Antenna booster?

[DiamondDan]

CATV reception has not been great in my rig, and I'm wondering: Is there an antenna booster switch hiding somewhere? There's nothing obvious where the video switch and plugs are above the TV.

RV is a 2008 Astoria 3776 Pacific Edition.
-dan

[Jim Stewart]

Dan,

You mention CATV (Cable) but refer to an antenna booster. The Cable usually does not have an antenna booster, but in some cases can benefit from a signal booster, which MHs do not have.

If you are referring to regular OTC (Over the Airwaves) TV, there is normally a booster button in the black box (Wineguard) that all of the various signals comes into and are distributed from. The new Digital TV Signals that went into effect this past year or so are not as strong as the original Analog Signals and can be helped by a new add on to your crank up antenna called the Wingman. here is a link about it.

Winegard - Wingman - Is more directionality good?

[Bill Adams]

I am not sure how your Damon is setup so I apologize for my ignorance in advance.
There are several ways that manufacturers bring the various signals into your coach. The most common these days is to have a Video Control Center from Winegard. This is a black box with a variety of buttons that allow you to select Sat, Cable, TV, etc. If you have one of these you might also have a power light on the left. If so, this is the booster for the over-the-air roof top antenna. This being on or off will not effect your cable TV, however.
The next most popular way to bring connections in is to use the Winegard 12V supply box to switch between cable and OTA. This would be a small wall plate about the size of a standard wall plug plate but it will have a push button or slide switch and a small light. If you turn it on you will supply 12V power to the amplifier in the head of your OTA antenna. If you turn it off you will get cable. Also, be certain that you have the TV set for Cable and not TV when trying to watch cable. With the new digital programming, if you are wanting to watch OTA TV you have to go into the TV menu, be sure to select TV and run a new scan at every new location. Channel 5.1 in one locale is not the same as channel 5.1 in another location. Additionally, if the TV tuner does not "find" a specific channel you cannot manually select that channel so the scan is mandatory every time you move. Sorry about the OTA ramble if you problem is only with cable.

[DiamondDan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Adams I am not sure how your Damon is setup so I apologize for my ignorance in advance. There are several ways that manufacturers bring the various signals into your coach. The most common these days is to have a Video Control Center from Winegard. This is a black box with a variety of buttons that allow you to select Sat, Cable, TV, etc. If you have one of these you might also have a power light on the left. If so, this is the booster for the over-the-air roof top antenna. This being on or off will not effect your cable TV, however.

Thanks, Bill. I do have this sort of setup, though I have never seen a power light on the Video Control Center. I'll take a closer look at it, though.

[Bill Adams]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiamondDan Thanks, Bill. I do have this sort of setup, though I have never seen a power light on the Video Control Center. I'll take a closer look at it, though.

If you have a VCC that only has 3 input options, TV, VCR, ANT then the 12V power supply (often mistakenly referred to as the booster) for the OTA antenna is located elsewhere. Look for a wall plate inside a cabinet or even under a cabinet with a very small slide switch or push button with an even smaller light. On is OTA and off is cable.

[DiamondDan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Adams If you have a VCC that only has 3 input options, TV, VCR, ANT then the 12V power supply (often mistakenly referred to as the booster) for the OTA antenna is located elsewhere. Look for a wall plate inside a cabinet or even under a cabinet with a very small slide switch or push button with an even smaller light. On is OTA and off is cable.

My VCC has Ant, Cable, Sat, DVD, so perhaps the 12V power supply may be linked to those switches. However, if it's possible to watch OTA on one TV and Cable on another (which may be the case) then I dunno. Time to dig out the manuals, I guess. Thanks for your help.

[wa8yxm]

Winegard sells 3 systems and Damon has one additional issue.

The three systems

Likely the best known is the wall plate, it has a 12 volt outlet (Big round hole) a switch (Slide or button) a light and an antenna port on the front, multiple antenna ports on the back.

This is the ROOF/TOP booser power supply and the ANT'/CABLE switch. Light off = Cable (Assuming the light on works)

The second one I use the generic name of "Flex Vision" This is a box of many buttons grouped by television so you can watch cable on one, ANT on another DVD on a 3rd if you wish.. The button on the left is power for the rooftop antenna pre-amp but it's not needed (Can be on or off)

The third the antenna is always live and a small cube, like a small splitter, only it's an "inserter" is somewhere in the line with a 12 volt wire to it. There may be a toggle somewhere, this only powers the rooftop antenna, nothing else.


Now, the Damon issue:

Damon tried to tell me that for the short run roof to Sat receiver RG-59 was as good as RG-6.. Well, I will admit the best RG-59 is as good as the worst RG-6

But Damon put "lowest bidder" in my Intruder.. One of these days I"m going to rip it out and re-do it with quality cable, Either best grad 59 or RG-6 Cause the stuff I got.. NOT GOOD CABLE. It is, in fact, the one major issue I have with Damon. Most of what they put in is top quality.. But the RG-69, Microwave (Dometic) and VCR) (Zenith) are the exceptions (The cable I don't know but the mickey wave and vcr were made by LG and I've not been lucky enough to ever have a goldstar work properly)

[KC1BUD]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiamondDan Thanks, Bill. I do have this sort of setup, though I have never seen a power light on the Video Control Center. I'll take a closer look at it, though.

In my Damon, the box, the video control center does not have the power button, it is on the outlet cover for the Coax to the antenna. Like it always used to be back before the video box was needed. The problem is because the cable outlet is mounted on the left side of the cabinet the push button for the signal booster is behind of the cable as is the light that lets you know that the booster is on.

[KC1BUD]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wa8yxm Winegard sells 3 systems and Damon has one additional issue. The three systems Likely the best known is the wall plate, it has a 12 volt outlet (Big round hole) a switch (Slide or button) a light and an antenna port on the front, multiple antenna ports on the back. This is the ROOF/TOP booser power supply and the ANT'/CABLE switch. Light off = Cable (Assuming the light on works) The second one I use the generic name of "Flex Vision" This is a box of many buttons grouped by television so you can watch cable on one, ANT on another DVD on a 3rd if you wish.. The button on the left is power for the rooftop antenna pre-amp but it's not needed (Can be on or off) The third the antenna is always live and a small cube, like a small splitter, only it's an "inserter" is somewhere in the line with a 12 volt wire to it. There may be a toggle somewhere, this only powers the rooftop antenna, nothing else. Now, the Damon issue: Damon tried to tell me that for the short run roof to Sat receiver RG-59 was as good as RG-6.. Well, I will admit the best RG-59 is as good as the worst RG-6 But Damon put "lowest bidder" in my Intruder.. One of these days I"m going to rip it out and re-do it with quality cable, Either best grad 59 or RG-6 Cause the stuff I got.. NOT GOOD CABLE. It is, in fact, the one major issue I have with Damon. Most of what they put in is top quality.. But the RG-69, Microwave (Dometic) and VCR) (Zenith) are the exceptions (The cable I don't know but the mickey wave and vcr were made by LG and I've not been lucky enough to ever have a goldstar work properly)

You forgot the original matteress on the back bed is litterly metal springs with a cloth cover.

[wa8yxm]

I limited to electronics Bud, Just to electronics

I can tell you that the only way I will ever be a fan of LG electronics is if someone builds a fire under the company and it's starving for air and needs me to fan it.