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Satellite TV for Vandwellers
This is the tripod and dish in my camp. It comes apart easily and the tripod folds up to travel. Finding the satellite is easy.
Do I Like Having TV? We’ve all heard it said, “150 channels and nothing to watch!” Well, there is a lot of truth in that. The great majority of stuff on TV is just fluff and not worth watching. But so far I haven’t had any problem finding something I wanted to watch. After we moved, it took me a couple of days to get around to setting up the tripod and dish, so I didn’t have TV. At the end of our first day in our new camp, I went into the trailer as usual to make some dinner; I automatically reached over to turn on the TV and remembered that the dish wasn’t set up and it wouldn’t work. I was very disappointed! That’s when I knew that I had made the right decision in getting the TV and I was really enjoying it. So, yes, I like it a lot.
The dish mounted on it’s tripod and staked down.
Who Do I Sign Up With? The first thing I had to do was decide how to get service. I had three choices: 1) Sign up over the internet, 2) Sign up with Best Buy who would give me a $150 Best Buy gift card just for signing up with them. 3) Sign up through a local dealer.
I had too many questions to even consider signing up over the internet. I am not a quick learner when it comes to electronic stuff so I wanted to deal with a person face-to-face. I seriously considered signing up with Best Buy so I could get the gift card, but I hate the learning curve of new things so I decided I would rather go through a local dealer who totally understood satellite on RVs and would hold my hand while I learned what was going on. If I lived in a house, it would not be an issue, but being mobile raises lots of little problems that very few dealers are familiar with or understand. So I decided to wait till I got here in Quartzsite and go to a dealer who specialized in RVs. I am so glad I did. The dealer I went through answered all my questions and when he came out and set up the tripod and dish he explained the process very clearly. He made it so clear that I was easily able to do it alone a few weeks later. This is the dealer I went through:
Satellite Electronics, Inc.
http://www.rvsatelliteinfo.com/
480-288-1111.
If you go to directTV.com and then to the RV page, (http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/travelers/rvs?lpos=header) you will see they are the only dealer that DirectTV recognizes as a partner who specializes in RVs. They have branches in Yuma and Quartzsite, and travel around the country giving seminars. This isn’t just theory to them, they are full-time RVers themselves. When you go into the Quartzsite office, the owner will be there answering all your questions and her husband is the one who will come out and install your system. If you ever have a question or problem, they encourage you to call them (they answer in person!) instead of DirectTV because they know the right answer for RVers and DirectTV Customer Service probably doesn’t. They are the ones you want to get your system through!!!
Should I Sign Up With DirecTV or Dish? Once you contact a dealer, you have to decide who to get your service from, Direct TV or Dish. The dealer I went to made it clear that for RVers, DirectTV was far better. Their equipment was much better and finding the satellite with a tripod was much easier with them than with Dish. My philosophy is if I don’t know much about a subject, I find someone who does and who I can trust. I had complete confidence in this dealer, so I just followed her recommendations. I have been very happy with it so far!
This little satellite finder makes zeroing in on the satellite much easier. You just screw it in-between the dish and the receiver and it squeals whenever you are on the satellite. After it squeals you turn down the gain and move the dish until it squeals again. Then you turn down the gain and move the dish very, very slightly until it squeals again. By then you should have a very good signal. Piece of cake! The dealer sells then for $25.
I was concerned about the strong desert winds blowing the dish over. In this picture you can see how I staked it down. That is a 2 foot stake I pounded into the ground under the tripod. There is only about 8 inches left above ground, so it is not going to be pulled up by any wind I can expect to face in the desert. I just tied the tripod on to the stake with some rope and then drove it a little further into the ground to take up the slack. Being somewhat anal, I also staked each foot down into the ground. Today we had some very strong gusts (we estimated them at 50 mph) and it didn’t even budge a little bit!
How Much Does it Cost? I have a two year contract and the first year it is $30 per month and the second year it jumps up to $55 per month. I wanted to be able to record programs, so I got the DVR which is an extra $8 a month. My total out-of-pocket expenses were $65: $40 for the tripod and $25 for a meter to help me find the satellite.
The bottom line is, if you are interested in living mobile, but have some favorite TV shows you don’t want to give up, you don’t have to. I think it is reasonably priced, easy to set-up, and money very well spent!! Bob
Hey thats great Bob!! Wish I had went thru those guys last year instead of bothering with Dish Corporate!! Well, live and learn right? Enjoy it!
Hi John, you are so right, life is just one big learning opportunity. I’m trying hard to convince you all that I am smart, but the truth is I have just made the most mistakes! Yeah, I’m so glad I waited till I got here and found that dealer. It made my life much easier. Bob
Hi Bob, I had DirectTV for 2 years. I think it is the better choice also. I used it when traveling and no matter where I was always got my home zip local channels. Unless things have changed you probably don’t need to call if you don’t mind using the LA networks everywhere. Glad to hear it isn’t using up too much of your battery power. I was moving around enough that I didn’t get fix on how many AH/day it really used. See if you can find LWN (Live Well Network) and check out a show called “Motion”, I think you would enjoy it!
Greg, so far, DirectTV is working great for me. Truth be told though, I’m sure they are both great with their respective pros and cons. In the spring I will have to figure out the local channel thing since I should be within 100 miles of Phoenix until then. When it starts to get hot I will move north.
I’ll check out LWN, I’m not sure I get it though. Bob
Great post Bob!! I really appreciate the hands on info from you . GREAT BLOG…as usual!!
Have a great day!
Randy
Randy, oddly enough I am not a very handy guy, so I can understand how hard doing these things can be for many people. I figure if I can show them that it really is within their capability their lives will be improved.
Now let me tell you the real truth. I hate learning new things and I am always so proud of myself for having done it I want to show off!! Just kidding (well, maybe there is some truth to that). Bob
Thanks, Bob. Finely calculated reason, backed by razor sharp logic, for having satellite TV in a boondocking scenario. Keep up the good work.
Thanks David! I tend to over-think everything and I’m afraid this is one of them. The truth is I just really like TV! Bob
Glad your enjoying your new dish! Your place for sunday football? 🙂
HoboBerg, you are always welcome!! One of the people in camp loves “Survivor” so she comes over and we watch it together.
I think I am going to suddenly become very popular when the Super Bowl gets here!!!!!
Hello Bob,
Good for you getting what you want. I am more like the small liver who posted above. As an urban boondocker, I am able to get to a library for internet. I have a crank radio which provides me with music, news and weather reports. My cats keep me occupied with cat chores and purrs and petting. I am a classical music geek, so TV holds no interest for me. (One or two concerts a year isn’t enough to pay all that money) I would rather spend money on a live concert! But urban and rural boondocking is a bit of a different animal.
Right you are Kitty! We are all different and our situations vary tremendously. There is no right or wrong way to do this. The only way to do it wrong is in some way that makes YOU unhappy.
And let’s be honest, there is nothing better in life than a purring kitty! Makes me wish I had one! I’m just too afraid of the coyotes and hawks. Bob
*are two different animals*
Yippee-tv at BOB’S! I’ll bring the popcorn!
You know that you and Jerry are always welcome!!! It’ll be a tight fit in my tiny trailer, but we will figure it out! Bob
This brings to mind a possible way to earn money while traveling, get a big screen, weather tarp, charge admission, super-bowl, march madness…
Charles, I have to admit that idea has crossed my mind. But I camp with friends and I can’t charge them for that. They are all welcome to what I have.
Bob
i don’t live small and mobile to give up luxuries. i do it so i can travel and afford luxuries!! i find as i get older (i’m 70) that tv noise makes up for the lack of children and a significant other and lends a cheerful feel to a quiet setting when i need it, plus there are times when i’m to tired to read and it’s a comfort to just watch tv. you gave a very good discription of what is involved in getting hooked up and i for one appriciate(sp??) it. thank you bob
Margo, you said that very well!! You managed to say in one brief paragraph what I tried to say in two blog posts. Only you said it better!
I think that the background noise does a lot to ward off loneliness. It took me a long time to come to the point where I could live without background noise. After my divorce I went to bed with the radio on for a long time because it comforted me and gave me the idea that other people were around. Over the years I have learned to embrace alones-ness without loneliness and I no longer need the noise. But I still enjoy it and it brings me comfort so I am glad to have it again with the TV.
You are one of the lucky ones, the years have made you very wise! Bob
Half the fun of moving into a van is the rejection of modern luxuries and decadence. I’m looking forward to living w/o tv. My dad has spent most of his life parked in front of the TV, and I hate it. I live in the real world. I spend my free time training in Brazilan Jiu Jitsu or parkour, or improving myself in some other way.
Been there, done that Cyrus. Like you, I greatly enjoyed the 2 1/2 years I lived in my tiny home-built camper without any modern luxuries or decadence. I look back on those times fondly and sometimes I miss them. But for now I have added quite a few luxuries into my life and so far I am really glad I did.
But I don’t see it as either/or or as black/white. I’ve arranged my life so I can go back and forth. I can live in the trailer with all my luxuries or I can put it in storage and take off in the van and spend 3-4 months traveling (in Alaska for example) in total simplicity and without any decadence.
I love this quote and try to live my life by it’s message:
Cyrus-Don’t discount a television as a means to self-improve. Yesterday’s library and public square is moving to a screen near you. Just think of the power that a 30-minute infomercial on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu could have on an MTV kid who needs purpose and discipline. It could save his life. Isn’t your blog just a newer incarnation of public media?
BTW-In his quest for “comforts,” Bob has learned the ins & outs of a mobile solar installation. He’s coordinating w/ geosynchronous orbits… I’d imagine that in a month or so, Bob could easily promote himself as an expert in the RV “creature comforts” field.
Everything in life, Cyrus, is a learning opportunity.
My best, ILDan
I prefer the Internet over tv for self improvement. I have like six different YouTube playlists, and all of them are full of tutorial videos for all kinds of topics that interest me: Brazilan Jiu Jitsu, parkour, sailing, machining, etc. Whenever I want i can learn whatever I want. Tv generally isn’t like that. It’s full of commercialism, materialism and brainwashing propaganda. There are a few good shows, but that’s what Netflix is for. Ten bucks a month, and I stream any show I want, right on my smartphone.
Cryus, I tend to agree with you, the internet is a preferable source of learning. however, with only 5 gigs a month, streaming videos aren’t a good choice for me. But, I’m not looking for learning, I do plenty of that against my will, I’m looking for mindless entertainment. The TV does that very well. Bob
Thanks Bob, some people forget that TV isn’t a learning tool, it is entertainment, when taken to seriously, it can become dangerous.
Charles I agree, TV is almost entirely for entertainment but sometimes it can be somewhat useful for teaching.
Bob
Bob, do you think you could pick-up any local TV with just a very good antenna?
CAE, yes you can get local channels with an antenna. But it varies tremendously from place to place. One place you get great TV, the next you will get none. It’s always a crap shoot! In the National Forests it’s pretty unlikely you will get much if any at all.
Wish I had better news, I finally just gave up on over-the-air as a boondocker. Bob
Bob- First off, Merry Christmas! In your earlier post, I commented that for me, a full life includes both sugar-candy and “mind-candy.” Anyone who doesn’t understand the need for this type of mental escape should talk to the ancient Greeks.
Further, isn’t it interesting how much you have learned (simple balast=>power supply=>dealers=>locate/coordinate w/ geosynchronous satellite) in your endevour to have some “down time?”
Stay warm.
ILDan
That’s a great way to look at it IL Dan. I have to tell you though, my poor old brain is getting pretty tired of all this learning and is demanding some time off!! After working so hard I am going to reward myself with some “dumb-down” time. Bob
Bob there is a dish that is really small that you can even put in your windshield but most people put it on their roof as it has a magnet on it. Of course when you drive around you take it off. Real simple and stealthy and super easy to set up. Some rv dealers have a similar dish but not as good as the one i’m speaking of. I do believe however it’s only available through dish network.
Martin
Hi Martin, that’s good to know, I’ve never heard of it before. What I have is working pretty good for me though. Thanks again, Bob
When I think about the idea of subscribing to pay TV, there are two prominent considerations:
1. The financial and administrative bonds it creates–the type of bonds and expenses our modern-day luxury-and-entertainment-dependent culture pushes on us, and which many vandwellers have found oppressive.
2. The mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual influence TV tends to effect. The very society many vandwellers are trying to become somewhat independent from, has no more powerful “propaganda” tool than the TV. In other words, though I don’t believe it to be any orchestrated conspiracy, TV is saturated with the values and lifestyle of the conventional masses…with their large houses and mortgages, peer pressure for fitting in, etc., etc. Plugging in so regularly to the dominant culture can make it harder to maintain one’s resolve and clarity on one’s unconventional lifestyle.
And simplifying life is what so many vandwellers have chosen. It worries me that all that noise and chatter and mental and emotional clutter that tumble out of the TV into our vans and minds and hearts…is a way to lose so much of the simplicity that was won at the high price of leaving Sticks ‘n bricks behind.
Furthermore, one of the greatest health risks–associated in many recent studies with disease and early death–is being sedentary, mostly from sitting and watching TV.
And psychologically, TV watching is generally passive, in contrast to doing something creative or active, whether writing a poem or carving a wooden spoon or taking a walk…or even watching how-to videos on YouTube. Passivity tends to not be as good for the spirit.
Having said all that, it’s of course true that TV is not damaging for everyone, and that each individual should be able to make his lifestyle choices, those which affect him alone, without reproach from others.
It’s also true that a little distraction and entertainment–in other words, TV in small doses–is probably healthy for many people. It can take the edge off loneliness, boredom, sadness, etc. (The trouble is that it’s very difficult to use such a powerful medium in moderation.)
In conclusion, for myself I would weigh the pros and cons–both in terms of financial and administrative freedom and in terms of health and well-being, physical, emotional, and spiritual.
I’m sure the right decision will vary from person to person, and depending on their stage of life and other individual circumstances. And, after all, perhaps the most prominent feature of vandwelling is being one’s own person, and making one’s own choices.
As always, Michael, very well thought-out and reasoned argument leading you to make the very best decision for you. But, I tend to agree with what Margo said:
“I don’t live small and mobile to give up luxuries. I do it so I can travel and afford luxuries!!”
There are many luxuries I gave up and have never even slightly regretted. I don’t need a shower or a toilet or even a small house. Don’t miss them even a little. However, I missed TV, and so now I have it. My goal wasn’t to live in simplicity and poverty, it was to be happy. TV makes me happier. Bob
Some folks don’t seem to get it: People come to van-dwelling for many reasons. We’er not all broke, escapist nor someone looking to change the world. I just wanted to quit working full time and travel.
Charles, you are so right, there are as many reasons we live in a van as there are vandwellers. But I think your reason is probably one of the most common.
Bob
Thanks for the lead on http://www.rvsatelliteinfo.com/. I have been doing OTA tv for a while and was considering switching over.
RV AJ, I am really glad I got satellite TV. Whenever I move I don’t setup the dish until the next day and I miss not having TV that evening. I usually turn it on at about 7:00 pm and watch till 10:30. O probably watch the History channel more than any other except maybe CBS. I have the premium channels for free for 3 months and they have many series I really enjoy. I may pay for them after they start charging. But they are a lot of money. Setting up the dish is not that hard, you get used to it.
I have no regrets at all in getting DirectTV!
Bob
I’m less interested in TV via satellite than I am internet via satellite. I’d like to be able to connect anywhere and have unlimited data. And without paying an arm and a leg.
Hi Al, I have friends with Internet Satellite, but they don’t recommend it for the general public. They have given me a long-list of its problems and it doesn’t sound good. He is one of those guys that can make anything work so he gets around all the problems. But if you don’t want to have to fight it to get it to work, it really isn’t for you. I wish I had better news for you.
Bob
We use Excede satellite internet, it takes about 30minutes to setup, and works well. Just point south with a clear view of the sky and you are set! It’s great to have if you are RV’ing and are in the middle of nowhere as it’s a great distraction.