Snowman9000 wrote:

We used our Tailgater for the first time the other day. It worked fine but the local channel handling is a mess IMO. The setup asks you what state you are in. The final step of the setup is the downloading of the program guide. It put our home local channels into the guide because that's what our account showed.

Then if a person tries to select one of those locals, the system fails and has to go through the whole 15 minute setup all over again.

So DISH allows you to call in and change your "service address" to the CG. Which makes me nervous, but it gives you local channels, once you go through the whole setup again. And, if your DW has recordings scheduled back home, she is SOL because your home receivers are now set for the new locals at the CG.

Or you can do a fulltime type option, which gives you Los Angeles locals everywhere. Including your S&B, which is a no-go for us.

I sure didn't know this going in to the Tailgater purchase. Their software should, when it asks what state you are in (for aiming purposes), instead ask you a zip code for aiming AND for locals. The current method is very clunky IMO. We are going to change back to our home locals and make sure we don't try to view them. We will get the major networks off our antenna in the RV if they are available. Otherwise we won't be getting the majors. So our Tailgater will only be useful for the "cable" type networks. I'm not sure, maybe we can route the antenna signal into the receiver and then use the DISH DVR features on those channels. I'll have to look into that.

Just wanted to make sure people understand how this works before buying. I'm not at all sure I would have bought the Tailgater and the hard drive I added for DVR, given this situation. I can use that space in the 5er cargo hold for something else.

Snowman9000 wrote:

We used our Tailgater for the first time the other day. It worked fine but the local channel handling is a mess IMO. The setup asks you what state you are in. The final step of the setup is the downloading of the program guide. It put our home local channels into the guide because that's what our account showed.

Then if a person tries to select one of those locals, the system fails and has to go through the whole 15 minute setup all over again.

So DISH allows you to call in and change your "service address" to the CG. Which makes me nervous, but it gives you local channels, once you go through the whole setup again. And, if your DW has recordings scheduled back home, she is SOL because your home receivers are now set for the new locals at the CG.

Or you can do a fulltime type option, which gives you Los Angeles locals everywhere. Including your S&B, which is a no-go for us.

I sure didn't know this going in to the Tailgater purchase. Their software should, when it asks what state you are in (for aiming purposes), instead ask you a zip code for aiming AND for locals. The current method is very clunky IMO. We are going to change back to our home locals and make sure we don't try to view them. We will get the major networks off our antenna in the RV if they are available. Otherwise we won't be getting the majors. So our Tailgater will only be useful for the "cable" type networks. I'm not sure, maybe we can route the antenna signal into the receiver and then use the DISH DVR features on those channels. I'll have to look into that.

Just wanted to make sure people understand how this works before buying. I'm not at all sure I would have bought the Tailgater and the hard drive I added for DVR, given this situation. I can use that space in the 5er cargo hold for something else.

paulcardoza wrote:

Sounds like you are using the same account for both home and RV? If you want to have different programming options at home versus the RV, you'll need two separate accounts.

Snowman9000 wrote:



Yes, good point. I might have to start a pay as you go account. Assuming I can put my home 211k receiver into the trailer and use it that way.

Moderator's edit: Corrected the quote tag.

Snowman9000 wrote:



Or you can do a fulltime type option, which gives you Los Angeles locals everywhere. Including your S&B, which is a no-go for us.

gkerlin wrote:



Last year I purchased the Wineguard Automatic Portable. We traveled for 10 weeks East to West coast and everywhere in between. Our VIP 211 receiver is set as an additional receiver off of our home system since it only costs us $6/month.

Every so often we called dish to change our service address to update our locals. Once in a while the Rep said they couldn't do it when I explained why - so I just called back, got someone else and had it done. Not a big deal but still a PITA. Most of the time we just didn't call dish and didn't have network shows.

All that said - I've heard that if I use an NY or LA address I can get those locals nationwide as they are not on spotbeam... I really dont care about the "locals" - I want ABC CBS NBC etc so that we can watch certain weekly shows and most times we are out in the boonies and cant get a decent over the air signal. This seems like I could call once when we leave home... set a new service address - and forget about it until we get back home.

Is this true? If someone is doing that could you please expand upon it? Such as do I just pick an address out of thin air or what? Tell me what you do.

Thanks

gkerlin wrote:




All that said - I've heard that if I use an NY or LA address I can get those locals nationwide as they are not on spotbeam... I really dont care about the "locals" - I want ABC CBS NBC etc so that we can watch certain weekly shows and most times we are out in the boonies and cant get a decent over the air signal. This seems like I could call once when we leave home... set a new service address - and forget about it until we get back home.

Is this true? If someone is doing that could you please expand upon it? Such as do I just pick an address out of thin air or what? Tell me what you do.

Thanks