DISH Tailgater Portable Satellite Antenna Preview

DISH Network had their new Tailgater on-hand, which is essentially a VuCube (but far cheaper) that is designed to seamlessly and easily integrate with the DISH ViP211k satellite receiver. In this way you can have a very portable, very lightweight and compact system for tailgating parties or whatever outdoor television watching needs you might have. The Tailgater automatically locates DISH Network's satellites and connects quickly to a TV and the ViP 211k set-top box. DISH also provides a pay-as-you-go programming plan, so you can really get a lot of use out of this system without having to already be a DISH subscriber - it really works well for anybody.

You can expect the Tailgater to function no differently than a stationary DISH, so it's easy to use - but the difference is that the system will automatically track DISH Network's satellites. You just point it north and it does the rest through the use of internal servos and gears. When jumping from one satellite to another (as is sometimes needed (remember, this isn't a triple-LNB system) the Tailgater takes approximately one second. Considering that it's powered entirely by the DISH ViP 211k, that's not bad at all. It's also very quiet - you don't hear it working as it moves within the protective housing.

The Tailgater retails for around $350 and the ViP 211k retails for $149. For portable entertainment, that's not half bad.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.