|
09-06-2014, 04:14 PM
|
#1
|
Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Where the RV is Parked
Posts: 88
|
Portable Satellite Dish Connection Problem
Let me first say that hubby is very experienced with Satellite TV. We have had both Dish and Directv. We recently purchased a 2004 Beaver Monterey with the Trac Vision system on the roof. We have service through Directv & have had it in our previous RV also. We get a good signal when we are out in the open. Problem is when we are parked in an area with trees or other obstructions, we tried to use our portable Directv Dish. The connection from dish to MH is in the water bay area. We plug into the satellite port & we do not get any signal to the tv. We have spent several hours going through all the wiring in the overhead cabinet & have not been able to locate the other end of the coax cable that should be fed from the wet bay area, or even a switch that we need to flip, we have even removed the antenna plate to see if wiring was tucked back inside there. We do know we are on the correct satellite with our portable dish because we ran the cable from the dish through the window & into the Directv receiver to watch tv. Any suggestions, ideas things to try. Your advice, suggestions, comments will be greatly appreciated!
__________________
Teresa & Mike Owen
Jo (Spoiled Black Lab)
Richland, WA
|
|
|
|
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
09-06-2014, 04:54 PM
|
#2
|
Senior Member
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Pacific Northwest or SoCal
Posts: 3,035
|
Unless you a bothered with the appearance of running the cable thru the window, use the window and enjoy TV.
BTW, we currently run Portable TV, Cable TV and DSL thru the window.
Fred
__________________
Fred and Bonnie
2005 Dolphin LX 6375
Abby, Ruffles & Scarlett, "The Cats"
|
|
|
09-06-2014, 05:22 PM
|
#3
|
Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Where the RV is Parked
Posts: 88
|
Fred and Bonnie, that does work fine but I want to use the intended port for the connection. I would like things to work in the manner they were designed to. If the only option turns out the cable through the window that will be what we do. It is just frustrating to find things that don't work properly.
Thanks for your reply!
__________________
Teresa & Mike Owen
Jo (Spoiled Black Lab)
Richland, WA
|
|
|
09-06-2014, 10:18 PM
|
#4
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: On the Road
Posts: 1,223
|
Without an ohm meter or toner to trace the cable wiring you are just going by trail and error. You can get an inexpensive toner from sat signal or other vendors that will help you isolate the wires. Plug one end into the wet bay connection and test the other wire terminations with the other. It will light up and provide an audible tone when the correct wire is located. The connection in the wet bay is most likely the input for cable and will likely terminate at the switch plate which will select between cable and the over the air tv antenna. The cable portion will not work with the button pushed since that switches to the OTA and provides power to it. There are also most likely splitters in line that might interfere with the outside sat dish. Those coaches of that vintage, mine included, were not wired for any additional satellite inputs. That wire ends somewhere and using a toner is the easiest way to find it.
__________________
Dan & Arlene
2005 Monaco Dynasty Diamond IV
Chasing the good weather
|
|
|
09-07-2014, 05:48 AM
|
#5
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: On the Road Westward
Posts: 1,783
|
In my electrical bay I have 2 connections, 1 for cable, 1 for port satellite. My electronics bay over the driver has wall plates for the various sat connections, 2 from roof, 1 for port sat.
You might remove the port sat plate and see if the coax has any color code tape of ID info applied at the factory.
__________________
Dan & Sharon (Zena-Our Yorkie Puppy)(Kasey-Our Yorkie Puppy RIP 9Jan05-26Jul17) On the Road (2012 Journey 36M, 2020 Chevy Equinox)
USN-Ret ('65-'93) Fulltimers, Class of 2012
|
|
|
09-07-2014, 11:11 AM
|
#6
|
Senior Member
Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Pacific Northwest or SoCal
Posts: 3,035
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by TeresaOwen1
It is just frustrating to find things that don't work properly.
Thanks for your reply!
|
It also drives me crazy, as I have aged, I realize it just isn't worth the frustration.
Fred
__________________
Fred and Bonnie
2005 Dolphin LX 6375
Abby, Ruffles & Scarlett, "The Cats"
|
|
|
09-13-2014, 06:18 AM
|
#7
|
Senior Member
Official iRV2 Sponsor
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 8,305
|
It is very common for "Satellite In" ports in RV's to not work properly. There have been numerous threads on this topic and the bottom line on most of them is that many such cables have been installed by people who don't recognize that a satellite feed cannot contain splitters or go through switch boxes, and should be RG-6 cable and not RG-59.
The bottom line is that you may not be able to make that port work unless you find a way to run a new cable from it to the TV. Although we also have a rooftop satellite, I, too, need an input port for my portable dish and plan to have a coax port mounted through the wall near the driver's window. It will be more attractive than passing a wire through an open window and will get the signal to the receiver which is all I care about.
__________________
Joel (AKA docj)--
RV Technology Specialist
|
|
|
09-13-2014, 10:20 PM
|
#8
|
Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Where the RV is Parked
Posts: 88
|
docj, I think that is what we will end up doing, running a new coax line! Thank you for your comment! Will you do this yourself or take the coach in to have it done by someone?
__________________
Teresa & Mike Owen
Jo (Spoiled Black Lab)
Richland, WA
|
|
|
09-14-2014, 06:47 AM
|
#9
|
Senior Member
Official iRV2 Sponsor
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 8,305
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by TeresaOwen1
docj, I think that is what we will end up doing, running a new coax line! Thank you for your comment! Will you do this yourself or take the coach in to have it done by someone?
|
I'll probably chicken out and have someone do it for me. I shy away from making holes in the exterior of my MH! I have to take it in for some other service that I can't do myself so I'll just add this to the ticket.
__________________
Joel (AKA docj)--
RV Technology Specialist
|
|
|
09-14-2014, 07:07 AM
|
#10
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Paoli, IN
Posts: 1,078
|
We had the same problem as the OP. We're going to run a coax from the overhead cabinet down the frame at the front corner and be able to connect somewhere near the front left tire. Actually, we're having Newmar do it when we go to have a couple of other things looked at.
We're trying to figure out how to do something similar for the TV in the bedroom. It needs a 2nd sat receiver to work and with the current wiring can only get the sig from the roof sat. The side with the BR TV is a slide though so might be considerable more difficult. :(
__________________
Karen & Gary Glamping is not for the faint of heart!
traveling in a 2011 Ventana 3433!
Looking for our next adventure!
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|