Portable Dish Antenna?

reubenray

SatelliteGuys Pro
Original poster
Pub Member / Supporter
Dec 30, 2018
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Bella Vista, Arkansas
Before with my rv I had a Winegard Trav'ler. Now with a much smaller rv I want to go the portable antenna route. This will be paired with a Wally with an EHD.

How does this antenna actually work? I know it only picks up one satellite at a time, but is it limited to only a particular satellite?
 
When you first pair the Wally and the dish, it goes through a setup process where it finds all three satellites and stores their location in memory. After that, when you tune to a station, it switches to that satellite and automatically moves the dish to it's memorized position.

If you move the dish, it will go through the setup again.
 
Before with my rv I had a Winegard Trav'ler. Now with a much smaller rv I want to go the portable antenna route. This will be paired with a Wally with an EHD.

How does this antenna actually work? I know it only picks up one satellite at a time, but is it limited to only a particular satellite?
RV's description of the portable self-aiming dish operation is correct. Be aware though, only one of those dishes, Winegard's Pathway X2, is capable of receiving the full 5 satellite set Dish uses, known as the eastern arc with two satellites, and the western arc with 3 satellites. With the exception of some local stations, bot arcs carry the same programming. Having the dual arc capability gives you more aiming options on sites with a lot of trees. The X2 also has a larger dish than the smaller dome style dishes, meaning stronger signals and less rain fade.
 
Are these locked to a person like the receivers are?
No.
is there a way to test it before buying it?
Yes, take your receiver and a TV with you. You will also need a clear sky to the south and might need an extension cord. Connect the coax directly from the dish to the receiver, don't go through any splitters or such.
 
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In the park I'm in right now, there are two Pathway X2's on the same road I'm on, both aimed at the Dish eastern arc. I also watched a new neighbor a few days ago trying different locations to find a signal with his western arc only Tailgater for about an hour before giving up and putting it away.Assuming the unit you get is in good shape, it should be a good choice at a fair price.
 
Currently my Wally is de-activated. Will I have to activate it in order to test this out? I don't plan on using this until a few months from now. I am too cheap to pay the additional $7 a month for it just sitting there.
Your Wally should work ok for testing the X2. Of course the only channels you'll see will be the Dish promo channels.
 
The rain has started to freeze on everything now.

I got the tripod stand also with the Pathway. There was also a black bar about 3' long with a tight hook on one end and the other was bent. What is this for?
 
The rain has started to freeze on everything now.

I got the tripod stand also with the Pathway. There was also a black bar about 3' long with a tight hook on one end and the other was bent. What is this for?
Can you contact the seller and ask? It isn't something that normally comes with either the X2 or the tripod. Did you also get a screw in anchor ("dog tie out)" and a bungee cord? That's what comes with the tripod. The X2 just comes with a 25' coax.
 
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Can you contact the seller and ask? It isn't something that normally comes with either the X2 or the tripod. Did you also get a screw in anchor ("dog tie out)" and a bungee cord? That's what comes with the tripod. The X2 just comes with a 25' coax.
I did not get the anchor or bungee cord, but I have those already. I also have plenty of coaxial.
 
That's good then. Be careful if you go over 50 ft with the coax, the dish may not function well.
I am glad you mentioned that. I have been searching for max cable lengths. I would want to keep the antenna close anyway. Where I camped in the wooded COE or state parks before this time I will be in more civilized campgrounds without as many trees. This is why I wanted two a/c units.