Satellite TV installation.....

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

mikeylikesit

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 15, 2017
Posts
116
Location
Oakboro NC
finally getting around to updating the tv's and adding satellite dish.  I've run into a few devices I've never seen before!  If someone can help me identify them, it might help me get oriented enough to attempt this install myself.

#1 looks like some kind of switching junction block......
#2 has the antenna feed from the old tv antenna connected to something with what appears to be A/C power.....
#3 is a cable connector with a cigarette lighter plug?  Hmmmm....

Thanks in advance!
 

Attachments

  • 20180522_180414 (Medium).jpg
    20180522_180414 (Medium).jpg
    145.6 KB · Views: 73
  • 20180523_051504 (Medium).jpg
    20180523_051504 (Medium).jpg
    226.8 KB · Views: 59
  • 20180523_051622 (Medium).jpg
    20180523_051622 (Medium).jpg
    209.7 KB · Views: 58
Number one and 2 no clue.  Nothing related to sat syatem.  Number 3 is your roof top TV antenna output. 
What sat service are you hooking up?  It does make a difference.
 
First pic is a contactor with what appears to be a 120 volt ac circuit going through a set of normally closed contacts. Number 3 is the booster for your over the air antenna.
 
So, I bought the Winegard traveller, and 2 DirecTv receivers.  Just getting my head around what I'll need to do to convert from the 1996 vintage wiring in order to connect up the 2 new TV's to the Sat system.

I'm thinking I'll have the dish installed by my best RV shop and I can handle the rest of the wiring.  I'm thinking I should replace the existing coax with modern, better quality stuff.

so the existing cable connections......Front is photo 2, rear is photo 3, probably will be abandoned, as I am ditching the existing old VHF/UHF antenna.....at least according to the wiring schematics I've seen. 

thanks!
 
#1. if this is a front mounted TV in a motor home I'd guess the ignition interlock but as others have said.. Nothing to do with sat system

#3 is a standard TV wall plate where the antenna connection from the TV goes. the 12 volt outlet is basically useless

#2.. Is that the back of the TV outlet. if so it's a Splitter/Switch/power inserter for the Rooftop antenna and cable but I've never seen one quite like it
Most are on the antenna plate and that one appears not to be. However Winegard does make one model that is ... Different. That may be it.

THe function of this is to select OTA or Park cable, to split between the Main TV and the remote.  and to feed 12 volts to the booster. which is in the antenna.

My guess is this one does only the last two Functions  Power to the antenna adn split between Two TV/s  But that is a guess  If you can find a model number on that circuit board we can be more accurate.

Modern Sat installs do not use any of the avove  You need a nice clean RG-6 or RG-11 run from the sat receiver to a handy dandy connection spot down below (This is if using a ground mount antenna) But a grounding block there and connect it to the chassis (The ground screw)

And then HDMI to your Main TV if you want to run both TVs then HDMI splitter and a long HDMI line to the remote.
 
Welcome to the Forum!

Pic 1, no clue.

Pic 2 & 3, as John said.

The antenna thing has nothing to do with the Sat setup.  I would leave it alone.  There WILL be places the sat will not work.

The antenna works when the pilot light on the pic 3 plate is on (Power to antenna amp).  Push button, turn off light, and the same connection now feeds park cable through the same connection.  This often connects to the park system near the water or other utility hookups.  Connect this to the TV coax input.

If your rig does not have a sat dish, it likely has no cabling for a dish.  You will need all new cabling from the dish, into the camper and to each TV (OP bought two receivers).  Connect receivers to a different TV input.
 
Two receivers?  Which models?  You should have gotten a HR44 or HR54 and a mini Genie it would be much simplier installation.
 
Part of your Trav'ler install should be a splitter for the Coax. One cable to splitter (power feed path shown on splitter) goes to the power inserter and on to Receiver #1. A second/third/fourth splitter output goes to additional receivers. So bottom line is you need RG6 coax to each receiver in your installation (see installation}. HDMI connector goes between receiver and TV. If you are truly abandoning your OTA antenna, you may be able to repurpose cabling.
 
thanks guys.

I have ordered (bought but not yet received) the H24 receivers.  I'm pretty sure I can return them.....I'm all for an easier install. :)  I don't yet have the Winegard, either.

Yes, my plan was to abandon the OTA system.  We won't be full timing, and with Sat + a DVD player, we think it's enough options.


So, an ignition interlock, eh?  Makes sense.  Yes it's at the front TV.  I did not pull it out of the box, and can't see any control (coil) connections.

So the OTA antenna needs "boosting".....must be an amplifier. It's all becoming clearer to me now. 

I guess I won't need any of the existing OTA stuff.....and I will need the spaces it occupies to connect the sat coax.  Easy enough. (I will leave the "park cable splitter" thing for now, and look for the winegard replacement) 

I'm inclined to use the existing coax to pull in new RG6.  existing might work, but I'll be more confident in new, and some of the connections (terminations) are a bit sloppy.

Last thing, at least for now :rolleyes: ...... is do I attempt the sat dish install?  Can I put it where the OTA antenna now resides? (so as to use the existing coax as a fishing line for pulling in new cable)

I really appreciate ya'll sharing. Thank you!
 
You may have locations marked on your roof to mount antenna and for an entry point for cables (antenna control and coax cables). Satellite antenna needs to be on centerline so it will be level when coach is level, unless OTA antenna is on centerline probably can't use that location.
Note you could have included an HR24 or HR44 with recording capability. (HR44 supports Whole Home).
 
Installation of the Travel'r is fairly simple. I've done it twice and found the insttuctions quite good. I should note that the control cable and RG6(s) may be run to a convenient entry point separate from the antenna (often at the front cap into cabinets beneath it). I used channels designed for interior surface mounting electric wires. They are available at Lowes or HD. Do use the cap provided by Wingard at the penetration.

Ernie
 
Depending on where you park the Travler may or may not work.  Think trees!  Have had Travlers on my roof for 12 years and the number of times I have actually been able to use it I can count on one hand.  1500 dollars is a waste of money, when for around 200 dollars you can get a ground based dish tripod assembly that will work almost every time.  There is always going to be times that nothing will get a signal.
Switching to a HR44 or HR54 and a mini Genie will allow you to place the main unit in the most convenient spot, run one wire, and watch and record TV programming from either TV.
 
Apparently, DirecTv only allows 1 "genie" per account.  Since I already have one in the house, I'm  SOL on using one in the coach.  :-\

Routing to the rear won't be an issue, as there is an existing RG-59 cable I can use to pull in a new RG-6.

We spend a fair amount of time in the desert........I don't think I'll have a problem seeing the sky out there.  :)

All this newfound intel (thanks to all of you who have posted) is giving me more confidence in installing this system myself.  I'm not real comfortable with how I'm going to get the wires needed from the antenna into the "entertainment center" in the cabinets at the front of the coach. I am presuming that a professional installation would route those wires inside the roof itself.....is that wrong?

  I DON'T want to run raceway INSIDE, but I suppose I could run it on the roof and just paint over everything with the rubber roofing compound, eh?

as always, I do appreciate all the advice and observations.  Keep it coming!
 
I'll note that in five years travelling fron FL to TX to CO etc we've never failed to find a satellite freindly site! Just ask!

Ernie
 
With hundreds of sites behind us, we've never been on a site where I couldn't get a sat signal either, and we never ask for a sat friendly site, preferring to select sites for the view and other features. We have been on a few sites where I could only get one or two of the three Dish sats available on each arc, but since they carried the programs we really cared about, that was ok. Below is the sat view at one site where we had all the programming we wanted on the 61.5 and 77 sats, and even the 72.7 sat had a signal, albeit a weak one.
 

Attachments

  • dp-2018-03-14_16-33-53-190.jpg
    dp-2018-03-14_16-33-53-190.jpg
    237.9 KB · Views: 12
mikeylikesit said:
I'm inclined to use the existing coax to pull in new RG6.  existing might work, but I'll be more confident in new, and some of the connections (terminations) are a bit sloppy.

In a MH as old as yours the existing coax is likely to be RG59; I would definitely suggest using new coax.
 
For any coax between the satellite dish & the receiver, you MUST use coax which is rated and labeled "3 G HZ" or "3,000 M HZ".  The existing cable in your 20-30 year old RV is just rated to carry OTA signal.  I tried to use the existing cable in a 2005 RV and it worked sometimes and sometimes it didn't work. Took a lot troubleshooting to figure it out. 

I'm not a Direct TV person, we use Dish Network.  However your comment about only being able to have 1 "genie" per account.  Assuming the "genie" is the receiver, why not just take the receiver from the house and put it in the RV.  That is what we do with our Dish  receiver.

 
3 GHz swept coax is only needed for multiple Dish Hopper/Joey installations. With a single receiver, the high frequency MOCA signals are not used, and a lesser rated coax will work fine. In many cases, the lesser rated coax will also work well with 3 GHz MOCA signals simply because the wire is capable of it, but just hasn't had the more costly 3 GHz testing. I recommend trying what you've got before running out and buying a bunch of new stuff. And of course the OP is using DTV, so the Dish requirements may not apply anyway.
 
NY_Dutch said:
3 GHz swept coax is only needed for multiple Dish Hopper/Joey installations. With a single receiver, the high frequency MOCA signals are not used, and a lesser rated coax will work fine. In many cases, the lesser rated coax will also work well with 3 GHz MOCA signals simply because the wire is capable of it, but just hasn't had the more costly 3 GHz testing. I recommend trying what you've got before running out and buying a bunch of new stuff. And of course the OP is using DTV, so the Dish requirements may not apply anyway.
Well, the RV we had was a 2003 Phaeton (Tiffin) MH.  When I connected my tripod mounted dish through the TV connector in the electrical bay, (there wasn't a "satellite" connection) the receiver would show a nice picture, then break up as the satellite dishes do when really heavy clouds come by.  After lots of trouble shooting was done, i.e. replacing the LNB, etc I finally ran a separate 3000 Mhz cable directly to the receiver and from that point on it worked fine.  Interestingly enough the DVR "signal power" showed good levels for all the satellites. 

I didn't do any checking on exactly which coax cable was installed in the internal wiring in the MH.
 
AStravelers said:
Well, the RV we had was a 2003 Phaeton (Tiffin) MH.  When I connected my tripod mounted dish through the TV connector in the electrical bay, (there wasn't a "satellite" connection) the receiver would show a nice picture, then break up as the satellite dishes do when really heavy clouds come by.  After lots of trouble shooting was done, i.e. replacing the LNB, etc I finally ran a separate 3000 Mhz cable directly to the receiver and from that point on it worked fine.  Interestingly enough the DVR "signal power" showed good levels for all the satellites. 

I didn't do any checking on exactly which coax cable was installed in the internal wiring in the MH.

You probably had RG59 coax with poorly crimped connectors typical of many RV's. Any good quality RG6 coax with compression fittings would have worked for you, even without the 3Ghz designation, but there's no down side to having the designation of course.
 
Back
Top Bottom