Satellite Success !!!

[darndave]

[I]***Lengthy Post Alert***

We took delivery of our 12th RV, a Signature 8263MBR, on 9/01. We have spent until now moving stuff in, and making it ours. Next week, we take it on our shakedown trip, which will be in Monterey, CA. It should be noted that we still own #11, a Solitude 42 foot 5er, which has some serious structural defects and will be returning to the factory for possible repair/hopeful replacement. We bought the Rockwood to have something to travel in in the meantime, and small enough to be easier to handle and maybe we'd travel close a little more.

On the to do list was getting the Dish network Wally to work with the existing FR wiring. We will be using a portable Playmaker antenna for now. Our floorplan allows for viewing the back side of the "convenience center" outside hookup, as it is adjacent to the compartment housing the whole house filter and water pump. RV #10 was a 2018 FR Cardinal Luxury 5er; from memory the orange cables were RG6 for the satellite antenna feed into the trailer. Also from memory, FR does not have a clue when it comes to wiring the trailer for satellite. On that trailer, I had to hire a satellite installer to figure it out. He abandoned the FR wiring, and installed his own. The important thing to remember here is that, at least for Dish network, there can be no splitters or other "junctions" between point of entry of cable from antenna, and the termination of same cable at the receiver. It must be a "home run". I have no formal test equipment, but I have installed my own satellite and home theater stuff starting with RV #3, except for the Cardinal, and have a good understanding of what works and what doesn't. This should apply to all Rockwood models, as they are built in the same plant. Of course, things might be in floorplan specific locations, but the wiring destinations [I]should [be essentially the same. Our trailer has the main TV, and prep for a bedroom and patio tv. Even during my PDI walkaround, I thought it odd that one of the exterior cable inputs was labelled "Satellite/Cable". Having knowledge of my previous RVs, this can not ever be on the same port. The other cable port had no label. Below is my "investigation" results:

I started with placing the Playmaker antenna where I thought I could get a signal through the trees (It turns out I did, but only on one of three satellites, with a weak signal), and ran 50 feet of RG6 (maximum recommeded by Dish) back to the Wally directly. Got a signal and some programming.

Next, I connected to the unlabeled port at the exterior convenience center. This port had orange RG6 connected on the backside. I connected the Wally to the top connection of the Antenna wall plate--the one without the booster button. Turned on the TV and the Wally--no luck. "Complete signal loss" message on the screen.

Changed inside connection to the one marked for a second receiver--same result.

Decided to stop, and think about what I had seen already, and ponder how FR might have wired this up. Searched "satellite" on this forum and read about 20 different posts. One I even printed and read about four times. It had a diagram apparently provided by a FR rep, which stated to connect to the port on the wall plate with the booster button, and to connect the outside satellite RG6 to the "satellite/cable" port. I did not try this, because it [I]shouldn't[I] work, at least not how I would want it to. Doing this would preclude from also connecting to park cable at the same time. And what is that orange wire there for then?

Knowing that something wasn't right within the trailer wiring, I decided to look further. I could see behind the convenience center that the cables dropped down into the floor, and figured that they must be routed within the floor structure forward to the tv area(s). Being laminated walls, there will likely be only one point of entry up into the living space, and distributed to the other room from there, above.

I removed the bedroom wall plate, took a shower of styrofoam crumbles, and looked behind it. There was one grey cable (exterior port marked "satellite/cable") and the orange cable.

Pulled microwave loose to see behind the Living room connection area, and saw one orange cable extending from below, one going up to the roof, and a three way splitter with four gray cables, some going toward the main tv, and one going up into the ceiling. I deduced that the upward ones must be going to bedroom, and the others going to the main tv. I couldn't see the back of the main wallplate, however.

Access behind the TV in this model is a bear. The TV is on a wall mounted swing arm, but it only extends from the wall about 6 inches, and the TV is recessed into what looks like an upside down fireplace cabinet. All utilities are on the left side of the cabinet. There is the single lead for a second receiver, the main wall plate with two cable connections, and a 120 volt outlet where the TV plugs in.

I started with the single outlet, and took it loose from the wall to see behind. One orange cable. I guessed that this went to the bedroom to the other single wall plate (so far the only thing FR had done correctly!)

Next was the main (duplex) outlet. Interestingly, the lead normally connected to the TV as antenna was vacant--nothing connected. That lead came through the wall, and not through the wall plate. On the back was a black(? what's this for?) cable connected where I would expect to find the orange cable to the top coax fitting. The part of the wall plate with the booster button had four cables connected: Two gray (one in and one out), a Purple (out to patio), and the missing orange cable. I am hoping this was a mistake at the plant and not how they really wire these things. If so, management on down needs training. I removed the black cable and left it disconnected. Disconnected the orange cable from the boosted section of the wall plate, and replaced the black cable with it at the top of the plate.

And I had satellite TV from the outside connection through the trailer to the main TV. Success!!!

Seriously, they are already taking the time and expense to run dedicated satellite cable through the trailer. It just doesn't end up at the right place to be usable. Why not do it correctly? This would save on warranty claims and owner frustration. You shouldn't have to run a flat wire adapter through a window or drill a hole through the sidewall to get a satellite signal on a modern rv.

I post this in the hopes of helping another owner figure out the puzzle provided at no extra cost with your trailer purchase. I would think that much of this would apply to all Rockwood/Flagstaff models, as they are built in the same plant. While this worked out for me, YMMV.

Comments, questions, and funny looks are all welcome.

Dave