Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Thor Forums > Thor Community Forums > Thor Owners Community Discussions
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 09-01-2019, 11:54 PM   #1
Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Windsport 29
State: Indiana
Posts: 98
THOR #9245
Satellite install help

2018 Windsport 29M. We've been using a portable dish and one tuner for the outside tv. My fear is that the tuner is really old with rca jack output. Someday it's gonna die. Seriously thinking about a roof mount antenna with a new tuner but want it to display on all three tv's. I really don't want to give Camping World my rig for six months to have them screw it up. Has anyone done it themselves? Tips?

__________________
beeryboats is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-02-2019, 12:43 AM   #2
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Hurricane 31S
State: Texas
Posts: 4,157
THOR #6411
Quote:
Originally Posted by beeryboats View Post
2018 Windsport 29M. We've been using a portable dish and one tuner for the outside tv. My fear is that the tuner is really old with rca jack output. Someday it's gonna die. Seriously thinking about a roof mount antenna with a new tuner but want it to display on all three tv's. I really don't want to give Camping World my rig for six months to have them screw it up. Has anyone done it themselves? Tips?
The Thor MC repair facility will do it for you in Wakarusa, IN.
__________________
Jim & Roy Davis
2016 Hurricane 31S
1961 Rampside in tow
Beau388 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-02-2019, 01:10 AM   #3
Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Windsport 29
State: Indiana
Posts: 98
THOR #9245
Quote:
Originally Posted by Beau388 View Post
The Thor MC repair facility will do it for you in Wakarusa, IN.
Thanks. A couple questions. Have they done that for you? How long did it take? Did you buy components from them?
__________________
beeryboats is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-02-2019, 01:27 AM   #4
Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Windsport 29
State: Indiana
Posts: 98
THOR #9245
Update. Wife says she wants to be able to use mobile antenna into the cable connection on the side of the rv. Then into a sat box and out to all three tv's. Some of the camp sites here in Indiana are full of trees, so it's nice to be able to move the antenna until you get service.
Any ideas?
__________________
beeryboats is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-02-2019, 04:53 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Palazzo 33.2
State: California
Posts: 252
THOR #12839
Lots of "it depends" to your questions.
First, if your outside coax connection is labled "cable" then it probably goes to or through the powered switch plate (for switching between your roof mounted over the air tv antenna and cable) and then through a cheap coax splitter behind the panel the switchplate is mounted, and going to each tv. You cannot send the digital signal from a portable satelite dish through that cable, switch or splitters.
Second, IF the outside coax connection is labeled "Satellite" then it should be a single coax cable making a direct run to your equipment cabinet going to a similarly lable plate connection or loose cable. If so then you can use this for a portable satelite dish, but you will only have a single coax which may only be good enough to feed a single, non-dvr receiver.
As for getting the satellite receiver output to all 3 TVs -
1) IF you have HDMI cables running from each TV to the receiver cabinet, you can get a HDMI splitter or matrix (i.e. 2x4 matrix so you can switch between a DVD player or Sat).
2) or you can get a HDMI Wireless repeater (Best Buy carries a few with HDMI pass through for the main TV and two receivers for each remote TV), if you also have a WiFi system in your RV, some people experience interference issues with the wireless HDMI, which is why I prefer the matrix switch option.
3) if you have RF remotes for your Sat receiver, you will be able to operate the receiver (change channels) from the remote TVS but if not you will need to make sure that the HDMI matrix or the Wireless HDMI repeaters you buy have an IR repeater/extender capability, otherwise you will have to be withing line of site of the receivers (or any other source like a DVD).
Hopefully this helps and isnt just TMI...
__________________
2018 Palazzo 33.2
HaRVey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-02-2019, 07:13 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Hurricane 31S
State: Texas
Posts: 4,157
THOR #6411
Quote:
Originally Posted by beeryboats View Post
Thanks. A couple questions. Have they done that for you? How long did it take? Did you buy components from them?
No, I have been setting up my own DirecTV sat antenna since 1999. I use a portable Slimline 2 with a 3D2RBLNB on a Winegard adjustable tripod, with a genie 2 (HS-17) and two clients (C-61K, C-41W) . Roof mounts are to confining for most campgrounds in the east. 200 ft of RG-6 coax lets me move the antenna out from under the trees.

Thor not only does coach repairs but can handle most modifications. They were charging labor at $130 per hour last year. They usually have the Winegard Trav'ler antenna in stock, as they are used extensively at Plant 850 coaches (next door).
__________________
Jim & Roy Davis
2016 Hurricane 31S
1961 Rampside in tow
Beau388 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-02-2019, 07:28 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Hurricane 31S
State: Texas
Posts: 4,157
THOR #6411
Quote:
Originally Posted by beeryboats View Post
Update. Wife says she wants to be able to use mobile antenna into the cable connection on the side of the rv. Then into a sat box and out to all three tv's. Some of the camp sites here in Indiana are full of trees, so it's nice to be able to move the antenna until you get service.
Any ideas?
Since DirecTV has limited options for the Ku satellite spectrum, I would recommend you try the Dish carry out system since Dish only operates in the Ku spectrum. While you can get some advice here, I would you contact Solid Signal <https://www.solidsignal.com/> for what you need and how to wire it. Generally Plant 750 coaches have a splitter in the coax near the terrestrial antenna power switch. This splitter must be removed or replaced with a sat antenna splitter. Other than that it is a straight install.
__________________
Jim & Roy Davis
2016 Hurricane 31S
1961 Rampside in tow
Beau388 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-05-2019, 11:21 PM   #8
Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Windsport 29
State: Indiana
Posts: 98
THOR #9245
Quote:
Originally Posted by HaRVey View Post
Lots of "it depends" to your questions.
First, if your outside coax connection is labled "cable" then it probably goes to or through the powered switch plate (for switching between your roof mounted over the air tv antenna and cable) and then through a cheap coax splitter behind the panel the switchplate is mounted, and going to each tv. You cannot send the digital signal from a portable satelite dish through that cable, switch or splitters.
Second, IF the outside coax connection is labeled "Satellite" then it should be a single coax cable making a direct run to your equipment cabinet going to a similarly lable plate connection or loose cable. If so then you can use this for a portable satelite dish, but you will only have a single coax which may only be good enough to feed a single, non-dvr receiver.
As for getting the satellite receiver output to all 3 TVs -
1) IF you have HDMI cables running from each TV to the receiver cabinet, you can get a HDMI splitter or matrix (i.e. 2x4 matrix so you can switch between a DVD player or Sat).
2) or you can get a HDMI Wireless repeater (Best Buy carries a few with HDMI pass through for the main TV and two receivers for each remote TV), if you also have a WiFi system in your RV, some people experience interference issues with the wireless HDMI, which is why I prefer the matrix switch option.
3) if you have RF remotes for your Sat receiver, you will be able to operate the receiver (change channels) from the remote TVS but if not you will need to make sure that the HDMI matrix or the Wireless HDMI repeaters you buy have an IR repeater/extender capability, otherwise you will have to be withing line of site of the receivers (or any other source like a DVD).
Hopefully this helps and isnt just TMI...
Well. You just shot my idea to hell. I noticed the blue ray goes to a hdmi splitter that still has room for another Input, then out to all three tv's. My new plan was to disconnect the coaxial cable from the tv in the dinette and use that to feed the satellite tuner then tap into the extra hdmi splitter input. We rarely use antenna anyway, nothing to watch. Is it the cable quality in the rv the issue? Because what I'm using between the dish and tuner is pretty cheap stuff. Lol.
I wonder how hard it would be to run a coax up the wall from the forward compartment to the cabinet above the dinette? Then I could bypass the cable in jack with a good cable bypassing the splitter and antenna switch.
__________________
beeryboats is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-06-2019, 02:17 AM   #9
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: Palazzo 33.2
State: California
Posts: 252
THOR #12839
Beeryboats, I didn't mean to rain on you parade! The main issue with the "Camp Cable" coax is not the cable (except for the cheap crimped connectors) but that it goes through both a switch (OTA antenna amplifier when ON, and Camp Cable when OFF), and then through a low quality/low frequency coac splitter. (Satellite specific cable runs only differ in that they go direct without going through lossy switches or splitters)
If you don't need the OTA antenna you can remove the wall switch and disconnect the Camp Cable input from the switch and the switch output going to the cheap splitter. Then either join the Camp Cable directly to TV cable (with a barrel connector, with Blue insulation if you can find one, but not critical) where you want to mount the Dish receiver or replace the cheap splitter with I high quality (for digital signals) and rated for 500 MHz - 2 GHz (or higher), then you can reconnect both TV cables in case you ever want to move the Dish receiver to a different location.
I know this sounds very complicated via text and there are a lot of options with all the latest wireless HDMI and matrix choices, but if you want to PM me and we can talk on the phone. I'd be happy to help!
__________________
2018 Palazzo 33.2
HaRVey is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Thor Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.




All times are GMT. The time now is 01:53 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2