Portable Satellite Installation

[IDguy]

I have a Georgetown 30x3 and Dish Tailgator. Despite useless manuals and diagrams I was able to make it work on my trip last month. I hook the antenna into the cable input in the rear compartment. I bought a coax converter to route the cable wire in the center front compartment through the dish receiver and back into the three way switch. It works fine.

But on my trip I stopped at one place that provided cable. I usually don’t use places with such amenities bit it got me wishing I could have easily used it vs. redoing the wiring.

So I want to put in a switch or cable splitter to have two inputs to the three way switch already up there (antenna, cable, satellite). My question is: can I use a splitter vs. switch and then just use the three way switch? One of the splitter outputs would go through the satellite receiver and the other to the cable input of the three way switch.

The splitters are cheaper than switches.

[DougW]

Splitters and satellite signals do not play well together, the signal will be too weak to work most of the time. Best to get an A/B switch to put in, just make sure it one of the ones designed for higher frequency digital signals.

[IDguy]

Originally Posted by DougW

Splitters and satellite signals do not play well together, the signal will be too weak to work most of the time. Best to get an A/B switch to put in, just make sure it one of the ones designed for higher frequency digital signals.

Thanks. That is what I wondered about.

[bubbles]

Here's one way using an A/B switch.

[IDguy]

Originally Posted by bubbles

Here's one way using an A/B switch.

Can’t see clearly but no problem. I know what to do with A/B switch. Only question was if I could use splitter upstream and rely on three way switch downstream.

It would be cheaper and only need one switch to go between.

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by IDguy

Can’t see clearly but no problem. I know what to do with A/B switch. Only question was if I could use splitter upstream and rely on three way switch downstream.

It would be cheaper and only need one switch to go between.

Cheaper than a simple (nothing special) $5 A/B switch and three short coax cables? You have only one outside port for coax and that can be either Sat or park Cable, not both so just a flip of the A/B switch from one or the other and set the Movievision box. You probably have a Wally sat receiver and it only has HDMI (HD) and RF (RCA audio/composite video) outputs and unless you are using the HDMI output you need an RF modulator ($25) to convert the RF output to coax (SD) for an input back to the Movievision select panel for distribution. Not sure what a coax converter is. Not sure if just installing some sort of a splitter in place of the A/B switch is feasible but not an expert. Some times simple is better.

[IDguy]

Originally Posted by bubbles

Cheaper than a simple (nothing special) $5 A/B switch and a couple short coax cables? You have only one outside port for coax and that can be either Sat or park Cable, not both so don't understand the need for a splitter. You probably have a Wally sat receiver and it only has HDMI (HD) and RF (RCA audio/composite video) outputs and unless you are using the HDMI output you need an RF modulator ($25) to convert the RF output to coax (SD) for an input back to the Movie/Vision select panel for distribution. This may be what you are calling a "coax converter" and already have. I'm not fully grasping what you are wanting to do.

The AB switches are more than $20. And all I have found have two inputs and one output. I do not know if they work in reverse, which is what I need.

As I mentioned I have it working on satellite. The receiver I have has coax in and three wire out to converter from three wire to coax. The new switch would go upstream of receiver and not affect output to three way switch (well, I might change to have reciever go to satellite position).

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by IDguy

The AB switches are more than $20. And all I have found have two inputs and one output. I do not know if they work in reverse, which is what I need.

As I mentioned I have it working on satellite. The receiver I have has coax in and three wire out to converter from three wire to coax. The new switch would go upstream of receiver and not affect output to three way switch (well, I might change to have reciever go to satellite position).

This is all you need for the A/B switch about $5 at Lowes. It's just a coax switch and is not polarity sensitive (IN can be OUT/OUT can be IN) so interconnect doesn't matter. Park cable OUT port/Sat receiver and Cable back to Movieselect box IN ports. A/B switch ANT/CABLE ports not applicable also. I rewrote a segment of my post.

[IDguy]

Originally Posted by bubbles

This is all you need for the A/B switch about $5 at Lowes. It's just a coax switch and is not polarity sensitive (IN can be OUT/OUT can be IN) so interconnect doesn't matter. Park cable OUT port/Sat receiver and Cable back to Movieselect box IN ports. A/B switch ANT/CABLE ports not applicable also. I rewrote a segment of my post.

Yes, I see those but didn’t know if they would work in reverse. Thanks.

[DougW]

Originally Posted by IDguy

Yes, I see those but didn’t know if they would work in reverse. Thanks.

Yes, they will work in reverse. Connect the port labeled “out” to the coax which goes to the outside of the RV. This will be where you connect your sat dish or your park cable depending on which you will be using at the moment. The “Cable In” would go to the Television, the “ANT” in would go to the satellite box. When using park cable put the switch to CABLE, when using the dish put the switch to ANT.

[IDguy]

Originally Posted by DougW

Yes, they will work in reverse. Connect the port labeled “out” to the coax which goes to the outside of the RV. This will be where you connect your sat dish or your park cable depending on which you will be using at the moment. The “Cable In” would go to the Television, the “ANT” in would go to the satellite box. When using park cable put the switch to CABLE, when using the dish put the switch to ANT.

Yes, thanks.

I also have to switch the three way switch. A splitter would have avoided that but not a big deal as my use of cable will be minimal and this will simplify it over rewiring each time.

[JohnBj]

I haven't tried it, but my 2017 21DS has two external inputs - one for cable, one for satellite. So I assume it must be some kind of plug and play set-up already built in.