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HatrackRV · 07-20-2019, 08:38 AM

OK, I’ve got a bizarre issue I’d like to solve, although it’s not a critical problem. At a campground with cable, watching the news. My wife uses the bathroom turns on the exhaust fan and the cable tv picture freezes. It happens on every tv everytime. It’s cable related because a feed into the HDMI port is unaffected. The only thing I can figure is that the 12 volt DC to the fan may be wrapped around the main coax cable and when you turn on the fan you get inductive effects scrambling the signal. Anyone else have this issue...?

I’ve got a 2018 THOR ACE.

bdpreece · 07-20-2019, 10:24 AM

My guess is you are getting noise on the 12 volt line from the fan motor itself. You could probably test this by disconnecting the fan and using a 12 volt computer fan. If the problem disappears then buy a Fan-Tastic or maxxair fan.

rarebear.nm · 07-20-2019, 10:40 AM

I think the ideas Brian proposed maybe the source. If not I would determine if your cable feed has a signal booster somewhere inside. If you have multiple TVs a booster is very likely. The booster needs 12 volt power from somewhere. It might be on the same 12v circuit at the bath room fan. Test it by pulling the fuse for the bath fan and see if the TVs still work on cable.

Freezing pictures result from a disruption in the TV signal, or a weak signal. Both could be caused by a voltage drop on a 12v line. Fans in general can draw lots of power. If the issue turns out to be power related see if the TV booster can be powered from another 12v circuit. Switching to a better fan as above might also solve it.

FYI- I started out using Fantistic fans but have been converting to Maxxair fans. IMO they are better designed and built. I have some of each in a 5th and a MH.

Let us know what you find it to be and your solution.

Harvard · 07-20-2019, 01:04 PM

What if your ONLY source of RV grounding is through the Cable Shield?

Disconnect your cable from the RV and check for AC volts from the shore cable shield to the RV cable shield while the RV is powered from the pedestal. If there is a significant AC voltage then your RV power plug may not be grounded properly to the pedestal Ground conductor.