RV FEATURE
SAT TV CHOICES
There are two choices for satellite television
available in Australia: VAST (Viewer
Accessible Satellite Television), which is a
free-to-air service funded by the Australian
government; and Foxtel, which is a paid
subscription television service. Given we are
travelling on a budget, we opted to purchase
a VAST system for our caravan.
The VAST satellite TV system has two major
components: the signal receiver/decoder, and a
satellite dish. If you’re about to purchase a
new RV, it makes sense to have a roof-
mounted receiver dish installed at the time the
RV is manufactured. If you already own an RV,
a portable or external dish is the way to go.
If you already own a van without a roof-mounted
satellite dish, a portable dish is the way to go.
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The roof-mounted systems are easy to use as
they automatically search for and lock onto the
satellite transmitting the signal. This signal is
very weak and requires an uninterrupted view
to the sky. If you’re parked under trees or next
to any structures, it’s possible you will not be
able to receive a clear signal without moving
your RV to another location.
With a portable system, you have to
physically set up the dish and point it at the
satellite. This can be a rather cumbersome,
infuriating process. That said, most issues
with receiving a signal can be traced to an
obstruction in the field of view or an incorrect
angle or direction setting of the dish, both of
which are easily corrected.
The good news is, portable systems come
with a satellite signal finder that assists in
making fine adjustments to the receiver dish’s
position to ensure you obtain the strongest
signal. Once you’ve set up the system a few
times, you get better at it. There are also
phone apps that can assist with finding the
satellite position in the sky. WikiCamps has an
excellent satellite finder as part of the app.