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Question for Tailgaters with Satellite Dishes
Posted on 7/9/16 at 2:48 pm
Posted on 7/9/16 at 2:48 pm
Could any of you guys who do this sort of explain your setup to me? Do you have a separate dish just for tailgating? Or do you move it off of your house when there's a home game? And about how much does it cost overall? Right now we use an antennae for CBS/Fox/ABC games and an iPhone/HDMI adapter for ESPN games but we usually go off data because of our location. We have to make sure to rotate who does it or else it would cost one person a fortune and it's often not a consistent signal. Any information on satellite dishes would be much appreciated. Thanks! 
8
Posted on 7/9/16 at 2:51 pm to jlovel7
Direct tv has those omni directional units for motor homes, if you have direct tv service already
Posted on 7/9/16 at 3:08 pm to jlovel7
Best to go with a second dish and a mount of one sort or other. I use a tripod and stake it to the ground.
A secondary dish will vary - check around. Don't be surprised if they are in the $75-100 range. You'll want to make sure you know the difference between Western Arc (1000.2) dish and Eastern Arc Dish (1000.4) Do your due diligence. You will also need to do the assembly on the new dish.
Tripod mount can be about $50, give or take.
The RV dome units set you back about $400... but can be found at discount. They are automated...
If you go the regular way, you will save yourself headache by using the Dishpointer website and app. After doing it once or twice you'll be swift at set up.
A secondary dish will vary - check around. Don't be surprised if they are in the $75-100 range. You'll want to make sure you know the difference between Western Arc (1000.2) dish and Eastern Arc Dish (1000.4) Do your due diligence. You will also need to do the assembly on the new dish.
Tripod mount can be about $50, give or take.
The RV dome units set you back about $400... but can be found at discount. They are automated...
If you go the regular way, you will save yourself headache by using the Dishpointer website and app. After doing it once or twice you'll be swift at set up.
Posted on 7/9/16 at 3:11 pm to jlovel7
I'm not sure in cost as I do not directly pay for it but we have DirecTv just for tailgating. The dish stays on the tripod and we get fantastic signal every time. The issue is making sure the calibration doesn't get fricked up and move on the way over. I can't remember if they stop doing this or not but we were able to suspend directv during the offseason and activate it in September. Look into it.
* Also look into Dish Network because with Dish the tailgater satellites are compatible and that's the easiest way.
* Also look into Dish Network because with Dish the tailgater satellites are compatible and that's the easiest way.
This post was edited on 7/9/16 at 3:13 pm
Posted on 7/9/16 at 3:12 pm to jlovel7
We use a thing called The Tailgater from Dish. It looks like this
It hooks up to the dish box via coax but you need a certain set top box for the tailgater. It's different from the one in your living room.
You're only charged when you use it, which is cool.
Just plug it in and put it on the ground. You don't have to adjust the aptitude and degrees and all that stuff. Plug it in and you're ready to go.
But I believe you have to buy the set top box, you can't rent it or anything. If I remember correctly, it was around $200. But it's a good unit. I enjoy it.
Keep bringing your antenna though because for some reason the box doesn't get network affiliates. So if there's a good game on CBS, you'll miss it unless you have your antenna with you.
It hooks up to the dish box via coax but you need a certain set top box for the tailgater. It's different from the one in your living room.
You're only charged when you use it, which is cool.
Just plug it in and put it on the ground. You don't have to adjust the aptitude and degrees and all that stuff. Plug it in and you're ready to go.
But I believe you have to buy the set top box, you can't rent it or anything. If I remember correctly, it was around $200. But it's a good unit. I enjoy it.
Keep bringing your antenna though because for some reason the box doesn't get network affiliates. So if there's a good game on CBS, you'll miss it unless you have your antenna with you.
Posted on 7/9/16 at 4:40 pm to la_birdman
I know the tailgater only charges you when you use it but its rather expensive compared to buying a standard dish and tripod. I do not already have Directv as my cable (Cox) is included with my apartment. Is there anyway to only get 3 months of service (each year) or are you all basically piggybacking onto your already existing service?
Posted on 7/9/16 at 4:43 pm to jlovel7
I use my tmobile hotspot and watchespn or dishanywhere app.
Posted on 7/9/16 at 5:06 pm to jlovel7
I have a tailgater dish that I only activate for football season. There is no contract or penalties. Turn it on in September and turn the service off after the last home game. It's about $80 a month but it's split between a few guys.
I'm a cord cutter so I don't have any service at home.
I'm a cord cutter so I don't have any service at home.
Posted on 7/9/16 at 5:23 pm to Fight4LSU
I've called dish and they told me I can use a normal dish (much cheaper than the tailgater) and all I need to have is the tailgater receiver and they'll only charge me when I use it. Which is fantastic. I think this is what I'm going for. I just want to make sure I get a tripod that's compatible with the 1000.2 satellite dish.
Posted on 7/9/16 at 5:52 pm to jlovel7
The biggest expense is getting the tailgater itself. After that, it's peanuts to use it.
We literally only use it during football season.
Before we got it, we tried the deal with the tripods and all that. It was more of a nuisance trying to find a particular satellite. While this route is certainly cheaper, it's very frustrating trying to find a good signal.
We literally only use it during football season.
Before we got it, we tried the deal with the tripods and all that. It was more of a nuisance trying to find a particular satellite. While this route is certainly cheaper, it's very frustrating trying to find a good signal.
Posted on 7/9/16 at 5:56 pm to GeauxGriz
Also you paid 20$ for that dish pointer app?
Posted on 7/9/16 at 5:59 pm to jlovel7
The biggest reason we switched to the Tailgater is because it automatically finds the signal for you. You plug it in and it does its thing. When we used a regular dish we were on the phone with customer service every morning we setup.
Posted on 7/9/16 at 6:14 pm to Fight4LSU
What exactly were the issues that customer service had to help you with? I'm just trying to figure out if it's worth the extra work because it's about a 300$ difference and we're all students so every penny counts.
Posted on 7/10/16 at 6:56 am to jlovel7
Woah - wait.
This post was edited on 7/10/16 at 7:00 am
Posted on 7/10/16 at 7:00 am to jlovel7
quote:
I've called dish and they told me I can use a normal dish (much cheaper than the tailgater) and all I need to have is the tailgater receiver and they'll only charge me when I use it. Which is fantastic. I think this is what I'm going for. I just want to make sure I get a tripod that's compatible with the 1000.2 satellite dish.
You can easily just unplug your at home receiver. Which model do you have? Hopper? Vip211? You can in about 60 seconds or less learn to unplug the cords in the back of your receiver and take it with you and hook it up at the tailgate.... and it is no extra charge. Then you just need to hook it back up when you return home.
Dish does not have the ability to tell where your receiver is unless you move it like 1000 miles from its normal location. I'd just do that to save money. You already pay for the service of the receiver.
So to sum up - get a dedicated dish for tailgating, but use your home receiver.
Posted on 7/10/16 at 7:11 am to jlovel7
quote:
What exactly were the issues that customer service had to help you with? I'm just trying to figure out if it's worth the extra work because it's about a 300$ difference and we're all students so every penny counts.
This is where you spend the $20 on the app at Dishpointer. It tells you how to set up your dish (Skew, Angle, Az). And the app shows you exactly where the satellites are in the sky.
I do not use the app, I use to install for Dish in a former life... so I have a digistat and experience... but there are days when I have almost bought it.
There are days where you calibrate the dish and get signal strength on all three satellites, and you get a limited TV menu and only one or two channels coming in. On these rare occasions you simply call customer service and ask them to "bump" you signal, or you may need to tell them to resend signal for my receiver.
Not overly tough. And the info on how to do all of this is all over the inter webs. Just need to decide your level of tech ability. If you are a tinkerer, or a do it yourselfer, this will be super simple to learn. If not.... you better read a bit on it before you decide.
Posted on 7/10/16 at 8:18 am to GeauxGriz
quote:
You can easily just unplug your at home receiver. Which model do you have? Hopper? Vip211? You can in about 60 seconds or less learn to unplug the cords in the back of your receiver and take it with you and hook it up at the tailgate.... and it is no extra charge. Then you just need to hook it back up when you return home. Dish does not have the ability to tell where your receiver is unless you move it like 1000 miles from its normal location. I'd just do that to save money. You already pay for the service of the receiver. So to sum up - get a dedicated dish for tailgating, but use your home receiver.
The only issue with this is I don't have dish at home (well actually I might) but I live in an apartment complex aimed at college students so all of that comes included and comes straight out of the wall. So they manage the accounts and we do not have receivers or anything. I'm going to get the ViP 211z receiver and the Dish Network 110, 119, 120 satellite.
Posted on 7/10/16 at 9:17 am to jlovel7
Dish Tailgater... $350. Worth every penny.
Automatically finds all of the satellites including HD.
Automatically finds all of the satellites including HD.
Posted on 7/10/16 at 11:05 am to BoostAddict
I've heard the tailgater doesn't pick up Network tv like ABC/FOX/CBS/NBC? Also that's the price without the receiver so it's more like 430 for all of it combined it would appear.
Posted on 7/10/16 at 11:07 am to jlovel7
quote:
I've heard the tailgater doesn't pick up Network tv like ABC/FOX/CBS/NBC?
Yes it does. It picks up any channel you are subscribed to, including locals.
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