TV cable question

[AnArky]

2016 model 3950BR, full timer. Have searched this forum. Looked up diagrams, etc.

Never hooked up 5er to cable nor to satellite as we typically stream. But we will use the antenna sometimes in a new location and scan for channels. Antenna works well particularly with the swineguard wingman added. Bedroom and Living room TVs are new. Both work well with antennas same as original TVs, if not a little better.

Here’s the issue. We happen to be in a park for several weeks with cable TV included. Turned the signal booster off at bedroom cable connection. Then connected the park cable to the CABLE input in the convenience center.

Bedroom TV cable scan results in all 72 park provided channels as expected. Living room TV scan results in 0 channels.

This is perplexing as both TVs work with antenna. I don’t have a coax patch cable as I’ve seen on a few forums and would not be sure where to connect or if it’s even needed.

What do you think? Poor quality splitter? Again they both work with antenna and in theory I think it’s supposed to be the same wall connection as antenna.

[DutchmenSport]

So, you are connecting the campground cable to the "cable input" on the camper and the booster is turned off. You get cable on only 1 of the 2 televisions.

What happens if you plug the campground cable into the over-the-air jack. Usually, this jack is provided to run a line for an outside television. But, it also doubles as an inbound jack that (sometimes) work for campground provided cable.

Have you tried this and see what happens to both televisions. It might work, and it might be a complete failure. But it won't cost anything but a few minutes of time to check it out.

[Carl n Susan]

This is very confusing. The Weingard connector in the bed room has three cables. OTA input, Cable input, and Output to TVs. The Output cable and subsequent splitters are used for both OTA and Cable. To get OTA signal at all the TVs but not Cable is hard to understand.

Below is the TV wiring diagram which should apply to your 2016. The only thing to comes to mind, and I know you know this, is that the Scan on the LR TV was set to OTA and not Cable. Can you run a coax straight from the pole to the LR TV to ensure that TV will find cable channels?




This is a link to a very similar discussion about the same topic that may help.
https://www.montanaowners.com/forums...ad.php?t=71899

..I don’t have a coax patch cable as I’ve seen on a few forums and would not be sure where to connect or if it’s even needed. ..

I am not sure what you are referring to. Pre-2012 wiring had a loop at the wall plate to allow use of a satellite box as you used the cable/OTA wire for satellite input. Is there a jumper box in the closet to take the bedroom signal and send it to the basement TV outlet?

[AnArky]

Thanks for the ideas. Connected CATV from outside through window directly to LR TV. There is no setting for CATV input. After some googling I found you may need to select Find More Channels. That began locating the CATV channels.

Bit of a pain to figure out but it’s all working now.

[ChuckS]

My unit is a 2014 Alpine but I had the exact same issue you had..
.. LR OTA TV pic was fine
.. BR OTA TV pic was fine
.. BR park cable TV channels fine
.. LR park cable TV channels would either not find as many as BR TV would and / or the LR TV set pic when on park cable was grainy

After much troubleshooting my issue was a splitter that provides cable TV signal to both LR and basement TV wall outlets

My problem would also be intermittent .. sometimes LR TV pic when using park’s cable was great and then sometimes it would either not find the channels or they would fade out

Diagram of my 2014 .. note the splitter marked with red arrow .. on my unit it is located behind the stairs climbing up into the BR.. I also had access to it from the basement with the rear access panel removed

I replaced the OEM splitter with a new one rated at higher frequency range ..

No further issues

[JAWs]

My 2016 3791 has a couple of cable input connections behind the TV...if yours does, you might try switching the input.

[Todd727]

Originally Posted by AnArky

Thanks for the ideas. Connected CATV from outside through window directly to LR TV. There is no setting for CATV input. After some googling I found you may need to select Find More Channels. That began locating the CATV channels.

Bit of a pain to figure out but it’s all working now.

So, to be clear and understand what happened:


You now have cable hooked up to cable input outside, the signal booster is off and BOTH televisions have all cable channels? Is it correct to say the trailer was fine and it was just getting the living room TV to search for and add the channels?

[AnArky]

Originally Posted by Todd727

So, to be clear and understand what happened:


You now have cable hooked up to cable input outside, the signal booster is off and BOTH televisions have all cable channels? Is it correct to say the trailer was fine and it was just getting the living room TV to search for and add the channels?

That is correct. The LR TV found the channels when I temporarily ran the cable through the window and connected it directly. Then the channels were still there when I connected the cable back to the trailer cable input and reconnected the LR TV to the proper outlet (as it was before). My guess is a low quality splitter or user error.

I know where the splitters are located now and might change for quality ones, but we are seldom at parks with cable.