RV TV cable

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DonTom

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Apr 21, 2005
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Auburn, CA or Reno, NV
This is more of a curiosity than a real issue, because I have to run my ham antenna into the window anyway. But I have to do the same with my TV cable. I am at the KOA in Tifton, GA. KOAs always have TV cable. It works. But I have to feed it here:

TVcabin.JPG

This box below has a cable input. It seems to go nowhere. One is labeled "sat" and the other is labeled "cable". I tried both and cannot get the cable signal into this RV from there no matter what I do:

box.JPG

closeup.JPG


Could I be overlooking something? Or could this not be connected to anywhere?

-Don- Tifton, GA
 
In our Motorhome there is a switch in one of the cabinets over the dash which has to be on for antenna and off for satellite. Maybe your right has such a switch somewhere?
 
Our TT is the same way. The button is hard to see but the LED tell me the Button is on for the ANT booster
 
Several things
First: it is not unheard of for the maker to confuse the sat cable and the Park Cable cable

Second. Somewhere you have either a box with many buttons (matrix switch) or more likely in a trailer a wall plate with a light, a switch a 12 volt accessory outlet (dang near useless) and an antenna connection.. Make sure the light comes on with the switch is on and then turn it OFF. this switch selects "rooftop antenna" or "park cable" .

Also make sure the cable is actually attached.

There may be another way to get your ham coax out as well (I followed the plumbing)
 
Those external input connections on my RV terminate to a wall plate in the front cubby where the satellite receiver/cable box was destined to go. An RG-6 jumper connects from there to the BOB.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
I needed to use the Sat connector when I had a campground supplied cable box. The ”cable” connection went through a bunch of splitters and to the “AV“ receiver. The cable box didn’t like it. The other end of the “Sat” cable came out in a cabinet near the TV. It was a straight through connection.
 
In our Motorhome there is a switch in one of the cabinets over the dash which has to be on for antenna and off for satellite. Maybe your right has such a switch somewhere?
In my first photo, in the OP, where it shows my TV cable input, it has two switches with two separate green Leds. One is labeled as "ant pwr" and the other is labeled as "wifi pwr". Both have to be out with light off to use the cable input there, as shown.

But that is on a Wingard plate. I played around with both those switches to no avail well before I posted my first message. So far, I have found no other switches and I just double checked the cabinets above the dash.

-Don- Tifton, GA
 
The other end of the “Sat” cable came out in a cabinet near the TV. It was a straight through connection.
I already tried both inputs to no avail. I do have another two "inputs" labeled "roof sat" and "LNB line 1" and "LNB line 2". These are TV coaxial inputs which can also be seen in my first photo in my OP. But here is a closeup:

BTW, what does "LNB" stand for?:lnbcu.JPG

-Don- Tifton, GA
 
Some satellite dishes have two Low Noise Block downconverters. Could these be to receive inputs
for such a dish?
 
One is labeled as "ant pwr" and the other is labeled as "wifi pwr". Both have to be out with light off to use the cable input there, as shown.
The "ant pwr" is the power to your typical RV wing type antenna and is only used if using the antenna on the roof. I'm not sure what the "wifi pwr" might be. I take it that your owner's manual for the coach doesn't address them?

The "sat" connection is intended for a portable satellite dish that then must feed a receiver unit that is for whatever satellite service you subscribe to. There should be another connector at the other end that would be located near/in a place that receiver could be kept. The cable connection should supply the same connection to the TV as is used by your roof antenna but with the booster turned off. At least that is how both my current RV and the previous one was connected. The cable connection probably passes through a signal splitter if you have two TVs and should work that way but the satellite doesn't because it has to pass power back down the coaxial cable to the dish.

The latest picture is for prewiring for a roof mounted satellite dish. The satellite RV dish uses two LNB's (Low Noise Block) as each receives a different group of stations. I am quite sure that you don't use those unless you add one of the roof dish systems.
 
I take it that your owner's manual for the coach doesn't address them?
Yes, it does, but none of it works. I came to the conclusion that my Wingard is only an amplified TV antenna, but they give me a complete manual for it that shows countless things I do not have. In almost every item in every manual in this RV, it starts with "if so equipped" making all the manuals rather useless for showing what I really have.
through a signal splitter if you have two TVs
This new RV came with three TVs. One in the bedroom, one in front of the kitchen window that comes up with a switch and another TV outside under the awning. So far, I have only used the kitchen TV as that is where I am right now typing this out.

-Don- Tifton, GA
 
One is labeled as "ant pwr"
That's the one I'd expect to be connected to the Cable connection in the outside bay, and I'd expect cable on it when the switch is turned off -- at least that's the way the Winegard units have always worked for me.

But if that didn't do it for you, I don't know where to go from here.
 
That's the one I'd expect to be connected to the Cable connection in the outside bay, and I'd expect cable on it when the switch is turned off -- at least that's the way the Winegard units have always worked for me.
That's where I have the TV cable connected from the window as shown in my first post. And yes, both switches are off. If the one for the antenna is turned on, the cable gets a lot weaker (very snowy picture). But with the cable connected outside, I tried everything possible with the switches, cables, etc. and it's exactly like being connected to nothing at all.

-Don- Tifton, GA
 
That's where I have the TV cable connected from the window as shown in my first post. And yes, both switches are off. If the one for the antenna is turned on, the cable gets a lot weaker (very snowy picture). But with the cable connected outside, I tried everything possible with the switches, cables, etc. and it's exactly like being connected to nothing at all.

-Don- Tifton, GA
Don, that is an output. The cable input is outside the coach.
The switch is selecting either the OTA antenna or the cable.

Are you doing analog cable or digital through a cable box?
 
There is a known issue with Entegra coaches leaving the factory with those cables not connected. Take apart the switch plate to see if the cables are plugged in.
 
If I didn't have to tear the entire RV apart, I would have done such a long time ago.

-Don- Tifton, GA
No one is suggesting tearing the rv apart. Just looking at a few connectors to see if they are wired. Especially after it was mentioned that your brand had some go unfinished and you told us about all the issues you had to have fixed.

What are you wanting? A magic wand to make it work?
 
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