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Old 11-22-2018, 02:03 PM   #1
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Help Before Going Crazy on TV reception

I may have posted before just can't remember because so frustrated. I own a 2016 XLR Thunderbolt bought new had for two years going on three. Gone through my ups and down. Just about when I think my problems are done a new one pops up. Well this one beats the cake. Subject: TV reception (CABLE) I cannot get a clear picture. TV #1 Bedroom can hear shows Black and whites dots, TV #2 Living room snowy to point you see outlines, TV #3 Garage snowy but you can deal with it. I bought and tried new coax cable from outside, I have bought and replaced every fitting inside and out at each to, I as last resort bought a switch to see if that was the problem. I cannot figure this one out. I can hook up to TV's directly and have a beautiful picture. So I know something is going on within camper. I even disconnected the orange coax and ran directly to switch but still snowy. I connected the white still snowy. I honestly don't know how to get rid of the snowy. I have been told there is a splitter hid somewhere within camper. I have torn camper apart from removing vent covers, to looking behind stove, to looking behind microwave, to looking around ceiling vents, and even behind each TV connection point. I hate knowing I have a 75k trailer sitting in my back yard and I can't watch TV. Now I can switch to antenna and have a clear and beautiful picture on all three TVs. But you can't always get a signal when camping. ANYBODY HAVE THIS problem or figure it out. Frustrated.

Thanks in NC
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Old 11-22-2018, 02:17 PM   #2
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have you turned off your antenna booster ?
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Old 11-22-2018, 02:21 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MR.M View Post
have you turned off your antenna booster ?

X2


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Old 11-22-2018, 02:22 PM   #4
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Booster

Yes. My switch is in the off mode because the Antenna switch on turns Green when on, Switch off back to black. I even replace the switch today with a new one. Same problem.
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Old 11-22-2018, 02:22 PM   #5
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My splitter is behind the external antenna booster, located in the bedroom closet. I have had issues in the past. We go to Arizona right after Xmas for 5 months and hook up to cable. This year I am going to rewire the tv cables. Slide out has a cable retainer system and I assume with all the years of use I have connections issues. You may find loose connections since your rig is newer. Also if the cables were not assembled correctly at factory you may have a week connection. Good luck.
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Old 11-22-2018, 02:29 PM   #6
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I was gookg to suggest getting a signal booted splitter like this:
4-Port Bi-Directional Cable TV Splitter Signal Booster/Amplifier with Active Return Zero Signal Loss and VoIP Telephone Bypass Feature https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003UHRVA2..._6kW9BbNWAR21Y

But if you cant find your splitter, that wont help. Can you boost the signal either at the input or at the TV?
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Old 11-22-2018, 04:27 PM   #7
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have you changed the input and done a scan on the tv's?
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Old 11-22-2018, 05:47 PM   #8
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Steps

1. Power On
2. Set for Antenna let scan to pick up channels
3. After Antenna has completed its upload on all TV's
4. Switched from Antenna to Cable
5. Set TV for Cable
6. Let TV scan for Cable Channel
7. All TV's registered Cable Channel
8. All TV's snowy
A. Bedroom the worst
B. Living Room 1/2 as bad
C. Garage not the best but could live with it

9. Changed every fitting on cables with new
10. Replace Cable/Antenna Switch splitter
11. Carried a TV to camper for fun and ran same cable to tv and it was perfect testing coax cable.
12. Ran coax cable to each TV all perfect pictures
13. Conclusion I have three colored coax cables. Black I believe to be antenna, White coax which feeds each tv bedroom, living room, garage, Orange feeds from outside to the splitter and meets the white and black. When I bought this camper in 2016 I did not have these problems, so what has happened in last two years for me to get such crapy snowy screens. I even played the game at several camp sites to see if that was the problem which I though in beginning. Picture ok. So something on one of those lines is ground out is the only thing I can think of. the wires are run through camper around every 2x4 when they built camper. If and if they put a screw or nail or staple in the coax cable causing all these problems that I also see others having someone needs to slap the slilly stupid person up beside the head. Just saying. I've been camping for several years and there is no reason for us to pay money we are paying and not have top notch quality in these product. Every camper should have a LIFE TIME until death warranty.
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Old 11-22-2018, 07:48 PM   #9
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We had similar issues in a KZ a few years ago.

Move your cable boxes from your house out to the fiver. Call your cable company and request service for your cable, describe the issue.

Our cable company (Spectrum) sent out a nice technician with quality testing tools. He was able to identify a section of coaxial cable that was bad and screwing up all the TVs in the coach. Replaced that one section of wire and all the issues went away. I did the replacement by running the new wire under the trailer above the chloroplast. This solution worked well for us perhaps your cable provider can help you here. He told us that occasionally coaxial wire fails without reason and the HD digital signals are particularly susceptible.
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Old 11-22-2018, 08:33 PM   #10
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If it worked previously and now it doesn't, what's changed?

Any mods where you might have run a few screws in the wall? Even something as simple as hanging a coat hook could have shorted something in these paper thin walls.
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Old 11-22-2018, 09:41 PM   #11
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Time

Nothing changed but day and month and year. All same.
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Old 11-22-2018, 10:20 PM   #12
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I'm with redhooker. Run new cable however you can and be done with it. I've had to replace cable in previous units and was lucky to be able to pull it through the walls using the old cable. Going underneath and up is a good option also.
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Old 11-23-2018, 08:37 AM   #13
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Coaxial cable can and does fail over time. Having your runs tested will isolate the issue before you do a complete rewire. It can even be one of the short pieces that go from wall plate to box/tv.

Try having a pro look at it. Read here about just a few causes of failures:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.rfv...%3fhs_amp=true
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Old 11-23-2018, 09:05 AM   #14
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I've had my cable company RG6 strung between the pole and the side of the house for 30 years now and I suppose at some time it might fail. Typically, coax cable failures are caused, created, by poor connector installation terminations. I believe the common links for the OP's issue (all TV's bad and components are good) is the cable input port and of course the splitter from which distribution to the TV's is made. If the OP had an OHM meter it could tell a lot.
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Old 11-23-2018, 09:10 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by redhooker View Post
Coaxial cable can and does fail over time. Having your runs tested will isolate the issue before you do a complete rewire. It can even be one of the short pieces that go from wall plate to box/tv.

Try having a pro look at it. Read here about just a few causes of failures:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.rfv...%3fhs_amp=true
I respectfully disagree.

Coaxial cable doesn't fail on its own.

Can it be damaged... sure.
It can get cut, have a screw or staple run through it, water intrusion from a poor/improper connection, etc. but it doesn't have a set lifespan that says in (xx) years, this cable will no longer function.

My dad was a cable tv engineer and installer
I have pieces of coax that are 40+ years old and have no issues whatsoever.
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Old 11-23-2018, 09:12 AM   #16
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At 30 years old you likely have quality cable made in the USA-basically a unicorn now

Highly doubt the RV mfgs use anything like that
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Old 11-23-2018, 09:26 AM   #17
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Splitter

There is an secondary splitter somewhere in the camper and I can't find that splitter. I believe if i find it I'll find the problem. Like I said earlier I didn't have a problem when I bought it new. Over time something has altered or changed within the walls causing this. I've done my own trial and error and believe the one cable that feed all ports somehow is bad or somewhere within the walls that splitter has gone bad. I followed Forrest River advise and looked behind every vent, every duct, every hole, behind stove, behind microwave and so far no luck There has to be another splitter because. 1-TV Bedroom, 2-TV Living Room, 3 Port in loft, 4 Port outside, 5 TV in Garage. Well I can eliminate the garage because it connect directly into switch. The leaves me to believe there is a four port splitter somewhere that is causing all my problems. I can't believe they would not install it somewhere that could be found.
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Old 11-23-2018, 11:52 AM   #18
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The fact that you do have good OTA signal would make it seem like a splitter would not be your issue with cable as the splitter is still in the picture with OTA. This would lead me to believe there is an issue with just the cable input coax.
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Old 11-23-2018, 12:35 PM   #19
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Replace Cables

I'm down to the last thing that will take some time. Replace all tv cables. That's going to be a job.

Thanks for everyone's input.
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Old 11-23-2018, 12:41 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Coltrain View Post
There is an secondary splitter somewhere in the camper and I can't find that splitter. I believe if i find it I'll find the problem. Like I said earlier I didn't have a problem when I bought it new. Over time something has altered or changed within the walls causing this. I've done my own trial and error and believe the one cable that feed all ports somehow is bad or somewhere within the walls that splitter has gone bad. I followed Forrest River advise and looked behind every vent, every duct, every hole, behind stove, behind microwave and so far no luck There has to be another splitter because. 1-TV Bedroom, 2-TV Living Room, 3 Port in loft, 4 Port outside, 5 TV in Garage. Well I can eliminate the garage because it connect directly into switch. The leaves me to believe there is a four port splitter somewhere that is causing all my problems. I can't believe they would not install it somewhere that could be found.
I found my splitter behind the radio. Pulled the 4 screws popped it out and there it was. Granted the radio is right under the living area TV.
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