Satellite cable install

[61solidaxle]

We have a newly purchased 2015 Palomino Sabre Fifthwheel
M-34REQS. As I discovered there is no satellite cabling that runs from the rear of the coach (where the main TV is located) to where the shore hook up is, I am contemplating installing an external waterproof access panel on the L/H rear corner of the 5er to serve as a new hookup point. I understand there is some aluminum framework behind the skin, but is there anything else back there that I need to be concerned with??

[houstonstroker]

So your main TV doesn't work on cable or OTA? If it works on cable then there is a coax. You may have to bypass the splitter if you want to use same cable for satellite.

[Blackrock]

I had problems with my sattelite reciever dropping signal using the rear hookup so I went down to my local rv store and bought a new single port and installed it on the outside wall right by the entertainment center. Problem solved. All you need is a hole big enough for the coax connector.

[61solidaxle]

Yes, there is a coaxial cable output in the rear of the coach by the tv, but in that I don’t subscribe to cable to hook up, I assume it works for cable only. There is a satellite cable input by the shore power comes in, but the output is in the forward bedroom. Where would I find the splitter??

[houstonstroker]

Most RVs have one outside input. This is only for cable at an rv park. This cable will terminate at the OTA booster switch. From there it is run to all TVs. So the coax that is run to each TV does double duty. With booster switch on all TVs get OTA signal. With booster switch off cable.

This cable input can be used for satellite with some modification.

[Sunseeker16]

I did the same as Blackrock on my 3010 DS rear bedroom tv. Cost about 10 bucks and took maybe 20 minutes.

[61solidaxle]

Originally Posted by houstonstroker

Most RVs have one outside input. This is only for cable at an rv park. This cable will terminate at the OTA booster switch. From there it is run to all TVs. So the coax that is run to each TV does double duty. With booster switch on all TVs get OTA signal. With booster switch off cable.

This cable input can be used for satellite with some modification.

houtonstroker - Can you be more specific about the modifications?

[NavyLCDR]

What you need for a satellite receiver connection is a straight run of coaxial cable from the satellite receiver to the dish antenna. It can have splices in it, such as wall plates, but no splitters or amplifiers unless one is specifically provided by the satellite company to do something such as insert DC power for the LNB in the dish - which is usually provided by the receiver anyway.

The modification you make to an outside cable TV connection, if that is all the RV has, is you find which cable going into your TV distribution center (usually a wall plate with a bunch of coax connections on the back of it that a TV antenna connection plugs into) is the inlet from the outside cable TV connection. You then remove that from the RV distribution center and that will plug directly into the dish antenna connection of your satellite receiver. Then your dish antenna will plug into the cable tv connector on the outside of your RV.

If you want to run more than one TV from your satellite receiver, there is usually a coax outlet on the satellite receiver that can be run to a splitter, which in turn connects to the internal coax cables going to your bedroom and/or outside TVs. Those TVs will get a little slave type box that receives signals from your main satellite receiver.

But, the main key to everything is one straight shot of coax cable from the satellite receiver to an outside RV connection point, and it doesn't matter what it is labelled on the outside.

[61solidaxle]

Originally Posted by houstonstroker

Most RVs have one outside input. This is only for cable at an rv park. This cable will terminate at the OTA booster switch. From there it is run to all TVs. So the coax that is run to each TV does double duty. With booster switch on all TVs get OTA signal. With booster switch off cable.

This cable input can be used for satellite with some modification.

houstonstroker - Can you be more specific about the modifications?

[houstonstroker]

I'm out of town but if memory serves my correctly I found the mod on modmyrv.com.

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by NavyLCDR

If you want to run more than one TV from your satellite receiver, there is usually a coax outlet on the satellite receiver that can be run to a splitter, which in turn connects to the internal coax cables going to your bedroom and/or outside TVs. Those TVs will get a little slave type box that receives signals from your main satellite receiver.

Really

Originally Posted by 61solidaxle

houstonstroker - Can you be more specific about the modifications?

What sat system are you going to use; Dish or Direct?

[61solidaxle]

Originally Posted by bubbles

Really



What sat system are you going to use; Dish or Direct?

Dish Playmaker

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by 61solidaxle

Dish Playmaker

Then you'll probably use the Wally receiver. It does not have a coax output only HDMI and RF (RCA yellow/red/white) SD outputs. If you wanted to use the existing coax to other tv's a modulator (less than $20) would be needed with the lone HDMI HD to your main tv. If you have one of these (antenna booster panel) or similar and wired as shown remove the cable port coax and hook it to your Wally and install a coax cable from the modulator back to the cable port. Connect your Playmaker to the park cable outside port and you should be good to go. Remember to set the ant booster panel to OFF (light out) for satellite. This is just one way to get satellite using the park cable outside port. This will of course mean no park cable capability as wired. Disregard auxiliary (Satellite Receiver) reference.

[bobkeown]

My setup is a similar. I just purchased a Dish King Tailgater with Wally single receiver setup and am plotting my move for next weekend's camping trip. I have three TV output connections - one in the the main family room, one in the bedroom, and one for an outside TV. On the rear of my camper, I have two inputs - one for Park Cable, one for Satellite, and I also have the King OmniGo antenna that was installed from the factory for OTA (non) reception. The Dish Wally receiver has two outputs - an RCA (red/white yellow) and an HDMI. My desire is to have any of the three TVs receive the single output feed from the Wally receiver (either at one or simultaneously). I understand that we won’t be able to watch more than one channel at a time. On the satellite input at the rear of the camper, I am assuming this is a separate coax cable feed running into the camper and to the connection plate behind the family room TV plate marked AUX/SAT. This was done, I assume, because the Dish receivers will not work with a split signal feeding into the receiver. The bottom connection on this plate is not marked, but I am assuming, is the combined OTA/Park Cable feed that is intended to be used for either OTA antenna reception (button pushed in/green light on) or Park Cable (button out/green light off). Because running HDMI cable throughout the trailer is not an option, has anyone tried to use an RF modulator and plug the Wally receiver’s RCA outputs into the modulator, convert the signal over to coax, and then run the modulator’s coax output into the OTA/Park Cable jack (with button not pushed in/green light off) instead of running another coax all the way back outside to the Park Cable Input to distribute the Wally's signal to the other TVs in the camper?

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by bobkeown

My setup is a similar. I just purchased a Dish King Tailgater with Wally single receiver setup and am plotting my move for next weekend's camping trip. I have three TV output connections - one in the the main family room, one in the bedroom, and one for an outside TV. On the rear of my camper, I have two inputs - one for Park Cable, one for Satellite, and I also have the King OmniGo antenna that was installed from the factory for OTA (non) reception. The Dish Wally receiver has two outputs - an RCA (red/white yellow) and an HDMI. My desire is to have any of the three TVs receive the single output feed from the Wally receiver (either at one or simultaneously). I understand that we won’t be able to watch more than one channel at a time. On the satellite input at the rear of the camper, I am assuming this is a separate coax cable feed running into the camper and to the connection plate behind the family room TV plate marked AUX/SAT. This was done, I assume, because the Dish receivers will not work with a split signal feeding into the receiver. The bottom connection on this plate is not marked, but I am assuming, is the combined OTA/Park Cable feed that is intended to be used for either OTA antenna reception (button pushed in/green light on) or Park Cable (button out/green light off). Because running HDMI cable throughout the trailer is not an option, has anyone tried to use an RF modulator and plug the Wally receiver’s RCA outputs into the modulator, convert the signal over to coax, and then run the modulator’s coax output into the OTA/Park Cable jack (with button not pushed in/green light off) instead of running another coax all the way back outside to the Park Cable Input to distribute the Wally's signal to the other TVs in the camper?

Use the Wally HDMI output for the primary TV and if you can connect the modulator output to the splitter input for distribution to all other TV's your good to go. My unit is not HDMI capable but I have a selector panel for the various inputs (cable/OTA/sat) and connect the modulator to that panel sat port for input to the splitter for distribution. It just takes some evaluating as to what your unit has.

[bobkeown]

Thanks! I will be camping next week and try it all out and report back!

[NavyLCDR]

In order to backfeed an RF signal in the coax to the different TVs by plugging the coax into the outlet by the main TV, there is a splitter that you will have to turn around. Splitters for TV and FM RF signals will pass signals between the output ports very poorly. If you don't switch any of the wiring around to the splitter, you would be supplying signal on one output port and expect to get that same signal at the other outlet ports of the splitter and that won't happen. Then only place you would get that same good signal would actually be on the input port of the splitter. Basically:

1. Input signal applied on input port = good output signal on all output ports
2. Input signal applied on output port = good signal out on the input port
3. Input signal applied on output port = bad signal on all other output ports

There are some bi-directional satellite specific splitter/combiners, but you won't find them installed in an RV unless you do your own.

[bubbles]

Yes, as said must be on the splitter input port. And of course the signal from a modulator over coax will be SD not HD.

[DSurette]

I wanted a second input in the bedroom for my Dish Pathway X2. I installed a covered input on the bottom of the BR slide that came up in the cabinet behind the TV. No drilling into an exterior wall needed and it is out of sight.

[bobkeown]

Thanks all. That was exactly what I was seeking. Wasn’t sure if backfeeding was possible. Sounds like I have the following choices:

A. Pulling that contraption out of the wall each weekend (depending on television availability and needs) and creating my own super splitter to use just for “satellite weekends”

B. Creating a mega-box with splitters galore, then creating a patent for it and selling it

I was hoping for an easy fix but sounds like I am going to have to earn this win.m every camping weekend.