Surround Sound (Again!!)

[Pelledan]

2006 Winnebago Journey 36GSE
This topic has been beat to death but someone out there may have some insight for my particular circumstance. The TV surround sound has never worked since I have owned the coach which has been a little over 3 years. Using this forum, I investigated all threads pertinent to surround sound issues and tried every possible combination of controls and settings (including the instructions printed in the owner’s manual) regarding the OEM Sony 26” TV in combination with the OEM RCA VHS/DVD/Player/Amplifier. The Radio AUX/Main switch on the dash needs to be in the AUX position when the engine is off to provide 12 volts from the house batteries to the audio components that need 12 volts to function. Despite my best efforts, I could not get the sound system to work with the TV. The radio works fine over the surround sound, but the TV/DVD sound never came through the system regardless that the position of the Radio/TV toggle switch being in the TV position. Frustration eventually got the best of me and I blew off further troubleshooting until such a time that I would install modern components and remove the obsolete TV and VHS/DVD player. That time came last week when I removed both and installed a Sony 32” 1080P LED TV and a Sony Blu Ray player/ FM Radio/ 1000w amplifier. When I removed the old system, I found that there was one RCA tri-cable connection from the TV to the VHS’s AV OUT and one two line connection from the TV speakers (via a large resister) to the RCA’s AV1 IN. In my new installation I chose to continue to utilize the coaches OEM Surround Sound Speaker system with the new equipment. Both the TV and BluRay player are equipped with HDMI connections that have ARC (Audio Return Circuits) circuits, so the actual need for a Optical Audio Cable would be unnecessary …… but I installed one of those as well, just in case. The HDMI and OAC cables have now taken over any duties the old RCA lines once held with the exception of the ability to record which the BluRay can’t do. As I fired up the new system for the first time, I noticed once again that the surround sound only operated with the radio and when I switched the Radio/TV switch to TV and turned on the TV and Blu Ray amplifier, I got no sound from the surround sound speakers. The TV speakers work fine and the TV is set up for surround sound, but no sound through the surround sound of the coach. I looked into the TV/Audio wiring schematics on Winnebago’s website and discovered that the Radio/TV switch is only a mechanical A/B switch with a 1 wire connection on each side of it. When I removed the switch to check the connections I found those wires go back to a switchbox mounted to the left of the Video/Antenna Source Control Box. According to the diagram that switchbox has 2 input connections (presumable one for radio and one for the TV) and one output connection presumably to the Surround Sound Speakers. When I toggle the Radio/TV switch, I can hear a relay click inside that switchbox, but the sound of the click is different when it switches from one input to the other indicating my problem may be in that switch box. The way the box is mounted (it’s in there via industrial Velcro) I couldn’t see the actual wire connections into it and since I was running out of time, I decided to cap everything up and will continue the fight on another day. Has anyone gone into that box? How are the wires attached to it?
Thanks in advance, Dan

[bruceisla]

Originally Posted by Pelledan

2006 Winnebago Journey 36GSE
This topic has been beat to death but someone out there may have some insight for my particular circumstance. The TV surround sound has never worked since I have owned the coach which has been a little over 3 years. Using this forum, I investigated all threads pertinent to surround sound issues and tried every possible combination of controls and settings (including the instructions printed in the owner’s manual) regarding the OEM Sony 26” TV in combination with the OEM RCA VHS/DVD/Player/Amplifier. The Radio AUX/Main switch on the dash needs to be in the AUX position when the engine is off to provide 12 volts from the house batteries to the audio components that need 12 volts to function. Despite my best efforts, I could not get the sound system to work with the TV. The radio works fine over the surround sound, but the TV/DVD sound never came through the system regardless that the position of the Radio/TV toggle switch being in the TV position. Frustration eventually got the best of me and I blew off further troubleshooting until such a time that I would install modern components and remove the obsolete TV and VHS/DVD player. That time came last week when I removed both and installed a Sony 32” 1080P LED TV and a Sony Blu Ray player/ FM Radio/ 1000w amplifier. When I removed the old system, I found that there was one RCA tri-cable connection from the TV to the VHS’s AV OUT and one two line connection from the TV speakers (via a large resister) to the RCA’s AV1 IN. In my new installation I chose to continue to utilize the coaches OEM Surround Sound Speaker system with the new equipment. Both the TV and BluRay player are equipped with HDMI connections that have ARC (Audio Return Circuits) circuits, so the actual need for a Optical Audio Cable would be unnecessary …… but I installed one of those as well, just in case. The HDMI and OAC cables have now taken over any duties the old RCA lines once held with the exception of the ability to record which the BluRay can’t do. As I fired up the new system for the first time, I noticed once again that the surround sound only operated with the radio and when I switched the Radio/TV switch to TV and turned on the TV and Blu Ray amplifier, I got no sound from the surround sound speakers. The TV speakers work fine and the TV is set up for surround sound, but no sound through the surround sound of the coach. I looked into the TV/Audio wiring schematics on Winnebago’s website and discovered that the Radio/TV switch is only a mechanical A/B switch with a 1 wire connection on each side of it. When I removed the switch to check the connections I found those wires go back to a switchbox mounted to the left of the Video/Antenna Source Control Box. According to the diagram that switchbox has 2 input connections (presumable one for radio and one for the TV) and one output connection presumably to the Surround Sound Speakers. When I toggle the Radio/TV switch, I can hear a relay click inside that switchbox, but the sound of the click is different when it switches from one input to the other indicating my problem may be in that switch box. The way the box is mounted (it’s in there via industrial Velcro) I couldn’t see the actual wire connections into it and since I was running out of time, I decided to cap everything up and will continue the fight on another day. Has anyone gone into that box? How are the wires attached to it?
Thanks in advance, Dan

My suggestion would be to sketch all your connections and devices (label carefully), take a picture of your sketch, and post it. A picture will make this much easier ... for all of us.

[TechWriter]

First, put some paragraphs in your next long post.

You are doing a whole lotta work to get those crummy RV speakers to work.

If you can afford it, install a sound bar like this. Then just use the RV speakers for the radio.

[jpf]

wot e said, inc. the sound bar bit.