VuQube Sat TV antenna

Doryman · Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:34 pm Post subject: VuQube Sat TV antenna

I was in Camping World this afternoon and noticed the VuQube display. Anyone know more about this antenna, especially as a C-Dory accessory? I am assuming it could be used at anchor or in a slip if there was not much motion. A cheaper alternative to the TracVision, maybe...

Warren

Dreamer · Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 9:53 pm Post subject:

Warren,

Sounds like this is just a dish in a box. You adjust it with a remote. It would not work at anchor. I had a Direct TV dish attached to a top deck railing on our Krogen. Once the vertical adjust ment was locked in, I only had to find 131 degrees with a compass and aim the dish. We had TV from Seattle to the Broughtons as long as we were tied up tight to a dock and didn't have a tree or hill at 131 degrees!

I have a friend who uses a little bit bigger dish and uses it way up into Alaska. By the way, this is illegal according to the FCC. I never ran into any FCC inspectors!

JamesTXSD · Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:52 pm Post subject: u

Hi Warren,

We have a VuQube that we use with our RV. As Roger said, it won't work at anchor, 'cause any movement will cause a loss of signal. However, it could work if you put it on a dock, and have a clear view to the south (depending on your location).

We really like the VuQube. It is, indeed, a dish in a box... with the RV, Joan generally has the satellite signal within a couple minutes (she sets that up while I'm doing the other utilities). We have had an automatic system on our coach before, and this is actually faster to acquire the signal. If you happen to be parked under trees, you can run the coax to an open view of the sky. Compared to a dish on a tripod, this is a piece of cake, since you can make all your adjustments from inside the RV with the remote. We are sitting in Phoenix right now, watching Dish via the VuQube. When we were in Yellowstone, it was the only way to get TV.

The downside: you have to put it somewhere when you're cruising... it takes up about 18" cubed space. Not a problem in the RV, but that's some valuable real estate in the C-Dory. Also, since it is portable, it can be moved... or swiped. Without the remote, it is useless, but not everyone would know that.

Simple set up: put the carrying handle facing north and plug in the coax. No need for a power cord, it gets power through the coax. Step inside, turn on the satellite receiver and TV. You get a chart for elevation and azimuth - use the remote to set the dish, then fine tune. After doing it a time or two, it rarely takes more than a couple minutes (our automatic system in our coach would sometimes take up to 20 minutes).

It is MUCH less expensive than the automatic systems and does have the advantage of being able to be moved from rig to rig. For the price ($699), I think it's a good value. You see a lot of truckers using this in their cabs, usually mounted on the back.

So there's no confusion, it is NOT an in-motion system. You have to be parked (not moving at all) for this to work. For what it is, we are very pleased with ours.

Hope that helps.

Best wishes,
Jim

JamesTXSD · Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 11:11 pm Post subject:

Warren, here's a photo from one of our posts that shows the VuQube in the lower left corner...

Small by RV standards, but what are you willing to give up in your TC to have room for it?

Thinking about it, we live very differently on the boat, compared to being at home or in the RV. In the latter two, the living room furniture is "aimed" at the TV. Wink

No good way to do that in the C-Dory... guess that's one of the reasons TV hasn't been a priority for us on the water.

Not trying to talk you out of anything. Oh, keep in mind that you'll need space for the satellite receiver, also. And power to run it (inverter, shore power, or generator). Just some things to think about.

Best wishes,
Jim

Doryman · Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 12:55 am Post subject:

JamesTXSD · Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 9:36 am Post subject:

Doryman · Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 11:18 am Post subject:

JamesTXSD · Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 11:39 am Post subject:

While we are drifting off your topic, many of the waterway guides have marina info. I'm OK with Active Captain, but it's really nice to have a reference book to refer to. And one book with marina info nation-wide would sure be an asset to have onboard and at home for planning purposes.

thataway · Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 10:18 pm Post subject:

I suspect that the marinas come and go faster than the RV parks do--at least down here--I have found two new RV parks in our area, just driving around--not in TL or Good Sam yet...

Back to TV. I purchased an eyeTVlite by Elgato last week for the computer. It was less than $100. This is a USB device which hooks up with a mini connector to a single 30" collapsable whip for high defination TV. I can get one analogue TV station with an outdoor antenna at my home. Inside of my bedroom, using this whip, I got about 25 TV feeds (most stations have 2 to 3 sub channels). They were all in high defination right on the computer. (This was for a MAC, but it came with XP and Vista soft ware, so I presume it will work with any laptop. The soft ware is by Pinnacle, and allows the disc drive on the computer to record TV programs if you wish.

So we only carry the computer--plays DVD's, CD's, and now is our Television. I did get an amplified Phillips HD antenna-to use on the boat. It is about 6" x 2" x 10" and fits on any railing with a clamp. It runs on a 6 V power supply, so that is an easy adaption. I am thinking that unless you are going to be in remote areas, that HD television will give you enough variety to watch. One of our main functions of TV is the weather and I get 3 full time weather channels locally on the HD TV--so that resolves one of our other issues.

We have used the TV dish on a tripod in the past, but since we are not currently "Full timing" it, we did not feel it is worth while. Less than half of the RV parks we have stayed at have cable TV--and it is rare to find a marina with cable. In the RV's we just use analogue terrestial--until now--after looking at the computer last night, Marie says we go High Def in the RV. This gives you some further options. I would not personally go for a satellite dish on the boat--but again--it is a personal decision...

Doryman · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 7:37 pm Post subject:

I'll hold off on the Sat TV antenna until I get my Diesel Duck. In the meantime I will try the Philips MANT940 High Def TV antenna referenced HERE and see how it works. The admiral wants to use the 15" Toshiba from the travel trailer and not the computer so we will see how that goes.

Warren