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htg3 · 11-07-2005, 08:32 AM

I have a 2005 40FDTS. The front a/v system is a Sharp Aquos LCD TV (LC-30HV4U), an RCA Home Theatre System (RTD250), a DirecTV HTL-HD satellite recveiver and a KingDome Automatic Satellite Antenna (D9702)with dual LNB.
There are also an ABC switch and an AB switch.
My problem is that I can never seem to get the system going the same way twice. Sometimes it works quickly and sometimes it takes me hours or days with many error massages and assorted phone calls.
Assuming a good line-of-sight to the satellite, tight connections and the ABC/AB switches in the correct position, does anyone with the same setup have a foolproof method of getting this installation going? Antenna on first? Satellite receiver on first? Jump up and down first?

Thanks

htg3 · 11-07-2005, 08:32 AM

I have a 2005 40FDTS. The front a/v system is a Sharp Aquos LCD TV (LC-30HV4U), an RCA Home Theatre System (RTD250), a DirecTV HTL-HD satellite recveiver and a KingDome Automatic Satellite Antenna (D9702)with dual LNB.
There are also an ABC switch and an AB switch.
My problem is that I can never seem to get the system going the same way twice. Sometimes it works quickly and sometimes it takes me hours or days with many error massages and assorted phone calls.
Assuming a good line-of-sight to the satellite, tight connections and the ABC/AB switches in the correct position, does anyone with the same setup have a foolproof method of getting this installation going? Antenna on first? Satellite receiver on first? Jump up and down first?

Thanks

Jim A · 11-07-2005, 12:18 PM

I don't have the same setup as you do, but I usually find a one fingered jesture towards the entertainment center is good. It doesn't help, but I feel better!

I do have the same 9702 dish, with an RCA satellite receiver (not high def) and the plasma TV. When I installed my dish, I found the AB switch that selects either the roof dish or the aux dish was miswired at the factory. Some others with a 2004 have found the same thing. I turn on the receiver and then the satellite search switch. The satellite dish should lock on even if the TV and the home theater system are not turned on. If you are having trouble getting the satellite locked on, try running a temporary coax from the dish directly to the receiver. That is how I found out my AB switch as miswired. If you can't get it to lock on, check with King Controls. If it locks on (solid green light), and you still get errors, there is something else wrong with the system.

My coach came with the Winegard switch that switches which coax feed goes to the VCR and then the TV. I assume the ABC switch replaced that. Or maybe your home theater system makes that switch. My system is different from yours. I can't help you there, but if they miswired my AB switch, I assume they can miswire the ABC switch too! I rewired my whole system.

First things first, check to see if the satellite will lock on with the satellite receiver turned on. If not, try a temporary coax. If it still won't lock on, there is a problem with the dish or receiver.

I hope this helps some. Sorry I don't have the same system as you do.

Jim&MaryJo · 11-07-2005, 01:02 PM

The sequence of powering up components should not cause this problem.

And, if your switch settings remained the same as before -- when it worked -- that shouldn't be causing issues either.

My best guess is you may not be telling your satellite controller what region you are currently located, when you travel outside of the last set region.

This only takes a couple of button-pushes. My Sat documentation included a mylar coated "crib- sheet" with region codes, that I leave next to the Sat controller.

If you are not re-designating the region, it goes into a "wide search and can take a long time to lock the satellite.

Just my best guess...

EngineerMike · 11-07-2005, 02:08 PM

HTG- I think the '05 setup is halfway between the 04 & 06. Mine has an "LG" LCD TV (Living Good brand), an RCA HDTV sat receiver, an AB switch on the front TV, and a Kenwood DVD/tuner that handles the audio; also have Kingdome w/auto-hunt&whir.

There is also a DirecTV sat receiver that handles signal for the rear TV along w/an ABC switch for input to the rear. I mention the switches as they seem to have supplanted the Wineguard switch box, and I'm guessing your DirecTV box & ABC switch are uninvolved in operating the front TV or audio as w/mine, and that your RCA Home Theater System does the same job as my Kenwood.

Now w/all that said (whew), the "best" sequence I've found is to 1) crank up the crank antenna (if you want to get a good unscramble of the local stations for whatever reason), b) Sat receiver "on", 3) sat antenna "on" & hunt&whir, Δ) TV on, ε) audio "on". If the setup was left in the correct status, my TV shows something like: "Please wait till you die for guide download," with an alternate on-screen button for "installation." This takes about 10 minutes after satellite lock is achieved by the Kingdome, indicated by 2 steady green lights. Then I use the Sat-receiver remote to change channels. If I want the best access to local channels I use the Sat-receiver menu/setup/scan-local-off-air-channel function (it might have a slightly different name ITRW) to scan local signals for another 5 minutes or so.

I've had a goofy response from the RCA sat receiver where it won't get guide data (w/Kingdome locked solid on the sat) & won't reaquire the guide till I unplug the coach (yep, the power on/off & even the reboot button on the d*%n thing won't reset it), so I feel your pain. Best of luck, & of course I too am a charter member of the flying one-fingered salute club as to audio-visual simplicity.

Jim A · 11-07-2005, 02:40 PM

I never tell mine what region, and even with the wide search it finds it within about 5 minutes, usually less. Worst case might have been 10 minutes when partially blocked.

I agree, if the switch settings worked once, they should work again, unless there is an intermittency. This could be a loose/broken wire or connection. If you have driven any distance, it could vibrate and make or break the connection. That could explain why it sometimes works and sometimes not.

When I installed mine and it could not find the satellite, King Controls told me that the coax had to go directly from the dish to the receiver. It could not go through an AB switch. I found this to be not true. Mine goes through the AB switch and works fine. Once it was wired properly!

BTW, I lied earlier. My dish is the 9702-LP (low profile), not that this should matter. Sorry about that.

Jim A · 11-07-2005, 02:47 PM

Mike,

When I rewired my entertainment center, I put in a power strip with a switch. Beats unplugging the coach! I want to install a Tivo, and don't want to have power to its hard drive while going down the road if/when I run the generator.

htg3 · 11-07-2005, 06:29 PM

Thanks for the tips guys. In one of my set up scenarios, after many minutes in the hunt/whir/finger gesture mode, I called the techie at Kingdome who had me "manually" aim the antenna with a number of pushes to the ON button to get the dish in roughly the same elevation as the satellite. After that the antenna locked on almost immediately. He also told me something I didn't know about the antenna. It is searching the sky for RF energy (satellite). It does not need any other component ie: sat receiver, to tell it where to look. If the first satellite it finds is not the right one, another push of the ON button sends it searching for the next satellite. I am learning as I go, but I am reminded of the old German saying: "Too early old, too late smart"
(it sounds better if said with a German accent).

Jim A · 11-08-2005, 06:03 AM

Interesting! A techie at Kingdome is the one who told me the coax had to be connected to the receiver for the dish to find the satellite. That is why mine didn't work initially. It searched for over 20 minutes and never found anything. As soon as I connected the new coax, it found it within a minute. As with most things, it depends on who you talk to!!

Jim&MaryJo · 11-08-2005, 01:01 PM

My "lock-on" time for the Kingdome usually runs far less than a minute, if the region is set right. If not, it's gone around 5 minutes.

My "acquire satellite" time for my DIshnet receiver is usually around 1-2 minutes, whether the unit was turned off or if I manuaaly switch satellites (necessary on Dishnet to view both HD and standard def channels).

I don't understand why Direct TV receivers seem so much slower???

Stretch · 11-08-2005, 02:04 PM

Gee: I was going to complain about our KVH L3 fully automatic,m watch it while you go down the road, but not under bridges, Sat dome. but ours is good compared to all you folks probs. Certainly not perfect however. Its noisy, slow to change (automatically) between satelites. We have a DISH subscsription, which does not help.

Jim A · 11-09-2005, 09:16 AM

I hope I did not give the impression that I am not happy with my Kingdome dish and Directv. My only problem was with the WRV wiring of the AB switch. Once I found that error, I am very happy with the performance of the 9702-LP dish and the RCA satellite receiver that came with the coach.

I do recommend changing the wiring to use the component video output of the DVD player and at least the S-video output of the satellite receiver to improve the picture quality over the coax feeds used on the 2004 coaches. But this has nothing to do with the dish or the receiver.

Jim&MaryJo · 11-09-2005, 11:30 AM

Re: re-wire for better quality...

I can confirm this too. Especially with the Plasma TV. It has very improved pic quality with better video connections.

I replaced all components -except the winegard- fairly inexpensively; added a component video switch; and have HD connection from my Dishnet reciever.

It was a pain, but it was worth it.

Jim A · 11-09-2005, 12:14 PM

Jim,

Did your coach come with the Panasonic home theater sound system/DVD player? If so, what did you replace it with? I am planning to replace my satellite receiver and the VCR with a Directv TiVo. I didn't go high def yet.

If you have not used it, you might want to look at something like the Avia Guide to Home Theater DVD. It helped to set the controls on the plasma tv to get a better picture. The basic brightness and contrast settings were way off.