Going mobile with 5LNB dish?

[daverichardson11]

In my home installation, I currently have the 5LNB Slimline (AU9-s, I believe) dish, 1 HD-DVR receiver (the HR20), and 1 SD-DVR receiver.

During the summer and fall months, I do a good bit of travel and tailgating at sports events. I am considering getting a portable, temporary "tailgate" setup consisting of another 5LNB dish, a tripod mount, and an HD receiver (maybe the H21).

1) If I go with the 5LNB dish, how will reception of my "HD locals" be affected? I live in the Washington, DC market; but most of the travel will be in other states (PA, NC). Will I still receive the Washington, DC "HD locals", or the locals of the location that I am in?

2) Are there any other factors that I'm missing that I should be considering?


Thanks much in advance,
Dave

 

[iwc5893]

In my home installation, I currently have the 5LNB Slimline (AU9-s, I believe) dish, 1 HD-DVR receiver (the HR20), and 1 SD-DVR receiver.

During the summer and fall months, I do a good bit of travel and tailgating at sports events. I am considering getting a portable, temporary "tailgate" setup consisting of another 5LNB dish, a tripod mount, and an HD receiver (maybe the H21).

1) If I go with the 5LNB dish, how will reception of my "HD locals" be affected? I live in the Washington, DC market; but most of the travel will be in other states (PA, NC). Will I still receive the Washington, DC "HD locals", or the locals of the location that I am in?

2) Are there any other factors that I'm missing that I should be considering?


Thanks much in advance,
Dave

1) You may receive your HD locals if you are travelling in the area that is covered by the spotbeam. If you are out of this area, you will not receive any locals, HD or otherwise unless you set up an OTA.

2) Peaking the 5LNB dish is trickier than a basic dish, unless you have a decent signal meter. Make sure that the tripod you're going to use is designed for the 5LNB dish and will support the weight and wind loading. IMHO, you may be better off going with a non-penetrating roof mount for the travel set.

 

[jcrandall]

It is tough to do the 5lnb on the road, if you really want HD you can do it, but it is much more subject to loss due to slight movements or wind on a tripod setup.

The mobile roof mount types for the 5 LNB are in the $2k range.

 

[HDinCincy]

I'd like to add my $.02 as I'm an avid tailgater but have yet to try HD on the road. I use a mount called Bullseye (google it) and it's great for my SD setup. I have a 32" Vizio HD set that I use in SD mode and it gets a great image. Obviously not HD but v. good. You can buy an AU9 dish for about $60 on ebay (delivered) but as noted by others it may be tough to align. What is great about the Bullseye is you get X and Y axis adjustments to plumb the shaft perfectly but easily. Since I know I'm plumb vertically I just turn the dish on the pole until the 101 is locked in. That is where 99% of my stuff is. You will need a collar to take the shaft diameter up to the near 2-inch thinkness that the AU9 requires. I've seen those on ebay too. Please post results as I'm anxious to hear how you do. I may get brave by football season. ALSO: I can speak to the SD locals (here in Cincy anyway) We took the dish to our annual houseboat trip on a lake about 200 miles south of here and received our locals. As noted by other posters, it all depends on the spotbeam. If you own an RV you can get an exemption but I'm not personally familiar with the process. HTH

 

[jcrandall]

That bullseye looks like a nice product, but I'll save my $96 and use a simple tripod with post. I too use just a single LNB dish for camping, I can live with SD only while "roughing it"

 

[Enragedalbinoyak]

This may be really stupid, but what would be wrong with just sticking it in a bucket of concrete and pole mounting it?

 

[Jimbo]

It is tough to do the 5lnb on the road, if you really want HD you can do it, but it is much more subject to loss due to slight movements or wind on a tripod setup.

The mobile roof mount types for the 5 LNB are in the $2k range.

You also have to make sure you don't park the unit where you cannot get a signal due to trees.
The tripod idea is much better idea.
Make sure the tripod you get can handle a 2" post or is set up so you can use the 2" set up.

the one I have has a 1 5/8th pipe, so I havent looked into the 5 LNB set up yet, currently using an old 3 lnb for the time being.

Jimbo

 

[Jimbo]

This may be really stupid, but what would be wrong with just sticking it in a bucket of concrete and pole mounting it?

Thats fine if you have somewhere to store the 5 gal bucket and post all in one piece when your traveling., most don't have that kind of room.

Jimbo

 

[Jimbo]

In my home installation, I currently have the 5LNB Slimline (AU9-s, I believe) dish, 1 HD-DVR receiver (the HR20), and 1 SD-DVR receiver.

During the summer and fall months, I do a good bit of travel and tailgating at sports events. I am considering getting a portable, temporary "tailgate" setup consisting of another 5LNB dish, a tripod mount, and an HD receiver (maybe the H21).

1) If I go with the 5LNB dish, how will reception of my "HD locals" be affected? I live in the Washington, DC market; but most of the travel will be in other states (PA, NC). Will I still receive the Washington, DC "HD locals", or the locals of the location that I am in?

2) Are there any other factors that I'm missing that I should be considering?


Thanks much in advance,
Dave

If you have an OTA antenna you could possibbly get the locals from where ever your at, plug in a simple antenna to the antenna input.

 

[iwc5893]

Thats fine if you have somewhere to store the 5 gal bucket and post all in one piece when your traveling., most don't have that kind of room.

Jimbo

And the wind doesn't blow.

In addition, it's a lot harder to plumb the mast with a bucket and pole compared to a tripod.

 

[Mike500]

That bullseye looks like a nice product, but I'll save my $96 and use a simple tripod with post. I too use just a single LNB dish for camping, I can live with SD only while "roughing it"

Cheapest solution;

$35 fold up antenna tripod from any Radio Shack store

$6 galvanized chain link fence line post from Home Depot

This adapter sold by my friend, a fellow subcontractor installer on eBay;

DirecTV AT9/AU9 KA/KU Adapter for old 1-5/8" pole - eBay (item 150222824619 end time Mar-12-08 17:27:32 PDT)

We use these for apartment balcony and temporary ground installs all the time. Home Depot also sells the large "nail" stakes to pin the tripod to the ground.

 

[mike9121]

I've have been using a 3 LNB on a pro speaker tripod stand for a couple of years now with no issues and have been wondering about a 5 LNB. Was pretty sure it would be a bear to setup. If anyone is successful with this,with minimum effort of course, I would really appreciate it if you would post your solution..

 

[Jimbo]

I've have been using a 3 LNB on a pro speaker tripod stand for a couple of years now with no issues and have been wondering about a 5 LNB. Was pretty sure it would be a bear to setup. If anyone is successful with this,with minimum effort of course, I would really appreciate it if you would post your solution..

Many of us have set up the 5 LNB successfully ...
I have set up mine and several others including my fathers.
Next year he will be using a slimline for camping as well, we just need to get the correct adaptor for the 1 5/8 pipe we are currently using.

As for setting it up, I normally set it up like any other 3 lnb set up and then fine tune the 2 KU sats after I have a solid signal on the main 3 sats.

Jimbo

 

[wagon burner]

I'm currently RVing and attempted to upgrade my 3lnb dish to the new slimline 5lnb. I have dish pointed correctly using a sf-99 in line satellite finder but get no picture. When I substitute the 3lnb for the 5lnb (not moving the dish) I get a picture. The receiver is an old drd430. Any ideas on this

 

[iwc5893]

I'm currently RVing and attempted to upgrade my 3lnb dish to the new slimline 5lnb. I have dish pointed correctly using a sf-99 in line satellite finder but get no picture. When I substitute the 3lnb for the 5lnb (not moving the dish) I get a picture. The receiver is an old drd430. Any ideas on this

You're pointing at the wrong satellite. You need to point the dish approx. 8 degrees to the East, and about 3-5 degrees lower - provided the mast is plumb.


Wait, disregard what I said. How can you switch from a 3 to a 5 LNB without moving the dish? Are you using an different LNB than what the reflector is designed for?

 

[wagon burner]

yes, I'm placing the 3 into the arm on the 5 dish. Are you telling me that 5lnb should be aimed in a direction other than what my location for a 3lnb suggest ?

 

[iwc5893]

yes, I'm placing the 3 into the arm on the 5 dish. Are you telling me that 5lnb should be aimed in a direction other than what my location for a 3lnb suggest ?

Yes.

The 3 LNB dish actually points at the 110 satellite. The 5 LNB dish points at the 101 satellite. You need to get your aiming coordinates based upon the 5 LNB dish from your receiver's menu.