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Old 01-11-2015, 07:27 PM   #1
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AV Upgrade

The factory 5.1 surround sound AV set up in our '15 Excel is an LG Blue-ray player with speaker outputs and one HDMI out but not much more. The inputs are limited to composite video and R-L analog audio RCA connectors in back plus stereo mini plug and usb connector on the front panel. No HDMI inputs for our DirectTV SAT or Apple TV to stream music and video from MacBook Pro/iPad/iPhone or services like Netflix/HBO Go etc, so I'm thinking of upgrading to an AV receiver and just using the stock unit for DVD/Blu-ray playback only.

PI makes it tough though they must not have any audiophiles on board. It the world of electronics rack mount dimensions mean almost all chassis are just over 17" wide. The AV cabinet in our Rear Entertainment Center has an opening exactly 17" wide (with the door and hinges removed!) just a little too small for almost all AV receivers. You have to be able to slide it straight in the cabinet after making all connections so maybe you could make those AV cabinet openings 17-3/4" with the door on Bryan. Depth can be an issue too but there's 15" available in the cabinet and many units run 12-1/2" or 13" deep, just enough room for connectors (though right angle HDMI adapters might be needed).

I need a 7.1 receiver to power the inside 5.1 surround speakers and a set of outside "B" stereo speakers we had PI install. Our optional factory set up just has a hard to reach speaker switch using the two front channels so it's really usable for A only or B only since the A & B setting would use two channels to drive four speakers (reduced volume levels and not too good for the amp). I don't need a true second zone that would allow different sources for the inside and outside, like TV inside and music out, just music on either or both from a digital source (some like Onkyo have the B speaker set up but from analog sources only). Fortunately I found a Sony 7.1 receiver with 4 HDMI inputs that will handle the extra pair of speakers and is exactly 17" wide not 17-1/8" to 17-1/2" like most others. Not my first choice but it fits, has the right specs and price.

I was wondering if anyone else has upgraded their AV set up?
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Old 01-11-2015, 08:13 PM   #2
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I'm not a AV nerd but the entertainment setup in my 2010 Limited is also very hard to work on, in or around. Access is impossible as is changing equipment.
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Old 01-11-2015, 08:46 PM   #3
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Bill,
I know exactly what you mean it's a tight spot. The speaker wires do look long enough to hook up to the receiver outside the cabinet, I can get the factory LG unit almost all the way out to access the rear and disconnect the wires and it looks like some additional slack is available if I cut some cable ties. If the speaker wires are long enough the HDMI and power cables will be easier but it will only work if I can slide the unit straight in so it's go with the only 17" wide piece or start cutting the cabinet opening which I don't want to do.
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Old 02-02-2015, 07:27 PM   #4
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It was a tight squeeze but I was able to get a nice AV system upgrade in place. The Sony SRT-DN850 7.1 Receiver at 17"w just fit with the door off. A very small Sony BDPS5200 Blu-ray player, Apple TV, DirectTV receiver, compact Earthquake Sound FF6.5 sub-woofer and power strip/surge protector all fit in the left side of the Rear Entertainment Center. I'll put the top door back on after I add a Wi-Fi Ranger in the small space remaining below (PI ran a CAT5 cable to my ladder for the wi-fi antenna I mounted). On top of the REC two Sony SS-CS5 bookshelf speakers, a Sirus XM Tuner and an AT&T Unite Pro Hotspot in a Wilson Stealth Cell Amp with roof antenna. (when Maximum Signal releases their new RV cell amp I'll switch to that) I'm sticking with the ceiling mounted stock speakers for center and rear surround in a 5.1 set up for now. I could see running some wire around the slide openings (concealed behind the trim when slide is out) and adding small rears like Energy 5.1 Take Classics or Orbs further back, PI puts the rears to close to the rear of the coach. I'm also powering outdoor speakers PI installed with the 2 additional 7.1 channels.

We fit a much improved sound system for movies and music in a very small space for a reasonably low cost.
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Old 02-02-2015, 07:57 PM   #5
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Nice work..ur RSO entertainment center is way different then mine.
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Old 02-02-2015, 11:32 PM   #6
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Very nice!

I'm going to need something, to boost cellular signal. We're going to be living in an area without much coverage. What do you know about thr RV cell amp?
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Old 02-03-2015, 06:09 AM   #7
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Looks great. I've been thinking of doing the same thing.
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Old 02-03-2015, 06:32 AM   #8
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Gary,
There's not much out there right now. The Wilson Stealth is a single device cradle, you can mount a phone or hot spot device. I've seen a 10 to 15 dB improvement in cell signal using it. The other Wilson amps are intended for home use and don't work well in the mobile environment. Maximum Signal has a new RV amp coming out soon. It's supposed to be whole coach coverage and looks like the device we're after for mobile use. Maximum Signal :: Maximum Signal LTE Amplifiers :: Max Amp Mobile RV kit
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Old 02-03-2015, 09:03 AM   #9
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Thanks for the link Brad!
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Old 02-04-2015, 07:29 AM   #10
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Ours, being a Winslow, came with a rather low end dvd player. I upgraded it to a Blu-ray. Our rear kitchen model has the tv mid coach and there is not much room to put anything more than the player and the Dish receiver. We mostly watch Dish anyway and use the player when the grandkids need entertaining. I am going to order a Winegard Trav'ler in a few weeks which will hopefully allow me to keep my sanity, which I loose every time I try to use our Dish Tailgater.


We generally don't have problems with cell phone reception where we go but do sometimes with wifi. I just bought a Pepwave Surf and Go which boosts the signal from the rv park and allows you to make it secure. So far our tests using it at home have been promising. The wife uses her phone as a hot spot but sometimes has a tendency to go over her data limits and we are hoping this will help. Our first trip is a couple of months away so we'll see.
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Old 02-05-2015, 08:21 AM   #11
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We have the Winegard Traveler Slimline for DirecTV HD and it's been performing very well. It deploys and finds the SAT very quickly. After years of dealing with the finicky MotoSAT this is a pleasure. Of course just finding the bird for a download signal only is easy, the precise targeting needed for the internet upload capability made the MotoSAT deployment a tougher task.

The Pepwave is an alternative to the Wi-Fi Ranger. The Wi-Fi Ranger will automatically switch between the wi-fi signal (if available) and the cell signal (if wi-fi isn't). That's the last thing I need to hook up.

The receiver and bookshelf speakers are a big improvement. The way PI hooked up my fronts and exterior speakers with a switch on the same two channels allowed me to A-B the stock fronts and the bookshelf fronts, what a difference!

Brad
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