VuQube VQ1000 Portable Satellite Dish System

by VUQUBE

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 18.3 x 18.2 inches ; 5.3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 17 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0014SCLCM
• Item model number: VQ1000
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #35 in Electronics > Televisions & Video > Satellite Television > Antennas
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 14, 2004

Product Description

The true power of the VuQube Satellite Antenna is its portability and simple one person set-up. The VuQube antenna is self contained in a weather resistant enclosure. It requires no assembly or installation, just place the VuQube on the ground, in the back of your pick-up, on a picnic table or anywhere there is a clear view of the southern sky. Once positioned, run a single coaxial cable (provided with purchase) from the satellite receiver to the VuQube and use a wireless remote to move the motorized antenna dish inside the VuQube until you lock on to a signal.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The damned thing really works!, November 29, 2008

By 

Regnal J. Jones "drbgood" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: VuQube VQ1000 Portable Satellite Dish System (Electronics)

When I ordered this device, I suspected that I had once again thrown perfectly "good money" down the drain. Within a scant five minutes after hooking the supplied RG-6 cable to my satellite receiver and loading the supplied batteries into the simple, exquisitely and intuitively designed remote, I was tuned magnificently to my favorite channel, the Food Network, in the palmetto-clad depths of a remote sea-side campground in the low-country of South Carolina!

No more pinched fingers from unruly tripods. No more cajoling and begging my truculent wife of 47 years to deign to say those magic words, "We got a picture!" ... after the ritualistic 30-45 minutes of my fiddlin' and tweakin' to find just that right combination of elevation, disc-levellin' and azimuth-findin' required to configure my old dish apparati.

My only complaint: this thing won't feed a second receiver in my 5th wheel camper. I really don't miss the inability to pick up HD channels since the standard resolution picture is just great particularly when camped for a day or so on the edge of wheatfield in west Kansas.

The damned thing really works!

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Only one complaint, February 19, 2009

By 

A. Stanley "alanst881" (Salem, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: VuQube VQ1000 Portable Satellite Dish System (Electronics)

I've had my eye on this product since early last year, but at the time I could only afford a manually adjusted portable dish. So over the course of the year, I've fought tooth and nail with trying to zero in on the satellite signal, sometimes with no luck at all. All of the other reviews raving this product are correct: Within 15 minutes of removing the VuQube from the box, I had my DirecTv up and running. Now that the Qube has the general satellite position stored in its remote, future setups shouldn't take more than 5 minutes max.

My biggest problem with the manual portable dishes is finding a level surface to place it on - not an easy task out in the wild. Without being level, the elevation might be "set" right but physically will be off. The with VuQube, it self levels internally! Gotta love it!

Other reviews I have read, like at Camping World, mentioned the batteries in the remote would be found dead on arrival. I guess they actually shipped the remote with the batteries installed. Seems the VuQube folks read the reviews too. The VuQube I received did include batteries, but separately packaged apart from the remote. They were Energizer batteries (not some no-name brand), but regardless, I just set them aside and installed a couple brand new Duracells. I simply did not want to waste time with the batteries boxed with the product.

Now, onto my one complaint. If you've seen pictures of the VuQube, you might be able to note that the handle is not a "closed" design, meaning you can't use the handle to loop a typical security cable through. When I use the VuQube on camping trips, I want to set it up and forget about it for the weekend. I sure as heck don't want to leave a $700 item sitting in my campsite 24 hours a day totally unsecured and I dont want to have to put it away everytime I leave the campsite or go to sleep.

I did come up with a solution. Just below the handle, at the seam between the upper and lower segments of the VuQube, there is a small hole through the base of the handle, no bigger than the diameter of a pencil eraser (if that). I happened to have a spare gun cable lock handy. The gun lock's cable diameter was just small enough to fit through that hole on the VuQube. I locked the cable lock and now I have a large secured loop which I can loop a regular-sized security cable through (so I can secure it to a picnic table or tree). These gun cable locks can be found at any gun supplier.

Was this product worth $700? A bit steep if you ask me. However, I take several trips a year with my trailer. Each trip, I waste as much as 30-45 minutes setting up the manual dish trying to zero in on the signal. All that time adds up and equates to time wasted in the wild. What I bought with the VuQube is more time. More time to play, to relax, to BBQ, etc. So yes, it's an investment, but one that I believe will eventually pay off in more free time the long run.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars VUQUBE PORTABLE SATELLITE TV ANTENNA A+ ITEM, April 14, 2008

By 

Melanie D. French "Fun In The Sun" (Astatula, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

I finally broke down and purchased after being worn out lugging a tripod, antenna & signal finder around while traveling. This takes all the worry out on damaging the LMB and taking all the extra space up in the storage area. Very pleased with it and got a great deal on line new paying $649 and free shipping - can't beat it!!!