Dish in my Camper / Tailgater vs other options

[mfoster711]

I want to get Dish in my camper and have been thinking about buying a tailgater setup. Questions;

1. I have 2 Hopper / 2 Joey account currently. Am I correct that adding a tailgater will only cost $7/month extra on my account?
2. Does the tailgater get all the same channels I get at my house? Are they all in HD like at home?
3. What about locals? I am typically within a couple hundred miles of my house so will I "most likely" get the same locals as I normally get?
4. What happens when I travel further, lets say 500+ miles from home? What locals will I get?
5. I am looking at a refurbished tailgater + new 211z option for $325 from PPLMotorhomes. Any better options?
6. Any tailgater owners that regret their purchase? If so, why?
7. Any other options that are as cheap and easy as the tailgater?

 

[dfergie]

You will likely lose your locals as you travel out of the spot beam, check out the list http://www.satelliteguys.us/thelist/index.php?search=dnall&sub=true&market=Houston, TX and click on spotbeams to see how far away you will receiver them.
I use a tripod when I camp with a 1000 plus dish (or Slimline if I bring my DIRECTV).

 

[TechWriter]

I have 2 Hopper / 2 Joey account currently. Am I correct that adding a tailgater will only cost $7/month extra on my account?

I believe so.

Does the tailgater get all the same channels I get at my house? Are they all in HD like at home?

For the most part.

What about locals? I am typically within a couple hundred miles of my house so will I "most likely" get the same locals as I normally get?

Depends on your local station spot beam coverage. To check . . .

- Find the city where your locals come from by entering the ZIP code of where you camp here:
http://www.dish.com/local-channels/...channels|local|&frHost=www.dish.com&frCount=1

- Use "The List" to find this city & what spot beam(s) are used for locals:
http://www.satelliteguys.us/thelist/index.php?page=dishnetworkmarkets&sub=true#WI

- Click on the Spotbeam and a map will appear showing the approximate coverage area.

What happens when I travel further, lets say 500+ miles from home? What locals will I get?

When you get to a campground, call DISH and ask them to change your "Service Address" to your campground address. They'll send out a signal to your receiver to change your locals.

I am looking at a refurbished tailgater + new 211z option for $325 from PPLMotorhomes. Any better options?
Any tailgater owners that regret their purchase? If so, why?
Any other options that are as cheap and easy as the tailgater?

Another option is the Winegard Pathway X2 which supports 2 receivers and can acquire both DISH's Western Arc (110, 119, 129) and Eastern Arc (61.5, 72.7, 77) sats.

A Tailgater only supports 1 receiver and just receives the Western Arc sats.

 

[pattykay]

I want to get Dish in my camper and have been thinking about buying a tailgater setup. Questions;

1. I have 2 Hopper / 2 Joey account currently. Am I correct that adding a tailgater will only cost $7/month extra on my account?
2. Does the tailgater get all the same channels I get at my house? Are they all in HD like at home?
3. What about locals? I am typically within a couple hundred miles of my house so will I "most likely" get the same locals as I normally get?
4. What happens when I travel further, lets say 500+ miles from home? What locals will I get?
5. I am looking at a refurbished tailgater + new 211z option for $325 from PPLMotorhomes. Any better options?
6. Any tailgater owners that regret their purchase? If so, why?
7. Any other options that are as cheap and easy as the tailgater?

I would just add that, if you would rather use OTA for locals instead of changing your service address, make sure you get the OTA tuner add-on for the 211z or get a 211k which has a built-in OTA tuner.

 

[navychop]

The Hoppers will not work with a Tailgater. The Wineguards will. Tailgater has a bad rep for reliability.

 

[ChadT41]

The Hoppers will not work with a Tailgater. The Wineguards will. Tailgater has a bad rep for reliability.

I love the tailgater, and is incredibly reliable.... When setup 100% correctly. They are incredibly sensitive to being set up incorrectly, and of course anyone not close to the regular WA states is going to experience more issues. Me in AZ find it simple to use. I'm guessing Mi would find it harder.

 

[TechWriter]

The Hoppers will not work with a Tailgater.

Yep.

The Wineguards will.

Besides open-faced dishes (1000.2 or 1000.4), the only Winegard that will work with a Hopper is the Travler SK-1000 (essentially an automatic 1000.2).

Tailgater has a bad rep for reliability.

That's not what I've heard.

 

[navychop]

I base the reliability problems solely upon what I have read in this forum.

 

[navychop]

The X1 and X2 work with ViP receivers. Not the Hopper? Node concern?

 

[ChadT41]

The X1 and X2 work with ViP receivers. Not the Hopper? Node concern?

I was under the impression the X2 Pathway only worked with the VIP 211 series family receivers, jsut as the tailgater. Only difference was that it could handle two tuners, as long as both channels came from 61.5. That was how it was taught in the RV training course at release.

 

[Brussam]

Only difference was that it could handle two tuners, as long as both channels came from 61.5. That was how it was taught in the RV training course at release.

More correctly stated, "both channels from the same satellite."

 

[rvvaquero]

I was under the impression the X2 Pathway only worked with the VIP 211 series family receivers, jsut as the tailgater. Only difference was that it could handle two tuners, as long as both channels came from 61.5. That was how it was taught in the RV training course at release.

Not correct. The X2 will receive programming from all the Dish satellites, either from Western Arc or Eastern Arc. Those include 61.5, 72.7, 77, 110, 119, or 129. However, the dish can only point at one satellite at a time, so both receivers must be watching programming from the same satellite.

 

[n0qcu]

I am fairly certain that the X2 thread states that if you connect it to 2 receivers it will then automatically lock onto 72.7 so that both receivers will get most of your subscribed channels. I don't have time to search right now, will check later.

Sent from my iPhone using Chrome.

 

[ChadT41]

I am fairly certain that the X2 thread states that if you connect it to 2 receivers it will then automatically lock onto 72.7 so that both receivers will get most of your subscribed channels. I don't have time to search right now, will check later.

Sent from my iPhone using Chrome.

I could have been mistaken about 61.5, but I do distinctly remember it being only one of the EA satellites. It will do EA and WA, but to work two tuners it was only the one satellite.

 

[Bobby]

It will do two tuners off of any satellite that it is aimed at. If it is aimed at 61.5, it will tune any two channels off of that satellite. If it is aimed at 72.7, the same.... The aiming itself is dependent on what channel is selected first...

 

[TechWriter]

I base the reliability problems solely upon what I have read in this forum.

That's why you're incorrect. RVers are a minority here.

 

[ChadT41]

True the tailgater is not really designed specifically for RVers. It's just another alternative. It is designed for those sports fans, every weekend...

 

[RickIrrgang]

I use a 1000.4 WA with the hopper and joey. A fiberglass tripod used in construction is the way to go because they are very adjustable. For aiming I have a MAX PEAK OTA 900 finder and the Dish Pro app on my android phone. From set up to sat found in about 10 minutes.

 

[stan.soper]

My Tailgater works just fine for me in my Travel Trailer. I have the Hopper System at home plus my VIP 211 on a separate feed in my computer room. That way my VIP 211 is always up to date. I just take the VIP 211 receiver from my house to my RV when I am on the road. Dish allows you to have both Hopper/Joey and VIP 211 if you have an RV. Added a 500 meg usb hard drive to my VIP 211 so it can be used as a DVR. I have had no problems with my Tailgater in the 5 years I have had it. If I am out of my locals spot I call dish to change my service address to where I am at and I am good to go. Happy with my set up. Only wish set up and downloading program guides could be faster.

 

[ChadT41]

My Tailgater works just fine for me in my Travel Trailer. I have the Hopper System at home plus my VIP 211 on a separate feed in my computer room. That way my VIP 211 is always up to date. I just take the VIP 211 receiver from my house to my RV when I am on the road. Dish allows you to have both Hopper/Joey and VIP 211 if you have an RV. Added a 500 meg usb hard drive to my VIP 211 so it can be used as a DVR. I have had no problems with my Tailgater in the 5 years I have had it. If I am out of my locals spot I call dish to change my service address to where I am at and I am good to go. Happy with my set up. Only wish set up and downloading program guides could be faster.

I hope you mean 500GB not 500Mb