Next Dumb Journey Issue, External Satellite Hookup

Old Snipe · 07-16-2007, 02:00 PM

Well, I'm slowly getting all the small issues on line. New issue is the external satellite hook up.

My Journey has the Stationary Auto Find King Dome on it and it works really well with Direct TV.

This weekend, we were in a campsite that we couldn't use the rooftop King Dome, so I dragged out my new Winegard portable dish. Went thru the leveling, angling the dangle, etc and hooked the cable to the "Sat" connector in the electric bay. Went to the Direct TV satellite setup menu, ran through all the steps. But nothing worked.

I have an in-line Sat Finder that is powered by being hooked to the sat system, I have no power. I tried changing the buttons on the Winegard Switch box, no joy.

And the manual does not give any detailed instructions other than the cable location.

SO, am I missing something, or doing something wrong, or is the system not hooked up?

Thanks!

Old Snipe · 07-16-2007, 02:00 PM

Well, I'm slowly getting all the small issues on line. New issue is the external satellite hook up.

My Journey has the Stationary Auto Find King Dome on it and it works really well with Direct TV.

This weekend, we were in a campsite that we couldn't use the rooftop King Dome, so I dragged out my new Winegard portable dish. Went thru the leveling, angling the dangle, etc and hooked the cable to the "Sat" connector in the electric bay. Went to the Direct TV satellite setup menu, ran through all the steps. But nothing worked.

I have an in-line Sat Finder that is powered by being hooked to the sat system, I have no power. I tried changing the buttons on the Winegard Switch box, no joy.

And the manual does not give any detailed instructions other than the cable location.

SO, am I missing something, or doing something wrong, or is the system not hooked up?

Thanks!

Tom N · 07-16-2007, 03:38 PM

The external sat coax terminates on the same plate as the roof sat cable. So you have to unhook the cable on the sat receiver from the roof outlet and move it to the external portable outlet on the same plate. At least this is how mine is wired. I have never used or needed my portable dish with this coach.

-Tom

PHESPE · 07-16-2007, 03:38 PM

Move the coax coming from the back Sat Receiver from its present place (for the King Dome) to the jack that is labeled "Portable Sat input"

That's what necessary on my 05 Journey - and may be the same for your 07 Journey

PHESPE

SargeW · 07-16-2007, 03:45 PM

The hot ticket is to do what I did. Go to an electronics store and buy a $5 A-B switch and a short piece of hook up cable. Hook the roof antenna to the A side, and using the short piece of cable hook the B side to the "external" jack in the cabnet. Now when you want to use a stand alone dish (as I sometimes do) open the cabnet and push the B switch. No messing with cables, and wondering if you got it hooked up right. (Just remember to put the switch back on "A" when you break camp so you don't spend 20 minutes at the next place wondering why you can't get the roof dish to work

)

Sarge

smlranger · 07-16-2007, 04:19 PM

Sarge has it....I installed an A-B switch and it works like a charm when we need to use the portable dish. My older Journey had no outside 'Sat In' connection so I ran a separate coax from the A-B switch to the front driver's side storage bay.

Old Snipe · 07-16-2007, 04:26 PM

Wow, that was fast! Thanks for the tips, I'm off to Radio Shack to get the A/B switch.

Appreciate y'all's help!

Best Regards!

peter griffin · 07-16-2007, 05:32 PM

yep. got my a/b switch at radio shack and a portable dish... when the KVH R-6 can't get by the trees just hit the b button. My rear bay has an input for the dish and then to the left of the tv is the output. Works great just make sure you use rg6 and no cheap wire. Direct tv doesn't like that wire...good luck

PeteB · 07-17-2007, 10:33 AM

Stupid question from me. I have a 2004 Horizon and the only coax connectors I have are the Cable input in the rear electric bay and the Satellite input and output jacks in the cabinet above the TV. I do now seem to have the Aux. Satellite input that you guys are talking about. Am I missing something?
I would like to hook up a portable dish but am not sure how to do it. Ideas would be appreciated.

Tom N · 07-17-2007, 10:48 AM

In 2005 Winnebago started to place a satellite input in the utility bay.

-Tom

PeteB · 07-17-2007, 11:23 AM

Thanks, I guess the easiest way to set one up would be to put an AB switch on the Satellie Input on the back of my receiver and run a new input coax to a convenient spot on the exterior of my coach for the portable. Sound good?

John_Canfield · 07-17-2007, 03:41 PM

Pete - your '04 Horizon should have the portable satellite dish input in your electrical bay right by the cable TV input. The other end of that is a wall plate with an "F" connector somewhere near your DVD/VHS player. Like the others have suggested, an A/B switch would save a couple of minutes of hookup time.

We rarely use the portable dish and I hate to drag it out and set it up. Don't have an A/B switch either.

PeteB · 07-17-2007, 04:09 PM

John,
Thanks for the reply. I guess Winne started in 05 as I only have the cable input in the bay. I think I will forgo the portable for the reasons that you mentioned.
Another subject: I am just about to hook up the Xantrex AGS and appreciate your directions on your site. A few questions - Do you start your genny manually with the factory rocker switch when you wish to start it or do you do it thru the Xantrex system panel? Also, do you leave your AGS in manual mode under normal circumstances and switch to auto mode when the need arises? Seems like leaving it in auto mode may be unecessary. You mentioned that you had your firmware updated. Where did you take it to get that done? I am not having any issues but like to stay current. Thanks for your help.
Pete

John_Canfield · 07-18-2007, 02:32 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by PeteB:
John,
Thanks for the reply. I guess Winne started in 05 as I only have the cable input in the bay. I think I will forgo the portable for the reasons that you mentioned.
Another subject: I am just about to hook up the Xantrex AGS and appreciate your directions on your site. A few questions - Do you start your genny manually with the factory rocker switch when you wish to start it or do you do it thru the Xantrex system panel? Also, do you leave your AGS in manual mode under normal circumstances and switch to auto mode when the need arises? Seems like leaving it in auto mode may be unecessary. You mentioned that you had your firmware updated. Where did you take it to get that done? I am not having any issues but like to stay current. Thanks for your help.
Pete </div></BLOCKQUOTE>[OFFTOPIC] Pete - we usually start the gen set manually with the factory rocker switch.

Normally we leave the AGS configured so the gen can start automatically primarily because I have it optioned to exercise the gen for 30 minutes every month.

We still have the old firmware and the current plan is to get it updated when we are in Tucson at Beaudry for the October Datastorm rally. Might be able to find a Xantrex dealer before then, though.

Sorry you don't have the external satellite input

[/OFFTOPIC]

Clay L · 07-18-2007, 06:57 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by PeteB:
I guess Winne started in 05 as I only have the cable input in the bay. I think I will forgo the portable for the reasons that you mentioned.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I don't have the Sat input in the service bay either, just the park cable input. I have mine connected as shown below. It is not the only way but works well for me.

The diplexer shown is a special splitter that will pass the dc voltage needed to power and switch the LNB on the dish arm.
RCA makes one they call a "diplexer". One port is labeled "DC Pass" and that's the one that connects to the sat receiver. They are available at Radio Shack and a number of other places. Prices vary from $3 to $20 depending on where you buy it. The RCA number is "RCA D920 Diplexer".

Other companies also make them and have other names for them. One I have seen was "Satellite Splitter".

I don't use my external dish very often either - just enough to make me carry it around. There are a number of places back in New England where the trees are so prevalent that I need it.
That's also about the only place I ever use the Winegard satellite finder.

PeteB · 07-18-2007, 07:11 AM

Clay,
Does this hookup allow the use of cable input when we are at a Campground with cable?

Clay L · 07-18-2007, 07:29 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by PeteB:
Clay,
Does this hookup allow the use of cable input when we are at a Campground with cable? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes it does. The Winegard antenna amp does have to be turned off - I forget that regularly.

There is a dc voltage from the sat receiver present on the park cable, but according to a couple of people I spoke with that are knowlegable about cable systems (one used to design them) there are blocking capacitors present in the cable amplifiers where the cable drops are connected, so it doesn't matter.

Adding another diplexer and coax connector in the service bay would eliminate the voltage if you want. The "dc pass" port would connect to the external dish,, the single port would connect to the service bay cable and the "antenna" port would connect to the park cable input.

Note that my 2004 is wired with RG6 cable which is nice to have because of the lower loss - but not mandatory.
From what I have read, I don't think many other manufacturers use RG6 yet.

PeteB · 07-18-2007, 07:50 AM

Clay,
What button on the AB switch would I use for cable input? It seems that both go thru the Sat receiver.
Pete

Clay L · 07-18-2007, 08:31 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by PeteB:
Clay,
What button on the AB switch would I use for cable input? It seems that both go thru the Sat receiver.
Pete </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The A/B switch switches between the rooftop dish and the external dish/cable input. It's not necessary to switch the park cable as such since the diplexer/combiner handles that.

In the diagram above "A" would switch in the external dish/Park cable and "B" would switch in the rooftop dish.

jk_and_dog · 07-18-2007, 02:29 PM

On my 07 Jouney I have an antena selection switch located in the cabinet over the entry way on the front pannel. Since I have the auto find (not inmotion) king dome I ahve a search button for the dome. next to the search button in a series of push bottons for the different tv's and dvr player. the first button on the left next to the power button is labeled AUX. This ties the outside sat hook-up to the aux antena to the direct tv box. Plug in the zip code into the direct tv box to get the sky setting required for that zip code. Go through the motions of reseting the sat setup and aline the sat to the correct settings for the sat you are looking for. should work or at least it does on mine.

Let me know what happens......
good luck...ps i keep findings new buttons to push each day.....amazing