Strange Bedroom TV Reception Issue

[Jim & Ingrid McIntosh]

We replaced the bedroom RCA TV a year ago w/a 22" Samsung HDTV. The Directv receiver we use is the orginal bedroom RCA receiver. We made no changes to the wiring/coax cable setup and still have all of the original equipment for the front TV (Sharp Acquos, LG Directv receiver, Kenwood sound/DVD player. Now here's the "strange" issue:

When the bedroom TV is using the antenna (selection C on the rear TV A/B/C switch), we get a beautiful picture (HD). No problems. In fact, this TV will receive more HD channels than the front one will with the antenna! Not really the problem I'm addressing here, but may be a clue to someone who knows a lot more than we do about this stuff.

When the bedroom TV is set to use either cable or satellite (A or B on the A/B/C switch), we get a terrible, fuzzy picture. If you pull up on the coax cable until it is pinched tightly against the signal input connection, you get a good picture - no HD because we have a Kingdome and can't get HD for satellite unless we change the dish, but it is very sharp and clear. Please note I have tightened the connection w/a wrench, so I don't think a loose connection is the problem.

We've also replaced the coax cable end with a gold colored connection rather than the silver connection, with no improvement.

There are no problems with the front TV reception; it works perfectly.

Any ideas?

[EngineerMike]

I'm suspecting bad coax connection. Could be the one on the end of the coax cable not properly made, could be a short in the cable length itself, or (symptoms sound like this is most likely given your other explorations) the coax input on the TV. I had a component video connector set come undone from the TV once or I'd never suspect the TV mfgr's assembly.

[TandW]

Try turning off the Winegard antenna amplifier when you are on cable. Good luck !!!

[SteveS]

Jim - Not sure of what you mean buy pulling up cable until it is pinched tightly to the cable input selection. You didn't say where you pulled the coax up at to give a clear picture for Sat and cable sources. Was it pulled up at the TV input or the switch input. Since you get a great picture with the antenna, I am assuming you pulled it up at the switch. If you pulled it up at the TV and it makes a difference for cable and Sat but not antenna it doesn't seem that it would be a coax/TV connection problem. Also, I am assuming you are really just using a single input to the TV and not switching input sources other than through the external switch. Is the antenna amplifier still on when you switch to A or B? It could interfere.

[Jim & Ingrid McIntosh]

Thanks for the replies. Eng Mike - I'm afraid you may be right about it being the TV.

TandW - I will try your suggestion if I can figure out where the antenna amplifier is.

SteveS - To answer your question, I am pulling the cable at the back of the TV. Yes, the antenna amplifier is still on.

Again, thanks to everyone.

[EngineerMike]

Our antenna amp is in the front overhead, left side, on the frame between DVD set & TV. Yours is probably close to that.

[Dale777]

Jim,

As a diagnostic measure, you could spend a few dollars and buy a long, cheap coax cable from Walmart that will reach from front to rear of the coach. Then, connect it from the front to the rear by just temporarily laying it along the floor. That will at least help you isolate the problem. At the front you can try connecting it directly to the DirecTV receiver or the A/B/C switch for further diagnostic purposes.

[SteveS]

Jim - Could there be two problems? On my system and most others I have "taken notice of," the cable input is switched in when the antenna amp is turned off...this is assuming that you don't bring a separate dedicated coax in for cable. If it comes through the antenna amp, the amp switch usually switches in the antenna OR cable. When the amp is off, cable is switched in. The pulling up on the rear TV connection certainly makes it appear to be a TV/coax interface problem (highly possible to be caused by the TV connector) but that doesn't explain why the antenna works without pulling up on the cable. Can you get it to work by pulling up on the connector itself, without pulling on the cable? Without pulling on the cable, try wiglging the connector with the cable attached to see if a signal is present.

[Jim & Ingrid McIntosh]

Eng Mike, Dale777 and SteveS:

Thanks for your additional info. Jim is down w/a cold and "out of service" for a few days. When he's back in good working order, we'll take Dale's suggestion for diagnostics and let you know what we find out. We appreciate everyone's help.

Ingrid