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dgrant09 · 02-18-2019, 08:32 PM

In our new to us 2002 Holiday Rambler, the cables for the TV's are a mess. I have removed the extra cables and am ready to re-install the cables back to the original set up. Is the following correct?
The cable from the roof antenna is passed through the power amplifier, then through a splitter for the front and rear TV. The site or cable TV input from the power cable under-storage area is also fed into a spliter. Then a lead from each (antenna and cable) splitters are ran to a third splitter (or reducer) where a single cable output is fed to each TV.

We have also pulled the huge tube TV out of the over-head and plan on installing a 32" LED TV on an articulating mount..

Thank you for looking and your ideas,
Dan

K7JV · 02-19-2019, 05:04 AM

Your coach could be configured the way you are describing, but what I would have expected to see would be this. It is very common to have the roof antenna come into the ANT position on the amplifier module and for the park cable TV to come into the CABLE position on the amplifier. Then the third connection would then go to a splitter, and from there to the two or three TV's.

The amplifier was mounted on the back of a wall plate the same size and color of a normal duplex outlet or wall light switch cover plate. On the visible front of the plate was a small button and an LED, and often a UHF type coax fitting. The button, when pressed in, would turn on the amplifier and switch the source to the roof antenna input. When the button was released out, it would turn off the amplifier, and switch the source to the cable input. That was done because the signal level on normal OTA (Over The Air) signals is much lower strength than are the signal levels on normal cable TV sources.

That is the older, conventional way of configuring RV TV inputs. That is essentially the way our '06 Dynasty was originally configured.

moisheh · 02-19-2019, 06:57 AM

I would throw away the device that picks your source and destination. Your new TV should use an HDMI cable. Did you get rid of the VCR? Your DVD player will just plug into one of the HDMI ports on the TV. You will connect the cable and antenna cables as described by K7JV.

KanzKran · 02-19-2019, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgrant09

Is the following correct?
The cable from the roof antenna is passed through the power amplifier, then through a splitter for the front and rear TV. The site or cable TV input from the power cable under-storage area is also fed into a spliter. Then a lead from each (antenna and cable) splitters are ran to a third splitter (or reducer) where a single cable output is fed to each TV.

That sounds like trouble. OTA and cable signals share some frequencies, and combining the two without using a selector is likely to cause poor reception at best, and a mess for yourself and others on the cable system at worst.

Oh, and the power amplifier is actually a power injector (and source selector, most likely), which injects 12VDC into the cable upstream to the amplifier, which is part of the actual antenna. The on/off button selects between input sources, and sends 12V to the amplifier in the antenna when "antenna" is selected, for those antennas that have a built-in amplifier.

Quote:

Originally Posted by K7JV

It is very common to have the roof antenna come into the ANT position on the amplifier module and for the park cable TV to come into the CABLE position on the amplifier. Then the third connection would then go to a splitter, and from there to the two or three TV's.

The amplifier was mounted on the back of a wall plate the same size and color of a normal duplex outlet or wall light switch cover plate. On the visible front of the plate was a small button and an LED, and often a UHF type coax fitting. The button, when pressed in, would turn on the amplifier and switch the source to the roof antenna input. When the button was released out, it would turn off the amplifier, and switch the source to the cable input. That was done because the signal level on normal OTA (Over The Air) signals is much lower strength than are the signal levels on normal cable TV sources.

This is how I would expect it to be if done correctly. Source selector with DC power to antenna amplifier in the antenna when ANT is selected (cutting off signal connection to the park cable system), and power injector turned off and the cable system connected (antenna signal disconnected) when in cable mode.

Splitters down stream to multiple TV sets from there, with no more ports than you actually need.

dgrant09 · 02-23-2019, 08:20 AM

Thank you for the guidance, I sincerely appreciate your time.. Our amplifier only has the antenna in and out, no port for the cable. What I'll look at doing is updating the amplifier to accomindate a cable input, then continue as mentioned by K7JV. As for the old electronics, VCR and whatnot, all were gone. It was a rats nest of coaxial cables and DTV devices.

KanzKran · 02-23-2019, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgrant09

Our amplifier only has the antenna in and out, no port for the cable. What I'll look at doing is updating the amplifier to accomindate a cable input, then continue as mentioned by K7JV.

If the antenna works well once power is applied at the injector (remember that the amplifier is probably built into the antenna itself), then you can use a $5 source selector switch to switch between the antenna and the external cable or sat source. Install it after the power injector, as the injector has circuitry to prevent that 12VDC from going downstream to your TV sets.

Doing that is still consistent with what K7JV suggested, and the switch simply takes the place of the power injector’s built-in signal source switch, which yours doesn’t seem to have.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/VIDEO-COA...a5&athena=true

Some pictures of the splitters and power injector and antenna would be helpful, so we’re not giving advice based on erroneous assumptions.

bruceisla · 02-23-2019, 09:28 AM

This is typical:
http://www.winegard.com/kbase/uploads/2451490.pdf

dgrant09 · 02-24-2019, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bruceisla

This is typical:
http://www.winegard.com/kbase/uploads/2451490.pdf

Thank you very much for the instruction sheet which also provided a model #. After reading yesterday, I got to our antenna amplifier and it only has one input/output. I was wanting to keep the splitters to a minimum, and this will help. I'll replace the amp with this. Thank you

bruceisla · 02-24-2019, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgrant09

Thank you very much for the instruction sheet which also provided a model #. After reading yesterday, I got to our antenna amplifier and it only has one input/output. I was wanting to keep the splitters to a minimum, and this will help. I'll replace the amp with this. Thank you

Note that the sheet is for a Winegard with the amp in the head (rooftop).... verify what antenna you have before swapping stuff.

dgrant09 · 02-25-2019, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bruceisla

Note that the sheet is for a Winegard with the amp in the head (rooftop).... verify what antenna you have before swapping stuff.

We just had a Winegard antenna installed to replace the old one. After seeing your post, I emailed Winegard and asked which amplifier we should use with that antenna. Thank you..