Last week I talked about the $49 “Disaster Readiness Kit” (DRK) that I purchased through my account on DirecTV.com. I am happy to report that the system is very complete, the tripod is very solid, and it can be setup quicker than my camp kitchen! It comes with 50-feet of RG-6 Cable, allowing the dish to be positioned anywhere around the RV that has a clear view of the southern sky. The tripod itself is very sturdy and solid, but not at all heavy, and includes long spikes that can be driven into the soil to secure it. The dish is a dual-LNB model, which means that it has two cable connections coming off of it that you can tap into, for use with two separate satellite receivers. The two satellite receivers could be in the form of two separate TV’s, or a single TV with a Digital Video Recorder (DVR). Two independent signals allow the DVR to record one channel while you watch another. My setup is rather simple, as I am just using one of the LNB connections to feed one satellite TV receiver which, in turn, outputs to two different TV’s. Under this scenario, both TV’s are limited to displaying the same channel, but that works fine for us since the kids will be asleep whenever we are watching the second TV in our bedroom.
Having never worked with satellite TV before, I was a bit concerned about the process of properly aiming the dish, not to mention figuring out where to aim the dish. As it turns out, the satellite receiver tells you everything that you need to know, right on the TV screen. The setup screen asks for either a zip code or a Latitude and Longitude, and then displays the elevation and azimuth to point the satellite dish to. I used a zip code, which was easy since I was doing this at my home, but I can see a personal GPS receiver in my future, as it is not always easy to determine one’s zip code in the middle of nowhere. Per the directions on the screen, I set 42-degrees of elevation on the side of the dish, and then used a compass to point the dish to an azimuth of 135-degrees.
Once the dish was pointed in the right direction, I inserted a Winegard Satellite Finder on the cable-line, between the dish and the receiver. The Satellite Finder is powered by the satellite receiver inside the RV, as is the LNB on the dish, displaying a signal-strength meter and emitting a tone that changes according to the strength of the signal. The Satellite Finder allows you to quickly dial-in the satellite by sweeping the dish left-and-right. It only takes about an inch in each direction to determine the perfect position; the dish can then be clamped down and you are done.
On our RV, I connect the satellite cable directly to the outside cable connection. This requires a modification to the wiring of the TV antenna amplifier inside the RV, since the satellite receiver powers the LNB on the satellite dish – and the TV antenna amplifier does not allow this power to pass through it. In my case, I simply opened the antenna amplifier, disconnected the “Cable” input, which comes from the outside cable connection, and connected this cable to the “Satellite In” connection on the satellite receiver. I also connected the TV antenna amplifier to the “Off-Air Antenna” connection on the receiver, so I can still pick-up local channels over the RV’s TV antenna. This project is nearly complete, the only item remaining (two items, if I count the GPS receiver) is a wireless universal remote control, so that we can change channels from the back bedroom – but that is a story for a future day.
Happy camping!
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Tom
I have navigated my account on their websit, and when I select add kits it shows an internet connection kit. I cannot find the DRK or a my setup tab. Help.
J. William Hartley
Scrib,
I’m a Direct TV customer and went to the site exactly where you advised and can not find the DRK…are you sure it’s available…Bill
Thomas Bender
I have Dish network and while the majority of channels are on the 119 sattelite, most pay per view sports etc are on the 110 sattelite. Since I only have a single LNB dish I have to change it sometimes.
Tom
Catherine Verner
My husband & I just bought 1st RV. We have Dish at home, do we just buy a dish and tripod and take a receiver from home? We need some guidance.
Bill Rowan
Just been reading the post by Scribner on Satellite TV on the Cheap Guess that DTV has discontinued the DRK as I loged on clicked on My Setup & clicked on Add Kits and Equipment & couldn’t find the DRK listed too bad as I need a new satellite set up for my 5th Wheel
Nate
Thanks Roy, I considered that too, still have some of the 250′ spool I bought that I could route a million different ways I’m sure, only problem is I don’t wanna watch SpongeBob reruns at “rest time” 🙂
Roy Scribner
Nate – I just use 1 receiver. I have an S-Video cable going to the main TV and 50-feet of miniature RF cable going to the TV in the bedroom (I just stapled it along the edge of the ceiling – got it at Home Depot). Both TV’s see the same channel, but that is fine for our use.
Regarding local channels – we received all of our local programming on a recent trip to Oregon, 650 miles away.
Nate
So what do you do if you have another TV connection inside the camper (i.e. a bunk room)? We typically bring two DIRECTV receivers but haven’t been able to get them to work (due to this issue).
Valerie
Jack~ I just ordered my Disaster Recovery Kit 2 weeks ago, I found it by going to direct’s website, Find the My Setup tab at the top then click on Add Kits and Equipment. You will then have to sign into your account and after a screen will pop up and the DRK is on this page.
Jack
I called DirectTV and spent 20 minutes asking about how to order the Disaster Readiness Kit. No one there could find any information at all on it. How can I order one?
Roy Scribner
Thanks Richie, glad the article was useful for you! You are correct about the 2 lines coming off the LNB. You can run 2 separate receivers, or a single DVR (watch one channel, record another). We just run 2 TV’s from a single receiver, since we are never watching both TV’s at the same time.
You will get local channels in roughly (very roughly) a 150 to 300 mile radius of your home. Here is a spot beam map;
http://ekb.dbstalk.com/pictures/dtv4s.gif
and to find out which transponder your local channels are on;
http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=121279
Richie
This article was a great help. I ordered the DirecTV kit for $49 and no shipping costs. It came in just 3 days and was very easy to setup and aim with the compass and levels included in the kit. I have two questions, there are 2 lines coming off the LNB, can I use each line to go to 2 separate receivers and 2 separate TV’s to watch 2 different programs? Also, if I pay the $5 for local channels in my home zip code, will I get local channels at any zip code I visit? Thanks for all the great help.
Charles
We have DirecTV and have no trouble while using it in the MH. We take the box from the house when we travel. Just need the permit to do so from DirecTV. We have what is called “Network feed” gives us ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX. These are from New York/Los Angeles. This is extra cost. Portable dish. Easy to set up as has been indicated. We travel for months on end and have all the TV we can handle and then some.
Roy Scribner
Tim – I can only *assume* that if the manufacturer went through the trouble of installing a second port, for satellite connections, that it does not go through the antenna amplifier. Since you are a DirecTV subscriber, you should be able to run some cable (it’s cheap) from your home’s antenna out to the RV and test it out.
Sharon – I don’t have any advice, except to count your blessings that you do not have to deal with Charter Communications! Just off the top of my head, I think we use our RV about twice as much as you do (plus it’s a guest-house when family comes to visit), and we just pay the $6 a month for the extra receiver. If you do not use satellite TV at home (DTV or Dish – they’re both going to get their money), then it is a much tougher value proposition for the RV.
Sharon
I need help finding an option BESIDES DIRECT TV… I have used them since 2001–we have an RV that we use less than 30 days a year– usually 2-3 days at a time- the most maybe 1 week. We have always been able to ‘suspend’ the Direct TV service by calling in when we are back from a trip and then unsuspend when we pull out again., Now they say you can only ‘suspend’ 2 times a year!! They suggested we cancel all our extra services like sports packages and local channels and go to the basic 29.99 per month plan and just leave it on even when we have the RV in storage. Customer NO SERVICE Is a horrible JOKE> What can we do? We have a TRAC dome on the RV – we want to have TV when we are out in our RV —
Any advice?
Thanks!
Tim in CO
“….On our RV, I connect the satellite cable directly to the outside cable connection. This requires a modification to the wiring of the TV antenna amplifier inside the RV, since the satellite receiver powers the LNB on the satellite…”
Question, my 2008 5er has an external port for cable and a port for satellite. Does that mean that it may be wired for a direct satellite input that may bypass the “TV antenna amplifier inside the RV” that you mention?
We are fixen to do a 3 month road trip, to include Alaska, and satellite TV options were looking kinda spendy. I am a Direct TV subscriber so if I can figure this out (another non-tech type), it is sure worth a try.
THANX!
terry strock
i had dish sattilite install a complete system in my motorhome, receiver with an attenna on the back of the receiver .they give you two remotes that operate each individual tv. the dish 500 is on an outside tripod. very easy to locate the satillites with a finder. then you can choose any of there different programs at what ever price range you want to be at.i also pay an extra $ 5.00 to receive all my local channels where ever i travel.
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Don from Arkansas
There was a comment earlier about DISH network needing a signal from only ONE satellite for service. That is NOT correct. I was reading this to learn if DIRECT TV only needed one satellite signal.
I have DISH at my home so purchased a small tripod and dish for my RV, similar to what is mentioned here. While traveling last summer it was very difficult to locate both the 110 and the 119 satellites and spoke to DISH customer service several times. Often, I would get locked into one satellite relatively quickly (10-15 minutes), but then give up after an hour or so of trying to to get both satellites to lock in. Occasionally the second satelitte would lock in over night and both would work the next day. But while in Wyoming I was told that I would need a separate dish to pick up a signal from a THIRD satellite 129 to get local channels (NBC, CBS, FOX, and ABC).
Sky Packages
1) Stellarium: You’ re in a field looking at the sky. You enter your coordinates, and the sky as it looks at the moment is displayed. You can fast- forward/ rewind the time, watching the stars progress and the sun and moon rise and set. You can toggle the constelations outlines. Lots of cool features, short learning curve. Very fun!
Larry
Nice article, I have a 2004 5er with satellite and park cable connections. I have dual LNB with two cables on my HughesNet dish, I run one to satellite connection input to living room tv and one to an input I installed for our bedroom tv I have added a splitter to bedroom cable to run cable to outside tv. We also have a dome dish on the roof which has two cables one each to the two receivers in the 5er, we can chose which input we like to use for each receiver depending on weather and trees when camping. My next project is to add two DVR’s to the system, which calls for two more cables from each LNB to each receiver.
Your articles are very helpful.
Marc McAnally
Whoops, I meant DRK not ERS (emergency recovery system). Sorry.
Marc McAnally
Hey Roy, Thanks for the info in the ERS. I found it and ordered it and received it! Nice basic system and will work great on the longer trips. I’ve got a Rockwood 8318SS and it is prewired for sat/cable so we are set. Thanks for the idea! Good travels my friend!
Scrib
Bob – here is a drawing of the wiring inside the Winegard amplifier:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a122/Strike_Hold/amp_wiring.gif
The center cable is the one coming from the outside cable connection. This is the one that needs to be removed and connected directly to the satellite receiver.
Roy
Bob Halsted
Could you clairify the part about the modification of the TV amplifer. I got lost after finding the TV amplifer. Kind of dense at this end.
Bob Halsted
Price Martin
Thank you very much. I ordered the DRK and received it yesterday.
dan
thanks for info.
Scrib
Thanks Larry, glad you enjoyed it!
Roy
larry eitel
Very good in depth article that was enjoyable to read.Thanks
larry eitel
Scrib
It’s under “My Programming & Equipment” and “Add Kits & Equipment”.
Price Martin
Scrib, where on the Direct TV site did you find the DRK? I have a ustomer account and have been all over the site but have found nothing about the DRK.
Scrib
Rich – sorry, I know they used to allow that but it no longer looks like it’s an option. I tried to login under my old (pre-customer) account, but it wouldn’t let me. The system does work at home just fine, although it only picks-up the 101 satellite (all the major programming, and local channels), not the 110 or 119 ones (foreign language & high-def channels). I didn’t do an in-depth check, but it looked like I was getting every channel I get on my home system. Dish has an edge here, I think all of their programming is on one satellite.
Steven – let me know if you need any help with that, I can always snap some photos.
Roy
Steven C.
Very good information. I am doing the same for our new RV, but have yet to use it yet. We ordered a similar tripod (but we have a dual LNB Dish already from DirecTV) but did not know about the amplified antennae booster, which I will definitey have to modify on our new TT when we get it! Thanks for the information and the BLOGs…I know our family loves them.
Thanks – Steven & Stacie C
Rich H.
Scrib, how do I open an account on Directv without making a purchase? I’ve been to their website several times, and am still unable to find the DRK. Their Customer “No-Service” is also unable to help me. Would this system work at home, including an advanced receiver to pick up all channels?