New Member - hopper 3 in a motorhome

[Jims Motorhome]

Good day all!! I finally joined this forum today, not sure why I waited so long.

I run a hopper3 (leased) in a motorhome. (I know, not supported, blah blah blah.)
Also have a wireless joey and access point.

My antenna is a Winegard Trav'ler (this is a fully automatic auto seeking rooftop antenna)
Currently, I'm using a DPP LNB and a DPH-42 switch.
The Trav'ler is a western arc device, but does have a "manual search mode" and I generally use this mode for sat 61.5.
That I know of, this device won't do a true eastern arc, with 61.5 and 72 together.

I'm looking for / hoping to find experts in "location unspecific" Hopper 3 installations.
I'm kinda surprised not to see a specific forum here for RV users, I know there are a lot of us, and the things we run into (and their solutions) can be very different from those seen by people in fixed installations.

Regardless, greetings all, and nice to meetcha!

Jim

 

[TheKrell]

 

[tcreek]

Good day all!! I finally joined this forum today, not sure why I waited so long.

I run a hopper3 (leased) in a motorhome. (I know, not supported, blah blah blah.)
Also have a wireless joey and access point.

My antenna is a Winegard Trav'ler (this is a fully automatic auto seeking rooftop antenna)
Currently, I'm using a DPP LNB and a DPH-42 switch.
The Trav'ler is a western arc device, but does have a "manual search mode" and I generally use this mode for sat 61.5.
That I know of, this device won't do a true eastern arc, with 61.5 and 72 together.

I'm looking for / hoping to find experts in "location unspecific" Hopper 3 installations.
I'm kinda surprised not to see a specific forum here for RV users, I know there are a lot of us, and the things we run into (and their solutions) can be very different from those seen by people in fixed installations.

Regardless, greetings all, and nice to meetcha!

Jim

Can't you change the LNB to an Eastern arc one and have it search for it?

 

[Jims Motorhome]

Not that I know of.

I'll need to contact Winegard about this, but to the best of my knowledge, this is a fully automatic western arc device. When powered up, it rises from it's flat stowed position on the roof of the motorhome and searches for the 3 western arc satelites, it is motor driven for azimuth, elevation, and skew.

It has certain manual modes in addition to "western arc multi-sat", but true eastern arc isn't one of them.
It can seek to 61.5, or 72, or 77, but not in combination.

Next question would be why? Does a Hopper3 need more than just 61.5?
I get exactly the same results in Knoxville (HD Locals are only on 61) as I do In Baton Rouge (HD locals are on 129)

 

[Brussam]

When does a Hopper 3 need more than 61.5? There are numerous channels on 72 that why. Not everywhere are Locals in HD on both arcs.

I carried a ground tripod for times when I wanted to do the EA, I really count on using PTAT. I also carry a WA LNBF head for the tripod should I ever need to get around trees and other obstructions.

 

[Jims Motorhome]

It just might be time to get into some of the problems I've been having?

Channels come and go, on both the hopper and the Joey. Not always the same channels. In all cases it shows me the info bar with the program name and such, but no video, no audio. Channels will be missing on the hopper but work on the joey, or visa versa.

I'm only getting 1-2 days of guide.

When this was all first starting, my recorded programs were disappearing. I'd see the folder, with the number of recordings it contained, but nothing in the folder when I opened it. Oddly from the Joey everything was fine, all the recordings were there, all could be watched. Dish sent me a new hopper for this, it did the same thing! It was "determined" that the lack of updates was causing this. After some dozen calls to tech support and several dozen restarts, the guide populated fully, then all the icons came back, then finally the recordings reappeared (I'd copied them from the original hopper via ethernet, which worked even though I could not see them in the folders!)

The "test installation" screen in the hopper only shows 119 and 129. The Trav'ler display shows I have all 3 sats, hopper only see's 2.

I'm running a DPH-42 switch and DPP LNB, so I don't have to unplug the hopper during search. While it finds the sats much quicker than it did with a DPH LNB, the switch is a power hog, drawing over 12 amps @ 12 volts from my inverter when boondocking.

I've "heard" newer Trav'lers are fully compatible with the DPH? I'd love to hear details on that. While mine is from 2016, the turret was replaced last year (EL Moter stalled) any one know the details on this?

 

[reubenray]

On the IRV2 forum I believe it is recommended to not have the Hopper 3 and DPH42 powered on while the Trav'ler (with DPP LNB's) is acquiring the sats.

Also with my Wally I would only get a few days of guide if I am at a campground for just a few days.

 

[tcreek]

On the IRV2 forum I believe it is recommended to not have the Hopper 3 and DPH42 powered on while the Trav'ler (with DPP LNB's) is acquiring the sats.

Also with my Wally I would only get a few days of guide if I am at a campground for just a few days.

First thing I do after getting to a new camping spot is to turn on the Hopper and power supply for the DPH42. Then start the Trav'ler searching for the satellites. By the time I've finished setting up camp, Trav'ler has found the sats and Hopper3 is ready to watch. Guide is usually finished downloading by the time I'm ready to sit down and watch TV.

 

[Jims Motorhome]

So last evening, We went into the bedroom and turned on the TV. It came on and the remembered channel displayed. I changed the channel and got a black screen. Tried a couple different channels, nothing. Tried a local network channel, that worked, all the local networks channels (4) worked, nothing else.
Restarted the Joey, no change.
Restarted the Hopper3, now getting all channels on the Joey.

This is our biggest problem with this system.

 

[DISH Support]

So last evening, We went into the bedroom and turned on the TV. It came on and the remembered channel displayed. I changed the channel and got a black screen. Tried a couple different channels, nothing. Tried a local network channel, that worked, all the local networks channels (4) worked, nothing else.
Restarted the Joey, no change.
Restarted the Hopper3, now getting all channels on the Joey.

This is our biggest problem with this system.

I know that I would be feeling upset if something like was happening to me. When you see the black screen, does putting the receiver in stand-by for 10 seconds help?

To put the receiver in stand by, simply press the power button either on the DISH remote one time or on the front panel.

 

[Jims Motorhome]

On the hopper just now, watching fox business. Flipped to one of the kiddy channels for the grandkids. DW says "tehy're playing with their iPads, watch what you want" Flipped back to Fox news, nothing but a black screen. channel up and down, nothing. key in a local network channel, nuthing.
Went into setup/test installation. It says 61.5 locked, signal strength 51, humming along.
I select a different sat, then back to 61, I can hear it humming, but it takes a few seconds to display "sat 61.5 locked", went back to fox business, everything works again.

Channels just come and go, on both the hopper and the joey.
I am not getting a "signal lost" message or anything like that.
When I select a channel, the top bar always displays, telling me the channel and show name. The scroll bar showing when the show started, when it ends, and where we are now, always displays.
But the screen is black and quiet.

 

[Jims Motorhome]

To Dish support, re: your reply.

It's all pretty random. Sometimes one channel will work, other won't. Sometimes I can channel down (or up) until I find one that works, Then go back the other way and they all work.
Generally resetting the hopper3 brings everything back.
Putting it in standby does nothing.

Note I've had this setup for years.
It's been giving me trouble for some months.
Mostly channels randomly disappearing and the guide not fully populating.

I do not (and have never) powered off (unplugged) the hopper or dph42 when traveling, it's never been needed. Lower the antenna, put the hopper in standby, drive somewhere, raise the antenna, bring the hopper out of standby, all happy.
And we are stationary the vast majority of the time.

 

[JSheridan]

To Dish support, re: your reply.

It's all pretty random. Sometimes one channel will work, other won't. Sometimes I can channel down (or up) until I find one that works, Then go back the other way and they all work.
Generally resetting the hopper3 brings everything back.
Putting it in standby does nothing.

Note I've had this setup for years.
It's been giving me trouble for some months.
Mostly channels randomly disappearing and the guide not fully populating.

I do not (and have never) powered off (unplugged) the hopper or dph42 when traveling, it's never been needed. Lower the antenna, put the hopper in standby, drive somewhere, raise the antenna, bring the hopper out of standby, all happy.
And we are stationary the vast majority of the time.

Do you 'Test Installation' to get the switch matrix right? The Hopper needs to know what satellite(s) are available. If you're only using 61.5 then the Hopper needs to know that.

 

[Jims Motorhome]

If I change the trav'ler from 61.5 to western arc or back, or I change my service address with Dish, yes I do a test installation. I also do one if it is giving me trouble. It's faster than a reset, but rarely helps anything.

Just checked, I have 2 days of guide.

 

[JSheridan]

If I change the trav'ler from 61.5 to western arc or back, or I change my service address with Dish, yes I do a test installation. I also do one if it is giving me trouble. It's faster than a reset, but rarely helps anything.

Just checked, I have 2 days of guide.

What satellite(s) are you currently pointed at? The full guide is on 72 on the eastern arc.

 

[Brussam]

I found that when switching from the ground tripod dish with a DPH LNBF head to the Trav'ler with the DPH-42 Hybrid Switch, I needed to run a Reset on the Hopper. The Swich Check would not reset the "Switch".

I never expected the Trav'ler to deliver full channel array on the EA unless I used the ground tripod, and that includes EPG updates.

Also when changing spot beams because I moved, I found that the EPG needs a day to catch up.

I normally never powered the Hopper 3 nor the DPH-42 Hybrid Switch down but I didn't boondock.

 

[Jims Motorhome]

I wish I'd read this last night, I'da set it on 72 overnight and see what happened. Regardless I will try that soon.
It sure would be nice if I could get both 61 & 72.

 

[Brussam]

Both at once only with a tripod

 

[Jims Motorhome]

I tried Sat 72, and yup, I got 2 weeks of guide. Showing VOD, 500 series movies, spanish language, and porn channels.

Restarted to 61.5, got all my channels and 2 days of guide.

 

[Jims Motorhome]

back after 4 days in a site with no LOS to any satellites.
Came up in Western Arc yesterday. This morning I have 10 days of guide, but no channels below 71 are in it, nor can I get them. After trying to, I went back to Fox and got a black screen! flipped down a few channels, found one that came in, flipped back to fox, and it is back.