I have and R-15 and a single LNB antenna on my motorhome. It has an automatic KVH antenna that finds the 101 satellite with the flip of a switch. I spend most of my time in the Seattle/Tacoma market. I can drive my motorhome anywhere in Washington state and most of Oregon and still receive my Seattle locals.
I am now traveling in California. Yesterday I was near Los Banos, which is about 100 miles southeast of San Francisco. I called to switch my "service address" thinking I would get San Francisco locals. Giving the exact address for the RV Campground I was in, I got a lot of confusion and nothing between channels 1 and 70. Did I pick an address where there were no locals?
I want the "spot beam" turned on for the nearest major city. I will be spending a month in a small town 60 miles northeast of San Diego. Should I give DirecTV an address in San Diego?
I thought it was simple. Apparently I don't understand how "locals" work. Suggestions please?
Thanks.
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Bill, a DirecTV customer since 1999
Condo:
Antenna: Slimline AU9
Living Room: HR21-700 > Panasonic 42” Plasma with Bose CineMate sound
Motorhome: 2004 40' Beaver
Engine: ISC 350 Cummins
Antennas: KVH R5 - in motion or a standard oval single LNB dish if the R5 is blocked by a tree
Front: R15-500 > 30" Sharp Aquos LCD
Back: 19 "Sony CRT
I have and R-15 and a single LNB antenna on my motorhome. It has an automatic KVH antenna that finds the 101 satellite with the flip of a switch. I spend most of my time in the Seattle/Tacoma market. I can drive my motorhome anywhere in Washington state and most of Oregon and still receive my Seattle locals.
I am now traveling in California. Yesterday I was near Los Banos, which is about 100 miles southeast of San Francisco. I called to switch my "service address" thinking I would get San Francisco locals. Giving the exact address for the RV Campground I was in, I got a lot of confusion and nothing between channels 1 and 70. Did I pick an address where there were no locals?
I want the "spot beam" turned on for the nearest major city. I will be spending a month in a small town 60 miles northeast of San Diego. Should I give DirecTV an address in San Diego?
I thought it was simple. Apparently I don't understand how "locals" work. Suggestions please?
Thanks.
Locals sit on multiple satellites. My locals in Vegas are on the 119 degree satellite. The locals in L.A. and New York are on the 101 satellite. Varies by where you are.
Will your KVH dish track all of DirecTVs non-hd satellites? Or just the 101. If it's just the 101, you're going to have problems picking up locals.
Also, your receiver needs to know it has access to multiple satellites. If you tell it it can only get the 101 satellite, your receiver will refuse to pickup channels that aren't on the 101. (So you have to re-run the satellite setup and select 3LNB, as in 101, 110, and 119).
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Locals sit on multiple satellites. My locals in Vegas are on the 119 degree satellite. The locals in L.A. and New York are on the 101 satellite. Varies by where you are.
Will your KVH dish track all of DirecTVs non-hd satellites? Or just the 101. If it's just the 101, you're going to have problems picking up locals.
Also, your receiver needs to know it has access to multiple satellites. If you tell it it can only get the 101 satellite, your receiver will refuse to pickup channels that aren't on the 101. (So you have to re-run the satellite setup and select 3LNB, as in 101, 110, and 119).
Thanks for the reply.
My KVH antenna locks onto a single satellite. It was developed when it didn't need to be smart enough to switch satellites. Apparently, the Seattle locals are on the 101 because it works perfectly there.
So if I drive to a different area, would I have to provide an address where the locals are on the 101?
How do I determine what markets or cities are on the 101? If I knew that, I could use a RV Campground directory and pick an address.
I'm not trying to fool DirecTV. I think I pay for locals so I think I should be able to get them for a city near where I am.
__________________
Bill, a DirecTV customer since 1999
Condo:
Antenna: Slimline AU9
Living Room: HR21-700 > Panasonic 42” Plasma with Bose CineMate sound
Motorhome: 2004 40' Beaver
Engine: ISC 350 Cummins
Antennas: KVH R5 - in motion or a standard oval single LNB dish if the R5 is blocked by a tree
Front: R15-500 > 30" Sharp Aquos LCD
Back: 19 "Sony CRT
If it were up to DirecTV, they'd let you get whatever locals you want. But its not. Its up to the FCC and the networks (and their local affiliates). I beleive there is a resource on DirecTVs website for determining where locals come via zip code. We may have a list here on the board that I will attempt to look for right now.
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To my knowledge, the only locals available in Calif on the 101 are from San Fran, Sacramento, LA, and San Diego. They are all on spot beams with maybe exception of LA. These would all be SD if you are only able to see the 101 with your dish.
You can check www.directv.com/locals to verify your address/zip code at the RV park is in one of the four above cities. If your RV park is not in one of the above cities, you might not be able to get the locals without changing your dish.
Best bet would be to call care, let them know of your situation of being in at RV park, and they will be able to help. They just need to verify that your RV address is in the correct DMA. If memory serves me correctly, Los Banos would fall under Fresno-Visalia DMA, which is on the 119 and is the reason it was not working with your setup.
Wont this be an issue alot going forward though? I mean arnt alot of the locals on 99 and 103 now? If has a single LNB dish and only gets 101 then I dont see how that would work very well.
Those pages tell you which channels are on which of DirecTVs Standard Def broadcasting satellites. 101 is the only one you can pick up with your dish but atleast those pages will tell you whats where.
Wont this be an issue alot going forward though? I mean arnt alot of the locals on 99 and 103 now? If has a single LNB dish and only gets 101 then I dont see how that would work very well.
HD locals are on 99/103.
The OP has an R15 (non HD DVR)
non-issue.
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My recommendation:
Use DirecTVs page to find out which locals are available in your area, then find out where those locals come from.
If you are supposed to be able to receive a certain cities locals, and that cities locals are on the 101 satellite, your receiver shouldnt have an issue picking them up.
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Wont this be an issue alot going forward though? I mean arnt alot of the locals on 99 and 103 now? If has a single LNB dish and only gets 101 then I dont see how that would work very well.
HD locals are on 99/103.
The OP has an R15 (non HD DVR)
non-issue.
Thats part of my point though. With alot of DMA's being HD wont this cause alot of problems for a traveler with only getting signal from 101?
...
You're missing the big picture.
Anyone who has an HD receiver is going to need to get more than the 101 if they want HD. They'll need the 99/103. Since the HD locals and the HD nationals are all on the 99/103, any HD traveler who wants HD locals or HD nationals is going to need a dish compatible with 99/103.
75% of travelers know this or are about to find out.
The OP has a non HD receiver. As do most of us who travel in RVs. Plenty of people have HD receivers, and HD DVRs, but for a service with limited use while you're on the road (unless you have an automatic tracking KVH dish like the op has), you dont "need" HD. Especially for "snowbirds" who are just traveling along the country but would like access to local news.
SD locals are on SD broadcasting birds. HD locals are on HD broadcasting birds. If the OP lived in an MPEG-4 market where their "sd" locals were on an HD broadcasting bird, they would be well aware of all this because they wouldnt be getting their OWN locals.
Unless you have the misguided belief that once locals are broadcast in HD, they are no longer broadcast in SD...?
In that case, no. I get my Sin City SD locals from the 119 and my Sin City HD locals from the 99.
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...
Unless you have the misguided belief that once locals are broadcast in HD, they are no longer broadcast in SD...?
In that case, no. I get my Sin City SD locals from the 119 and my Sin City HD locals from the 99.
Maybe thats it. I was under the impression if they offered locals in a market in HD that you had HD locals and not SD. Seems like a waste to offer them in both SD and HD but then again I guess there are alot out there that dont have HD recievers. I just thought there was a lot of HD only local markets that would cause alot of problems with getting locals for a RV user if you were only able to get signal from 101.
Maybe thats it. I was under the impression if they offered locals in a market in HD that you had HD locals and not SD. Seems like a waste to offer them in both SD and HD but then again I guess there are alot out there that dont have HD recievers. I just thought there was a lot of HD only local markets that would cause alot of problems with getting locals for a RV user if you were only able to get signal from 101.
Yea... The HD market share just is NOT that big...
DirecTV would have to hand out MPEG-4 compatible equipment for free like they did in the MPEG-4 markets before they could turn off the SD locals in any other market...
Consider all the households that have 1 HD receiver (HD / HDDVR) and multiple SD receivers. None of those SD receivers would get locals....
So it's not really a waste.
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For the OP, getting a multi-satellite dish and a tripod ground mount would allow you to set up for reception at any location. As long as you are going to be staying someplace for long enough to make setting up and aligning the dish worth the effort. This is a very common solution for RV users.
There were two parts I didn't understand. I thought all the SD locals were on the 101. I also thought you could tell DirecTV where your were and they would change "the service address" so that you could get locals for the nearest city channels that were on the 101.
Now I think I understand that you have to provide and address from one of the major 101 cities. To do that I have two choices: Drive to one of those cities or pretend I have driven there! I will do one or the other and report back with results.
Additional background for those that are interested in "mobile" DirecTV:
-DirecTV actively seeks mobile customers on their website.
-In the early days, the only network channels came from the east and west coasts. Now that is called Distant Network Services (or DNS). To get it you have to file paper work called a "waiver". The waiver has to be approved by your local stations at your "home base". About a half million people live in their RVs and many use a relative's address for the "home base".
-DNS costs an extra $12 per month. I had it for a long time but shut it off 6 months ago to save a little cash.
-KVH is a major supplier of mobile dish antennas to the military and marine markets. They also have a few models for the RV/Truck market.
-The model KVH I have sits under a plastic dome and actively tracks the satellite. Someone can watch TV while I'm driving down the road.
-Because I have an R-15 with a hard disk, I normally turn the entire system off to protect the drive from potholes and expansion joints.
-To my knowledge nobody has yet offered an "in motion" dish system that will track multiple satellites. That was changing until the RV market crashed!
-For multiple satellite tracking most in a RV set up the dish each time they stop. They ether use a tripod and do it by hand or they have an automatic one that is an open dish (not under a dome). The leading brand of open dish is MotoSat.
__________________
Bill, a DirecTV customer since 1999
Condo:
Antenna: Slimline AU9
Living Room: HR21-700 > Panasonic 42” Plasma with Bose CineMate sound
Motorhome: 2004 40' Beaver
Engine: ISC 350 Cummins
Antennas: KVH R5 - in motion or a standard oval single LNB dish if the R5 is blocked by a tree
Front: R15-500 > 30" Sharp Aquos LCD
Back: 19 "Sony CRT
-In the early days, the only network channels came from the east and west coasts. Now that is called Distant Network Services (or DNS). To get it you have to file paper work called a "waiver". The waiver has to be approved by your local stations at your "home base". About a half million people live in their RVs and many use a relative's address for the "home base".
-DNS costs an extra $12 per month. I had it for a long time but shut it off 6 months ago to save a little cash.
-KVH is a major supplier of mobile dish antennas to the military and marine markets. They also have a few models for the RV/Truck market.
-The model KVH I have sits under a plastic dome and actively tracks the satellite. Someone can watch TV while I'm driving down the road.
-Because I have an R-15 with a hard disk, I normally turn the entire system off to protect the drive from potholes and expansion joints.
-To my knowledge nobody has yet offered an "in motion" dish system that will track multiple satellites. That was changing until the RV market crashed!
-For multiple satellite tracking most in a RV set up the dish each time they stop. They ether use a tripod and do it by hand or they have an automatic one that is an open dish (not under a dome). The leading brand of open dish is MotoSat.
Mostly correct, but there is another option. If you have an RV AND a standard household account with DirecTV, you can file their RV waiver form and set up a separate secondary account for the RV. No approvals from local stations are required. You then get DNS locals from east or west coast depending on the location of the "primary" household account.
The hitch, of course, is that it will cost you a lot more than $12 extra a month. In fact you get to pay the full rate for two D* accounts. You also apparently can't get stuff like PPV and NFL ST in the RV.
I chose to go this route with my Motosat setup on a 45' Newell coach. Works well. You are correct, RV owners are forced to choose between having in-motion limited SD TV, or having HD and full channel coverage. Since I just got done refitting the coach with all-HD electronics, I chose the latter. I don't see the possibility of in-motion HD for RVs happening anytime soon, the dome would have to be too big. (They do make one now for boats, and it's huge.)
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I have an RV. I have two receivers at home, both HD. I will have a dish that receives 99 101 103 that I set up at my RV. When RV'ing, can I take one of the receivers from home I call DirecTV each place I camp - which might change several times a week - and just ask them to change the address assigned based on where I am camped so that I can get whatever spot beams are available in that area? In other words, how often will DirecTV allow you to change your service address?
I have an RV. I have two receivers at home, both HD. I will have a dish that receives 99 101 103 that I set up at my RV. When RV'ing, can I take one of the receivers from home I call DirecTV each place I camp - which might change several times a week - and just ask them to change the address assigned based on where I am camped so that I can get whatever spot beams are available in that area? In other words, how often will DirecTV allow you to change your service address?
I'm the OP.
I'm currently confused. 6 months ago when I stopped my DNS service to save the $12 per month the customer care representative said I could change the "service address" any time I wanted.
This week the first CSR said OK and changed it. Trouble was that I unknowingly used an address where the locals came from something other than the primary 101 satellite. Confused, I called again and the next CCR said it was policy to not change the "service address".
The next place I'm going, the locals are on the 101. So I will call again and see what policy the CSR will follow.
The hard part for you may be setting up the dish you have. I'm guessing it is a "Slimline". They are more complicated than setting up the traditional oval dishes with one LNB pointed at the 101 satellite.
__________________
Bill, a DirecTV customer since 1999
Condo:
Antenna: Slimline AU9
Living Room: HR21-700 > Panasonic 42” Plasma with Bose CineMate sound
Motorhome: 2004 40' Beaver
Engine: ISC 350 Cummins
Antennas: KVH R5 - in motion or a standard oval single LNB dish if the R5 is blocked by a tree
Front: R15-500 > 30" Sharp Aquos LCD
Back: 19 "Sony CRT
Mostly correct, but there is another option. If you have an RV AND a standard household account with DirecTV, you can file their RV waiver form and set up a separate secondary account for the RV. No approvals from local stations are required. You then get DNS locals from east or west coast depending on the location of the "primary" household account.
The hitch, of course, is that it will cost you a lot more than $12 extra a month. In fact you get to pay the full rate for two D* accounts. You also apparently can't get stuff like PPV and NFL ST in the RV.
I chose to go this route with my Motosat setup on a 45' Newell coach. Works well. You are correct, RV owners are forced to choose between having in-motion limited SD TV, or having HD and full channel coverage. Since I just got done refitting the coach with all-HD electronics, I chose the latter. I don't see the possibility of in-motion HD for RVs happening anytime soon, the dome would have to be too big. (They do make one now for boats, and it's huge.)
Keith
I was encouraged by DirecTV to have a reciever or two in my condo and another in my RV on the same account. When and why did that policy change? I've had an RV and DirecTV for a long time and I've never met anybody with two accounts that pay twice! $100 a month is more than enough to watch TV. They will get $0 before they get $200!
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Bill, a DirecTV customer since 1999
Condo:
Antenna: Slimline AU9
Living Room: HR21-700 > Panasonic 42” Plasma with Bose CineMate sound
Motorhome: 2004 40' Beaver
Engine: ISC 350 Cummins
Antennas: KVH R5 - in motion or a standard oval single LNB dish if the R5 is blocked by a tree
Front: R15-500 > 30" Sharp Aquos LCD
Back: 19 "Sony CRT
I was encouraged by DirecTV to have a reciever or two in my condo and another in my RV on the same account. When and why did that policy change? I've had an RV and DirecTV for a long time and I've never met anybody with two accounts that pay twice! $100 a month is more than enough to watch TV. They will get $0 before they get $200!
The policy hasnt changed muched. Theyve just made more options, choice is good. Its easier for some people to have 2 accounts, dont ask me why because I dont know.
Technically, if you're in your RV, DirecTV doesnt want anyone using your receivers at home, if you tell DirecTV that isnt possible, they want you to have 2 seperate accounts. DirecTV wont know that you're watching TV from your RV and TV from your 'home' at the same time unless you tell them. Ethical/Not, that's just how it is.
I have 3 receivers in my RV, and 6 receivers in the house. I activate/deactivate them on a regular basis depending on my needs.
In RE: to the locals. As carl6 stated, not all locals are on the 101. Most are. Spot beams do effect some people. My locals here in vegas are on a spot beam on the 119, so if I travel to California, seeing as that the spot beam is only ~50 miles if I remember correctly, I wouldnt be able to receive my LV locals, because I'd be outside the spot beam.
There is no reason you cant change your service address. Sometimes, the receivers don't update immediately, or don't update at all. Thats when a reset comes in. I remember a guy a few years back who moved and 2 of his receivers refused to take his new address, he ended up having to get new equipment after trouble-shooting for 2 weeks.
Use the link I gave you earlier for DirecTVs LiL check. That'll tell you what city you can get your locals out of. Then use the LyngSat pages to find out what satellite those channels come from. If the locals come from the 101, and you're within the city limits, you don't have to worry about the spot beam. You may need to reset your receiver, refresh your receiver, and if neither of those work try re-running the satellite dish setup (on the receiver). I imagine you would choose 'Round 18"' as your KVH dish.
Thanks for all the mobile info. Personally, Having had a boat, Jet Ski's, RVs, and done cross-country travelling, as well as extensive research into DNS, I can't say I learned anything, but its good to know that you're pretty knowledgeable about how your account is supposed to work.
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Confused, I called again and the next CCR said it was policy to not change the "service address".
There is a policy in place not to arbitrarily change the service address.
This is because plenty of sports fans call in trying to change their service address so they can watch out of market sports games.
You can't call in and tell DirecTV you're in one place but want the locals for another place nearby. If the CSR changes your address for that Direct reason, they're violating a federal law.
You can however, call in and tell DirecTV that you're in your RV and have moved to X camp site, and give them that service address. I personally wouldnt give DirecTV an address in LA, for example, unless I was actually in LA, but thats just part of my ethics. (LA's locals are on the 101 satellite, non spot beam, as those are used for DNS, so are New Yorks).
Note that DNS locals (LA and New York) tend to be blacked out (sporting wise) more often than usual. Its to keep people from using DNS as a loophole to watching games they shouldnt have access to.
//
If a CSR utterly refuses to change your service address, please try not to get frustrated with them. They're trying to do their job and obey the law. Politely end the call, wait a few minutes, and call back. Explain to the next CSR that you're in your RV, if they still refuse to change your address, politely request to speak with a supervisor. If there is a prime sporting event going on at the time (suchas a major football game), CSRs/Supervisors are less likely to change your address while that inparticular event is in session.
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After using the information provided in this thread I was sure San Diego channels 6, 8, 10 and 39 (among others) would be provided on the 101 to the service address in zip 92004. The map of the spot beam covers Borrego Springs, CA.
A very nice CSR made the change in address. I did a menu reset. No locals. I did a reset on the DirecTV web site. No locals.
I called a second very nice CSR who coached me through "reprogramming" from the menu and did another reset from her end. She confirmed that I "should" be getting 6, 8, 10 and 39.
Still no locals.
I think the solution will be to watch locals on an over the air antenna or cable. The only disadvantage is that I can't use the DVR.
Bummer when I thought it should work.
__________________
Bill, a DirecTV customer since 1999
Condo:
Antenna: Slimline AU9
Living Room: HR21-700 > Panasonic 42” Plasma with Bose CineMate sound
Motorhome: 2004 40' Beaver
Engine: ISC 350 Cummins
Antennas: KVH R5 - in motion or a standard oval single LNB dish if the R5 is blocked by a tree
Front: R15-500 > 30" Sharp Aquos LCD
Back: 19 "Sony CRT
If you have an RV receiver on your home account. Changing your address is against the TOS and gets into areas that close threads. You would need to stay inside the spot beam for your area.
If you want local affiliates in an RV no matter what you need to have a second account setup and then ask them to send you the RV/Truck DNS request. It's a legal form you can fill out and submit documentation with.
