TV - no channels

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Phyllisc

Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2010
Posts
10
Up until last night we had TV no problems.  We got settled and ran the scan for channels and both TVs got nothing, not one channel in cable mode or antenna mode.  We stopped at a large RV service/sales center and they had no time to even check it out.  Husband is going nuts.
 
We had the same thing happen to us and believe it or not, it was "our cable" that ran from site to RV hook up.  Bought a new one and it worked again.  Just a thought !!!
 
Do you have a selector box that the different sources feed through that maybe is not set right?
 
The only thing we have is a light that turns green when the button is out and goes off when the button is in.  One is for cable and one for antenna.  No other boxes or switches.  Last night we didn't have cable at the campground and got nothing using out antenna.  Tonight we are hooked up to cable, ran the scan as usual and still no channels were picked up.  I don't know what else to do.
 
If that cable looks like the one you use for cable outside we did check it by unscrewing it and rescrewing it. 
 
Phyllisc said:
The only thing we have is a light that turns green when the button is out and goes off when the button is in.  One is for cable and one for antenna.  No other boxes or switches.  Last night we didn't have cable at the campground and got nothing using out antenna.  Tonight we are hooked up to cable, ran the scan as usual and still no channels were picked up.  I don't know what else to do.
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If this button is next to an antenna coax jack, it's probably the antenna amplifier.  Amplifier off for external and park cable, and amplifier on for over-the-air channels.  Make sure that the green light is lit before you do your channel scan.
 
Light was lit, even tried without light and antenna up.  It just scans and then says please scan the channels.
 
Hav you tried to run the cable directly from campground to a TV?

Dan
 
It might help those trying to assist if you could tell us if you are using a newer TV with it's own ATSC tuner or if it is an older TV using a Digital/analog converter.  If the TV has it's own Digital tuner (ATSC) is it selected in your setup menu. 

The scan procedure (initial signal input selection process) should be slightly different for over-the-air reception and cable input.
 
Light lit, Antenna up is the proper setting for over trhe air, you do have to know which way to point however

Light off, position of antenna does not matter, that's for park Cable if you have it.

NOTE problem could be parks, but odds are it's your cable or switch.
 
The Griswolds said:
We had the same thing happen to us and believe it or not, it was "our cable" that ran from site to RV hook up.  Bought a new one and it worked again.  Just a thought !!!
Click to expand...

Did you try this yet?  We went through everything posted here too and still nothing but it had worked up until that point.  Then we hooked up a TV directly to the cable coming from the post and that TV didn't work either - we instantly knew it was the CABLE itself and when replaced with a new one, everything was back to normal :)
 
TV antenna cable really isn't made to be repeatedly flexed.  It's happiest when it's run through the walls and secured in one position.

Based on this, the cables that are most likely to fail are the one you use to connect from the rig to the campground pedestal for cable TV, and the jumper going from the roof to the antenna head for over the air TV (it flexes every time you adjust the antenna).  Not anything inside the walls of your RV.

Or there might just not be any over the air channels available where you're camped.  Or the campground pedestal cable TV outlet may be defective.

First round of troubleshooting should be to verify there's signal at the campground outlet.  Can you get or borrow a length of cable and take it directly from the campground pedestal to your TV?  Or talk to your neighbor and see if they'll let you use the extra length of cable to plug into their known working outlet as a test.  Or use the extra cable to temporarily plug their rig into your outlet and see if they get a signal..
 
We have a newer TV, one that doesn't need the box that the older TV's have to have.  We are in a campground now that just has antenna service and we still have the same problem.  Our light that changes back and forth from air to cable is out again.  I really think we have a loose connection or something other than the cable wire.  We can't seem to find an RV service place that has time or wants to trouble shoot the problem.
 
If the light doesn't go on/off with the cable/antenna switch, then you are probably right. You - or maybe another camper - could pull the antenna amp box out of the wall for a preliminary check. It's simple and not dangerous in any way, even for the inexperienced.
 
We had a similar problem when we first took delivery of our 5er.  Found that on one F fitting, one strand (only one strand) of the shield had been wrapped around  the center conductor when the fittings were twisted onto the cable.  Cleared that strand and all was well!
 
If you have a signal booster or amplifier, check its connections and settings. Sometimes, turning it off and back on can resolve issues.
 
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