We finally found some Rv anti-freeze at a local auto parts store, so we went ahead and used it to winterize the motor home. We decided against just blowing out the lines, because if any water is left in the lines, you could have a problem. We figured we're not going anywhere before next month, so we might as well go ahead and get it done. It's now predicted to drop to 33 tonight, and we expect it to be a little colder here. It's been wicked cold here all day, even 60 degrees, because we've had a cold wind. It's going to be chilly at the garage sale! We sure never had to worry about winterizing when we lived in Florida, but maybe we should have.
I did a little more research and found some information on the Directv website. If you take your receivers out of your local area, you are out of the "spot beam" area and will not get the local (abc, cbs, nbc, and fox) channels. You'll still get the other cable channels.
If you live in your Rv, you need to get a waiver to be able to use your receiver in your rv and get all of the channels. It's some sort of law. In order to get the waiver, you have to fill out the form and send a copy of your rv registration. It will cost $14 extra per month. You will get both east and west coast feeds, unless you have a HD receiver, (we don't.) I'm not sure what you need to do if you just travel a few months, but I think you can just call and have it suspended.
In the end, we decided to go ahead and get it set up. We filled out the waiver and mailed it off today. It could take anywhere from 2-6 weeks to get it started. We'll be gone long enough, that we will want all the comforts of home :)
We got more stuff moved over to the storage shed and ready for the garage sale tomorrow. We're hoping it'll be a good sale, despite the cold weather.
I look forward to hearing how the local channels with the waiver works out. We decided not to pay the extra money to Direct. Almost always we can get the local channels where we are on the antenna and many campgrounds have cable.
ReplyDeleteIf I understand the waiver process correctly, you pick east or west feed, but that would not mean you get your "local" channels.
I am not sure what our local channels would be anymore, but we get several locations news feed via the internet.
Glad you got the DirecTV thing figured out for what you want. We considered doing the paperwork thing, but decided we could live with just cranking up the normal RV antenna whenever we felt the need for local channels when we travel. It worked fine for us this summer. Thank goodness Roger deals with all the TV stuff - with three TV's it is too mind-boggling to me.
ReplyDeleteO boy more things to study up on for our list of things we need to get for our dream..
ReplyDeletethanks for the update, Karen. We will have to try this next time out. So far, in RV parks, it's not a problem with provided cable, but we do often stay at state parks and out of the way areas, so taking our home DirectTV satellite might be nice.
ReplyDeleteStarting January 1st you will only get the east coast feed and it will be $15 a month, if you want to get both east and west coast feeds you have to notify them and it will be $20 a month
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteWe have Direct TV. When first installed (Jan.2008) we were in north Georgia and we used my daughter's address for billing and location address. We were able to get all the local Atlanta channels (2-69). We were told there was an "umbrella" of about 200 miles where we could still get the Atlanta channels. Anyway, we still get them and we are 352 miles away in central Florida. We have gotten the same channels everywhere we have been (in Georgia and Florida) except Del Rio, TX.
Recently, we were told the FCC is cracking down (?). In 2009, in Texas, we went online and changed our location address to Del Rio TX and the local TX channels were available to us (after a phone call). When we came back from Texas, we changed back to our Atlanta local address and got the Atlanta channels once again. That feature is no longer available online.
We just like to have the Atlanta locals channels. We like the programming and keeping in touch with the news from home.
Cable at the campgrounds gives us local Florida channels if we want to see the weather, etc. (Or just the antenna).
Now, it is not possible to change the location address online. You have to call them and they start talking about the "waiver", etc.
It's all very confusing to me. Every time I have called them, I get a different explanation.
We have had big dish Satellite TV for the 22 years we have lived here. Last month we lost a major satellite and no long can get several stations.
ReplyDeleteWe have never had "local" stations.
I find I watch so little TV that it doesn't matter.
We may or may not get a small dish system someday.
As long as we get FOX sports Craig is OK.