Audio/Visual Cableing Diagram

[Jim28730]

Does anyone have a cabeling diagram for the audio/visual system in a late model Alpine? I'm looking for antenna, satellite, and cable feeds to switches, etc.

[Jim A]

All I can say is good luck! You will need it! WRV made frequent changes to equipment and how it was all connected. Even within a model year.

My '04 coach came with a schematic for the entertainment system. It is identical to the '04 schematics, page 9, in the Technical Library on the ACA website. I don't see one in the schematics for later years. All the coaches appear to have the same basic set of coax cables from the antenna, the satellite dish on the roof, etc. This schematic shows the color codes used on those basic cables if you don't find one elsewhere.

How those get from there to the TV's varies greatly. Mine go though a Winegard coax switch box. Most have an A/B switch to select between a roof satellite dish and an aux dish connected in the storage area, with the output (center connect) going to the satellite receiver. Some have an A/B/C switch to select which coax feed goes to the bedroom and outside TV's. My year doesn't, as the Winegard box does that. Some have TV's with tuners, some only have monitors and use something else as a tuner such as a VCR. Some have two satellite receivers, one for the front TV and a second one for the bedroom and outside TV's. Mine only had one. Some take advantage of multiple AV inputs on the TV, others like mine didn't.

If somebody has worked on your coach, all bets are off. I recently helped a friend fix their system. It had previously been worked on by at least three shops. It had at least 7 signal splitters in it. (Mine has none.) Before we started, with a digital TV they could only get 9 channels over the air. After removing the splitters and installing a switch box similar to the Winegard, we now get 90 channels without even raising the antenna.

Armed with a little knowledge of entertainment center/satellite dish/cable coax wiring and that basic color code I mentioned, you can probably figure it out. Post more questions once you get into the wiring.

Just don't be surprised if it is not connected to the TV in the optimum way. In order, depending on equipment:

HDMI cable - Best
Component video
S-video
Composite video
Coax and tune to channel 3/4 (how mine started out) - Worst!

Good luck. My wiring changes were well worth the effort.

[EngineerMike]

This may be the schematic you are looking for. I don't recall getting it w/our 06 Owner's Manual. This is courtesy of Ray Doty. Hope it helps.

[Rick J Fisher]

E-Mike, I am sure this diagram matches my '07 closely. The right side of the drawing is cut off. It should show the HDMI output on sat 2 tuner going up to the front TV and another connection (HDMI or RCA) from the DVD (Mine is RCA) to the front TV. That is four inputs to the front TV. You spent some time with me trying to get King Dome signal to the receivers in vain. I plan to bypass the AB switch and try again. The King Dome manual says no switches or splitters allowed.

[Jim A]

Kingdome tech support told me the same thing about the A/B switch. But mine worked with the A/B switch installed. But it had been miswired by WRV. (The dome coax signal never went to the receiver no matter which way it was switched.) Once wired correctly, it worked fine.

It did not work with a splitter installed.

[kraig]

In my experience, a diagram didn't do me any good. Hardly nothing worked. None of the wires were marked. Some weren't even hooked up. The Winegard ant booster was buried where couldn't even get to it.

I did a total rewire. I disconnected all the leads and used ohmeter to trace all my wires and labeled them. The only A-B switch I left in was for portable sat or roof top. I don't think Wineguard still makes master controller, so I went with Audiovox contoller. I moved Wineguard Ant booster out to where I could get to it. WRV installed the Wingard Roadstar next to the AC where it was too close to work right . I replaced it away from the AC. Took out the Kingdome, pulled wires through the roof, installed Motosat HD. To get best reception for high defintion tv, I replaced all the coax I get to with quad shield cable. Did away with screw on connectors. Did away with most of the splitters. If you need a splitter, use a high end one of at least 2200MHz. Tighten all connections more than hand tight. Keep coax 6" from elctrical cables. It was lot of work, but works great.

[Jim28730]

Thanks for all of the input guys....you continue to amaze! This is sounding more like a winter project...DW will not be happy if she ends up with no TV for the balance of the camping season, just spaghetti hanging from the A/V cabinets.

[EngineerMike]

I hope she leaves some spaghetti to eat, and doesn't throw it all at you!

[Mike & Mike]

Jim28730,

Also, while doing this winter project, expect the unexpected.

My example of this: while troubleshooting my own A/V system, and why I had great TV in the living room and terrible TV in the bedroom (tons of snow and way fewer channels) it turned out that one section of the Winegard switchbox was bad. Since we don't have a patio TV, I swapped the cables off of the "bedroom input and output" and am now using the "patio input/outputs" on the Winegard box.

I also had trouble with the A-B switch and removed it from the system.

Here a couple of ideas for Continuity Testers for you (although you could rig up something at home for less):
Amazon.com: Extech Continuity Tester Pro, Model# CT20: Home Improvement

Amazon.com: Fluke PRO3000 Tone and Probe Kit: Electronics

Have fun with your project!

[Old Rv'er]

Concerning the Kingdome. Mine would not work at all when we went camping a couple of weeks ago, I figured a bad site, tried the portable antenna and it would not work either. So I can home put it in storage, and then next day pulled it out and tested both with open line of site, it still did not work. Then I reset the direct TV receiver, and both of them worked fine. Tested today when had it home working on it, and again it worked fine. So try resetting the Direct TV satalite receiver. The reset is on behind the door where the access card is located, it's a little red button. I have at least two splitters and two A/B switches in my setup, and my portable Automatic Winguard and the KD both work fine. Also ensure you don't have any lose or bad connectors hooked up. That will keep it from working properly.

[Old Rv'er]

Kraig, would like the Kingdome, what say we chat in PM space if you still have it.