Satellite TV while traveling in my Travel Trailer in Alaska
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There are lots of posts on this question. Bottom line you likely will not get any service north of Prince George BC. You likely will not even get that with any domes. Remember, the sats you need to look at are in a stationary orbit somewhere around the equator. So once you start north the low angle required to see the bird can be blocked by just about everything..
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Most domes won't depress to a low enough angle to get good satellite reception in Alaska. It may work in the panhandle but get marginal as you move north. Also, other things on the roof (air conditioner) may come between the dome LNB and the satellite when the satellite is very low on the horizon.
An open face dish, whether roof mounted or tripod, will give you a better chance.
An open face dish, whether roof mounted or tripod, will give you a better chance.
Lou Schneider
Site Team
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- Mar 14, 2005
- Posts
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Unfortunately, besides being lower in the sky (barely skimming above the horizon) Dish and DirecTV satellites are configured to concentrate their signal over the Lower 48 states. DirecTV has some spillover coverage into Alaska, Dish Network coverage ends in British Columbia.
Direct TV is usable in Alaska if you have a 1 meter (41.5") dish and a clear shot towards the southern horizon. Dish Network not so much. The larger the dish, the more signal it can gather. Most external dishes have 60 cm (24") of usable gain and domes have even less active surface area than that.
Here are a couple of maps showing the expected coverage limits using various size antennas:
Direct TV satellite coverage map
Dish Network satellite coverage map
Direct TV is usable in Alaska if you have a 1 meter (41.5") dish and a clear shot towards the southern horizon. Dish Network not so much. The larger the dish, the more signal it can gather. Most external dishes have 60 cm (24") of usable gain and domes have even less active surface area than that.
Here are a couple of maps showing the expected coverage limits using various size antennas:
Direct TV satellite coverage map
Dish Network satellite coverage map
Ok I have directv it looks like a 1.2 meter dish will work in Alaska according to directv its a bit larger than the 1 meter. i will be as far north as Fairbanks and then further south in Juneau and Anchorage so it should work is a tripod ok for the dish mount?
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
The standard satellite dish tripod is designed to hold an 18" dish and still requires weights to keep it from tipping in a breeze. For a 1.2m dish, you are going to need a heck of a tripod and some concrete blocks or a dozen gallon water jugs to keep it stable. I don't recall ever seeing one that size used as a portable dish.
DearMissMermaid
Well-known member
Borrow every DVD movie and show you can get your hands on. Copy all to mega portable hard drives.
My friends seem to own tons of DVD's and let me spend the day at their house copying them all. It gives me rainy day fun when I am parked somewhere with no over the air reception.
Sometimes libraries have DVD's for borrowing too.
I have a few of these rugged nearly indestructible hard drives crammed full of movies and shows. At 2TB you can store a massive amount of movies and shows. I also keep my backups on these hard drives.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KF4E83G
My friends seem to own tons of DVD's and let me spend the day at their house copying them all. It gives me rainy day fun when I am parked somewhere with no over the air reception.
Sometimes libraries have DVD's for borrowing too.
I have a few of these rugged nearly indestructible hard drives crammed full of movies and shows. At 2TB you can store a massive amount of movies and shows. I also keep my backups on these hard drives.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KF4E83G
NY_Dutch
Well-known member
Dish has Alaska spot beams, so the coverage is there if you can get a line of sight. There's a fellow on another forum that lives in Barrow, Alaska and is getting the Dish 129 sat at 8 degrees elevation with a 1.2 meter dish mounted on a 100 ft radio tower.
