Portable satellite for tailgating

[NPIndy]

I've got DirecTV and will have ESPN Gameplan for the college football season. I want to take my two receivers and set up two tvs for tailgating. I am looking at this satellite kit to get to use for it. I can't post the link since this is my first post, but it is a Winegard 18" with DSS Dual output LNBF and 3' Tripod with a 24" mast.
Is this going to work to pick up all the college football games I want (which is all of them)? It is not a Dish 500, but it says it works for DirecTV and Dish Network Legacy systems. Also, I have never set up a dish myself, so what do I need to know to point it at the right satellite to get the channels I want. Should I definitely get the signal finder? BTW, the tailgate location is less than half a mile from where I live in Bloomington, IN. Thanks.

[rbpeirce]

I've got DirecTV and will have ESPN Gameplan for the college football season. I want to take my two receivers and set up two tvs for tailgating. I am looking at this satellite kit to get to use for it. I can't post the link since this is my first post, but it is a Winegard 18" with DSS Dual output LNBF and 3' Tripod with a 24" mast.
Is this going to work to pick up all the college football games I want (which is all of them)? It is not a Dish 500, but it says it works for DirecTV and Dish Network Legacy systems. Also, I have never set up a dish myself, so what do I need to know to point it at the right satellite to get the channels I want. Should I definitely get the signal finder? BTW, the tailgate location is less than half a mile from where I live in Bloomington, IN. Thanks.


I have a tripod and a standard D* dish I bought on Ebay. If you know your zip code, your receiver will tell you how to aim the dish. If you want to fine-tune that, you can buy a signal meter on eBay as well. You need a compasss and a level to make sure your post is vertical and the dish is aimed correctly. It is pretty easy.

[JLucPicard]

NPIndy,

Welcome to DBSTalk!

I have held "PPV in the Park" parties for wrestling PPVs and taken Sunday Ticket on the road for football parties at friend's homes. As rbpeirce said, it is not all that hard. You will need a level and a decent compass to find your starting points based on the zip code in which your set up is located.

Here is a link (just the first one that hit on a Google search) that shows one set up:

http://www.sadoun.com/Sat/Products/Winegard/RV-Kit-Winegard-18-Inch+Antenna.htm

Obviously levelling and pointing and getting electrical to the whole thing will be the big issues (aside from a buddy getting really loaded and falling into the whole set up and killing things ). A signal finder may help. I just dealt with the receiver's signal meter and the "move three degrees" thing when I set mine up. If you will be able to set it up without eight people over your shoulder jawing at you, the receiver's tools should work just fine. If there will be a good deal of distraction around you, investment in a signal finder may be worth it.

Good Luck!


By the way, mounting the tripod to a board, as shown on that link, is not a bad idea for stability. You can use flat headed bolts with wing nuts (on the top side) to keep the portability factor.

[NPIndy]

Thanks guys,

I think I am going to get the dish from the link you provided, but I will probably get the 2 foot portable tripod because I don't think that tripod attached to the board will work too well in the hilly area I will be in. But, I have an additional question. Is it going to matter which orbital station I point the satellite towards 119 or 110 to be able to pick up ESPN Gameplan, ESPN, and local channels (basically all the channels which would have a game on)? I just want to make sure this dish would work and that I don't need a Dish 500. And yea, I already have the generator lined up for electricity and everything.

[beavis]

It will have to point to 101 to get the Gameplan and ESPN, ESPN 2, etc. As for locals, if they come off of 119 or 72.5, then you won't get them with a phase I dish.

[ClubSteeler]

I drilled my dish into a half-cement block.

Nice and heavy, does not move in the wind.
Every Sunday I go to whereever the NFL party is, set the block out on the patio and tune in the signal in less than 5 minutes.

I'm a local hero to my football fanatic friends, and I never miss a Steeler game!!

[tommygun_00]

I a little confused here b/c I have never actually done this. Can someone help me? Do I need to bring my reciever from home? I'm going about an hour and a half away from my zip code. What's the best setup to have?

Thanx

I drilled my dish into a half-cement block.

Nice and heavy, does not move in the wind.
Every Sunday I go to whereever the NFL party is, set the block out on the patio and tune in the signal in less than 5 minutes.

I'm a local hero to my football fanatic friends, and I never miss a Steeler game!!

[ClubSteeler]

Get a single LNB round dish ,which you can probably find for virtually free, and drill it into the block with some tap cons.
Bring some cable and one of your receivers.
Set the cement block outside where there is a SW view, run the wire through a cracked open window to your receiver and tv.

Once you tune in the sig once and lock the elevation down, its as simple as turning the block left or right until you lock it in.

I'm sure some will debate the morality of this, and that's fine. I paid to see the game and it's nice to not always have my house all messed up after the games. Directv allows dishes on RVs and boats, the only difference here is that technically you are violating your agreement to have a constant landline connection in order to recieve sports programming. I do keep a landline connection all the time (except for 17 sundays a year ;) )

[edmk3000]

Don't forget electrical power! If you are planning on tailgaiting, you will probably not have access to electricity. Therefore, you will need an inverter (with suitable battery) or a generator. I don't recommend a generator because of expense, NOISE, weight, gas and exhaust fumes, etc. For tailgating, you WON'T make friends with a generator!

Look on the back of the receiver, tv/monitor, and anything else you plan to run at the event and add up the wattage of all devices to be used at the same time. Then purchase an inverter that will handle higher continous wattage. (Wattage is usually indicated by a "W" or simply "WATTS."

For example: Receiver=25W TV=75W -- You will need an inverter capable of MORE THAN 100 Watts continuous. Remember too that when some devices start-up (like CRTs), they require even more power than when they are up-and-running. This is often called "surge" power. For a typical receiver and 20" CRT, I recommend a 300W inverter. Tivo's and DVRs require more power than straight receivers.

Inverters are not expensive and are available at most discount big box stores like Kmart, WalMart, Target, Home Depot, BestBuy, PepBoys, etc. A 300W inverter is certainly less than $100 at all of those stores. Walmart seems to have a nice selection. Don't forget an extension cord with two or more outlets.

I would also recommend a 12v battery that is NOT the one in the car you plan on getting home in unless you want to run your engine from time to time to keep the battery charged. And you would still be risking running the battery down. If you only plan on tailgating once or twice, you don't need anything fancy. A regular car battery that is fully charged should give you a few hours. (borrow the battery from the wife's or friend's car!) Some auto parts stores will also sell you a used but fair battery for a discount.

If you plan on getting serious about tailgating or just want to watch tv when the power is out (hurricane season is coming up), invest in a deep cycle battery and a smart battery charger.

Another thing to remember when watching tv outside in the daytime is that CRTs and LCDs don't compete well with the bright sun. You will need to bring some kind of shade with you like a canopy. I learned this lesson on my first outing watching a Shuttle Launch in sunny Florida. I had to keep the tv in the car just to see a dim image on the screen. On a different outing, we brought a projector at night and used the side of a semi-truck for a screen!

Last year after Hurricane Wilma, I was able to run one dtv receiver, a 20" tv, laptop computer, small fan, and fluorescent light for about a week (off and on) while we waited for the power to come back on, using just a fully charged deep cycle battery and 300 watt inverter.

Good luck with your mobile entertainment center!

[Newshawk]

Edmk3000, that sounds like a good suggestion you had. The only thing I'd add to it is a solar panel charger. It might have given you a bit more use from your battery after the hurricane last year.