TV Cable suggestions Traveling into Canada

[mybennett]

We are traveling to Eastern Canada for the next 2 weeks.  We have a Dish Outdoor Satellite Dish, yet just found out that it will not work in Canada.  A few campgrounds have cable, yet most do not where we'll be staying.  Any suggestions on ways to be able to watch television without dish or cable?  We're hoping that our Smart TV can pick up some local channels, but thought I'd ask if anyone had any ideas.  Thanks

 

[zulu]

We are traveling to Eastern Canada for the next 2 weeks.  We have a Dish Outdoor Satellite Dish, yet just found out that it will not work in Canada.

Mine is working ok in Banff in Western Canada, but I'm using the Western Arc (sats 110, 119, 129) which in Banff require an elevation of about 31 degrees.

On the other hand, if I tried using DISH's Western Arc sats in Saint John, New Brunswick, the elevation would be about 17 degrees . . . your dish will almost be pointed at the ground.

However, if you have access to a DISH Eastern Arc (sats 61.5, 72.7, 77) sat dish, then you should be fine because in Saint John the elevation required is about 38 degrees.

If you are using a Winegard Pathway X2, it can acquire those Eastern Arc sats. Also, if you have a rooftop Winegard Travler, then it can manually be set to pick up sat 61.5.

 

[Isaac-1]

If you are close to the  border there is a good chance you will be within the dish satellite beam footprint, the beam is not a hard cut off it is more like a blob shaped roughly like the eastern half of the US.    Here is one beam map footprint showing the eastern and western arc satellites with their overlap.    Again this is not a hard cut off, but as you cross out of this area the signal will quickly weaken below the point of getting stable signal, so you may get some, but not all channels, only get signal in perfect weather, etc.

https://www.kvh.com/-/media/images/coverage-maps/satellite-tracvision-maps/land-tracvision-maps/land-mobile-tv-rv1/dishnetworktv1rv11014.ashx?h=372&w=550&la=en&hash=AC957F1B4FD22F0E4236B22F3D09C4A9

 

[ArdraF]

We're hoping that our Smart TV can pick up some local channels

If you also have an over-the-air TV antenna on your roof, you can tune the local stations but you'll probably have to reprogram it each time you move to a new location.  The OTA antenna is similar to the old-fashioned TV antennas you used to see on people's homes.  Nowadays it might be a different configuration depending on manufacturer.  Some are a low round dish on the roof.  Until we changed it a couple of years ago, ours was a crank-up antenna.  We cranked it up from inside the RV and then had to move it around left and right to get the best signals.  In rural areas you might not get any signal, or the community might have a repeater that provides multiple station signals.  We keep our OTA antenna so we can see local weather forecasts if we're in a dicey weather area.

ArdraF

 

[zulu]

If you are close to the  border there is a good chance you will be within the dish satellite beam footprint, the beam is not a hard cut off it is more like a blob shaped roughly like the eastern half of the US.

Use DishPointer (https://www.dishpointer.com/) instead and check the Elevation. If it's under 30 degrees, you'll probably have a problem.

 

[John From Detroit]

Dish may work in parts of Canada. I am currently watching GLOBAL TV (One of two I can get when I'm parked here out of Canada depending on where I'm parked)  Not as much TV but with what I already have recorded I'm unlikely to run out of stuff to watch before I move back to the land of more TV.

And reception is improving on a day by day basis just now as we go into the next Solar cycle

Normally I would not brag about watching FOX TV (Faux in my lexicon) but the other day I was watching OVER THE AIR Fox 17 out of Grand Rapids. Transmitter most likely in Gun Lake.  That's the "Little finger" of the Michigan mitten.. I was in Davison That's the Index Finger. over 200 miles.

ANtenna is Winegard Sensar III with Wingman and Sensar Pro.

 

[BruceinFL]

  Until we changed it a couple of years ago, ours was a crank-up antenna. 
ArdraF

What antenna did you change to and are you happy you changed?

 

[ArdraF]

I think it's a Winegard Rayzar but offhand don't know which model.  I think we changed because we wanted one to handle HD channels after the big changeover.  We've only used it a few times but Jerry says he's not that impressed with it.  Sorry I can't be of more help.

ArdraF