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TV at my Tailgate

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dawgatUSM

Redshirt
Apr 6, 2008
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I'll be honest, I am as ignorant as you can possibly be to this issue, simply because I have always relied on others. But this year, our plan is to set up a TV at our tailgate.

I have Direct TV. So, in as simple terms as possible, what do I need to do to make this happen? Yes we have a generator. Go...
 
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WrapItDog

Senior
Aug 23, 2012
4,297
706
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Do you currently have Directv at your house? HD set up or SD small round dish? It's easier to aim a SD dish.
 
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dawgatUSM

Redshirt
Apr 6, 2008
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Yes, at my house, and its HD

But I have an extra SD dish sitting in a shed if that would work.
 
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Steakonastick

Redshirt
Jan 1, 2009
365
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If you have direct already. Just take a box off one of your TVs. And get on eBay and buy a satellite and tripod or build you one. And that's it besides the cable to connect from the sat to the box. You will need a source of power but I'm sure you knew that. Depending where your box is from you might wanna buy a digital antenna to pick up wcbi.

We learned if state is playing at night. Just bring the digital antenna. All we ever watched was the sec game at 1121 and 2:30. When ever we would leave the state game on tv we would come out to find the tailgate trashed. But it's nice if state is the early game. To have the dish to get the night games if you tailgate long.
 
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WrapItDog

Senior
Aug 23, 2012
4,297
706
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What receivers do you have H25 and new Genie not compatible with SD round dish.
1. Build/aquire your mount/ stand and make sure the mount pole is 100% absolute not 99.99% level and plumb or you will be searching for signal for days. Set elevation to 49.1 on dish and get a compass and point dish azimuth 201.4 degrees give or take.
2. Get all your wires connected and set up and turn on both tv and receiver.
3. Go to menu>settings>sat setup and select dish type 18" round or whatever HD dish you have
4. Go to the signal meter and move the dish ever so slightly to the left or right until you get some kind of signal form 101 satellite. Once you get some kind of signal tap the dish a little left or right and press on the dish up and down and see if the signal strength increases. Fine tune to get signal strength in the 90s. Lock down the dish location and make some marks on the dish for next time set up. If the pole is not plumb and level every time your marks don't mean ****.

Try setting up round SD first once you can do it easily move up to the HD dish with 5 satellites. Same principal find the 101 signal and fine tune from there. My HD dish at my camphouse works fine with a signal reading in the 70s when the tree leaves get thick in the summer.
 
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WrapItDog

Senior
Aug 23, 2012
4,297
706
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dawgatUSM said:
If I have Memphis locals they will not work in Starkville? (Again, very ignorant)
Click to expand...

Maybe maybe not. Directv spot beams local channels. The WCBI, WTVA, Golden triangle spot beam covers north of Tupelo (Prentiss County) down to at least Macon as far as I know. You can get the locals in Starkville/MSU using a VHF/UHF rabbit ears antenna. All are UHF except Channel 9 WTVA (Notre Dame Channel not needed). Not sure about 10/9.2 OTA ABC since WTVA bought them. I have a antenna hooked up to my Directv system in Tupelo and the weakest signal is from WTVA. All the OTA transmitters are in the Woodland, MS area. WCBI/WLOV signals are strong you could probably pick them up using a coat hanger for an antenna.
 
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TheDogfather

Redshirt
Aug 27, 2012
60
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We don't have a compass or a plumb bob and we set ours easily every game. Just remember the general direction you pointed last time (landmark) and be patient
 
Dawgbite

Dawgbite

All-American
Nov 1, 2011
8,656
9,179
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The easiest thing to do is go to a Campers World or RV dealer and get one of the portable automatic dishes. They are just like the ones you see on top of motor homes just portable. You set the thing on the ground, hook up the coaxial cable, plug it into the generator and press a button. Your ready to watch tv. The one for Dish is called the View Qube, not sure what the Direct TV one is called. An RV dealer will also have the small tripod type and the signal meter to set it up. A guy beside me has one of the tripods and after he set it up, on concrete, he painted around the legs so now he just puts the tripod in the same place every time and it always works. Wouldn't work on grass but it works for him. Go to a RV shop and tell them what you are doing and they will set you up, just depends on what you want to spend and how convenient you want it to be.
 
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Maroonthirteen

Redshirt
Aug 22, 2012
1,975
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power source

One other piece of advice, or something I like to do is; instead of using a loud generator. I use a portable power supply. Basically a battery that converts to 120.

http://www.blackanddecker.com/power-tools/VEC026BD.aspx

I have one similar to the one in the link. If you don't want to spend that much money. Then you can get just the dc/ac invertor cheap and hook it up to a car battery. I run a 40" LED this way for hours....5-6 hours. I have never ran out of juice with a full charge. Of course about all I will run is the TV and a maybe a fan.

Oh, and I use a digital antenna too. Walmart $40. Picks up the 1130 game and CBS game and it is a great picture. But obviously, if you want the ESPN game.....get the satelite receiver.
 
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