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max49 · 11-26-2013, 08:29 PM

After having cable all my life, I switched to Dish and ordered the Tailgater and 211K receiver from Amazon.
In my electrical compartment I have a coaxial plug that I would plug the cable TV wire into and I had cable TV.

When I get my Tailgater, I will also have coaxial cable. Do I plug it into the same place?

I also took out my monster 27" box TV and am planning to put a 32" LED TV in, hope I can get a good deal on Black Friday.

It's amazing that , that big monster TV did'nt come crashing down. Damon had 8 screws holding it but all were in the front trim sides and only screwed about a half inch in, into plastic. It never fell out though.

Building the framing to hold the new flat screen has been a challenge, especially since I have to measure cut , check fit, recut a few more time before I get it like I want it. I think it's going to turn out nice though.

I don't know how to match the oak photo paper though but I bought and installed real oak and stained it a pecan color. Color matched pretty good but the real oak makes the rest look cheap.

If anyone can share some info on the Tailgater hookup or if you could share some of your experiences with the LED TV install, I'd appreciate it.

I might get out my camera and take some pics , and maybe post them here, of my TV install.

Scarab0088 · 11-26-2013, 09:07 PM

Best of luck with the mods.

I added a 40" in the salon of my Outlaw (wall mount) and ViP-211k with Tailgater to an existing rooftop set-up. The Tailgater works so well, don't even use the rootop anymore.

The cable TV input in the electrical bin probably goes to the video switch or BOMB -box of many buttons- labeled cable input. To use that wire for the SAT, it must be moved from the BOMB to the input on the ViP-211k.

To have HDTV on the new TV you will need to use a HDMI cable from the 211k to the TV.

To view the SAT on any other TV's you need to connect the coaxial wire output on the 211k to an input on the BOMB...this will be standard def only.

The ViP-211k will read, guide display, and play over the air (OTA) TV within the 211k if you feed it the signal from the batwing. These Damons often had the OTA signal amp in the BOMB, so connect an output from the BOMB to the 211k marked "over the air." This will also allow any older TV 's in your RV to watch the newish DTV without a DTV converter.

Safe travels

max49 · 11-26-2013, 09:33 PM

Thanks Scarab, I don't think I have a "bomb". I just have the cable inlet in the back and it obviously goes to the cabinet in front for the TV. I also have the antenna on the roof and power antenna switch in the cabinet. I can't see any splitters but it works off antenna or cable. A satelite dish is all new to me.

Oh yea, can you answer another question?

Once I set up in camp and get the TV working, and I don't have hookups, will I have to go thru a big deal to get the TV working when I start the genny or inverter every time. In other words, does the 211K lose every thing when the power goes off?

Scottybdivin · 11-26-2013, 09:58 PM

It doesn't lose everything when the power goes or you switch from gen to shore, but it does require some extra aquisition time. I have not had any luck getting satellite TV on more than one TV. I tried connecting the output to another TV and the signal was very scrambled. I have also found that when you 1st plug in the Tailgater, let it find the satellites before you try to do anything. It takes a few minutes. Then turn on the receiver and go through the setup procedure.

Overall, I am very pleased with the Tailgater. I like the ability to avoid trees and the simplicity of auto acquisition. It has it's drawbacks but well worth the money, IMO.

Scarab0088 · 11-26-2013, 10:03 PM

Does your 3720 have just the one TV up front? If so, that is SO EASY to hook up.

The new TV will have many different inputs...just use the ones needed for each input.

Your question...The Tailgater will go through the auto-aim routine each time the ViP-211k is powered on. It takes no more than 5 min to fully set-up. The 211k will not lose connection to the TV - a simple press power for on.

And back to the original post...the cable in the bin cannot carry both the raw SAT signal from the tailgater and coax cable TV, without a "diplexer" at both ends of the wire to combine then split the signals. I found it easier to just add a second cable for bringing the raw SAT signal to the 211k from the tailgater outside.

Scarab0088 · 11-26-2013, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scottybdivin

It doesn't lose everything when the power goes or you switch from gen to shore, but it does require some extra aquisition time. I have not had any luck getting satellite TV on more than one TV. I tried connecting the output to another TV and the signal was very scrambled. I have also found that when you 1st plug in the Tailgater, let it find the satellites before you try to do anything. It takes a few minutes. Then turn on the receiver and go through the setup procedure.

Overall, I am very pleased with the Tailgater. I like the ability to avoid trees and the simplicity of auto acquisition. It has it's drawbacks but well worth the money, IMO.

The ViP-211k is set-up to feed all 3 type outputs at the same time (HDMI, Coax cable for ch3 or 4, and RCA audio/video).

The 211k in my RV feeds 4 TV's through a dedicated HDMI and Coax cables on a BOMB...so it should work. Feel free to ask any questions if you want.

Safe travels

max49 · 11-27-2013, 08:18 PM

Thanks again Scarab,

I used to have a small TV in the bedroom but I took it out because we did'nt use it. But I may put it back once I get tailgater and get it working right.

Did you buy an external hard drive so the 211K can be a DVR such as this one?
Seagate DVR Expander | Seagate
if so, what kind did you get and would you recommend it?

I also ordered this "USB Digital over the air tuner" http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/t...er-vip211z.jpg

Do I need this to get the local over air channels or did I waste money or have to send it back?

Scarab0088 · 11-28-2013, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by max49

Thanks again Scarab,

I used to have a small TV in the bedroom but I took it out because we did'nt use it. But I may put it back once I get tailgater and get it working right.

Did you buy an external hard drive so the 211K can be a DVR such as this one?
Seagate DVR Expander | Seagate
if so, what kind did you get and would you recommend it?

I also ordered this "USB Digital over the air tuner" http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/t...er-vip211z.jpg

Do I need this to get the local over air channels or did I waste money or have to send it back?

Thanks for the kudos...
Yes, I got an external hard drive and enabled the DVR function...1 time cost of $30 to Dish. Mine is a Western Digital -no more than 1 Terabyte ( anymore is just wasted and can't be partitioned for any other use) and must have an external power supply. The Seagate linked above looks like it will work...just be sure to use the external power vs. using the USB for power. It works awesome...even better than my cable DVR at home.

The OTA dongle is only required for the 211z. OTA tuner is inside the 211k, so if you get a 211k in the mail, you can return the dongle. But many folks ordering now are getting 211z's...it is easy to tell them apart.

Using the SAT receiver to tune in OTA is really nice - no switching between TV inputs, guide info is diplayed with the SAT channels guide, and it makes wiring easier.

Best luck

max49 · 11-28-2013, 08:55 AM

That's odd that you don't need the OTA tuner with the 211K but you do with the newer, 'latest & greatest' 211Z. I did order the 211K so I guess I'll figure if it's worth sending the OTA tuner back to Amazon. It'd be nice if I could trade it towards a hard drive.
I got to thinking how my old TV worked from the antenna or from cable (if I had it hooked up). I just changed the "Input" in the TV settings. This won't work with thhe Tailgater?
Come to think of it, I guess it would but I would need 2 different cables (unless a splitter could be used) one cable going direct to the TV and one going to the 211K.
Come to think of that, that won't work any more either unless I have more junk in the cabinet, the descrambler or whatever it does. The thing the government gave us rebate or whatever to buy so we could get OTA programming.
I've been doing all this work , building framing in the old TV overhead so it will be able to hang a flat panel TV. $438 for the Gater and 211K, $30 for HDMI cables, $100 for a harddrive , $40 Dish activation plus monthly fee and my son said , "you're doing all this work, and you're going to trust a $98 TV ?"

Walmart.com: Save money. Live better.

http://http://funaiamerica.com/produ...duct.php?id=71

I might be

but I had a $500 Vizio go out in a year and a TV repair place wanted $350 to fix it. I ordered a powerboard off EBAY, for an Emerson TV , shipped straight from China for $100 and it works like new again. I'm thinking all the TV brands have pretty much the same parts inside and the price they get for them depends on how well their marketing department does their job

I guess I'll find out if I'm wrong, if I can get this 'Black Friday' special.
If not, the framing I built should only take minor modification to fit other TVs.

Scarab0088 · 11-28-2013, 10:42 AM

The latest and greatest 211z is slimmed down for those that don't need all the stuff in the 211k...like new RV's have HDMI or Component cables in the wall to each TV for high def from the factory...and is probably cheaper for Dish to produce = more profit.

About OTA and cable TV wires..since you switched by changing the input on the TV, there must be 2 coax wires, 1 for the antenna input and 1 for the run to the bin. Just move these 2 wires to the 211k and it will do all the work for you and you will only have to use 1 remote - the one for the 211k has all the controls you need for SAT and TV volume, mute, power...etc.

Your new TV will not need the DTV converter. All new TV's are DTV compliant now. You can ditch the converter or use it on the bedroom TV until you upgrade that one.

A splitter can be added on the wire from the OTA antenna if you want to have the TV read OTA as well as the 211k. As long as the OTA signal amp is in line before the tuners, it will work. This gives you the option to watch OTA TV without deploying the Tailgater. This is good because the 211k will constantly search for an input from the Tailgater if it is not on-line and working.

Best luck getting a good price on a new TV. It works great once it is all set-up.

max49 · 11-28-2013, 10:59 AM

Scarab, I see you're in San Diego and have a toy hauler, do you take it into Mexico much? I was visiting S Cal. back before we needed passports in the MoHo. I intended to rent a car the next day to go to Mexico. But , the day before I took the MoHo down just to see the border crossing, but by the time we saw it, it was too late and we had to drive in. Tijuana spooked my wife but I could'nt believe the shacks that were right on the Ocean, almost falling in. It would have been millions of $ property, just a few miles north.
We still had a great time going down that toll road and had lobster lunch in Puerto Valerto or some thing like that.
I drove thru an RV park just for fun and took this pic,

http://

I could'nt resist getting a pic of this beauty, I should have taken it from the back because the Pacific ocean is only about 100' from it's windshield.

I would love to love to spend a winter down there if it was'nt for all the horror stories about it.

Scarab0088 · 11-28-2013, 11:17 AM

Thanks Max...yes it's nice here, 70 degrees and clear today.

Yes, the border region with Mexico is off-limits for us now too...used to go to TJ for dinner and shopping all the time. But the cartels are in charge. It's really too bad that the US didn't get Baja in the war with Mexico...that would be trillions of dollars in property, all the way to Cabo! And can you imagine the camping?

To stay on topic...Dish says we can't legally use our service outside the US, but if you go, I understand it works just fine.

Safe travels

max49 · 11-28-2013, 12:13 PM

In a way , it would be nice if Baja was part of the states but it would be lined with billion dollar private properties and i'd be lucky just to get peeks of the ocean.
Camping would be very limited and for organized people ( with money) who make reservations a year in advance.
I love to visit CA but since I am not organized, and like to make impulsive trips, without any reservations, I found staying any where on the ocean, very stressful. We'd get lucky and get a spot in a city / county owned parking lot and they'd let us stay one night. The next morning about 10 am , they'd have a lotto and see ify name was picked to be able to stay another night. If not it was almost noon and we'd have to start looking for another place to camp It's hard to enjoy when you're stressing where you're going to sleep. 95% of the RVs camping on the ocean had CA tags. As much as I loved the ocean, I was a lot less stressed when we went to San Bernardino and stayed at Glen Helen race track.
That's why when we went to the Baja, below Tijuana , it was so nice to have so much open space on the ocean, with few rules. Its just too bad that Mexico is so corrupt that it's hard to feel safe. And one rule they have is you can't carry your own protection.
So what toys do you carry in your garage? I grew up riding/ racing dirt bikes , then as I got older and broke a femur, we got ATVs and as we even older and needed a new hip, we got a Jeep. They're all fun and I still have a couple motorcycles but I need to relearn how to whip my leg over the seat again.

bdickson · 11-28-2013, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by max49

I'll figure if it's worth sending the OTA tuner back to Amazon. It'd be nice if I could trade it towards a hard drive.

Just fyi, Amazon appears to have a new option for returns. You can elect to get a Gift Certificate which instantly credits the return to your Amazon account. Of course, if you then don't physically return the item within 30 days they take it off your credit card.

I have been able to apply the credit to another purchase right away.