Satellite TV

We have been Dish Network users for over 15 years and I have had a tripod to set up when moving.

I have a meter to help with the aiming of the dish and usually have it up and working in under 15 minutes or less.

Now that we are on the road I really did not want to deal with it as sometimes we might just be spending one night. Then there is the possibility the we would not be allowed to set it up at all.

The simple solution is the Winegard Carryout. It will find the satellites when you are in a stationary position. There are systems that will lock on to the satellite while you are travelling but since no one will be riding in the Cardinal there was no need to buy the more expensive model.

The Carryout is designed to be used anywhere within 50 feet of your rv. It comes with 50 feet of coax and 50 feet of 12volt power cord. The 12volt power cord is the limiting factor. One can go out further but the 12volt will loose the amps necessary to run the motor that finds the satellite.

You can run a 120volt extension cord and use a ac to 12volt adapter to overcome this problem. Add enough coax and you are in business as you can place the Carryout on the ground or use a tripod.

I chose the optional ladder mount and it will stay there unless trees block its view of the southern sky. It has one bolt that must be removed if I need to remove it and place it in a more favorable location on the ground.

Overnight locations (Wal-Mart, truck stops, rest areas, ect.) should have an open southern exposure. I don't foresee moving the Carryout and I brought along my regular dish and tripod to use instead.

I read the instructions (didn't know I could do that did you?) for the ladder mount and quickly had it all set up, or so I thought.

After mounting and wiring the Carryout, it would not find the satellites. Back to drawing board. Now I read the instructions for the Carryout and find it is factory set for Direct and not Dish.

I remove the one bolt and take the Carryout down, remove the dome cover and throw a couple switches on the inside and return it to the ladder rack. Even simple jobs seem to be overly complicated for my feeble brain.

It now works great with only a momentary pause if the channel selected is on another satellite. The Carryout supports all of my Dish satellites and I am pleased with every thing about it but the price. I justified the purchase because we are not on vacation but this is our life style.

The unit draws about 5 amps of 12volt power but once it locks onto the satellite it can be turned off and only needed to be turned on if using another satellite.