cable tv doesn't work

[padre44]

I've explored this site but haven't seen my problem. Yesterday the cable worked fine. Later in the evening, we turned on TV and got only snow. I thought park cable was out. Checked this morning and found it was fine. Park owner hooked TV up to cable outlet and it worked. I ran a cable from outside through window and unhooked wire coming from Winegard amplified wall plate. Works fine. I've made sure light is off. In fact, put up antenna and pushed button so green light was on, and got a few local channels. Tried to go back cable, changing settings on TV, and got nothing. Can the Winegard amplified wall plate go bad so soon (bought brand new RV in February)? Any suggestions appreciated. I've learned lots on this site since we started RVing in January.

[Herk7769]

This is a hard one all right.

Green light works so it is getting power.
Antenna works so SOME of the amp is working.

Are you using the same coax outlet on the plate as when it it worked, then that is not it. My plate has two outlets on it. Top one is the SAT outlet and has no connection to the amp. It goes right to the outside.
The bottom one is the TV/Cable outlet.

Next I would pull the plate and make sure the center wire of the cable coax did not break off.

[padre44]

Thanks Lou. I thought sure you'd have my answer on the tip of your tongue.
I took the plate down and unhooked the cable feed and plugged in directly into the TV. Worked great. So now I know it is the plate. I hooked things back up the way they were supposed to be and I get cable, although snowy. Seems more clear to me that something in the electronics in the wall plate are bad. At least for this trip if it keeps working I won't have to run a cable through the window directly to the TV. Don't know why it would have gone bad over the course of a couple of hours while turned off - especially since it is so new.

[Herk7769]

Here is the manual. Maybe there is a clue as to how to proceed in there.
Email Winegard and they might send you a new plate gratis. You never know.

[fivecodys]

I had a very similar thing happen to me when we first got the trailer.
To make a very long story short.
One of the cables had come loose in the wall.
We have a Selector wall plate with a bunch of switches on it.
On my rig it's the same spot the antenna amplifier is located.

Here is a picture of what I am talking about. http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/l...2/IMG_2036.jpg

(This view is from the backside due to a remodel I was doing)

I removed the two screws and was able to pull the whole unit out about 4-5".
Here is where I found the problem.
Whoever crimped the connectors onto the coax did a poor job and the cable had completly pulled away and was just dangling there.
To get to the other end of the cable I had to remove the TV and then remove the box directly behind it that houses the Power, Audio, & Video connections that the TV plugs into. (your model may be different)

http://s284.photobucket.com/albums/l...t=IMG_1996.jpg

Every one of the connections was lose and poorly crimped.
A trip to radio shack for some new connectors and coax solved the problem.
If you have to go to this extreme, you might as well replace the cheapo splitter while you're at it.

I haven't had a problem since.

I hope this is helpful.

Bill

[padre44]

Thanks to both. All the wires are tight as far as I can tell. I have written Winegard about the problem and hope they'll send me a new one.

[jimh]

it could be that it isn't switching. have u tried disconnecting the cable from the winguard then connecting that cable to ur tv? i'm leaning toward that connection not making good or the one on the outside not connected good.
if u r getting a good signal thru that short piece of cable from outside that is good. next, i would try connecting the cable u ran from the outside to the winguard cable input. with ur tv connected to the winguard, if that works, it has to be in the connections...center lead not long enough, cable not tight.

[padre44]

Winegard is going to send me a new wall plate.