Satelle Dish Basics

When you're traveling for an extended period of time, it's handy to have as many conveniences of home,as you can, along with you. Some people might consider a basic convenience to be a washer and dryer in their rig. Others might want a dishwasher. For the majority of extended travelers - and full timers for that matter – a basic necessity is television. According to Neilson Media Research, Americans spend a little over four hours a day watching television. While it might be easy to assume that this number would go down somewhat in an RV because of other activities like hiking and general sight seeing, it's still easy to see that a proper television signal might be important.

How to get a “proper” signal -

So how do you go about getting a “proper television signal”? There are several options and all of them have advantages and disadvantages.

The easiest way to acquire a television signal is the old fashion way. Put up your antenna! Nearly all RVs today come equipped with a good quality television antenna and signal booster. If you're in an area where signals are good, this is probably a reasonable way to  meet your needs. In populated areas, you're probably guaranteed to be able to receive at least the major networks, PBS, and a few independents. Of course, there's also the RV park's cable system. Both systems, if they work, can be an economical way to get TV signals into your rig.

How about DVRs -

What if you're used to certain programs? Or, you spend time in an area where the signal is marginal, or in RV parks that simply don't have cable service? The only reliable answer then would be satellite. With the proliferation of DVRs (digital video recorders) and our dependance on them, the fact that a satellite system can provide reliable and consistent reception over a broad geographical area, and at a nominal price.

There are basically two satellite providers in the US; Dish Network and Direct TV. That's not entirely true, but for the purpose of this article, we'll call it two. When you make the decision to install a satellite system on your RV, you'll most likely use one of these providers for your base system.

Once you decide to use satellite, decide on an antenna system -

When you decide on a system, you again have two choices in terms of what kind of antenna you want. For many people, a roof mounted automatic dish is the preferred method. All that's required in many of these units is to press a button, and the dish aligns itself. Simplicity and overall ease of use are the advantages to this kind of system. Expense is the primary disadvantage. These units can cost around $1,700.00 for an average “good” installation, plus labor. Some are more, and some are less. Besides cost, another disadvantage is that the RV needs to be parked in an area where the satellite dish has a clear path to the southern sky, and specifically in the direction of the satellite(s). Yes, plural. Many satellite systems these days are using as many a three different satellites to bring in all the channels. That can take up a good chunk of the sky.

Another method of installing a satellite dish (and finally the subject of this article) is to mount a dish on a tripod or other stable platform, and aim it manually each time you set up. The advantages are modest cost, and the ability to locate the dish away from your rig. You might be parked under a tree, but place your dish a few feet away where you have a clearer view of the sky. The disadvantage of using a manual system is that it takes a few minutes to set one up, and you need to become reasonably skilled at the installation procedure.