Hooking up Satellite TV

[scotsman1]

I recently had Direct TV installed in my house and bought the Direct TV Disaster Readiness Kit which includes an 18" antenna dish, dual LNBF, Tripod and 75' coax cable. I plan to take the bedroom receiver with us on trips, connecting the coax cable from the dish to the receiver in the Dolphin and then connecting the receiver to the video control box. Problem is the video control box is installed in the small cabinet to the right of the TV in such a way that I can't remove it to connect the cable to the satellite in connection at the rear of the box. Is there some special tool that can access the screws that are holding it down?

[scotsman1]

I recently had Direct TV installed in my house and bought the Direct TV Disaster Readiness Kit which includes an 18" antenna dish, dual LNBF, Tripod and 75' coax cable. I plan to take the bedroom receiver with us on trips, connecting the coax cable from the dish to the receiver in the Dolphin and then connecting the receiver to the video control box. Problem is the video control box is installed in the small cabinet to the right of the TV in such a way that I can't remove it to connect the cable to the satellite in connection at the rear of the box. Is there some special tool that can access the screws that are holding it down?

[cannon man]

a lot of em just use vel-croe. try to pry it up.

[scotsman1]

I wish they had used Velcro. Unfortunately the box is restrained by four metal bars that are screwed in and there is only about 1/2 inch of space on either side of the box and I can't get in there with a screwdriver. Where's Houdini when I need him?

[speed racer]

I have an 05 dolphin. The removal goes like this. Remove door,lift cyl's and latches. On each side of the opening there is a wood piece abought 1" square from the top to bottom. each side has 2 scews holding them in they may have woodin plugs covering them but mine didn't. After removing these pieces you can remove the shelves they just slide out. I would sugjest you get an extra power cord to leave in the MH and an A-B switch and connect the cable that goes to cable in on Your switch box to the in on the A-B switch and then put a cable from the A-B out to the cable in on your switch box. on the other side of the A-B switch to antena side of your direct tv receiver and the to tv side to the sat. in on you switch box. This way you can connect your dish to the connector in the rear compartment or you could use cable if the campground has it for an overnight stop. You can also watch a differant prgram on you other tv like somthing that comes over the air ant. and you can record off the sat. this works for me my wife likes servivor and I don't. Any ? just send me a message.(The scews are a small square type I forget what they call it)

[scotsman1]

Thanks for the information, speed racer, AKA Houdini. It never occurred to me to take the whole shelf out. So that is how NRV installed the switch box in the first place. They screwed it down on to the shelf and then slipped the shelf back in place. I will be over to the MH in the next few days and will let you know how I made out. Also, thanks for all the info on using the A-B switch. I like the idea of being able to connect the dish to the TV connector in the rear compartment.

[two2go]

I was able to unscrew the hold-downs for the control box to access the antenna cables. Now that I read how to remove the shelves, that will help me next time. I installed a coax input box in front of the driver's side tire and ran a cable from it under the dash to in front of the engine doghouse. I ran another coax up the passenger side window pillar to the control box satellite-in plug, since I don't use a roof dish. I set my receiver under the dash resting on the front of the doghouse. It is easy to get in and out since we use the home receiver, and there is plenty of room there, whereas the A/V cabinet was too shallow for the receiver. By having a separate satellite input, I can utilize both cable and the satellite dish. We like that for the campground local channels plus having our home local channels as well.

[Mike and Jean]

Had the same problem with my Tropical and found the antenna switch box held down with double side tape and had to pry off. I don't know the proper cable type number but Sat TV cable is a special and might not work throught the antenna switch box. Mine didn't and I had to run the 'special' cable to a sat cable splitter for front and reat TV.

[Rick 2005 Dolphin 5376]

You want to use RG6 Coax. It has a bigger diameter center conductor. There is voltage running from the Sat receiver to the LBN. RG59 will work but some say it can over heat.

[speed racer]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Rick 2005 Dolphin 5376:
You want to use RG6 Coax. It has a bigger diameter center conductor. There is voltage running from the Sat receiver to the LBN. RG59 will work but some say it can over heat. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>I have had mine set up like this for 2 years now with no problems. We go to Florida for 5 months each year and watch a lot of nascar racing that last for 4-5 hrs. this last year because of trees I had to put my dish about 50ft. from my MH and still had 90 on the signal meter.

[Rick 2005 Dolphin 5376]

I did say "some say" I use the default coax in my MH as well, it's RG59. I not only run sat through it, I run a stacked signal through it with out problem. I only recommend RG6 so no one sues me for their coach burning to the ground because I said RG59 will work fine, which it won't, even though you and I use it ;-)
Is watching Nascar a better test of the coax than,,,, let's say,,,,Days of our Lives is?

[Clay L]

Someone gave you bad info about the reason for using RG6.
RG6 is a low loss coax that is intended for use at the higher frequencies used by the satellite system.

RG59 will work and there will be no over heating, but will degrade the signal a lot more. If the signal is strong enough that won't pose a problem however.

[Rick 2005 Dolphin 5376]

I read it on a website that sells coax. Click here http://www.abccables.com/info-rg59-vs-rg6.html. I'm guessing we could believe what this company says. I too use RG59 with out a problem. I've not noticed that it even warms up to the touch. If I had to make a 100 foot run with it, I'd use RG6. If I had to run the coax myself though the coach, I would use RG6 as well. Or if you believe what you read on the website I posted, you'd use RG6 too!

[Tom N]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Clay L:

RG59 will work and there will be no over heating, but will degrade the signal a lot more. If the signal is strong enough that won't pose a problem however. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Satellite is digital, not analog. There is no signal degradation with a digital signal. You either get 100% of the signal or you get 0%.

The same applies to signal strength. You will get the same quality of picture from a 60% signal strength as a 100% signal strength. Although, in poor atmospheric conditions, you will lose you 60% quicker than a 100% signal.

I have used 150' of RG59 without losing the signal.

-Tom