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  1. #1
    Site Sponsor orbiker's Avatar
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    Booster for Satellite Signal

    Does anyone have any recommendations for a Booster for Satellite Signal?

    After much help with the Dish TV help desk, I finally tried a shorter cable and was able to connect the dish to the receiver. With all the cables and connections running through the Momentum and a 50 ft. cable on the ground to the dish it seams to be too far.

    I'm looking for something inline,to make the install easier.

    What are others using? Thanks, KEN
    Backpacker and tent camper all my life, including BSA as a kid and adult.
    Motorcycle trips across the USA with a tent - 1978 to Present.
    02-10-2005 - 2002 F350 SWD PSD and 2003 Citation 10'8S mostly for Crater Lake Ski Patrol.
    10-29-2015 - 2016 Grand Design 380TH. It's HUGE compared to a camper.
    10-19-2018 - traded truck for a 2016 Ram 3500 DRW Laramie CC 4 X 4 Long Box.
    03-16-2019 - Traded Momentum for a New 2018 374TH-R Solitude
    FULL TIME RV'er Nov 2021

  2. #2
    King Pin
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    Most satellite signal boosters are made to be installed between the receiver and the television. They are not designed for use between the satellite antenna and the receiver. Are you trying to boost the signal to the receiver or from the receiver to the television?

    Jim

  3. #3
    Site Sponsor orbiker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TucsonJim View Post
    Most satellite signal boosters are made to be installed between the receiver and the television. They are not designed for use between the satellite antenna and the receiver. Are you trying to boost the signal to the receiver or from the receiver to the television?

    Jim
    I believe the cable run is too long from the dish to the receiver. 50 ft of cable (was too long and shorten to 30) to the TV connector on the RV. From the TV connector to the receiver; I'm guessing is another 30 or 40 ft with multiple connectors.
    The guy at the Southern Oregon Rally that talked about said something about the quality of the connectors makes a big difference also.
    Backpacker and tent camper all my life, including BSA as a kid and adult.
    Motorcycle trips across the USA with a tent - 1978 to Present.
    02-10-2005 - 2002 F350 SWD PSD and 2003 Citation 10'8S mostly for Crater Lake Ski Patrol.
    10-29-2015 - 2016 Grand Design 380TH. It's HUGE compared to a camper.
    10-19-2018 - traded truck for a 2016 Ram 3500 DRW Laramie CC 4 X 4 Long Box.
    03-16-2019 - Traded Momentum for a New 2018 374TH-R Solitude
    FULL TIME RV'er Nov 2021

  4. #4
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    The connectors indeed do make a difference. You need the ones for digital signals. IIRC if you look into the connector you will see a blue color on the proper ones.

    The quality of the cable makes a difference. Make sure you have a good Shielded RG6 cable.

    Some people have found splitters in some of the cable runs inside the campers, if you have the connection labeled SAT and use that the inside should have no splitters in it.

    One other thing to check is to make sure all of the connections are tight. Many times the coax is not tightened properly on the back side of the connection plates.
    2022 Reflection150 226RK
    2022 F150 Powerboost hybrid with 3.5L Ecoboost


  5. #5
    Site Sponsor gbkims's Avatar
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    I don't have any experience with inline satellite IF frequency amplifiers.
    If I had to try one, I'd look at https://www.solidsignal.com/satellit...plifier-th.asp
    And https://www.satelliteguys.us/xen/thr...lifier.375086/

    Gene
    - Gene

    Kim & Gene
    2015 Reflection 317RST
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  6. #6
    Big Traveler CWSWine's Avatar
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    I used a 100-foot dual cable on a windup spool on Wingard dome type satellite dish without any problems. I just roll off what I need and leave the rest on the spool.
    Dennis & Ellie
    Current 2017 Newmar Ventana Class A & 1994 Airstream Excella Classic Limited Project
    Sold - 310-GK-R Delivered 28 Oct 2016
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  7. #7
    Site Team traveldawg's Avatar
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    As mentioned.... First you need a good quality cable - that would be RG6; and make sure there are NO KINKS. Then you need good connectors - just buy a length of cable (50' isn't too long) that has connectors (Lowes or Home Depot comes to mind). Next, find every connection in your rig you can find and tighten it; remove covers, panels, etc. and tighten them (you don't have to crank on them, just a real good finger tight and optionally maybe another 1/8 turn with a wrench ).

    Finally - and this is important - get a clear sky view to the satellites you want. Many apps are available for this, I use SatFinder Pro for my set up and when installing dishes for others. You may think that tree nearby isn't interfering but most likely it is.

    oh - I don't know of an amplifier that will go between the dish and the receiver. There may be one, but I've never seen one nor come across one. Bear in mind, the size of the reflector on a sat antenna makes a lot of difference; hence the ability of Winegard Traveler antennas to find satellites when domes can't.
    Larry KE4DMG
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  8. #8
    Site Team Second Chance's Avatar
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    A lot depends on which antenna you're using and the cable you're connecting it with. The smaller "dome" antennas such as the Tailgater, etc., have smaller reflectors. The best of the bunch in the portable automatic group is the Winegard Pathway X2. It has the largest reflector and puts out the strongest signal.

    All RG6 cable is shielded - bot not all are created equal. Look for and order "Quad Shield" coax cable. Keep the runs to the absolute minimum and bypass any stock cabling in the RV (and its associated bottom-drawer splice connectors). Following these guidelines, I get very good results with 75' of cable outside and another 10' of quad-shield that I installed in the slide underneath the entertainment center.

    Rob
    U.S. Army Retired
    2012 F350 DRW CC LB Lariat PS 6.7
    2020 Solitude 310GK-R, MORryde IS, disc brakes,
    Sailun LRG tires, solar, DP windows, W/D
    (Previously in a Reflection 337RLS)
    Full time since 08/2015

  9. #9
    Seasoned Camper Luv2Ski's Avatar
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    The only amplifier between the satellite dish and the receiver is the low noise block (LNB) at the end of the dish arm. As others have said, a quality cable of the proper impedance is a must. Properly aimed, you should easily be able to have 100' of cable between your dish and the receiver. I've seen dish installs in heavily wooded acreages where the only shot at the southern sky is at the road - 250' from the house. I agree with DougW9876. If 30' vs 50' is the make or break on your system AND you've properly aimed the dish, chances are the cable or cable connectors are at fault. A partially obstructed view could attenuate the signal but in my experience, the signal is usually either clear or its not there at all when it comes to trees are in the way. Never rely on a cable with cheap connectors. The good connectors have a special crimp tool that drives two concentric pieces together to form a low loss electrical connection that is also pretty weather resistant.

    DishTV has two regions across the lower 48. The western arc covers 2/3 of the land mass and the eastern arc covers much of the eastern seaboard. You can Google for the map. Physically, the 18" dishes have different block spacing at the end of the dish arm. It's been too long since I messed with DirecTV so I don't remember if they have something similar. The point here is that if you're traveling outside the area with a fixed dish, the satellite arc you're using could be too low in the sky and the signal is being attenuated by the extra atmosphere it travels through.
    Steve and Cheryl

    2017 Momentum 328M w/Dual Pane Windows and 3rd A/C. Aftermarket mods: Titan EOH Disc Brakes, MORryde IS suspension and Reese 5th Airborne Sidewinder pin box
    2014 Ram 3500 Longhorn Megacab 4x4 DRW with 6.7 HD Cummins Turbo Diesel, AISIN trans, 3.73 axles and a Reese 20K puck mount hitch
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  10. #10
    Big Traveler boyscout's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by traveldawg View Post
    As mentioned.... First you need a good quality cable - that would be RG6;
    Our Winegard antenna should have QUAD-SHIELDED RG6 cable, which doesn't cost all that much more and provides better shielding that can improve performance over longer lengths.

    And as already suggested, good-quality connectors, installed properly. I found a connection in our new 2018 Solitude that was crimped with the wrong crimper - it had a nice hex shape to it, but wasn't nearly tight enough to hold the connector on the cable, it came off in my hand. Finding and checking all of them is (groan) a task ahead of me.
    Mark - 2018 Solitude 310GK - 2017 F-350 diesel SRW short box - Pullrite Superglide hitch

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