Satellite Cable Question

HondoPatrick · 06-25-2011, 08:34 PM

Last time out I finally attempted to hook up my satellite. After an hour of trying the satellite input outside the trailer and getting no signal inside, I tried running a cable direct from the dish to the direct tv box and it worked perfectly. We had satellite which was good, but I had a cable coming in through the window and laying across the floor. Obviously I will take it in and let the dealer try and fix it but I was wondering if anyone else has had the same issue?

Radio · 06-25-2011, 08:43 PM

Often in a 5th/TT there is a little switch hidden away that connects the TV to either the roof top antenna or the cable/satellite input on the side of the trailer. You might want to find that switch and make sure it's set right before dragging the trailer all the way to the dealer.

Ours seems to always be in the wrong position. Go figure.

And bringing a cable, phone line or extension cord in through the slide seal sure beats using a window (assuming you have a slide)

HondoPatrick · 06-25-2011, 08:49 PM

I will check for the switch, but there is a separate feed for the satellite. I really like your idea of feeding in through the slide seal... I hadn't thought of that!

**RV Guy** · 06-26-2011, 09:52 AM

Hondo - the 2nd "Satellite" connection inside your Outside Convenience Center is - or should be - wired directly to your main TV area. Since it is wired direct, usually there's not much that can go wrong. We do not utilize any switching boxes.

I know this is obvious, but a common mistake is for people to not hook up their TV to the satellite feed at the area where the TV is located.

Basically, you have to disconnect the coax cable that goes to your TV from the cable connection output and reconnect it to the Satellite cable output. Not sure of your floorplan but both of these outputs are generally just inside the overhead cabinet where the TV is mounted.

I hope this makes sense and good luck. Contact our Customer Service on our web site if we can be of assistance.

PTM

HondoPatrick · 06-26-2011, 06:21 PM

You are correct,there are different feeds. I did disconnect the cable from the cable/antenna port and moved it to the satellite port, it just didn't work... Then I got out my meter and verified there was continuity... There was it just still would not pass a satellite signal. I will let you know what I find out from the dealer.

**RV Guy** · 06-26-2011, 08:25 PM

Please do. I'll ask some questions at the office tomorrow.

PTM

tbritt · 06-26-2011, 08:41 PM

PAT, here's what I got....Dish Network for one the tech put a spliter in on the outside station 1 to cable and one to satelite and conected my dish box to the input for cable in the trailer above the tv center....it worked but no outside or bedroor tv....put the switch to cable and the LED light comes on and I have Satelite in the bedroom and outside with the dual unit from dish we can watch two or three different channels....don't know if this will work for you or even makes sence....

**RV Guy** · 06-27-2011, 12:18 PM

Hondo - production confirmed my statement above. I'm guessing we need to have dealer look at it. Let us know what you find.

PTM

HondoPatrick · 06-27-2011, 06:31 PM

My Tech is going to take a look at it tomorrow or Wednesday. It's not that big of a deal yet, I just want to get to the bottom of if. Ohm meters don't lie so I know there is a cable there, just real curious why it won't pass a Direct TV signal. Being in the telecom business for almost 30 years now the one thing I know about Direct TV is their receivers are a little quirky sometimes. Generally you can't put the antenna feed through a splitter, there are max cable lengths to worry about, and I have NEVER gotten a signal amp to work. It is probably something simple. Stay tuned...

RV Guy - thanks for checking with the production folks. You guys build a good product and I am very impressed with the support. Keep up the good work!

**RV Guy** · 06-27-2011, 07:22 PM

I know a satellite feed typically won't go thru a splitter or the booster that's why we wire it direct. In the ever-changing world of electronics maybe something else has evolved.

Appreciate the kind words. Let us know what you find out.

j2detroit · 06-27-2011, 07:29 PM

two weeks ago i bought a winegard mini dish for my camper and while hooking it up i to found that neither of the hookups would work so i drilled a hole into my camper put in a new plate andhooked iy up looks good works great

Radio · 06-29-2011, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RV Guy

I know a satellite feed typically won't go thru a splitter or the booster that's why we wire it direct. In the ever-changing world of electronics maybe something else has evolved.

That's only somewhat true. The reality is the DC voltage required to operate the outdoor electronics of the antenna is powered from the set top box via the center conductor of the cable. Most splitters will not pass DC voltage and thus the antenna never gets the power it needs. But some, and you can tell by the price tag, will pass DC from the single port side to ONE PORT ONLY on the multi-port side. You have to look very carefully to make sure the box and antenna are hooked up correctly.

azwade · 06-29-2011, 06:14 PM

This brings up an excellent question for me. I have a 2011 Rockwood 8280WS 5er and have never been able to get campground cable to work on my Toshiba flat screen. Does anyone know if there is a hidden switch somewhere for cable? Over the air works great in both the main cabin and the bedroom.

**RV Guy** · 06-30-2011, 06:54 AM

Radio - thanks for the comment. We are investigating with Winegard.

Explorer777 · 07-17-2011, 05:56 PM

Speaking of the ever changing complexity.....I have a similar situation. I have a 2011 8317ss and on the outside there is a connection for cable in, and another for satellite. On the inside, right below the main TV in the living room, there is another set of connections for cable and satellite. (Nothing is hooked up to either of these inside.) There is also a "switch" box below that with 4 settings: (GAME), (CABLE/SATELLITE), (MP3/TV), and (XM/ipod). Just above this switch are 3 rows of RCA jacks. The first row is yellow, red, and white labeled (GAME). The second row is also yellow, red, and white and is labeled (CABLE/SATELLITE). The last row of RCA jacks is only red and white and is labeled (MP3/TV). When I plug "cable" in outside, all TV's inside work no matter what the settings are on the switch inside. When I plug the satellite antenna into the satellite in on the outside of the rig, I try switching the switch to (Cable/Satellite), running a cable from the inside Satellite cable connection to the receiver, and running RCA cables into the 3 RCA jacks labeled (Cable/SATELLITE) from the Satellite receiver. I get nothing. After playing with it for quite a while with different settings, I finally did as the person above and went directly from the antenna to the receiver, (through the front door), and then to the bedroom TV and it worked.

I saw above where you mentioned to unplug from cable connection and plug into Satellite connection inside, but there is nothing plugged into the cable connection inside my rig. My main and bedroom TV's must already be wired directly into cable.

I was able to get the bedroom TV off the wall and look behind it, but I can not get the flatscreen off the wall in the living room to look behind it. I assumed you just lift straight up like on the bedroom one, but I tried and it does not seem to budge, and I was afraid I was going to break it. I looked in my manuals and see nothing on hooking this up. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

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