We recently bought a Dish Wally receiver and Playmaker antenna for our RV. Last week was our first chance to use it. Since we previously had Direct TV in the RV, we knew our connections worked. We set up the Wally and attempted to activate it, acquire a signal, etc. No bueno. After several lengthy calls with Dish, we determined that we need a software upgrade. However we couldn't get the receiver to download the upgrade. Finally our neighbor hooked up his older model Playmaker to our Wally and we were able to download the update and watch TV. Our new Playmaker worked with his 211Z receiver although it cut out a couple of times. In both cases the Playmakers were attached through the satellite port on the RV. We switched back to our Playmaker. The only way we could get TV was to hook directly from the Playmaker to the Wally receiver.Since our Direct TV was SD and the Wally is HD, I am wondering if different connections are required. But why would we be able to get TV with our friend's older Playmaker and not our new one? Any ideas on how to track this down?

The cable in the rv is the wrong cable for HD is the problem

Can you read a voltmeter? Auto seek dishes get DC power from the sat box. Not every box puts out the same voltage. That’s why shorter better cables can work better. Less voltage drop and better connectors. Measure the DC voltage at the end of the cable. Org sat boxes. Compare. I have a Winegard Pathway with a 211Z. I bought the heavy duty cable from Home Depot and go 100’ on occasion. I used to have problems until I got the better cable.

newman fulltimer wrote:The cable in the rv is the wrong cable for HD is the problemThis answer is wrong. ALL coax will handle HD.

jrs1871 wrote:We recently bought a Dish Wally receiver and Playmaker antenna for our RV. Last week was our first chance to use it. Since we previously had Direct TV in the RV, we knew our connections worked. We set up the Wally and attempted to activate it, acquire a signal, etc. No bueno. After several lengthy calls with Dish, we determined that we need a software upgrade. However we couldn't get the receiver to download the upgrade. Finally our neighbor hooked up his older model Playmaker to our Wally and we were able to download the update and watch TV. Our new Playmaker worked with his 211Z receiver although it cut out a couple of times. In both cases the Playmakers were attached through the satellite port on the RV. We switched back to our Playmaker. The only way we could get TV was to hook directly from the Playmaker to the Wally receiver.Since our Direct TV was SD and the Wally is HD, I am wondering if different connections are required. But why would we be able to get TV with our friend's older Playmaker and not our new one? Any ideas on how to track this down?Dish screwed up the software to the Wally receiver so that might be part of the problem. I think ver. 802 is current and 801 is the bad software.You mention Playmaker. Are both of these actually brand named Playmaker or are they similar domes by different manufacturers? The latest Winegard portable domes do not work well with coax runs over 50 feet. If the coax from the dome to the satellite port on the dome PLUS the distance from that input to the receiver is anywhere close to 50 feet you might have a problem. You could also have a loose connection inside or outside of either the input our output plates where you connect the dome and/or the receiver.

We did get the 802 software downloaded so that shouldn't be the problem. Both domes were Winegard Playmakers; the only difference was about three years in age. In order to get to a clearing, we had to use the 50 foot cable. Maybe that is why we could get it to work wired direct. We were using standard RG 6U 75 ohm coax. Would different coax work better? Or maybe we need to get a 40 foot coax to get around the 50 foot overall length problem.

Puzzling problem with Dish | Good Sam Community

larry_barnhart
Explorer
Jun 30, 2019
We also had problems with a new tailgater and a walley receiver. Headed for Az from WA st and it was working great. Later i Casa Grande it needed to be programed and check switch every day. That sucked all winter so after calling dish and a dish outdoor tech the answer was I was on the wrong side of the road. Cable and postion on the rv were correct for their instuctions. I asked both dish ladies do you know what an rv is. The tailgater is sitting in my garage. Dish downloaded the software fix to late for me. chevman PS $2200.00 fix the problem
Range_Maggot_Bo
Explorer
Jun 28, 2019
jrs1871- I had ALL of your problems and more. Did everything the techs at DISH and Winegard told me. No help. They gave up and wouldn't take my calls anymore. DISH blamed Wingard and vice versa. Sooooooo- a buddy of mine found this cable for me, and it works everywhere I go. And it's 100' long with no line loss. I measured the voltage. I'm pretty sure this will fix your issues. It worked wonderfully for us! It's at Ebay.com

TRI-SHIELD RG11 DIRECT BURIAL UNDERGROUND COAXIAL CABLE PPC BELDEN WEATHER BOOT"
Edd505
Explorer
Jun 22, 2019
My Dish & Wally specifically says RG8 cable. I have found lots of RG6 but still looking for RG8 as I have the same issue. Works fine direct and maybe going trough the factory wiring. I use on of these to bring it trough a window. https://www.amazon.com/Valley-Enterprises%C2%AE-Cable-Doors-Windows/dp/B001WAPIRW
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Jun 21, 2019
Except when he states that it worked previously. This is very helpful information.
BillyBob_Jim
Explorer
Jun 21, 2019
Bill.Satellite wrote:

I also believe the poster mentioned the setup had worked previously and is using a "Satellite In" connection designed for the use of satellite TV and not a "Cable" connection that would run through a splitter or power supply.

Just because these RV manufacturers claim satellite ready and provide connections marked satellite does not mean a hell of a lot in a lot of cases. They usually can not get speaker wiring correct either. I have had to rewire rigs we have owned, and have done quite a few for others , where the so called factory wiring marked satellite was just simply wrong for one reason or another. I've seen them put splitters on satellite connections which would of been fine, if they would have used a power pass splitter instead of the generic junk they found for 10 cents.

Even if they get it right chances are the F connectors are boogered up and/or are the cheapest junk they could obtain.
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Jun 21, 2019
wa8yxm wrote:
Bill.Satellite wrote:
newman fulltimer wrote:
The cable in the rv is the wrong cable for HD is the problem

I do not usually disagree with Bill and in many cases this is not important (in short he is effectively right) but. You can skip to part 2 of this reply if you like.

This answer is wrong. ALL coax will handle HD.

True and not so true.. There are many different cables. There are several differences betewen cables but I use RG-8/58/8X a lot this is a 50-52 ohm cable used for TRANSMITTERS.. And I also use RG 6 a lot (72ohm TV/Sat cable) and some RG-59 (Also 72ohm but higher loss)

The three main differences are
Size (Diamater)
Loss at frequency
and Impedance (50/52 70/72(

RG 59 can be very lossy at Sat frequencies 50 feet of RG-59 can easily have as much loss as 200 Feet of RG 6 or more and 300 feet of RG-11

So not all coax is the same. Oh 3 feet of it won't matter much but when we run from the front down the pillar and all the way to the rear we may well have 50 or more feet of cable.

That said Part 2:

The Park cable in the RV runs to a box of electronics (The wall plate that selects ant or cable) there it ends a 2nd cable runs from there to the TV and to the roof and a 3rd to the roof top antenna BUT to use the already in place cable for sat tv you got to DISCONNECT it from that switch plate and extend it to the sat box.

The box prevents power from getting to the sat antenna. it's a powered antenna. The antenna is also a "Smart" antenna (2 or more antennas in one) and the box prevents the signals that tell it what antenna is desired. So it's the switch box that can be the problem.

I never said all coax were the same. The post I quoted said the coax in the RV was SD and would not get HD. That is wrong.
I also believe the poster mentioned the setup had worked previously and is using a "Satellite In" connection designed for the use of satellite TV and not a "Cable" connection that would run through a splitter or power supply.
Bill_Satellite
Explorer II
Jun 21, 2019
wa8yxm wrote:
Bill.Satellite wrote:
newman fulltimer wrote:
The cable in the rv is the wrong cable for HD is the problem

I do not usually disagree with Bill and in many cases this is not important (in short he is effectively right) but. You can skip to part 2 of this reply if you like.

This answer is wrong. ALL coax will handle HD.

True and not so true.. There are many different cables. There are several differences betewen cables but I use RG-8/58/8X a lot this is a 50-52 ohm cable used for TRANSMITTERS.. And I also use RG 6 a lot (72ohm TV/Sat cable) and some RG-59 (Also 72ohm but higher loss)

The three main differences are
Size (Diamater)
Loss at frequency
and Impedance (50/52 70/72(

RG 59 can be very lossy at Sat frequencies 50 feet of RG-59 can easily have as much loss as 200 Feet of RG 6 or more and 300 feet of RG-11

So not all coax is the same. Oh 3 feet of it won't matter much but when we run from the front down the pillar and all the way to the rear we may well have 50 or more feet of cable.

That said Part 2:

The Park cable in the RV runs to a box of electronics (The wall plate that selects ant or cable) there it ends a 2nd cable runs from there to the TV and to the roof and a 3rd to the roof top antenna BUT to use the already in place cable for sat tv you got to DISCONNECT it from that switch plate and extend it to the sat box.

The box prevents power from getting to the sat antenna. it's a powered antenna. The antenna is also a "Smart" antenna (2 or more antennas in one) and the box prevents the signals that tell it what antenna is desired. So it's the switch box that can be the problem.

I never said all coax were the same. I said all coax would do HD. If the signal will pass you would get SD or HD.
I also believe the poster mentioned the setup had worked previously and is using a "Satellite In" connection designed for the use of satellite TV and not a "Cable" connection that would run through a splitter or power supply.
jrs1871
Explorer
Jun 21, 2019
Since we can get signal when we run direct to the receiver, I am inclined to believe that there is a splitter in the RV that is the culprit. That was my initial thought and most of the comments have affirmed that. So I will put the tester on the internal coax and connectors and see what I can find out.
Rover_Bill
Explorer II
Jun 21, 2019
AllegroD wrote:
One way to test this is to use the OP RG6 direct to Wally. Bypass the RV coax.

X2. The RV coax cabling may have a splitter that doesn't pass the voltage to the dish. BTW, I have successfully used 100' coax attached to my RV coax with my Wally and watched movies in HD.
AllegroD
Nomad
Jun 20, 2019
One way to test this is to use the OP RG6 direct to Wally. Bypass the RV coax.

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