Satellite TV – Integrating OTA Signals with your Satellite TV System
We have DirecTV satellite TV service at home and in the RV. When we travel, we only get local OTA (over the air) stations via the satellite dish when we are within our home spot-zone (~300 mile radius). Outside our spot-zone, we need to crank up the OTA antenna on the RV roof (aka “the batwing”).
In the past, when wanting to watch OTA TV, we had to select the Antenna input on each TV, then set each TV to auto-tune (perform an OTA signal scan) to gather the local stations and lock them in. A couple years ago, a friend and Heartland Owners Club member, Ken A, showed me his DirecTV AM21. The AM21 is an external ATSC digital TV tuner that connects to several models of DirecTV satellite receivers via USB. The beauty of the AM21 is once it scans and locks in the local OTA stations, it incorporates them into the DirecTV guide. Once in the guide, if you have a DirecTV DVR, you can now record and pause local stations!
And now with the Genie and mini-client system in the RV, I found out something cool. Since the mini-clients (tiny receivers for the rest of the TVs) obtain their signal from the Genie, this also meant that maybe, just maybe, the locals would be present on all TVs with a mini-client. Sure enough, I can watch locals on all TVs in the coach by only having the AM21 scan for locals once. No more scanning for locals by any of the RV TVs. Whoopie!
Is the AM21 right for you? Here’s a link to a Google search for the product. It’s now known as the AM21N. They run $50 to $60 on Amazon and eBay.
Jim, do you still have to raise the antenna?
Bob has been considering the same set up, but the OTA connector is in a different cabinet than the Direct tv box. Which means we would have to fish wires. Right now we have LA local channels through DNS. We r currently in Palm Springs.
Good luck with the nasty weather heading your way! Stay safe:)
Michael – yes, still have to raise antenna. Think of this as moving the OTA tuner out of the TV and into a box that integrates with the DTV receiver.
Jim, we have DirectTV at home and want to get it for the RV. Do you have a separate dish you travel with? is it portable or mounted on top of the RV?
I have a Winegard automatic pointing dish on the RV roof.
Thnx…we’ll have to invest in one for our next big trip. Hope you’re staying warm in NOLA. We’re just 100 miles east right off I-10. We’ve seen ice, but no snow yet. We plan on going to Urbanna and hope to get reservations whenever you say to do so.