See if this scenario sounds familiar. You have a satellite dish in your RV. It may be a fixed one like a KING Phoenix for DISH or DIRECTV, or a portable one like a KING Tailgater Pro or KING One Pro. All your national channels come in just fine, but the local ones don’t come in at all. You may get an onscreen error that you’re searching for signal or they just might not appear in the guide at all. What’s happening, and what can you do?
The most common explanation: you’re too far from home
Because of a complicated mix of regulations, satellite companies can only offer you local channels that originate in the city where your billing address is. This was originally done to help protect small local channels from competition with much bigger ones. I go into a lot of detail about that here, if you’re interested in finding out more. This rule is great for people who watch satellite TV at home. Well, let’s be honest — it may not be “great,” especially if you’d rather watch primetime shows at 5pm local time — but it works. However, for RV customers, it’s a pain.
Your satellite company is only following the rules here. And those rules are pretty strict. DIRECTV interprets them as pretty much unbreakable. If you have DIRECTV in your RV, the only way you’ll get local channels if you travel is if you live in the New York City or Los Angeles areas. DISH is a little more flexible here. You can get a DISH Outdoors account if you want. With a DISH Outdoors account, you can use an app to change your local channel assignment whenever you want. You’ll get local channels from the area you’re in. You still won’t get the ones from home, but it’s something.
The issue with a DISH Outdoors account is, of course, that it’s a second account. A lot of people choose DISH for their RV because they have DISH at home. That way they can just take a receiver from home and there’s nothing more to pay. With a DISH Outdoors account, it’s another whole expense.
Occasionally: It’s an issue beyond your control
If you live in the southeast corner of the country, you get all your channels from the “Eastern Arc” satellites. However, some equipment can’t read the signals from one of those satellites, which may be where your local channels are located. This issue affects pretty much all portable dishes like the Tailgater Pro and the Winegard Playmaker. At this point there’s nothing that can be done, but eventually there will be some sort of solution. It’s just hard to know what that solution will be or when it will happen.
What you can do about it
If you’re out of your local area, the only way you’re going to get your local channels is by streaming them in some way. This can be done through the local channel’s web site, and some channels have apps that let you watch directly. However, in order to do that you’ll need strong cell signal in your RV. The best way to get that is through a cell phone signal booster like weBoost’s Drive Reach RV. This pay-once, use-forever device floods your RV with great cell signal, even if all you have outside is one bar.
Another option is a TV antenna. You can choose a TV antenna that’s specifically designed for your RV from KING. It mounts securely on your RV and gives you all the local TV channels in whatever area you’re in. You can get crystal-clear TV programming from 50 miles or more away from a major city. It’s a great solution.
Want to know more?
If you’re ready to change or upgrade your RV’s entertainment system, work with the experts! Signal Connect has over 20 years’ experience in RV entertainment. No one does more satellite activations for RV than Signal Connect! Call the experts during East Coast business hours. We’ll review all the options with you and help you decide on the one that’s best for you. Call 888-233-7563 for the best free advice. If it’s after hours, just fill out the form below. We’ll get right back to you!
