TV questions from a "dummie"

[Buddy and Beverly]

As you will quickly find out, I am from the "on" and "off" generation when it comes to operating TV's. I have read some other threads about tv's, but they are beyond me. In not wanting to hijack them, I am hoping to get some answers to some elementary questions.

We have a 2006 Alpine with Kingdome sat. and Kenwood with LG monitor for the front TV (the high definition). I understand to get air TV (we are not interested in Direct TV, etc. at this point), it still goes thru the satellite. Is this correct? Even to get cable, it still goes thru the sat. Right? I can play a DVD on it, so I assume that has nothing to do with the sat. We cannot get air TV or cable. We have been told by an Alpine tech that the booster is out. His suggestion was to bring it back to the factory. Do you think that is necessary? How about a dealer or Coach Care correcting the situation? The tech also mentioned he could rewire the TV to NOT go thru the sat.--that it would simplify operations. We are hesitant to do this because we might want subscription TV some day, and it could be involved rewiring it.
Your opinions? I have read about the integrated remote, so we may go this route once we get the TV fixed (if it's broken).

Now for the rear TV. Does it also have to operate thru the sat. for air TV and/or cable? We have been able to get air TV on it some times and some cable. However, we do not seem to be able to get all 60+ cable stations when they are supposed to be available. It will select about 12, and that is it. One time, quite by accident, I was able to get more by scrolling, but I've never been able to duplicate this.

Does this problem about rain affecting the sat. have anything to do with operating cable or air?

TV reception has not been our top priority, and we are not avid fans. However, as I walk among a campground and see all the TV's in less expensive coaches operating, it makes me want to be able to at least watch the news and weather and some cable in our "expensive" (to us)coach with its high tech equipment.

We plan to be at the Pre-Rally in Hilton Head. If anyone is willing to help us learn to operate our TV (TV's), I will be willing to cook a nice dinner (I "DO" like to cook), make homemade ice cream in an old fashioned freezer (your choice of flavor), pay money, or all of the above.

Beverly

[Buddy and Beverly]

As you will quickly find out, I am from the "on" and "off" generation when it comes to operating TV's. I have read some other threads about tv's, but they are beyond me. In not wanting to hijack them, I am hoping to get some answers to some elementary questions.

We have a 2006 Alpine with Kingdome sat. and Kenwood with LG monitor for the front TV (the high definition). I understand to get air TV (we are not interested in Direct TV, etc. at this point), it still goes thru the satellite. Is this correct? Even to get cable, it still goes thru the sat. Right? I can play a DVD on it, so I assume that has nothing to do with the sat. We cannot get air TV or cable. We have been told by an Alpine tech that the booster is out. His suggestion was to bring it back to the factory. Do you think that is necessary? How about a dealer or Coach Care correcting the situation? The tech also mentioned he could rewire the TV to NOT go thru the sat.--that it would simplify operations. We are hesitant to do this because we might want subscription TV some day, and it could be involved rewiring it.
Your opinions? I have read about the integrated remote, so we may go this route once we get the TV fixed (if it's broken).

Now for the rear TV. Does it also have to operate thru the sat. for air TV and/or cable? We have been able to get air TV on it some times and some cable. However, we do not seem to be able to get all 60+ cable stations when they are supposed to be available. It will select about 12, and that is it. One time, quite by accident, I was able to get more by scrolling, but I've never been able to duplicate this.

Does this problem about rain affecting the sat. have anything to do with operating cable or air?

TV reception has not been our top priority, and we are not avid fans. However, as I walk among a campground and see all the TV's in less expensive coaches operating, it makes me want to be able to at least watch the news and weather and some cable in our "expensive" (to us)coach with its high tech equipment.

We plan to be at the Pre-Rally in Hilton Head. If anyone is willing to help us learn to operate our TV (TV's), I will be willing to cook a nice dinner (I "DO" like to cook), make homemade ice cream in an old fashioned freezer (your choice of flavor), pay money, or all of the above.

Beverly

[Ted III]

Buddy & Beverly, my first comment with all my sentiments is good luck. I have never turned my booster on. I do not have any trouble with local channels assuming there are some in the area that I am in.I use the crank up antannae. I assume you still have that. Any small amount of knowledge that I have is that the local channels have absoletly nothing to do with the satellite. I have never used cable as I was told by WRV that I have to disconnect my cable from the RCA receiver and attach it directly to the TV on the front TV. The rear TV is a mystery to everyone. I am able to make the satellite work on both and the local channels and I am leaving well enough alone (Do not ask how I get it the rear to function). When I get sick of it I will re-wire the whole thing.
Anyway, good luck, no one seems to have the identical problem but we all seem to have one. Our dealer is completely at a loss.

[Buddy and Beverly]

Ted III,
Thanks for your comments. If many people seem to be having problems with their TV's, I wonder if WRV would provide (or our wagonmaster organize) a TV session at one of the rallies.

We met an Alpine owner with an '04. She tried to help us with the rear TV on cable, but could not get the extra channels either. She said they were told by WRV that the TV antenna needed to be up to even get cable. It didn't seem to make any difference on ours. To me, it doesn't make sense that the sat. or antenna should have to be involved at all if one were getting cable reception. It looks like the sat. should only be used for sat. tv, the antenna for air tv, and the cable in the ground for cable tv. But maybe that's just for a simple, less complicated world.

Beverly

[Rick Coleman]

If you have grandchildren, ask them! Mine seem to be able to get complicated (for me) electronic gizmos to work when I am at a loss. They showed me how to work my dvd player in the coach when I was having trouble. They are 6 1/2 year old twin boys!! If you don't have grandchildren, borrow some!!

[Ted III]

Rick, I thoroughly agree with your anology with the grandchildren. Problem is these TV's stumped them also. So what chance do we have?

[Jim&MaryJo]

Buddy & Beverly,

I completely re-cabled my 04 and changed most of the components. In my case, everything worked as it should, but my high priced optional plasma monitor wasn't being fed HD or ED signals. I wanted picture quality.

The problem is complicated, even moreso because WRV frequently upgrades AV components. In WRV's defense, they are trying to deliver the latest AV technology commensurate with high end coaches. Unfortunately, this causes complication.

You will need someone (AV Tech or experienced buddy) who understands AV componentry to re-configure for your desires. ANd, if you change your mind later and want HD, you may need another re-configuration (as the factory advised)

I don't know which specific components you have, but here are some tips and clues for your AV tech/ Buddy based on my observations of a few late model Alpines:

--Lately, WRV uses "monitors" for the main TV. They tend to be lighter, high quality and use the least mounting space, all good things for our coaches. But, monitors differ from "TVs" in that they do not have speakers or "tuners" (devices to receive and select channels, AKA NTSC UHF/VHF over the air). This means that another device must act as a tuner to view channels.

--In your coach, WRV likely expected owners to subscribe to Sat service to get local channels, along with Sat programming. Also, many Sat recievers have optional or built in UHF/VHF receivers for over the air reception, but you may need to subscribe to activate them.

--If you want local over the air channels in the main TV without Sat subscription, you may need a tuner. They are available, often as part of a VCR or DVD player. They are not expensive. Ask your AV tech tech to check your DVD player to see if it has a tuner and just needs a different connection.

--On the topic of connections, this is where things get complicated, especially with higher end equipment and HD signals. WRV has to make choices, which sometimes place picture quality in conflict with flexibility and simplicity. This is especially so when trying to route different signals through the coach.

--Your AV Tech will need to know that the cabling throughout the coach is simple coaxial cable and I'm assuming you have a WInegard switch, which controls signal routing. Your Tech may want to see the WInegard manual provided in your coach documentation

--Your AV Tech should know that WRV likely used component video and/or HDMI connections for the DVD player to deliver ED picture quality. The Sat receiver is likely not an HD reciever, but probably also uses the same type of connections. It may, however, use composite video.

--Your monitor can "select" different inputs. If you re-cable to accept inputs from a tuner or park cable sources, you will likely have to become familiar with your monitor's input selection process to view different sources, in addition to understanding how to select and route inputs thru the Winegard.

--Your rear TV is likely much simpler in its connection; just a coaxial cable. I don't know which TV (it is a TV with a tuner) you have, but it probably works fine and should receive over the air (if you have the Winegard signal router, just select ANT for the BR TV and raise the antenna). The number of channels available if you select "CABLE" on the Winegard while hooked up to the park cable connection, is determined by the RV park and will differ park to park.

I hope this helps. I don't mean for this to complicate, just to help a Tech/Buddy save some time. It would also help to dig out the AV schematic, which should be in your owner's manual.

[Snuggery]

The basic problem is not that complicated - you need to let the TV "scan" for available channels every time you move location and hookup to a different park cable connection
Several hints:

Rear TV - A/B/C switch on front panel above driver set to desired sounce Satellite/Cable/Antenna then on TV remote run Menu-Setup-Scan For Channels and you are ready to go

Front TV - use TV monitor remote to set source as Satellite or Cable/Antenna then use the tuner remote (probably the RCA DirecTV HD) to run Menu-Setup-Scan For Channels or something similar and it will find all of the available channels and you are ready to go

[Jim&MaryJo]

Not sure about that Snuggery, I could be wrong, but consider...

Since the "monitor" is not a TV, it won't have the ability to select sources such as Sat, Cable, etc.

It's likely the monitor doesn't have a coaxial input, so even if it could "scan", it wouldn't find anything sourced from a coax, (e.g. cable or ant).

Input selection on the monitor will likely give choices such as: composite, component, HDMI, perhaps S-Video.

DO you have a "main" monitor or TV in your coach?

[TerryM]

Buddy and Beverly,

I noticed you said that you only get 12 cable channels on your bedroom TV. On my BR set, I have to go into the setup menu and select "cable" in order to get higher than channel 13. Then, I also scan for all the channels available, also from the menu. At least this seems to always work for me.

[Buddy and Beverly]

Thanks to all of you for trying to help me out on the TV issues. I have made a printout to study and try recommendations.

We, unfortunately (but still hopeful), do not have grandchildren nor access to any, so that rules out that suggestion.

Jim, thanks for taking the time to write a long post to help us. I called Holiday Kampers today, but they will not work inside a TV. I decided not to bother with the situation there. Maybe on the front TV we will just give up until we get to the factory, which we hope to do next Spring. The front "tv" is just a monitor, as you figured.

We will concentrate on operating the back TV (I can watch DVD's on the front one). Snuggery, we have already tried your suggestions before I wrote the post, and they don't work for us. Perhaps wiring is messed up or something. When we use setup for cable, it selects 12 channels, and that is it--even though we are often supposed to get 60 or more.

TerryM, perhaps we are not doing the steps exactly right. However, we have selected cable from the menu. Oh well, we are planning to go to a GA state part tomorrow. We won't have cable, but we will concentrate on trying to get local air tv. We will be visiting a friend who has a 05 Damon motor home. He gets good reception there on air tv. Perhaps he can help us out with the rear tv.

Again, thanks to all of you who responded. I am going to put this printout in the MH and will refer to it.

If all goes well and we get to the Alpine Pre-RAlly in March, I bet someone can help us get something going. This year in NC we were too concerned about other "real" problems with our coach to get around to asking for help with the tv.

Beverly

[Snuggery]

The "main" TV in the front is indeed a "monitor" and has input plugs on the back for things like DVD player, Satellite, and Cable/Antenna. Thus, you have to tell it which input to display. You have to do this using the remote for the TV monitor (ours is a Sharp) by going through the Menu/Setup. By the way, the setting on ours to display cable or antenna TV is input 5 labeled cable. Be careful not to set it to something like TV-1 or TV-2 or something and don't try to change channels using the remote for the Monitor.

Once the monitor knows which input to display, you can use the remote control for the DVD player, etc. The coach comes wired for DirecTV satellite, cable and antenna TV to be controlled by the RCA DirecTV HD receiver(or whatever you have) using its remote. But you do have to run through Menu/Setup/Off Air-Cable/Scan Channels or something similar every time you move to a different location or plug into a different campground cable TV system. It takes about five minutes to do all this.

[Snuggery]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">When we use setup for cable, it selects 12 channels, and that is it--even though we are often supposed to get 60 or more. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I forgot to mention, in our Menu/Setup there is a setting to tell it to scan for Off-Air antenna stations, Off-Air digital stations, cable channels or all three. Maybe yours is set to scan for only the Off-Air channels. Also, if you don't run through the Scan procedure at each new campground, you will only be able to get the channels from the last place that Scan was run.

[E & D Wilson]

Buddy and Beverly: Good Luck! We have had the trials and tribulations of the 2006 TV hookup and mishookups. We have found every coach is like every driver, they have their own personalities and are wired different! At sometime or another we have had local air stations, cable but never local stations through the antenna for the front TV. This does come over the satillite, and on the cloudy days...no'thing honey!
We had a willing person at Nashville who had figured out how to do HIS tv through the antenna, and figured since we both have a 2006 he would show us how...guess what? He figured that our TV is not wired to the bat wing antenna as his is.
We have a hidden VCR that is tucked up, out of sight behind the TV used only for the CABLE! Go figure. Warren at the factory figured this out for us. However, there is no way to know if the VCR is on or off..trial and error. So most times we do not bother for the cable tv. What a waste. (We had a strange vcr clicker...and that is what it was for.)
BR TV works fine, crank antenna and get reception, push the A B switch for the back, (there is NOT one for the front)to get antenna or cable and it works. If you enjoy laying in bed at 5:00 p.m for the news, you have tv. Unfortunately this is not our style.

They are all different so glean what you can from each of us.
Ed and Dale