Hd Direct tv in a Fishhouse

[Hawg]

I've had analog DTV for years but now DTV will no longer activate or support my analog receiver so I have to go HD or an antenna of some sort. DTV has no tailgator type piece of equipment that gets HD so that's out. Spending $350 -$450 seems crazy for an analog signal to me and used ones seem tough to find. I have a couple questions of you guys using  slimline HD DTV dishes on a HSOList. I'm good at pointing and have a meter so my first question is how touchy they are to aim. My analog was super simple, drop the house, turn the dish to the side till the meter went up and watched tv in just a couple minutes. I've heard nightmare stories of HD dishes but I have to believe many are just old wives tails as I was always amazed at people that couldn't even figure out analog. Those of you that have them, are they really that touchy to aim? My other question is digital antenna. Around the Brainerd area they do fairly well. Does anybody get much or anything for channels up at Red Lake? That's really the only area I travel to but go enough so it's important. 

[Hawg]

Mods, why would you turn fish house into HSO List?

[DougSD]

Hawg, I have used the slimline 3 with HD for at least 5 years now.  I have a signal meter, but never use it.  If I can find south, I can get signal within minutes.  I have a dish at my camper and also use in fish house in winter.  The only time I have trouble is when I am somewhere not real familiar with and get a little mixed up on directions (Upper Red Lake-from SE SD).  I always have a compass with me so I use that always when I am pointing the dish.  Start with straight south and fine tune from there.  Hope this helps.

[Hawg]

Thanks Doug, that's kind of what I figured. Elevation is always the same so it's just a matter of east west right? I have a friend that claims even an inch of snow will mess you up if it's not PERFECT but he told me the same thing back when I first started with sat dishes. I still can't figure out why some people are so confused about using a dish on a fish house though. The HD dishes seem a lot heavier than the old analog ones but if I take it off each time it should be fine. Did you use the two extra support rods or just go without? You must remove it for travel too, don't you? I do have a hard mounted mounting plate so I should be OK. Still curious if anyone has the new good quality digital off air antennas as it would be nice not to have the DTV bill each month. I only care about the networks for football and news.

Edited November 13, 2017 by Hawg

[DougSD]

Yeah you can get the elevation and azimuth from the internet for the zip code you will be at, which doesn't change a lot unless you were going quite a ways away. Then it is just the east west adjustment.  The slimline are bigger but more awkward than anything.  I don't use the support rods.  I just tighten it down real tight.

[Hawg]

I have the coordinates from my old dish. Thank you again. Any digital antenna guys out there?

[Hoey]

Digital antenna guy here.

I had an RV, crank up antenna on my wheel house.  Used it mostly in LOTW and was able to get 12 channels or so.  The 4 broadcast, for profit CBS, NBC, ABC, and Fox plus the .orgs PBS, Native American channel, and dang - can't recall the others.  Always worked fine.  I believe there was a signal booster on it too.  

Had - sold it.