Hooking up to campground cable tv

[Scout]

I have a 2011 winnebago vista 30w with 2 TVs. One main tv is mounted over the dashboard and one small tv in the master bedroom. Since cable tv is available at most RV parks, I would like to simply hookup with their service. There are some exterior connection port panel behind the main tv and inside the left storage compartmet it says roof satellite or portable satellite....there is a coax cable unhooked in that same compartment comming from the main tv....outside, there are two areas to plug into cable or portable satellite dishes,both are in opposite storage bays in the back. There is currently an antenna but it doesn't seem functional or I am not getting a strong signal even with the boost to pick up local channels....cable in the rv parks for now would be adequate...maybe will purchase a dish down the road...any suggestions to get the TVs cable ready would be appreciated. Thanks...
Scout

[Wayne M]

Remember that to watch cable TV the booster has to be off.

If the cables are hooked up correctly, connecting to the "cable" input should produce a picture. It's difficult to know what any previous owner or dealer did to a system. Also, do you have the BOMB (Box Of Many Buttons) that switch between DVD, VCR, etc. If so, they typically are a booster so when using cable the power has to be off and the cable switch depressed.

Now, for checking cable lines, go to any auto store and get a spool of 16 or 18 gauge wire. Also get some small alligator clips with the wire on them. Click one end of the wired alligator clip to the center conduct and the other to one end of the spool of wire. Drag the wire outside and using an ohm meter check for continuity between center conductor and other end of wire on spool. Then check between center conductor and shield (outside edge of screw on connector) and there should be NO continuity. If there is there is a short in the wire.

Checking center conductor to center conductor shoud reveal if the coax is the same one on both ends. Hope that's not confusing. At least I know what I mean.

[emiddleb]

Don't forget that when you park at a new location and are set up, you usually need to have your TV scan for channels in the TV's setup menu.

[Scout]

Originally Posted by Wayne M

Remember that to watch cable TV the booster has to be off.

If the cables are hooked up correctly, connecting to the "cable" input should produce a picture. It's difficult to know what any previous owner or dealer did to a system. Also, do you have the BOMB (Box Of Many Buttons) that switch between DVD, VCR, etc. If so, they typically are a booster so when using cable the power has to be off and the cable switch depressed.

Now, for checking cable lines, go to any auto store and get a spool of 16 or 18 gauge wire. Also get some small alligator clips with the wire on them. Click one end of the wired alligator clip to the center conduct and the other to one end of the spool of wire. Drag the wire outside and using an ohm meter check for continuity between center conductor and other end of wire on spool. Then check between center conductor and shield (outside edge of screw on connector) and there should be NO continuity. If there is there is a short in the wire.

Checking center conductor to center conductor shoud reveal if the coax is the same one on both ends. Hope that's not confusing. At least I know what I mean.

I dont have the "BOMB"..Just the ability to switch from tv, av1, av2 etc. on the tv remote control. When I bought this coach at the beginning of the year, the previous owner had hooked up an old VHS player with the coax cable comming from the tv compartment....I disconnected it and replaced the VHS with a dvd player...the multicolored wire harness up in the storage compartment made for an easy switch so DVD plays real nice on av1.....I didn't reconnect the coax cable to the dvd player. It is just hanging there waiting to be put in the right place?
I am assuming that if I plug the coax into the satellite input at the wall in the overhead storage compartment (the question is, which of the 2 ports would be for an external cable??).... there are two options, roof satellite or portable satellite....then if I brought in the cable hookup from an rv park, there are 2 options outside to hook up that cable to....one says exterior tv connection and has a 110plug powere supply and in the other bay...the options of portable satellite dish or cable.
I am assuming that I would plug the input connection from the rv park cable to my input cable connection.
My question is which connection do I plug into in the front storage compartment with the coax coming from the tv?attached are photos of exterior connections.
I will try your suggestion on checking cable line power as well!As you can see, from the photo, I have the coax attached to a portable input...don't know if that matters or not? Maybe there is a splitter somewhere that brings the cable I put separately to the tv??
Any thoughts?

[Scout]

I sent you a separate response..I guess we'll see how it goes when I hook up to cable at an rv park....thanks,

[emiddleb]

My best guess... the "Exterior TV Connection" in your bay connects to the "Cable" connection, and the "Portable Satellite Dish" connects to the "Fr Portable Satellite Dish". Probably either would work for cable TV from the campground.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by emiddleb

My best guess... the "Exterior TV Connection" in your bay connects to the "Cable" connection, and the "Portable Satellite Dish" connects to the "Fr Portable Satellite Dish". Probably either would work for cable TV from the campground.

I am with you on this one. My model has all 3 inputs on one outside compartment plate. Cable, Portable Satellite & Roof Satellite.

I think the wiring of cable can vary widely on these coaches based on layout and floorplan. i.e. I do have an additional Potable and roof satellite cable plate in closet behind my MBR TV. Not sure if it is intended to be input or output, because I do have coax cable plugged into back of TV?

I do know that I have King roof antenna. If I turn the boast button on; it will send the antenna source to all 3 TVs through the coax cables. My assumption is that if I hook anything to any of the other inputs outside or inside and turn the King boost off, it will send what ever is connected to all 3 TVs.

[Wayne M]

If you don't have the BOMB, then you have a "wall plate" somewhere in an overhead that has a button that provides 12v to the bat wing.

Looks similar to this layout.



This is the typical configuration for RV's. Even my 2015 has an amplifier configured similarly. If the little button on the front plate is pressed in the on state., a light will glow on that front of the plate. If that light is on there will be no cable signal.

Do you have any type of switching system in an overhead compartment. In order to operate cable, satellite, DVD or other external devices you need to be able to switch to the RF cable providing that signal. I would be surprised if the RV did not at least at one time have something like that.

[Scout]

Wayne,
If you look at the 3 photos in my original post,that is the only input available. The third photo down is a plate in the upper storage compartment directly to the left of the main tv.The other two input plates are outside in the storage bays.As far as I can tell, there is NO switching system like you referred to. However, there is a signal boost switch in the right upper compartment to the main tv.
I may be able to access cable if I input the rv park cable to the outside input plate that says "cable " and turn off the booster like you and others have suggested. I will call winnebago on Monday and see if they can confirm this or, shed any additional light on this subject. Thank you for your 2 very detailed responses.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Wayne M

If you don't have the BOMB, then you have a "wall plate" somewhere in an overhead that has a button that provides 12v to the bat wing.

Looks similar to this layout.

Attachment 178408

This is the typical configuration for RV's. Even my 2015 has an amplifier configured similarly. If the little button on the front plate is pressed in the on state., a light will glow on that front of the plate. If that light is on there will be no cable signal.

Do you have any type of switching system in an overhead compartment. In order to operate cable, satellite, DVD or other external devices you need to be able to switch to the RF cable providing that signal. I would be surprised if the RV did not at least at one time have something like that.

Your diagram is helpful, may I ask a few questions on it?

For the Outside Cable input Jack. Is it safe to assume that no matter which of the 3 that Coax Input sources (Cable, Portable Satellite, Roof Satellite) that behind that plate; they all feed through the same coax wire into the back of the 12vdc wall plate?

For the bedroom TV Jack. Is it possible that the coax is input? i.e. My bedroom has a plate for Portable & Roof Satellite. I assume that is for input to the back of the 12vdc wall plate?

The front of my wall plate is different in that I think the coax jack on the front is actually a cable input? So presumably I can run inputs for [Cable - 12vdc Wall Plate], [Portable Satellite, and/or Roof satellite in MBR] inside the RV, or outside in coax plate that takes all 3 coax inputs in electrical compartment?

If all of the above is true, behind my 12vdc wall plate there must be a coax output that feeds the main TV with splitters that go to the outside and bedroom TVs.

One day I will have to read the manual

I am a trial and error guy and I know once I was getting poor reception from my Omni King Antenna so I took a portable HDTV antenna with coax and connected to the front of the 12vdc wall plate and turned the boast off. I put the Antenna outside and pointed toward the city; I rescanned my TV and picked up a lot more channels

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Scout

Wayne,
If you look at the 3 photos in my original post,that is the only input available. The third photo down is a plate in the upper storage compartment directly to the left of the main tv.The other two input plates are outside in the storage bays.As far as I can tell, there is NO switching system like you referred to. However, there is a signal boost switch in the right upper compartment to the main tv.
I may be able to access cable if I input the rv park cable to the outside input plate that says "cable " and turn off the booster like you and others have suggested. I will call winnebago on Monday and see if they can confirm this or, shed any additional light on this subject. Thank you for your 2 very detailed responses.

If you have a portable HDTV antenna with coax you should be able to test each of the input jacks. Just make sure the the booster is Off. I have never tried, but I may have to connect my portable antenna to each of the inputs outside with boost off to see if I get the same signals on all 3 TVs and then try again on the two coax Jacks in the MBR. I have all ready used it several times in the inside entertainment cabinet for coax jack that says Cable.

[Scout]

That is a great suggestion,
I do have an HD antenna...somewhere ��...I'll have to locate it and try what you said. I think the only valid external input coax Jack's are the two on the white plate,that state either portable satellite or cable. The other other one on the opposite side of the motorhome, on the brown plate is just an external hookup for an out door tv...my guess anyway. I will let you know of any success or failure of attempts if I can locate my HD antenna.

[Wayne M]

Originally Posted by dkoldman

Your diagram is helpful, may I ask a few questions on it?

For the Outside Cable input Jack. Is it safe to assume that no matter which of the 3 that Coax Input sources (Cable, Portable Satellite, Roof Satellite) that behind that plate; they all feed through the same coax wire into the back of the 12vdc wall plate?

For the bedroom TV Jack. Is it possible that the coax is input i.e. My bedroom has a plate for Portable & Roof Satellite. I assume that is for input to the back of the 12vdc wall plate?

The front of my wall plate is different in that I think the coax jack on the front is actually a cable input? So presumably I can run inputs for [Cable - 12vdc Wall Plate], [Portable Satellite, and/or Roof satellite in MBR] inside the RV, or outside in coax plate that takes all 3 coax inputs in electrical compartment?

If all of the above is true, behind my 12vdc wall plate there must be a coax output that feeds the main TV with splitters that go to the outside and bedroom TVs.

One day I will have to read the manual

I am a trial and error guy and I know once I was getting poor reception from my Omni King Antenna so I took a portable HDTV antenna with coax and connected to the front of the 12vdc wall plate and turned the boast off. I put the Antenna outside and pointed toward the city; I rescanned my TV and picked up a lot more channels

If the outside jack has 3 labels and 3 connections then they are separate cables. If there is only one input connector and 3 labels then it is most likely only one cable.

I believe that the jack in the bedroom is for input, and can be used to hook up a separate DVD player or other accessories. Your trial and error should point that out real quick. They wall plate in the front of the RV is basically the same. If you have a wall plate with Sat and TV, they are inputs. It is the back of the wall plate that distributes the signal. The Sat input is from the receiver/antenna.

It is possible that a manufacturer used a splitter. In the diagram I posted there is a small circuit board that is a splitter in that plate. There are two runs though, one to the main TV and one to the BR TV. For the cable input outside I would assume that there is a splitter, if the cable works on both TVs.

Another point from previous post regarding satellite and cable inputs. If a splitter is used in any of those cases, then only the cable the splitter frequency passes can be used. Example. A splitter for cable will not pass a satellite signal and vice versa.

The poor reception from the Omni can be frustrating to say the least. In many instances, beside a bad Omni, it is a loose connection. If any connector has loosened over the years, the ground is not solid and can cause "snowy" pictures. Take the plate off of the RF connectors and tighten all of them and don't forget to check the one on the back of the TV


p.s., One of Winegard User Manuals



p.p.s. Hey y'all, I'm not an expert on this but I can search for information. There are tons of diagrams out there if you search for them. I'm also a trial and error guy with and Advance Class Amateur Radio License, so basic electronic theory is okay. Above that I get just as confused as the other guy.

In my previous MH I had a BOMB. I had a DISH network VIP 722. I had to take the BOMB out of its compartment and put in splitters and such so I could watch satellite on both TV's. In my present RV I have a complicated HDMI matrix, which I replaced once already just matching wire for wire. Talk about a night mare! Also in the present RV I have the same wall plate as many of you do and it operates the same way. In one of the overhead compartments is the nest of cables with many not connected...but every thing works.

Don't mess with 12v or 120v and just connect to the RF connectors and see if it works. Call the manufacturer service line and ask for help. In most cases they are very helpful, at least with my manufacturer they are. I'm still happy to answer questions but please remember I don't know it all.

[dkoldman]

I had a chance to experiment today. I added a new section to my personal created RV's SOP Manual to document my findings. It is simple and makes sense now that I understand what they wired up

Key Takeaways
- I have 8 total coax connections
- All coax connections are Input
- All 3 TVs are prewire with Coax Input
- I can only verify Antenna or Cable Inputs, I need satellite to do the other inputs

Note: I did not get into HDMI but my coach is also prewired for HDMI with a Switcher. I added another but the HDMI is what I use most of the time now so I have that well understood. I was lucky to find my model with HDMI prewired because all of the other exact same model did not.

[dkoldman]

I made a correction on the Main & Aux descriptions in the Electrical bay.

When I look at the layout, it seems as if it is prewired to easily have 2 satellites on the roof; or one near front or near the bedroom. Likewise you can easily have two portable satellite's on the ground or two portable inside the RV.