Setting Up Satellite Dish at Campground
Gale L.
mini satellite dish/receivers with them while camping in their pop-ups.
Mark wants to take our dish with this year while camping. Since the people
here are the experts, and some of you have probably set up a dish lots of
times, I figured this was the best place to find an answer. We have a DISH
NETWORK system with the PVR Receiver.
1). Does anyone have an EASY set up giude or directions for the Dish,
Receiver & Antenna at the campsite?
2). How long does this set up procedure take to be completed, and receive
Satellite reception?
3). What add'l items do we need to buy for this set up at the campsite?
Thanks & Happy Camping!
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Gale L.
Wauconda, ILL
Monte & Barb
different than my "old" receiver. I went a couple of camping seasons
just with the mounting bracket & mast bolted to a piece of 1x8 about 2
ft long. I just used a bubble level to make sure the board was even and
a cheap compass to aim the dish. Usually only took a couple of minutes.
I would also use a small sandbag on the board to keep the wind from
knocking the dish over.
Last year I bought a tripod on Ebay for about $25. It had adjustable
legs for leveling and a built in bubble level. Also had a North
indicator that you aimed with a compass (also included) and once that
was done it had calibration marks on it for aiming the dish. Really an
easy system---BUT--Some jerk stole it from my campsite (as well as the
dish) a couple of weeks ago. Another camper at the campground says he
heard a car at my site about 4:30 AM. I've gotten another dish and lnb
but think I'm going to try to fashion mounts to bolt it near the LP tank
on the front of the camper and also some mounts on the rear bumper. As
easy as the tripod was to set up, it was apparently too easy to steal.
And for those times when I need to put it away from the camper, I'm
going back to a board but will also have my name spraypainted to the
dish. I know they can paint over it, but maybe that will be something
that a potential thief would rather skip and just take somebody elses dish.
I wish I could locate someone who airbrush paints dishes. I've seen
that done on many.
Good luck
-Monte
Ed J
The reason this makes a difference is that with a DISH500, you have to
adjust the SKEW on the dish, as well as the elevation and azimuth.
The easiest way is to buy a separate dish500/LNB to take camping and
a length of 50-100 foot of RG6 cable.
When you got the DISH, you got a paper with all the ZIP codes on
it. Just look up the ZIP code you are camping at and look up
the SKEW, Elevation and Azimuth adjustments. If you don't have the
paper, you can look up the specs on the DISH under the MENU/INSTALL.
You will need a DISH mount. I use the Bullseye and recommend it.
http://www.rvdishmount.com/
I got it at the web site and it works great. You could also use
a tripod, but it takes longer to set up and is prone to tipping in
the wind.
After you set the SKEW and Elevation adjustments on the Dish, put
it on the mount. Get a compass and turn the dish to the correct
direction (Azimuth). Aim the dish using the direction of the
clamp on the back of the dish. The LNB arm will not be aimed
in the direction you want.
Go in and turn on the DISH. The odds are you will have a picture.
If not, try twisting the dish slightly left and/or right until
the signal level increases. Use the bar graph signal level on
the Menu/Install to adjust for maximum signal.
BTW, you much have a straight coax cable from DISH receiver to
the dish. Do not try to run it through the TV antenna amplifier
(if you have it).
It is really very easy. After I get the mount out of the cabinet
and the dish skew/elevation adjustments made, it takes only
a couple minutes to get a picture.
Another idea to not be the source of 'camp entertainment', is to
run a length of coax out your home window and try to adjust
your dish in your yard before you head out to camp. Get your
practice in there.
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Ed J e...@attglobal.net