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Old 12-09-2009, 09:37 PM   #1
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satellite install

Hi Guys
New owner of a 2000 Alpine Coach.
I just purchased a used 2007 King Dome dish.
Owner just replaced it with a in-motion dish.
I wouldn't think a 2000 would come prewired for a 2007 dish?
Has anyone ever fished new wires through the roof?
If so, got any tips on how to do it?


Thanks in advance

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Old 12-10-2009, 08:01 AM   #2
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The best way I have seen on an Alpine is to remove one of the AC vents and drill a hole through the roof. Route the wires down through the hole and route them to the front inside the duct cut in the foam of the ceiling.
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Old 12-10-2009, 08:11 AM   #3
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I had mine installed on a 36' 2001 Alpine Coach. They removed the TV and came down through the roof to the TV cabinet, then put the receiver with the other entertainment electronics. Been there over 4 years - no leaks, etc.
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Old 12-10-2009, 08:39 AM   #4
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If was me I would also mount the Kingdome behind the front AC unit. Alpines are notorious for noisy sat dishes mounted up front. I removed the Kingdome from mine for that reason and installed a replacement dish behind the front AC. Do a search and you will find where MotoSat actually relocated the executive dishes on early Alpines. Due to the fact that they were getting destroyed up front. Louis Birch actually taped a video camera on the roof to record the violence the dish was experiencing going down the road.
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Old 12-10-2009, 09:17 AM   #5
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If was me I would also mount the Kingdome behind the front AC unit. Alpines are notorious for noisy sat dishes mounted up front. I removed the Kingdome from mine for that reason and installed a replacement dish behind the front AC. Do a search and you will find where MotoSat actually relocated the executive dishes on early Alpines. Due to the fact that they were getting destroyed up front. Louis Birch actually taped a video camera on the roof to record the violence the dish was experiencing going down the road.
While the Alpine Coach does have a known issue with open face dishes mounted ahead of the front A/C, there is nothing about a dome that should cause an issue if it is mounted forward. I would look for a mounting location that allows the shortest cable run. Yours is the first I have heard about a dome causing noise. Was it just wind noise or some kind of banging? The noise from the open dishes is caused by some kind of wind "eddie" created by the front cap that gets under the open face of the dish and can lift the dish causing it to flop up and down creating a banging noise and ultimately destroying the antenna.
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Old 12-10-2009, 09:28 AM   #6
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Before you start pulling new wires... Check.. Contact the coach builders (if you can) or wait for other 2000 alipine owners to chime in

Also, on your roof there are two things you might wish to look for

1: A "Vent" like a black or gray tank roof vent.. My 2005 Damon has 3 holding tanks, 1 black and 2 gray.. There are 3 vents.. One either side near the middle (Main black/gray) and one near the rear) Gray #2) and another fitting on the roof that is identical to the vents (in fact it IS a roof vent) which is top center, not really well positioned for a tank vent since below it is living space, not wall space.

Pop the top off that and what do you find?

Wires for the satellite dome of course.

The factory said I should have a sticker on the roof.. Of course if you had that you'd have seen it by now.

That said.. We ran all new cable.. RG-6 is way, way, way, way superior to what Damon put in the coach.
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Old 12-10-2009, 09:38 AM   #7
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Contact the coach builders (if you can)
That'd be kinda tough since Western RV isn't in business any longer!
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Old 12-10-2009, 09:39 AM   #8
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My Kingdome on a 2001 Alpine has been above the TV for almost 5 years. No wind or other problems. But I suppose the other points may be well taken, e.g. behind the front AC.
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Old 12-10-2009, 10:00 AM   #9
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Bill, It was the mechanism inside the dome that was rattling. Especially on the section of I5 between Banning and San Bernardino. When I pulled the dome off it was obvious the mechanism could bounce and make noise. I may be fussier than most but rattles and squeaks drive me crazy while driving.

I doubt the added 5-6 feet of cable would make any difference and the lack of cable strung across the roof sure would look a lot better than cable and clamps strung across the roof. I plan on redoing mine this winter by routing the cables in the AC duct. The convoluted tubing on my cables now is brittle and falling apart due to sun damage. It also looks shoddy. The approach to our lot is on a down hill at ORA in Arkansas and I see the mess every time I come down the hill. Just MHO though.

Also my previous Alpine was a 2000 with the MotoSat Dish. I eventually replaced it with a Data Storm with a bird on a wire.
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Old 12-10-2009, 12:09 PM   #10
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Of course you'll increase the efficiency of signal transmission in the cable by running it in the AC duct (at least while the AC is blowing) due to the cooling of the cable.
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Old 12-10-2009, 12:12 PM   #11
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On my 2000 Alpine I removed the stock Motosat exposed dish and added a Winegard In-motion dish.

There is a channel cut in the Stryofoam roof insulation for running cables from the roof to the front of the motorhome. It is not down the center of the roof but towards the driver's side. I don't know how far back it goes but it does head towards the rear of the coach. The old Motosat dish on my Alpine was located in front of the front A/C unit and had a plastic cover located over the wire channel. I used the old dish cable as a pull rope for the new cables. I had considered moving the dish back towards the middle of the coach but wanted to save this space if for some reason I wanted to add a satellite dish for internet. Also, if there are trees in the campsite I figured mounting the dish near the front would give me a better chance of getting reception vs in the middle of the coach. There is also the dish motor noise issue. When driving I don't hear the noise from the dish but I can when I stop. My unit only makes noise for six minutes if no motion before it goes into a sleep mode. I haven't noticed any increase in wind noise.

The perfect shape of an object traveling through air will look like a drop of water. With the sharp front roof edge on the Alpine there is an area on the front edge of the roof that is in a low pressure area and somewhat out of the flow of the air when traveling at freeway speeds. I figured I would mount the dish in that spot. After two years of driving I get many bugs on the front of the coach and very few on the dish.

I'm glad I mounted it where I did and would do it again if needed.
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Old 12-10-2009, 01:11 PM   #12
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My Kingdome was not in motion and may of had something wrong with it. It only stayed on my roof for 6 months. I just got tired of the noise and wanted HD anyhow.
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Old 12-10-2009, 02:16 PM   #13
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Wayne R,

Welcome to the rapidly growing group of dissatisfied former KD users.
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Old 12-10-2009, 03:21 PM   #14
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I don't consider myself a disgruntled X KD owner. I just moved on because of the rattling going down the road and the desire for HD. Oh yea and I have always liked the blue LED light on the MotoSat units.
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