Community Forums

lilrascals · 05-03-2011, 11:37 AM

My husband and I recently purchased a 2003 Winnebago Sightseer 30B. During our 1st trip, we realized we are only able to view TV through our antenna, not cable. Digital converter boxes are connected to the front tv and back tv. Can anyone advise what we need to do to make sure we have the capability of connecting to cable at a campground?

RickO · 05-03-2011, 11:46 AM

First of all...

Does your rig have a connection outside to hook up the the CG cable? Do you have a video control box inside to select between antenna, cable and maybe satellite and/or VCR/DVD?

I'm sure some of our experts will chime in soon with more direct knowledge of your year and model coach.

Best of luck...

Rick

"007" · 05-03-2011, 11:57 AM

Welcome to irv2 illirascals to irv2.
You can purchase from one of our vendors a Wingman Ant that snaps on your existing ant for digital reception.
Enjoy the forums and do post often.

RJay · 05-03-2011, 12:03 PM

There should be a cable tv connection outlet in your oustide power bay, that's the compartment that houses you power cable. There should also be a cable tv connection on your power pedestal. If you run a CATV cable from the power pedestal to the outlet in your power compartment you should have cable tv. Just be sure to turn off the amplifier on the batwing (external antenna). You may have to push a couple of buttons on your video control center over the driver seat.

paz · 05-03-2011, 06:04 PM

Hi lilrascals, welcome to iRV2.

I'm assuming you have the cable attached to the proper receptacle on the outside of the coach, and if you have a Winegard selector switch that it is wired properly.

If your converter boxes are wired in directly before the TVs, there's a possibility they may be blocking the cable signal if they don't have an analog pass through feature. Sometime when you're hooked up to cable, try disconnecting the coax that goes into one of the converters and connecting it directly to the TV. If the TV works on cable without the converter, you will either need buy new converters with analog pass through or wire your own bypass around the converter with a an A-B switch for use when you want to watch cable.

AISTQM · 05-04-2011, 10:19 AM

My converter boxes must be turned off to use the cable hook up.

Doodles · 05-04-2011, 11:18 AM

since I did away with the SAT and would like to use out antana would I need two converter boxe have two tv and what about Wingman Ant

paz · 05-04-2011, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AISTQM

My converter boxes must be turned off to use the cable hook up.

Good point. Turning them off activates the analog pass-through feature allowing the cable signal to get through to the TV.

lilrascals - also note that if you have an amplified antenna (typical Winegard "Batwing" antenna), the button for the amplifier may also have to be turned off to receive cable.

DRosedale · 05-04-2011, 12:24 PM

You got some good advice, but I wanted to welcome to the forum. Good luck and many safe miles.

randco · 05-04-2011, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doodles

since I did away with the SAT and would like to use out antana would I need two converter boxe have two tv and what about Wingman Ant

If your TV are the older ones, you will need a converter box for each TV. If you have a switch box to select Sat, DVD, TV, etc. connect the converters after the switch box.

97windsor · 05-04-2011, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by randco

If your TV are the older ones, you will need a converter box for each TV. If you have a switch box to select Sat, DVD, TV, etc. connect the converters after the switch box.

I put 1 converter box before the front and rear switch box and it works for both tv's in mine

randco · 05-04-2011, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 97windsor

I put 1 converter box before the front and rear switch box and it works for both tv's in mine

My Winegard switchbox has a powered amplifier in it. When I hooked it up originally I hooked it up before the switchbox. Got nothing but static. After rewiring and a little work on my antenna wire all is good.

wa8yxm · 05-04-2011, 04:32 PM

There are several possible issues and each has it's own answer.

FIrst there are the digital converters, Some of them have digital pass through, some do not, if they do not then you have to do a work around,, I can help you there. it's easy to build a work around requires only 4 parts per box and 2 of them are coax cables (the other two are a splitter/combiner and a switch, the switch sells for a dollar.

Another posibility is that the park cable may have been re-tasked as a satellite LNB line,, This is not somethign I'd recommend but peple do it.

First quesiton: Describe your TV's "Source" switch, pick one

Wall plate, 12 volt outlet (Big round hole) button, light, antenna connector, optional 2nd antenna connector

OR

Box with many buttons

Then we go to step 2

lilrascals · 05-06-2011, 08:44 AM

Thank you so much. We have the RV stored right now. Next time we get it out of storage we will inspect everything better. We know it has a cable connection outside of the coach and we have a converter box on both TVs. There are no switch boxes inside at all. So, what we aren't sure about is if when the RV dealership installed the converter boxes for the previous owners, did they disconnect the cable. We will check it all out before the next trip. Thanks again!