RVers Turn Satellite TV Upside Down

RVers love satellite TV because they can take it with them wherever they go. In order to receive satellite programming you must set up your dish and aim it at the appropriate satellite. Many RVers have a satellite antenna on the roof of their RV that automatically "finds" the satellite while other models are operated manually. Many RVers use a tripod system or some other way of setting up and aiming the dish. This RVer used the picnic table for his set-up. The only problem is that the dish hogs up the table.My friend Stet Elliot uses a PVC stand that has a low profile, is wind resistant and turns the satellite dish upside down. Stet has used this system for three years and loves it. You can make a four pier stand or a three pier stand out of PVC fittings. Some RVers fill the PVC stand with cement or sand to give it extra weight and stability. You can make this stand yourself from PVC parts available at your local hardware store. If you will be using it in Canada or Alaska, you should make the riser about four inches taller so you can aim lower on the horrizon. You aim the dish with the assistance of some basic math. Pull the elevation off the TV for the zip code where you are located then subtract that number from 90 and use that number to set the elevation scale on the dish. The azimuth is the same. If you don’t glue everything together, you can easily break this stand down for compact RV storage. Yet another application affording you more flexibility in your RV travels. Jim

Make Your Toy Hauler More Powerful!

Bob Kendall wanted to have a desk in the back of his toy hauler 5th wheel, but there was no 110 power, phone line, 12 volt outlet, or satellite cable hook-up. He uses a satellite internet system and needs a convenient place to hook into his modem. He designed this multi-function box that includes all the functions he needs in a very nice application. As you can see he ran conduit up from the floor into the box which is screwed into the bulkhead (Navy talk for “wall”). After he removes his mini-cooper out of the toy hauler, he has easy access to his electrical and cable hook-ups when he sets up his desk.

Get Hooked Up With Satellite Internet On The Road

Glenn Simpson likes to say, “Do you want me to tell you the truth or do you just want me to make you feel better?” He is a straight shooter who knows his stuff when it comes to internet satellite applications. He has been selling satellite internet systems since 2003 and is a super nice guy (honest too). He has been a featured speaker/lecturer/expert panel member at the Gila Bend Hughes.net satellite rally for the last 3 years I’ve been attending and probably even before that. When he gives a presentation, people listen because he knows what he’s talking about and he also holds some innovative patents on satellite internet gear. He is famous for his “Dish-On-A-Stick.com” website and company. You can reach him through his website here Dish On A Stick or you may call him at (602) 615-2936. Or you may email him at grsimpson@earthlink.net.

Glenn is a full time RVer and has a booth in the Yuma, Arizona Market Place. For these kinds of systems it is best that you actually physically go and purchase the system from someone like Glenn because you will get a fully functioning system with no problems and you will get something even more valuable, personalized instruction on how to set-up and maintain this system.

Innovative Satellite Dish Mount

As a group RVers are some of the most innovative and creative people you will ever encounter. Allen Gilson has been a full time RVer for 6 ½ years and loves the lifestyle. Allen is from upstate New York and retired from IBM. He also enjoys being connected to the internet while traveling around the country. But unlike the majority of his fellow satellite internet enthusiasts who use tripods to mount their “dish” Allen opted to turn his Kar Kaddy into a satellite dish platform.
After he takes his car off the Kar Kaddy, he positions it so his satellite dish has optimum exposure to the southern sky then bolts the mast (pole) to the Kar Kaddy tongue. He puts a post level on the mast, chocks one wheel and uses two blocks of wood to “drop” the other wheel in between until the unit is level.
Once the unit is level side to side, he levels the front by placing small wood planks under the tongue.
He aims the dish and happily surfs the net while his Kar Kaddy does double duty.

When he is ready to leave for another RV adventure, he disassembles the satellite dish and puts it in the back seat and trunk of his car. Now his car is doing double duty as the satellite storage unit. Now that’s innovation! Jim

TV Dishes

Go to any RV park and you will see portable TV Satellite dishes all over the campground. The ubiquitous TV Dish is most often mounted either as a permanent mouunt on the roof of the rig or as a stand alone. Most stand alone dishes are mounted on a tripod. I have seen other configurations, the most notible one being one mounted on PVC pipe and inverted to make a lower profile for wind resistance. Many RV'rs with a permanently mounted roof dish will also carry a stand alone dish for times when they are parked under a tree or other obstacle that would prevent optimum signal from the roof mounted dish. They usually have several lengths of cable 25, 50 and 100 feet for various contingencies. If you have comments about your dish or ideas about how to make them more effective or links to other sites with more information, please leave a comment for others. Thanks, and Blessings! Jim

Satellite Internet Perfect for RVs

We are traveling today, so I am posting this on the 20th for the 21st posting.You may be wondering how we manage our stock transactions, banking and bill paying. We do it all on line. Online banking is safe and secure (as long as you have a firewall, good passwords and don't do stupid stuff like answer an email purportedly from Ebay saying you just bought a new set of tires while in Alabama but you are in Arizona -Yikes I better answer them right back and get those tires taken off my account -then the email asks you for your password...No, No, No, NO! - FIRST - log off - then log back on to the site you know is the REAL Ebay and then do the inquiry using your password - got it? Good!) So how do we get the internet while on the road? Sattelite. We subscribe to Hughes Sattelite and enjoy high speed internet whether we are in Nova Scotia, Canada or Scottsdale, Arizona. I like the tripod model (roof mount is available and more expensive) because you can move it to where the reception is the best. I drilled holes into the side of the trailer where the sattelite modem is located and inserted the cable fittings. Both Marilyn and I have wireless enabled laptop computers through a Linksys wireless router. the printer is also wireless. Very convienient to use as you can use your computer outside as well as at the desk.

I secure the tripod with two stakes at opposite angels and secure the stake eyes with a caribiner, tensioner connected to a chain which is secured to the tripod eyebolt.

If you want to purchase one of these systems, just post your email and I will put you in contact with a vendor. The price for the whole set-up is around $1,300.00. However it can be done cheaper. The fee is around $60.00 a month and you must sign up for a two year contract. The nice thing about this system is that if you are not a full-time RV'er you can use it at home and then take it on the road with you. It disassembles for easy storage.

RV and Satellite Radio

A satellite radio is an excellent companion for RV’ers. It used to be that when you were camping out in the boonies or traveling along I-80 through Nevada you couldn’t get radio reception. Not anymore! Now you can get all the radio programs you want for a small investment and a low monthly fee. There are currently two satellite radio companies you can use – XM™ or Sirius™. What you need. 1. A receiver. 2. An antenna. 3. A FM radio or a set of headphones. I purchased the XM Rodie ™ from Staples for $80.00 and it came with the automobile installation kit which includes a cradle, cigarette lighter power plug, and a magnetic antenna. I mounted the cradle on the dash and ran the antenna wire along the inside of my door frame weather stripping (easy) and the magnet attaches to the roof. I drilled two tiny holes and mounted the receiver cradle on the dash of the truck. You can play this through your FM radio or plug earphones into the cradle. I usually use the earphones. You can pass many a mile enjoying music, news, financial reports, NPR, comedy and whatever your heart desires.

Once we are set up at the RV park I pull the receiver off the cradle in the truck then put it into my XM boom box for indoors. The boom box is weather resistant and can be used outside as well as inside. I don’t know how it works, but the antenna is able to pick up satellite inside the RV. It has a remote control and has good sound quality. You may also use headphones with the boom box. I bought the boom box at WalMart for $80.00.

I pay $12.00 a month, but you must purchase a year in advance. If you sign up for more years the price gets cheaper – down to about $10.00 a month.

If you don’t want the boom box, you can purchase an indoor kit for around $50.00 and play it through your RV’s built in FM stereo system. It operates the same as in your automobile – by playing through an unused channel on your FM radio.

You can preprogram the XM radio to all your favorite stations. This makes it easy to change stations when you are driving. They also have holiday programming. From now until Christmas, we are listening to a variety of Christmas music – all without commercial interruption!

Only the music channels are free of commercials. The talk and news stations have commercials. One of my favorites for the RV lifestyle is the Weather Channel. This feature alone is worth the price of the system!!