DSL or cable TV subscriptions aren’t practical for an RV owner who travels from place to place. Fortunately, satellite TV offerings, such as those from DirecTV or DISH Network, allow RV owners to access those services on the road. Satellite dishes range from inexpensive tripod-mounted portable units, to permanent-mount rooftop units. The majority of permanent installations center on a dome-style unit that houses a small dish. Automatic signal seeking eliminates tedious manual dish adjustments. Simply flicking on switch powers up the unit, and it acquires the satellite automatically. Some of these domes have in-motion capability to allow tracking the satellite signal while driving.
Dome-style satellite dishes aren’t perfect, though. The dish must remain fairly small to fit within the dome. This limits how much of the signal it can receive. Signal strength is directly related to the size of the dish reflecting that signal onto the LNB head. Compared to a larger dish, the signal strength of a dome won’t be as strong when the clouds roll in during a storm, which is known as “rain fade.” The dome itself can also hinder signal reception. Dew, frost, or rain droplets on the dome will refract the signal and allow only a portion of the signal through to the internal dish, resulting in further loss of signal.
| Winegard Trav Ler SK 3005 Satellite Tv Tech 001
Every dome unit currently available is limited to the KU band of satellite transmissions. While DISH Network uses KU-band satellites for all of their channels, DirecTV has placed their HD programming on the newer KA-band satellites. The increased bandwidth allows them to offer more HD channels. This means that DirecTV subscribers will only be able to receive standard-definition programming on a dome-style antenna.
These issues are causing many motorhome owners to upgrade to the Winegard Trav’ler unit. The Trav’ler is an open-faced dish without the small size constraints of a dome. The Trav’ler is also an oval dish with multiple LNBs that allow it to receive a greater range of satellites, including DirecTV’s KA-band HD feeds. The system is fully automated, and all it requires is a push of the button to deploy once the RV is parked.
Basic System
We chose Winegard’s Trav’ler SK-3005. The SK-3005 has five LNBs, so it can access any DirecTV satellite, regardless of which side of the country you happen to be traveling on. The Trav’ler has four outputs that can be connected to four receivers or a pair of dual-channel DVRs.
I also added a DECA (DirecTV Ethernet Coax Adaptor), DirecTV’s device to integrate an Internet feed to the entertainment system. A cat5 cable connects the DECA to my air card router and a coax cable is run to the splitter. A small DC power supply plugs into an electrical outlet to power the DECA.
The Results
I now get great HD-quality pictures, and no longer have to switch channel guides or reset the system when switching between our external home feed and the Trav’ler. The Trav’ler is easy to start up. Just push the power button and the system powers up and scans the sky for your satellites, automatically locking onto them perfectly with maximum signal strength. We no longer have to worry about rain fade, morning dew, or frost. The larger reflector gives us a much stronger signal than with the smaller dome, and we can now punch through most clouds with ease and never lose our signal.
| 13: The controller module was placed on a shelf above other systems control panels. A coaxial A/B switch located next to the controller is used to switch between the Trav’ler or an external feed from a tripod-mounted satellite dish.
