General Boards > Technical Support

installing a Direct TV DVR

(1/3) > >>

charlie drake:
Hi BAC members:
Has anyone install a DVR? what needs to be done with a KingDome satellite? we have direct TV. thanks Charlie Drake :-/

Tom Rogers:
I hope you get some good answers because I would like to know myself. I have a direct dish but have not hooked up to direct although I subscribe at my stick home. I've looked at direct receivers at Best Buy and understand the difference in the various models. There's also a Kingdome dish on the rv roof .... previous owner did not like it because he did not receive a good picture when it rained.

Richard And Babs Ames:
The "domes" do not get HD. You can get a wipe at CW that helps cut down with rain fade at camping world along with keeping the dish clean. We find the rain fade about the same as at home. Remember the signal is line of sight so the antenna must have a clear view of the Southern sky. We have an in motion KVH and find it not much of a problem by moving a few feet on the camp site or use our portable Vue Cube with 50ft of cable


 You can mirror "from" your home to the RV for $4.95 per receiver per month. You can feed two receivers as the LNB usually has two hook ups. . Local channels are broadcast on a specific area (foot print) and normally a different satellite so not pratical for a dome to pick up as you are usually too far from your home and it is not practical to switch from one SAT to another as the domes have one LNB.  

If you have the RV "off line" you may have to get it reauthorized but you can usually do it in a few minites with a call or on line and never have to talk to anyone at Direct TV.

As far as I know the electric, plug and in from Sat and out to TV and optional sound are the only hook ups on the DVR/Sat receiver. Check the owners manual prior to purchase. We have used 4 different receivers since 1997 with no problems.

HD antennas are becoming available but are not domed so for stationary viewing only.

Mike And Mary Engen:
We just had our KVH TracVision tied into Direct TV this spring. The installation of the receiver was easy, but it would not see the satellite(s). I called KVH and they gave me the name of one of their shops (Tony's RV in Lexington, SC in case you are near this area-great job) that checked to see why it would not see the satellite. The previous owner had Dish Network and had the dish programmed for that.

Tony's hooked up a computer and programmed it for Direct TV's satellite(s). He then called Direct TV to activate it and it started working almost immediately. Final cost was around $100 for tech time, plus the receiver which I picked up at Radio Shack. Monthly charge is about $5 as it is a second receiver, our stick built house being the first.

Hooking up the receiver was easy, just need to put it in series on the antenna wire from your receiver and your multiplexer line for SAT tv and plug it into 110 volts. Read the manual and it will tell you the rest.

LEAH DRAPER:
I have a 2008 Contessa where the Direct TV box is located in the front Cap cabinetry.  I decided to change the receiver from HD to HD/DVR.  I had a Wineguard dish installed at purchase time rather than the dome upon the Bend Beaver shop recommendation as it presents "less" problems than the domes and can receive HD.  There are two feeds coming in from the dish (factory pre-wiring) so I decided to change out  to the HDDVR.  PROBLEM is that despite my adding two layers of additional insulation in the cabinet, the HD/DVR gets too HOT because it has a hard drive inside and when it does so it goes "out to lunch" or locks up in a self protective mode I guess until the temperature reduces to allow it to return to "normal".  Over the long run what damage this may do is not known, but I can't believe i will be good.  I have (while stationary) used a fan mounted on the raised door to help keep it cool.  There is an A/C vent in the cabinet, but if the A/C isn't running or needed then it doesn't help.  
Space is limited in the cabinet and I have not been able to find a fan small enough to keep it cool that will fit inside the cabinet.  Also most fans I have found are 12v rather than 120, so one has to extend/drape the cord up from the 12v plugs in the dash.  

If it weren't for the location of cabinet/receiver etc in the front cap it might not be a problem.  
Even parked at home (not using the MH) and plugged in with landline the receiver comes on by itself because of the heat and then locks up as mentioned earlier.  I have just about decided to go back to HD non DVR and move the HD/DVR into my home and forget it in the MH.  

Over all, unless you can find some way to keep this "puppy" cool I would not recommend it, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page