug it at home and plug it into the satellite dish box in a cabinet in the front of the motor home. If you have a DirecTV dish, you can use the same receiver as you have at home, but you don't connect it to the connection you mentioned. Use an RG6 (?) cable and run it from the antenna on the ground to your receiver. You will need some way to position the dish so it receives a signal. There will be others along to explain how to do that. 

Good luck, and have fun!

Stan

 

[Jeff]

Directv from your home will work in the RV. If the account is registered to your home you will loose your local channels somewhere between 100-200 miles from home as they are spot beamed to local areas.

If you register the account to your RV Directv will change your "working address" to whatever locale you are in to receive local channels or you can get a waiver and have east/west coast Distant Network Service that giver us the major networks all the time. You can still then move the receivers back into the house.

Frankly we lived without locals while on long trips while I was still working and used the over-the-air antenna on the roof for local channels because it was much simpler.

 

[PatrioticStabilist]

Our Winegard had different settings for Direct TV or for Dish, so those have to be set to recieve one or the other.

 

[csbwright]

Thank you for the replies.  I've updated my signature block w/ our Rv info....Dutchmen Voltage 3600. The specs say it's pre-wired for satellite but I'm not sure how to get it to work.  I got so confused with all the information I have read about the different set ups.  I originally thought I would have to run the RG6 cable as you suggested directly from the satellite to the TV, which is digital btw, but then it sounded like I might be able to get around having to do that every time....one can hope anyway.

We're not concerned with local channels at all so I think we'll be good without registering it with DTV.  I'll just use the antenna as you mentioned you do if we need them. 

 

[indiana journey]

About ten years ago, I tried to hook up the Direct TV box to my TV in the MH. It wouldn't work. I called Direct TV and was told that I had to give them a written letter that I was using the box in my MH and my house. I wrote the letter and had no further problems. I am not sure how they do it now. You might give Direct TV a call. Ask for a RV specialist, you will have a better chance to get it right the first time.
Good Luck,
Indiana Journey

 

[Frank Hurst]

I use the DirecTV Box out of our bed room in our MH while on the road. I will call DirecTV and get local service if I am out of the area. Remember to call when you get back home and have your home area local restored. I was in one area and moved to another town in the same local area and my satellite box would not turn on (malfunctioning box). I had a hard time getting them to understand that I could not change my service code because I could not turn my box on in order to change the service code and I did not want them to send a tech to the town that I had left earlier that morning. There was a local DirecTV shop about 1/2 mile away but they would not allow me to go there for an exchange.

I have a dish on top of the MH. However, I have used a ground dish. My ground dish will not work with the cable connection. I have to run the cable through the window directly to the DirecTV box.

Frank

 

[docj]

You don't need to tell DirecTV anything about using the receiver in your RV unless you want to add Distant Network Services which many full-timers use so they can get network TV all over the country.  So don't worry about that aspect of the problem.

Your first issue is that the incoming satellite signal won't like the switches, splitters and other stuff it will encounter if you try to bring it in from the outside cable connection.  That is a non-starter.  That Winegard plate you found is for switching between the crank-up antenna and cable, not for satellite.  The satellite pre-wire was probably for a roof installation anyway.

As has already been suggested get 100' of RG6 and bring the cable in through the driver's window or similar location.  Wire it directly to your receiver and power it up.  The first thing you have to do is go into the setup menu and see what antenna type is selected.  The chances it will have the one you have at home and not the one you are using.

Once you have selected the correct antenna, use DishPointer or an equivalent app on your smartphone or any of a number of website to get the azimuth and elevation information for the DirecTV 101W satellite given your particular location (you input your Zipcode and the program will give you the data).  Then you can start pointing the antenna, hopefully, with the help of an inline signal meter.

 

[BobNSam]

There be parts and pieces missing in all the above.
1. Need to know what antenna you are using (SWM5, SW3, etc.) If the same antenna model as installed at your house setup is easier
2. Need to know DirecTV receiver model number.
3. Do you have the inline power supply to power the antenna?
4. B-Band converter need will be dependent on your receiver antenna mix. Receiver setup which must be run will tell you when you enter the antenna type.
Anyhow, basic hookup path is
TV hooked up to receiver (HD receiver it will be HDMI or RGB. Non-HD may be coax);
Receiver coax input hooked up to inline power inserter
Inline power inserter coax hooked up through coach directly to antenna (there can be no splitters in path unless they are DirecTV with DC pass through).
There are antenna signal meters that can be used in aiming the antenna available which along with a compass and pointing information from your receiver can line you up. This gets easy with practice.
Good Luck
Bob

 

[Alfa38User]

Your biggest challenge with a 'homemade' (if it is a homemade one) stand for the dish that simply sits on the ground will be to get it level and plumb before starting. If you cannot do that you will have "a lot of fun" trying to line it up correctly to see the satellite. Most people use a tripod  like a surveyor would use for his transit and the legs are all adjustable so the dish can be made level and plumb to start.

The second necessary info is that  the receiver has to connect directly to the dish using coax. You cannot connect to the cable TV input usually found on an RV. The 'ready for satellite' may indicate that some coax has been installed, terminated on the appropriate connectors and labelled, but for exactly what your manufacturer meant by that, you will have to find out from them or from your trailer documents.

You would then connect to the receiver to TV in the same way you do at home.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Wow, lots of bits and pieces of info here, but maybe hard to get the whole picture.

Yes, you can take a receiver from home and put it in the RV temporarily. It receives the same signal as at home as long as you are within the same area, roughly a 200 mile oval. If you move beyond that "home" area, you can call DTV and give them a new service address (not billing address) and thus receive the signal for the new "home" area. When you do that, the receivers back at your fixed home will stop working, so you need to call again when you get back.

The coax connector in that bay is probably wired to the antenna switch plate as an alternate source.  The pushbutton on the antenna switch plate turns the antenna amplifier on/off and changes the source from the roof antenna to whatever is plugged to the coax inlet in the bay. It may or may not be suitable for use with a satellite dish - had to say without knowing more about the particular RV design. Satellite dish control & power signals don't pass through some (many?) types of splitters and switches. However, since the RV maker labeled the coax inlet as "cable/satellite", I would think it is designed to be ok for satellite.

How does the satellite coax get to the H21 receiver, and how does the H21 output get to the tv?  You should be able to see the H21's set-up info on the tv screen even if you don't have a usable signal from the dish.

To make some progress, you might skip the coax inlet in the bay and run the coax from the dish in a window, direct to the H21 receiver. Then see if you can get a picture to the tv. If successful with that, we can then try to help you figure out how to get the signal from that inlet through the switching to the tv via the built-in wiring.what

 

[csbwright]

It sounds as though some think it will work with the wiring and some are saying it won't. I will have to play with both since I haven't tried hooking it directly to the receiver from the dish.

Type of Dish: I'm not sure how to tell exactly which dish I have. A relative had it on their house (that was there when they bought the house) and said we could have it.

Receiver: H21-200

I don't have an inline power supply (that I know of)

I was trying to use the coax cable that was labeled "coax in" located in the wall unit of the RV.

Output to TV is HDMI.

I will play around with it some more and see if I make any progress.  Thank you so much for the input.

 

[John From Detroit]

The major problem with what you are trying to do is most RV's are NOT wired for Sat TV, so you are trying to use the CABLE IN to hook up your sat antenna... That will not work without rewriing.

My suggestion is to run a direct lead from the receiver to the dish.. Or install a brand new line for it (RG-6 Please and quality cable too).

Then you get to the antenna pointing page. On direct TV receivers the process for doing that I can not describe.  Enter your ZIP code. With the antenna mast "plumb" (this is important) set the Tilt and elevation to the recommended settings.

Slowly swing the antenna trough the azimuth angle (I usually start east of where they suggest and swing west when setting up sat's but your choice s yours) and watch the receiver's display on a portable TV.. You will know when it's good,

At this point you can touch up elevation and/or tllt a bit but it is not usually needed.

Lock it down and you are good.

 

[tvman44]

I tell DirectTv nothing I just take the receiver out of the house and put in the 5er and if out of area for local channels I use the bat wing antenna to watch local news not that the news is usually worth watching except for maybe the weather.  You need a connector outside that goes directly to a connector inside and connect the dish and receiver to those.  You may have to modify your existing wiring to accomplish this, or install new connectors.  Our 5er came equipped satellite ready and I installed a 2nd so we could have to receivers in the 5er.  Simple job.

 

[BobNSam]

It sounds as though some think it will work with the wiring and some are saying it won't. I will have to play with both since I haven't tried hooking it directly to the receiver from the dish.

Good idea to hook up receiver directly to dish to eliminate coach cabling. Most modern coaches do support Satellite antennas but they often get it "not quite right"

Type of Dish: I'm not sure how to tell exactly which dish I have. A relative had it on their house (that was there when they bought the house) and said we could have it.

Check for any numbers on the head, note how many cables run from it to the base area. If too old it may not be SWM and require a multi-switch. Call DirecTV with info and ask for assistance. I have found them very helpful.
You have the H21 receiver here is the website for the receiver. You will require a B-Band converter. You should be able to ?borrow? from your house. It should attach to the coax in the back.

I don't have an inline power supply (that I know of)

Website is unclear. States that receiver has internal power supply. Again, ask DirecTV if power supply required for your antenna.

I was trying to use the coax cable that was labeled "coax in" located in the wall unit of the RV.

Can be made to work if you can verify everything inline to the receiver.

Output to TV is HDMI.

Makes hookup easy.

I will play around with it some more and see if I make any progress.  Thank you so much for the input.

Good Luck
Bob

 

[csbwright]

The only number on the dish is on the amplifier and according to the internet it's a Cal Amp Dual LNB (P/N 150517).  Not sure if I have to have both coax cables connected or not.

We don't have b-bands at home, just Deca's but I'm assuming if we don't care about HD on the road we don't need one of those, is that correct?

I think before I get any more frustrated with it I may have to call DTV. I hate to do that because dealing with them is a pain in the butt, but I may have no choice.

 

[BobNSam]

Actually as I understand it, you will only get 1/2 the channels without one...check with DTV.

 

[csbwright]

Well, hooking it directly to the satellite didn't work either. I keep getting a 775 error (which I was getting when hooking to the connection in the bay as well).  I'll have to give them a call today.

 

[PancakeBill]

Have to be sure you are getting the right sat.  Off hand, I have no idea what 775 indicates.  Aiming the dish can be tricky, sounds like the issue to me.

How are you doing this?  There is an inline meter to help, but it does not distinguish between sats, just shows a signal. 

 

[BobNSam]

Code 775 is receiver can't communicate/connect with the antenna. Can be caused by bad cabling, bad receiver, bad antenna, or antenna not getting any power (19VDC). If not receiving signal you will get code 771 if antenna is operating properly.
I suspect either the antenna or the power. If you have a multimeter you can check for 19VDC measured from the center pin of the coax to the shield.
If present, suspect the antenna.
If no 19VDC you will need the inline power inserter to provide power to antenna.
DirecTV help should be able to assist.
Good luck
Bob