I'm need to redo the coaxial/TV cables in my RV. Anyone have a diagram of a basic layout?Both my TV's are HDTV with DVD players built in, so I won't be using a satellite box or anything else.Just the park in inlet, Antenna booster, Batwing Antenna, front TV and rear TVIf your wondering why I'm doing this it's because I have a short somewhere in the lines. I keep melting coaxial cables right at the park inlet plate outside my RV!It's weird! This RV is new to us and we never used the park cable inlet before this past weekend. Anyway, cable was working fine for about an hour, picture on TV started cutting, went outside only to fins the cable smoking. Tried to unscrew it but it was to hot to touch. Unhooked it at the park cable pole. At first I thought I had a bad coaxial cable. Hooked up another one. It lasted about 3 hours then it melted too. TV works find on just the Antenna, so it's got to be something in the cable inlet plate outside the RV, I'm guess at this?

Sounds like there's a problem with the park cable, must have some leakage from the AC power at the pedestal, and finding its way to ground through your cable. Alternately, there may be a problem with your TV, putting voltage (12 volts maybe?) on the cable, which in turn is finding a ground outside of your rig, via the cable. I would suggest a bit of investigation with a voltmeter to determine the real problem. Could present a dangerous shock hazard.

I was thinking about the 12VDC idea. Perhaps the ANTENNA PANEL BUTTON is pushed for when you are using the OTA BATWING.When pushed this supplies 12VDC up the coaxial up to the PREAMP inside the BATWING. If left ON when you are using CABLE TV hookup maybe this is supplying 12VDC down that leg as well.Just a thought...Roy ken

Connect everything up including shore power, but excluding the final coax connection at the RV. Next take a multimeter set on AC volts and check between the coax shield and the RV connection point. Do this while regular load in the RV is in use. You may be very surprised. Art.

And you didn't see it spark when you screwed either of the cables in? What about the RV end of this cable, it is hot too? If you have the kind of current to smoke coax shield or the crimp connect, that is some serious current

With everything not connected measure the voltage from pedestal ground to cable shield connection. There has to be a voltage driving a current in the cable shield. Either a bad ground at the pedestal or on the cable. The park needs to be notified.

Coaxial TV cable getting hot / Need wiring diagram

27 Replies

Roman_Duck
Explorer
Apr 15, 2014
I would test the antena booster to start. Then I would cross test the continuity of the coxail and 110 volt and 12 volt wires. maybe a pinch wire from a wire staple has rubbed through the insulation of the coxail and a power (110 v/ 12v) wire under the same staple, It could be the culprit, hadstaple
do somthing like that one time.
The other consideration is that the electrican who tested the pestal for you, might not know how to use a meter correctly and/or he might be the one who mis wired the pesttal in the 1st place. Did you talk to fellow campers, anyone else had simular issues?
JimMartin
Explorer
Apr 15, 2014
The park electrician came out and checked both the park cable at the pole, and the cable inlet on my RV. No voltage at either of them (according to him). None of the cables are hot or get warm inside my RV.
LScamper
Explorer
Apr 15, 2014
With everything not connected measure the voltage from pedestal ground to cable shield connection. There has to be a voltage driving a current in the cable shield. Either a bad ground at the pedestal or on the cable. The park needs to be notified.
SCVJeff
Explorer
Apr 15, 2014
And you didn't see it spark when you screwed either of the cables in? What about the RV end of this cable, it is hot too? If you have the kind of current to smoke coax shield or the crimp connect, that is some serious current
Rvpapa
Explorer
Apr 15, 2014
Connect everything up including shore power, but excluding the final coax connection at the RV. Next take a multimeter set on AC volts and check between the coax shield and the RV connection point. Do this while regular load in the RV is in use. You may be very surprised.
Art.
RoyB
Explorer II
Apr 15, 2014
I was thinking about the 12VDC idea. Perhaps the ANTENNA PANEL BUTTON is pushed for when you are using the OTA BATWING.

When pushed this supplies 12VDC up the coaxial up to the PREAMP inside the BATWING. If left ON when you are using CABLE TV hookup maybe this is supplying 12VDC down that leg as well.

Just a thought...
Roy ken
Jagtech
Explorer
Apr 15, 2014
Sounds like there's a problem with the park cable, must have some leakage from the AC power at the pedestal, and finding its way to ground through your cable.
Alternately, there may be a problem with your TV, putting voltage (12 volts maybe?) on the cable, which in turn is finding a ground outside of your rig, via the cable. I would suggest a bit of investigation with a voltmeter to determine the real problem. Could present a dangerous shock hazard.

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Coaxial TV cable getting hot / Need wiring diagram

27 Replies

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