Forum Discussion

Bob_E_'s avatar
Bob_E_
Explorer
Sep 08, 2017

Satellite/Cable Hookup

My dad's camper (Jayco Eagle TT) has both a "cable" and a "satellite" hookup on the outside of the camper. What's the difference? I can't figure out why you would need both??
  • The cable hookup goes to the same circuit as the antenna and is switched back and forth with the little amplifier button on the plate that is usually diabolically hidden somewhere in the camper. Satellite input goes to another hidden spot where they expect you to install a satellite receiver although most people seem to have problems if the dish-to-receiver run is not a direct, no extra connections cable run.
  • you wouldn't need both at the same time but you could use one at a time depending upon where you are. For Example parked in the trees where you can't get sat reception but you decide to hook up to the campground cable.
  • You hook up the satellite system and scroll thru the 400 channels, next hook up the cable and scroll thru the 40 channels, then you crank up the antenna and scroll thru the 4 channels. Finally, finding nothing worthwhile, you turn off everything and go for a hike. :)
  • I've seen rigs with as many as 4 exterior coax inputs, many only have a single exterior coax input which is what we have on our TT. Although there is a sticker directly above our exterior coax input that states satellite ready, lo and behold when we connected our satellite dish to it our sat receiver said no signal found. The reason was a splitter in the loop that doesn't allow sat signal to pass while cable tv signal continues unhindered to the interior coax output. Not a big deal as we performed a quick 10 minute mod that allows us to use our sat dish without issue though our single exterior coax input. The second exterior coax input which is dedicated to satellite tv runs directly to the interior coax output where sat receiver is connected without loss of signal.
  • Lynnmor wrote:
    You hook up the satellite system and scroll thru the 400 channels, next hook up the cable and scroll thru the 40 channels, then you crank up the antenna and scroll thru the 4 channels. Finally, finding nothing worthwhile, you turn off everything and go for a hike. :)


    This is the answer.
  • Most "satellite" hookups are direct runs without cheap splitters in the line. Satellite works best with a direct run to the receiver. The cable hookup can be split to a bedroom or outside without a problem.
  • Thanks for the responses. The reason I was asking is that I am re-constructing a camper from the frame up and didn't know whether I would need both like dad's camper has it, or if I could just have one outside jack and a cable run to the back of the television/satellite receiver box.
  • Lynnmor wrote:
    You hook up the satellite system and scroll thru the 400 channels, next hook up the cable and scroll thru the 40 channels, then you crank up the antenna and scroll thru the 4 channels. Finally, finding nothing worthwhile, you turn off everything and go for a hike. :)


    LOL!! You are probably right. HAHAHA!!!
  • If you are doing that kind of work then you absolutely want to have 2 separate dedicated lines for cable and satellite TV. They should both be RG6 coax. The cable line should go to a wall plate with a tiny button or switch which is the power supply for the OTA TV antenna and will distribute that throughout the TV's in the coach. When you turn off that little button/switch then the cable signal would be distributed the same way.
    The satellite coax will be run directly to where you will have the 1 satellite receiver. If you want to watch 2 different channels on 2 different TV's at the same time you will need 2 separate receivers and the wiring is just a tad different. Let me know if you want to add that to your plans.

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