Portable Dish question

[Cedar41]

We wonder if we get a small dish and put the dish receiver in the basement and run the cable into the "TV Cable" receiver in the bay, if we could get away without having to redo the configuration in the cabinets. Normaly we stay at parks that have Cable, but find some without and the local chanels poor. Do not use our coach enough now to justify a roof satelite.

[Cedar41]

We wonder if we get a small dish and put the dish receiver in the basement and run the cable into the "TV Cable" receiver in the bay, if we could get away without having to redo the configuration in the cabinets. Normaly we stay at parks that have Cable, but find some without and the local chanels poor. Do not use our coach enough now to justify a roof satelite.

[Mike & Mike]

Dear Cedar,

We've also got a 2004 and there are 2 connections in the basement, near the vacuum cleaner, on the passenger side. One is for "cable" and the other is for "satellite". The "splitter box" with all the switches that where you choose which input is going to which tv does have a switch marked for satellite and there are two loose wires in the cabinet above the dash on the passenger side.

Unfortunately, the "satellite" wire doesn't go all the way from the storage compartment through the switch boxes and to the cabinet above the dash on the passenger side (which is where we locate our satellite receiver box when we are using our portable satellite dish). I don't know where the cable is broken but it apparently is.

So, I end up running a coax cable from the portable dish, thru the doorway (slam the cable in the door) to the cabinet above the dash. It's pretty tacky but it works.

So, my point is that you should check your cabling first to make sure it goes all the way from Point A to Point B before buying the Portable Dish and the Receiver.

Also, if the dish receiver is in the basement, will the remote control for the receiver work to change channels? It may not.

Good Luck,

[Jim A]

The "TV cable" connection likely goes to a different tuner such as the VCR, not to the satellite receiver. It also goes through the Winegard switch box, which I believe may not pass the satellite signals.

There should already be a connection for a portable satellite dish in the rear of the passenger side storage compartment. One connection is for the outside TV, and one is for the satellite in. I don't remember how they are marked. If you have your WRV manual, it should tell you which is which.

Assuming your '04 is similar to my "04 (a bad assumption), there will be an A/B switch in the cabinet to switch between the roof dish and the portable dish. That switch determines which satellite dish lead goes to the satellite receiver.

FYI, my A/B switch was mis-wired at the factory. If you have problems, you might want to check that.

After I posted this, I saw Mike and Mike's response. I missed the part where you were going to put the satellite receiver in the basement. If you have a receiver that has capability for RF remote as well as IR, it might work in the basement. My coach came with the receiver already installed even though I didn't get the satellite dish. I assumed you had that at well. If not, disregard my earlier comments.

[JLMunsil]

I use the cable in connection in the utility bay to connect the external dish. Then I disconnect the cable wire from the switch box in the inside cabinet and connect it to the satelite in on the receiver. If you want to use cable you have to switch it back.

[William Schnieber]

I have an 05 and there is a junction box on the roof that the coax from the basement feeds to. The assumption is that the dish is on the roof. It feeds through the box and down to the receiver.

[Cedar41]

Thanks for your responses. I will print this and search around. Probably will have other questions later.
John and Lana