Satalite question

[hanko]

Im sure alot of you fine folks have run into this. I have the winegard dome type satalite reciever which works fine but is sometimes blocked by trees or whatever. Can you plug like say a tailgater type reciever in the connection in the wet bay and have that take over. how does one switch between the roof mounted one and the portable? thanks

[AllegroD]

My Goodness. I did not see that you have a 36LA. My bad. As stated earlier, that is what I have (2013) and the above poster is correct. That site has a lot of good info and people. You will get a lot of specific help to your end result.

You do not need anything special. You need to work through your cable labeling and find the A/B switch that is already installed.

[accsys]

I would suggest you come over to the Tiffin RV Network (TRVN), join the forum and ask your question there. You will receive responses from others that have your type coach and know exactly how to do what you want. In my 2007 there is a tripod input in the electrical bay and it terminates in the entertainment cabinet above the passenger seat. It is simple to install an A/B switch there. Your 2014 is most likely different but the folks on TRVN will know how to help you.

[msmith1199]

Billinwoodland wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:

Dale.Traveling wrote:
The dish antenna must be directly connected to the receiver. If there is anything device between the two such as a RF splitter or AV switch matrix the set up probably will not work. The coax provides two way data. Pointing commands and such from the receiver and the down link TV signal and such from the antenna. You might get lucky with an A/B switch but I was never sucessful.

I was going to say this same thing but then I deleted it because I never actually tried it. I do know that the instructions that come with the Winegard travelor do say the coax has to run straight from the dish to the receiver for the very same reasons you listed here. Sounds like you've tried it and the instructions are correct.

This is different then the satellite wiring in my stick house. I have one HD dish with one coax that goes to a splitter in my attic. The spilitter then sends the signal to my main entertainment room and 4 bedrooms. The signal is crystal clear.

You probably have the whole house receiver system then. My house also now only has one coax that comes from the dish like yours, but prior to the whole-house systems, you had to run a coax from the dish to each receiver. That's why the dishes had 4 to 6 connection points for coax. Now I never tried those old systems any other way, but I trusted the satellite people knew it wouldn't work good.

[Tom_N]

This will allow you to switch between your two sat sources/cables.

[AllegroD]

This is drifting.

Yes. The path must be direct. You cannot put in electronic switches and boosters. You can insert a mechanical A/B switch. The mechanical switch simply opens and closes specified connections. The path is still direct.

This is done everyday and in newer MH is becoming more prevelant for the reasons the OP states. I have and use an A/B switch regularly for about 2 years now, in my Tiffin Allegro 36LA. My wetbay has a Tripod port that is connected with RG6 to the A/B Switch, as is the Wingard RTM, from the A/B switch to the electronics compartment, where my receiver is.

If there is not RG6 from the wetbay, I suggest, to avoid power loss to the Tailgater, to run a new line of RG6 into the RV, to a place where an A/B switch can be installed. The AB switch is not required if the OP wants to manually switch between incoming cables but it is sure convenient to not stick my arms in the back, unscrew and try to rescrew the other coax, when a few bucks will make it a flick of a thumb.

[Billinwoodland]

msmith1199 wrote:

Dale.Traveling wrote:
The dish antenna must be directly connected to the receiver. If there is anything device between the two such as a RF splitter or AV switch matrix the set up probably will not work. The coax provides two way data. Pointing commands and such from the receiver and the down link TV signal and such from the antenna. You might get lucky with an A/B switch but I was never sucessful.

I was going to say this same thing but then I deleted it because I never actually tried it. I do know that the instructions that come with the Winegard travelor do say the coax has to run straight from the dish to the receiver for the very same reasons you listed here. Sounds like you've tried it and the instructions are correct.

This is different then the satellite wiring in my stick house. I have one HD dish with one coax that goes to a splitter in my attic. The spilitter then sends the signal to my main entertainment room and 4 bedrooms. The signal is crystal clear.

[wa8yxm]

hanko wrote:
Im sure alot of you fine folks have run into this. I have the winegard dome type satalite reciever which works fine but is sometimes blocked by trees or whatever. Can you plug like say a tailgater type reciever in the connection in the wet bay and have that take over. how does one switch between the roof mounted one and the portable? thanks

Well it is not that simple.. You may need to re-wire some

Some RV's have both a SAT in and a CABLE in,, in this case the short answer is yes, the longer answer is

Basement cable goes to the "B" input of an A/B switch (B-elow)
Roof cable goes to the A(bove) input of the same switch

Switched terminal connects via short jumper to receiver.

Option 2: If you have only the Cable in, then you need to either find the other end or, better yet (Cable cable tends to be low quality but some rigs do have good RG-6) put in a new RG-6

and use the A/B switch as above

The other end of the cable cable will run either to a wall plate with a switch, light, 12 volt outlet and antenna fitting, OR a box with namy buttons (Matrix switch) or to a Senssar Pro (Wall plate with 2 digital displays 3 buttons and around 5 LED lights)

Unhook and extend to A/B switch, run out to TV back to the switch. Turn switch off.

[damntough]

I was just thinking about this very topic. Actually I came to this site to find a solution. I am currently using a portable dish that can accommodate two receivers. I use a whole house receiver. I need to find a way to get two leads to the receiver. I also need to find an easy way for my wife to switch between the two satellite dishes (potable or roof mounted).

Any ideas?

[msmith1199]

Dale.Traveling wrote:
The dish antenna must be directly connected to the receiver. If there is anything device between the two such as a RF splitter or AV switch matrix the set up probably will not work. The coax provides two way data. Pointing commands and such from the receiver and the down link TV signal and such from the antenna. You might get lucky with an A/B switch but I was never sucessful.

I was going to say this same thing but then I deleted it because I never actually tried it. I do know that the instructions that come with the Winegard travelor do say the coax has to run straight from the dish to the receiver for the very same reasons you listed here. Sounds like you've tried it and the instructions are correct.

[Dale_Traveling]

The dish antenna must be directly connected to the receiver. If there is anything device between the two such as a RF splitter or AV switch matrix the set up probably will not work. The coax provides two way data. Pointing commands and such from the receiver and the down link TV signal and such from the antenna. You might get lucky with an A/B switch but I was never sucessful.

What I do when the roof antenna is blocked (last owner installed) and I need to use the carry out I'll plug into the park cable outlet on the side of the coach but I'll also disconnect the coax for park cable from the AV switch matrix and connect it directly to the satellite receiver in place of the coax from the roof antenna. Actually I've never used park cable since I have a satellite subscription.

[JimM68]

PastorCharlie wrote:
My system has a video switching box that will switch from satellite to antenna to cable to VCR to....

Also there is a separate switch to turn off the satellite

That switch is switching the output of the sat receiver.

The OP needs to switch the input to the sat receiver.

Ours has a little 2 way ground block screwed to the side of the cabinet where the receiver is. The dome and the external dish feeds come into the top, and there is a coax from the receiver input that I can physically attach to one or the other.

Different rigs will be wired different ways

[AllegroD]

OK. As you can see, there are various ways to wire and setup an RV. Therefore there are various answers to your question.

There is not a yes or nno answer to this.

1. Do you havew a "Sat/Tripod" in in the wet bay? If so, where does it terminate? Do you have an AB switch or two dangling cables?
- We have a Tripod (Sat.) in and a roof Sat to an A/B switch. This is all RG6. This allows me to use the roof (Winegard Mission Raod Trip) sat or an external (We have a Tailgater).

2. Can you use the Cable in?
- Maybe. You would need to add an A/B switch inside, before an AV switch, to bypass your cable connection or you can manually move the cable inside. Now that is just the physical connection. The Tailgater also relies on the coax for power, so you can throw it our wherever you want/need. With RG6 and I have heard of some running upto 150' of coax, with successful signal. I have only used 100'. If the coax is not RG6 and this includes coax you would use in the path, inside your RV, you may find signal loss or more likely not enough power to the Tailgater for it to properly run itself.

[PastorCharlie]

My system has a video switching box that will switch from satellite to antenna to cable to VCR to....

Also there is a separate switch to turn off the satellite

[msmith1199]

As already mentioned, the coax comes from the dish and to the Sat box first, and then to your multi-switch. So if you plug your portable dish directly into the external coax hookup you have bypassed the receiver box and won't get a signal. You have to do what msturtz said, or run the coax from the portable dish directly to the receiver box.