[bikestuff]

Gang,

I have a Windgard SK-3005 antenna and regular Directv receivers.  Last year,  I noticed that I was not receiving some stations.   I did some research and found out that Directv had moved some programming to the 109 satellite (which is not tracked by the SK-3005).  Winegard said that I needed the new SWM-3 antenna ($$$$).  Further research indicated that there is a device called a Swm Switch that will convert the signals in a way that allows you to get the other stations.  I will let you know if it works.

In the meantime, I wanna upgrade my Directv receivers to Genie type with the DVR functions.  I am getting the total run-around.  Newell says to talk to Directv.  Directv says to talk to Winegard since it is in an RV.  (They did offer to send one of their "technicians" to my RV to install but earliest date was two weeks from now).

So...Have any of you guys upgraded your directv receivers?  How did you do it?  I could not find the base unit on amazon.

Cheers,
bill

[Fulltiming]

Bill, I use a MotoSat Satellite Internet Dish with a BOW (Bird On A Wire) attachment that has the same DirecTV SL3 head that is used on DirecTV home dishes. With that, I just plugged in my Genie in place of my older DirecTV DVR and it works great. Can't help on the Winegard antenna. I do have to use a SWM switch and power injector just like a home installation would.

[Chester Stone]

I installed a Genie receiver in my coach two years ago. At the time, I was able to talk them into mailing it to me since their technician is not allowed to climb onto a motorhome. My receiver is a Genie HR 44---700 and I recently tried to upgrade to a HR 54 which is required to receive the three ultra high def. channels. My coach is stored in Mexico and I was unable to talk them into mailing it to me. I will have to wait until I have the coach in the US again and then they should deliver the upgrade to my coach. My Winegard HD antenna is a problem. It often stalls and I suspect the coach has to be very level for it to not stall.

[encantotom]

hi bill,

about 4 years ago i put on a gen 1 RF Mogul Direct TV system (SWM). The swm systems mean you only need a single coax to the dish from the receiver and the control wires. much cleaner install.

it worked great until i went on the trip to the rally this year. then it wouldnt align. called RF mogul and they said since it a gen 1 system (their first one) and the satellite thing you are talking about, that it was not upgradable. they had used a south korean subcontractor for the control box and that contractor didnt want to do any more work for them.

so, i had to buy a complete new system which they offered for what they said was near their cost. 1200. i got it sent to steve magowns, then picked it up while i was at his house and michael day and i installed it at his house in austin. took us about 2-3 hours. it works great and now they offer a lifttime guarantee on changes for it. so i should be set. they are a great company to work with.

as for the genie. i use the same genie box i have in the house. i see no need to pay for two complete accounts. i just take the main box out of the house and put it in the coach. if i want the smaller genie clients for the tvs in the bedroom and bay i just take those to. i did buy an additional power supply for the main genie to keep in the coach. only downside to this is you lose your local stations, but i also have an over the air antenna which gets them or if the park has cable or i just stream them later.

tom

[Richard]

We use DirectTV and have for ten years. We have the Winegard with the SWM setup. If you can get the HR54 receiver because it has the power inserter and the internet interface built in. Previous versions of the receiver required separate components for those two operations. The client boxes allow you to watch other TVs in other locations. One client box per additional TV.

So to get to what I think you really are asking. The receiver connects to the Winegard via standard coax cabling. The winegard requires a second connection cable for it's power and communication to the dish controller. The clients for the additional TVs talk to the receiver using coax cabling. To make this work in the coach or in a house, all the coax cables need to connect to a SWM splitter. It is easy to do this in the coach, you just have to sort through the jungle in the overhead console to see which coax goes to which TV.

We move the receiver and the client box from the house to the coach when we travel. It takes about two minutes per to hook them up. That way Rhonda has everything she has recorded at home to watch on the road.

If you will go to the trouble of setting up DNS (distant network services) with DirectTV you can get the network feeds from either the east or west coast, so that you don't lose network coverage when you travel outside of your home zone. It also helps if you record a lot of network serial TV shows to set up the recorder on the DNS feed so you don't have to reprogram the receiver when you travel. DNS is not a DirectTV gimmick, it is an FCC thing, so don't think Direct is trying to hassle you by having you fill out the form.

If you have Direct install a system at your house, all you need is the Winegard with SWM on the Newell. If you already have a Winegard, I think you can simply buy a SWM style LNB for the existing dish. Keeping in mind the SWM systems need a power inserter that the old school LNBs did not.

BTW, if you need a power inserter, I have three that are no longer in use. It's a long story.