Tell me about your tailgate setup... Recommendations needed

[fairweatherfan]

Specifically your power supply for a tv, dish receiver and a few string lights. Generators, battery inverters, etc. pros and cons.

 

[mjh94]

supplies all the power we need for a 24" flat screen, directv box, a CFL-bulb spotlight, and 2 LED string lights.. if you want more than that, i suggest using a generator. battery/inverter works great, and has never run out of juice in 12-14 hour use spans.

no gas, no fumes, no smell are the pros. having to take back home instead of leaving at storage unit to recharge after every game, power limitations, and having to learn about how deep cycle batteries operate are the cons.

any other questions about our setup, let me know.. we've had no trouble.

 

[Political Hack]

when my power goes out, I can use my generator at home.... but they're way more expensive than the deep cell set up. boat batteries are the best and last longer. you'll need a recharger, an invertor, keep extra fuses on hand for the invertor (that cost us TV one weekend), and some way to keep all of the wires organized. a plastic tub or cart with wheels would be great. Personally I like having the generator, but if you don't want to spend the money, the battery works fine. It's also lighter and more quiet. With a generator though, you can bring fans, crockpots, outdoor AC, blow up Christmas ornaments, electric smoker, etc...

You'll need a stand for your satellite, power strip, extension cords, etc... zip ties always come in handy too. put wheels on everything you can.

 

[Nugdawg]

a small tv etc, then an inverter worked for me for years. But, if you are going with a satellite, TV and other stuff, then anything other than the Honda generator is a bad idea. Bought the Honda last year...it's the best thing going. I know they are more expensive, but this is definitely one of those times when you get what you pay for is true.

I have a similar question for others on this board. The Directv Sat-Go...anyone have any good or bad experiences with this product? It's the small satellite in a case with a 17 inch tv built in. They go for about $500 but supposedly much easier to set up etc. Just wondering if they truly work or not.

 

[seshomoru]

a small tv etc, then an inverter worked for me for years. But, if you are going with a satellite, TV and other stuff, then anything other than the Honda generator is a bad idea. Bought the Honda last year...it's the best thing going. I know they are more expensive, but this is definitely one of those times when you get what you pay for is true.

I have a similar question for others on this board. The Directv Sat-Go...anyone have any good or bad experiences with this product? It's the small satellite in a case with a 17 inch tv built in. They go for about $500 but supposedly much easier to set up etc. Just wondering if they truly work or not.

First of all.... +1 on the Honda generators.

Secondly, if you're going to spend $500 bucks on a pop up DTV thing, why not just get a cheap 20+ inch LCD, bring a DTV box with you, and locate an extra dish. Spring for a tripod, point it southwest, and you're golden. The first tailgate of the season seems to take a little time to acquire a signal, but it's always worked.

 

[Mjoelner]

a deep cycle marine battery, 400 watt inverter and a cheap HD antenna lets you watch SEC games from 11:30am until our game starts. I don't care about watching Minnesota vs. Northwestern on the deuce when I can get Bama vs. Arkansas on WCBI. One thing though, it is boring as hell until 11am when the pre-game comes on.

 

[Arthur2478]

I've used both setups for multiple seasons. Personally, I prefer the generator (HONDA ONLY!!!). Not knocking the battery/inverter setup. I used it for years and it worked fine. But a Honda generator can't be beat. It's dead quiet and it doesn't eat a lot of gas nor does it produce any noticeable fumes. Of course it easily runs a TV/Satellite/lights setup, but it's super convenient to also have the capability of running a couple small crock pots, phone chargers, laptops, etc etc. Not to mention, you can use it at the house during power outages, use it camping, use it at the deer camp (remote power tools for putting up stands/blinds), use it anywhere!

 

[JackBauer.sixpack]

The last time anyone tried it at our tailgate we tried using one of the directv satellites.

I know there are other, more expensive, options. What works best as for as locating a signal and ease of set up?

 

[whistlerdog]

a crock pot, big *** hot beverage urn, heaters when its cold, fan when its hot and lights. Honda isthe only way to go.

 

[seshomoru]

http://installeroasis.com...pass-c-44-p-1-pr-30.html

We use the above tripod. Didn't order it from that place, it just showed up on my google search. When I had DTV installed, the guy gave me an extra dish. Apparently, they don't inventory the non HD dishes. They apparently don't inventory the HD ones either since they never came and got mine after I switched to U-verse, but I doubt the installer would just give you a HD dish off the truck.

A guy in Starkville brings his DTV box, so we get the locals. Any DTV box should work for ESPN, FSS, and SS though. Plug up a OTA antenna if you want as well. We still bring an antenna and we've been enjoying the JP/Lincoln Financial/Raycom games in "HD" and the CBS games in actual HD for a while.

Go here to get dish pointy directions and stuff: http://www.directv.com/DT...customer/dishPointer.jsp

Basically, we just make sure it's level, give it some tilt, aim it southwest, and wait for it to pick up. Easy enough.

We also don't tailgate anywhere near the junction. That is, when I'm not at the SPS tent.