Satellite question

[live4thedash]

Owner of ,Tiffin Allegro open road. 2007
Thinking of getting satellite system. 2 tv s
I have cables labeled satellite inside the RV tv compartments. However I don't see a satellite input on the outside. Only the Cable in. Where else could the satellite input be?
Also any pros and cons on dish vs direct is appreciated
Thank you

[select55]

Originally Posted by live4thedash

Owner of ,Tiffin Allegro open road. 2007
Thinking of getting satellite system. 2 tv s
I have cables labeled satellite inside the RV tv compartments. However I don't see a satellite input on the outside. Only the Cable in. Where else could the satellite input be?
Also any pros and cons on dish vs direct is appreciated
Thank you

most likely dead headed on the roof where the sat antenna goes. Tiffin sometimes will put a tripod sat cable in but that will be where the regular cable in is.
The simple system is dish. one being they have HD TV on all the dish systems and also they don't use that goofy slimline multi switch system when wanting to run more than one revceiver and U can buy dish net by the month
you could use the cable in connection if your only using a tripod dish system
just make sure if going this route you also use the cable connection currently at your tv for the receiver connection and not the one marked sat Tv

[dan-nickie]

As he said, probably goes to the roof someplace.

Sent from my SM-G900V using iRV2 - RV Forum mobile app

[luvlabs]

You should have two ports in your wet bay (sometimes in the electrical bay depending on model/year). One is marked Cable, the other Sat In. The satellite input (for an external dish or portable dish) then is routed to an A/B switch in the cabinet above the driver. The A/B switch is to switch between a roof mounted Sat dish and the external Sat dish.

If you do not have a roof antenna mounted, then the wire for it is either coiled in the space behind the front cabinets or in the entertainment cabinet area.

Depending on which satellite company you decided to go with will determine the equipment. Dome antennas will give you HD on Dish but SD only on DirecTV. The Winegard Trav'ler will give you the most flexibility as far as what you want to do but there is model for each satellite provider.

[select55]

[QUOTE=luvlabs;3429906]You should have two ports in your wet bay (sometimes in the electrical bay depending on model/year). One is marked Cable, the other Sat In. The satellite input (for an external dish or portable dish) then is routed to an A/B switch in the cabinet above the driver. The A/B switch is to switch between a roof mounted Sat dish and the external Sat dish.

If you do not have a roof antenna mounted, then the wire for it is either coiled in the space behind the front cabinets or in the entertainment cabinet area.


I have the roof dish and also the tripod mount option in wet bay on my 08 and there is no AB switch, two separate cables come in

[live4thedash]

So I went up on the roof and I have the antenna and what looks like a cb antenna. Nothing that looks
Like a satellite input.

If a satellite comes with a 50 ft coax cable can't I just plug it into the cable input and just use cable in to the receiver?

Thanks

[select55]

Originally Posted by live4thedash

So I went up on the roof and I have the antenna and what looks like a cb antenna. Nothing that looks
Like a satellite input.

If a satellite comes with a 50 ft coax cable can't I just plug it into the cable input and just use cable in to the receiver?

Thanks

yes what I told u if you read in my first post.

[Dale & Mark Bruss]

Since you have cables inside the TV Cabinet, there are probably cables just under the roof covering. The challenge is that usually the factory put a label where you should cut through the roof. And of course the label gets washed along the way.

You could try using a signal tracer to find the wires. But if you are having a dish installed on the roof, just let the installer run new cables.

As for type of roof dish, unless you want TV while moving, a dome is a poor choice especially when there are two receivers involved. A Winegard Trav'ler lets all the satellites be seen at the same time and the receivers can watch programming on separate satellites.

The TV antenna coax is not suitable for satellite input. And most implementations require a second coax from the roof satellite dish.

Dish versus DirecTV is a Ford/Chevy debate unless you are a part-timer. Dish is a little easier to use the service only a few months a year.

Also if you have satellite service at a sticks&bricks home, then use the equipment from the house when traveling.

[BigBadDad]

You can use the external cable connection for both cable and portable satellite. Use a diplexer at each end of the cable and it will handle the tv cable and satellite cables together. Most manufacturers do some type of cable running within the build process to accommodate satellite but probably the only safe bet is they will end up with a connection point somewhere in the front overhead area.

[select55]

Originally Posted by Dale & Mark Bruss

Since you have cables inside the TV Cabinet, there are probably cables just under the roof covering. The challenge is that usually the factory put a label where you should cut through the roof. And of course the label gets washed along the way.

You could try using a signal tracer to find the wires. But if you are having a dish installed on the roof, just let the installer run new cables.

As for type of roof dish, unless you want TV while moving, a dome is a poor choice especially when there are two receivers involved. A Winegard Trav'ler lets all the satellites be seen at the same time and the receivers can watch programming on separate satellites.

The TV antenna coax is not suitable for satellite input. And most implementations require a second coax from the roof satellite dish.

Dish versus DirecTV is a Ford/Chevy debate unless you are a part-timer. Dish is a little easier to use the service only a few months a year.

Also if you have satellite service at a sticks&bricks home, then use the equipment from the house when traveling.

how would a cable tracer work when one does not know where the other end is ???
also just so you know the MH tv cable is more than capable of carrying a good Sat signal

[Dale & Mark Bruss]

Originally Posted by select55

how would a cable tracer work when one does not know where the other end is ???
also just so you know the MH tv cable is more than capable of carrying a good Sat signal

Turn the gain of the signal tracer receiver very high and sweep around the roof area in the vicinity where a dome is usually installed.

Depends on the age of the RV, RG59 was used a lot for TV antennas for quite a while as it is thinner and cheaper than RG6.

You can use the external cable connection for both cable and portable satellite. Use a diplexer at each end of the cable and it will handle the tv cable and satellite cables together.

That is if you can have the inside diplexer before the electronic TV amplifier switch as the satellite signal won't get through the switch.

[jondrew55]

Depending on what you want and how much you want to spend you have several options. The Windgard Travlr is very popular. Its a self aligning roof mounted unit that pops up once you're parked, finds the satellites and allows you to have multiple receivers.
My HM came with an in-motion unit already installed. I never considered buying one of those but now that we have it I'm very impressed with how it works. Keeps the daughter entertained finds satellites and tracks them quite well. I have two receivers and the limitation is that you have to have both receivers tuned to whatever channels are available on a particular satellite. I also have a Winguard X2 carry around unit that I use so that both receivers can view different satilites or when trees block my roof mounted units (which happens a lot in Florida camping).

My Discovery did not have an additional cable in line in the bays. Only an input for cable TV. I ran a seperate cable into the bedroom up thru the battery bay. It wasn't too hard, at the base of the bedroom TV cabinet is a mass of wires and cables. They come in thru a tube that's filled with insulating foam. I took an electricians fishwire and poked it thru the foam which comes out in the battery bay. I pulled a length of RG wire back thru and snaked it up to the sat receiver. I then filled the gap I made with expanding insulating foam you can buy at Home Depot and Lowes. I did not get an A/S switch yet, so I have to manually connect the wire to the receiver.

If I use the Front receiver (as I do sometimes when trees block my roof antenna), I snake a temporary cable up thru my driver's side slide.

Just an FYI, I've recently bought a manual dish which I plan on putting on a home made tripod for those times we have lots of cover and cant get a signal easily. You can put over 100 ft of coax on those. The antenna was about $80 and the tripod will be made out of PVC.