Video Control Center

[quikduk]

I picked up one of these the other day in an attempt to clean up the small compartment where my front DVD player and existing video switcher lives. This one has built in RCA jacks, as well as coax and it also has a DC power cord with two (2) wires.

My current switch does not require AC or DC power. The only thing plugged in to the adjacent AC outlet are the DVD player and the coax to RCA modulator (which I am trying to eliminate with this "all in one" unit).

Anyway, do I need this 12V power to power up this switch and if so, where should I pull 12V from and should I add a secondary fuse in-line?harness. Also, common sense (HA! as if I had any...) would tell me that red = +, black = -.

I was thinking that I could pull 12V from the TV antenna booster in the inner wall of the cabinet (the kind with a coax connector and a little switch with a red LED next to it).

Any help would be appreciated...even if it is only to help me wax this beast (hey it is off topic but worth a shot... )

[quikduk]

I picked up one of these the other day in an attempt to clean up the small compartment where my front DVD player and existing video switcher lives. This one has built in RCA jacks, as well as coax and it also has a DC power cord with two (2) wires.

My current switch does not require AC or DC power. The only thing plugged in to the adjacent AC outlet are the DVD player and the coax to RCA modulator (which I am trying to eliminate with this "all in one" unit).

Anyway, do I need this 12V power to power up this switch and if so, where should I pull 12V from and should I add a secondary fuse in-line?harness. Also, common sense (HA! as if I had any...) would tell me that red = +, black = -.

I was thinking that I could pull 12V from the TV antenna booster in the inner wall of the cabinet (the kind with a coax connector and a little switch with a red LED next to it).

Any help would be appreciated...even if it is only to help me wax this beast (hey it is off topic but worth a shot... )

[Retired and Happy]

You don't say what kind of switch you have. The ones I'm familiar with that have a 12 vdc connection are for powering the antenna amplifier, replacing the 12 vdc in the booster you mentioned. But with those, if you don't change your antenna connection off the booster, you don't have to use the 12 vdc on the switch.

[RV Wizard]

Ken is exactly right. If you leave the antenna set up the way it is now and just ust teh box to control where it feeds you should not need 12 volts for the box. Did you get any instructions with the switch box? What is the make and model?

[quikduk]

I don't have it with me today but it looks like this one.

VIDEO CONTROL CENTER

Mine is made in China (I'll bet this one is too) so if it doesn't work right, I am only out $10. It just seemed like a cleaner way of hooking up the cables. Oh, there is no wiring diagram for the power source. The "Molex" connector is pre-wired so I can't screw up the POS and NEG connections (assuming the Chinese color coded it correctly ).

From your suggestions, am I correct that I do not need the 12V unless I want to change it from the existing booster to this unit? Is there any benefit or am I better off with the existing.

Another question is where is the booster located in the existing system? Is it in/behind or part of the cable/switch plate or is it mounted somewhere else? If it is part of the cable switch plate, I am guessing I can change out the switch plate to a standard coax plate and tap in to the power feed?

Ken

[quikduk]

I just thought of something else. If I leave the existing booster/coax plate intact and cable from that antenna "OUT" to the new switch box antenna "IN" connector, will it work correctly without the added 12V to the box as if it was just a coax coupler?

[alvinc]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by quikduk:
I picked up one of these the other day in an attempt to clean up the small compartment where my front DVD player and existing video switcher lives. This one has built in RCA jacks, as well as coax and it also has a DC power cord with two (2) wires.

My current switch does not require AC or DC power. The only thing plugged in to the adjacent AC outlet are the DVD player and the coax to RCA modulator (which I am trying to eliminate with this "all in one" unit). </div></BLOCKQUOTE>The original switch only handles antenna outputs, which does not require any power. The switch contains a splitter (balun) for all of the outputs, so each output gets a portion the power of the original signal. This is one reason the amplifier is important for the roof antenna. The cable TV or satelite antenna output will be sufficient for the splitter without an amplifier.<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Anyway, do I need this 12V power to power up this switch and if so, where should I pull 12V from and should I add a secondary fuse in-line?harness. Also, common sense (HA! as if I had any...) would tell me that red = +, black = -. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>You don't need to power the unit if all you are going to do is use the antenna inputs and outputs (the manual should say).

You mentioned that the switch has RCA jacks. There are probably 3 (L/R audio and composite video), for input from the DVD player. Very few DVD players have antenna outputs so your unit has a built in CH 3/4 modulator to convert the RCA signals into antenna compabible signals for all of the TV's. The modulator needs power.

I guess it is possible that this unit also contains an inboard amplifier. If so, and the manual should say, you will need to power it. Also if there is an inboard amp, you probably shouldn't use the outboard amp. This would likely overload the second amp in line and produce a worse picture.<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I was thinking that I could pull 12V from the TV antenna booster in the inner wall of the cabinet (the kind with a coax connector and a little switch with a red LED next to it). </div></BLOCKQUOTE>This would work fine, assuming the current amp is 12 VDC powered.<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Any help would be appreciated...even if it is only to help me wax this beast (hey it is off topic but worth a shot... ) </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Waxing is a very personal thing, so I'll leave that to you.

[Jim]

quikduk..the control center you linked to at camping world is $50 but you say you are out only $10 if it doesn't work..is yours and that one the same..also does anyone know of a remote controlled video control center..i'm getting too old for the constant up and down..thanks..jim