Satellite hook-up questions 2006 3400RL - Montana Owners Club

Dean A Van Peursem · 07-10-2006, 08:04 PM

I purchased a Winegard TR-3500 Satellite stand which allows adjusting the leg lentghs for leveling and has anchors for stability in windy conditions. However, the pipe size dodn't fit my suplus single LNB Sony dish. So I adapted and used a smaller pipe inside the TR-5000 to fit the dish mounting bracket. Set up the dish twice in two different locations and was able to get nearly full signal both times using nothing more than the included compass and bubble level. I was a bit surprised as to how easy it was.

However, the internal 3400RL connections have me a bit puzzled. In the cupboard above the TV where the DVD/amplifier/speaker driver is there are two connections jumpered together with a short cable and then another connection below the other two. In between there is a lable on the wall with "Cabel/Satellite". W/o any useful help from the owners manual I removed the short jumper cable and connect a short cable from the lower point to the input to the Satellite receiver. Then I disconnected the DVD/amplifier video output and conected it to the satellite receiver video output to get TV signal. That allowed me to observe signal strength and get video at the TV immediately. But did not have sound.

Then I connected the L & R channels sound output from the Satellite receiver to the DVD/Amplifier aux channel inputs and was able to get sound as well. But then I ran into a problem. I was unable to find a video input for the Aux 1 channel. Sound only. So in order to play DVD video vs Satellite I have to manually move the video cable to the TV from either the Satellite receiver output or to the DVD/amplifier video output. Kind of inconvenient.

After reading all the manuals it appears that one could hook up the S-Video output of the Satellite to the S-Video input of the TV which will overide the normal video input from the DVD/amplifier when in use. But that requires sliding out the 27" TV to connect the S-Video cable to the TV. When I read previous posts on this forum what it takes to slide out the TV I decided that it was too big a job while out on the road.

Am I missing something or is this the best solution?

OntMont · 07-11-2006, 02:27 AM

That is pretty much what I did, but I did it without removing the TV, I used a small mirror to see behind the TV. Not exactly easy, but can be done.

Regarding the short jumper in the upper cabinet - I believe that it is used to send the signal to the bedroom TV (but we don't have a bedroom TV, so I am not certain about that).

Parrothead · 07-11-2006, 06:09 AM

Dean
Do a search on this subject. Several of us have posted connections. I have them all written down but that info is in the 5th wheel and it is parked in front ready to take off and I can't open the slides because it is not level. The info is in the desk drawer. I don't hae to switch cable to use satellite and DVD so you are missing something.
Happy trails.....................

sreigle · 07-13-2006, 06:57 PM

Dean, I got this diagram directly from Keystone --

You can rightclick on this picture and save it if you want.

Dean A Van Peursem · 07-13-2006, 07:15 PM

I appreciate the diagram but it doesn't make sense to me. There is something in the diagram that isn't complete or something. If you fully understand it I would appreciate knowing how you would connect the Quest 3000 so that I can get both DVD video and Satellite video w/o changing cables around to do so. Thanks.

Kathi · 07-14-2006, 02:27 AM

I don't know if I even know what I am talking about, but Paul said A/B switch? What ever that is!!!!! LOL. I don't know if he even knows what he is talking about?

Montana_1240 · 07-14-2006, 02:43 AM

Kathi,

An “A/B Switch” is a switch box, (often generically labeled “A/B,”) that allows you to switch between two inputs…An “A” input, and a “B” input. (Yes, there are “A/B/C,” “A/B/C/D,” and so on switches, too.)

What would happen in this situation would be that at the point where the outside cable comes into the side of the Monty, one side would be “A” on a switch, and could go directly to the TV’s input for when you want to use the campground cable. Then, if you plug your dish into that outside connector, the “B” side of the switch would be routed to your satellite receiver.

There are many ways to use the switches. I have one, for now, to switch between watching cable/antenna, and my DirecTV. (I’ve put separate connections on the side of my Monty for cable and satellite, so both can be hooked up at all times, and I can use the switch to route each to my equipment, depending on what I want to view.)

Hope that helps!

Steve

Parrothead · 07-14-2006, 06:54 AM

I just bought an A/B switch at Target for $6 - made by GE. It was in the section where the cable and splitters are. Looks like a splitter except has the switch. I got tired of switching cables around up there in that maze. We will install it while we are in Flagstaff. I'm hoping one is enough because there are three possible configurations - CG cable, DirecTV and antenna - right?
Happy trails........................

Montana_1240 · 07-14-2006, 08:36 AM

ParrotHead,

The way I have mine wired, one A/B switch is sufficient.

But that’s mainly because I have the original wiring intact, (allowing me to select cable or antenna the way any standard Monty user would,) and only need to switch the thing when I want my TV and VCR hooked to either cable or antenna, depending on whether there is any cable where I am, or in case there’s not, if I’m using the antenna.

With my segregated satellite wiring going directly to the satellite receiver, (I have only the one in the main entertainment center,) I actually switch from that receiver’s output, to the Monty’s cable/antenna wire. All the while the satellite receiver, (a TiVo,) can be hooked up and recording satellite channels. `

My bedroom TV is relegated to either cable or antenna, with no connection to the satellite receiver. (For now, anyway.)

I think you mentioned using the Monty’s cabling to connect two receivers? If so, then each one would need a switch, to pass through cable, when you aren’t using the satellite receivers.

And those switches sure do eliminate a lot of cable contortions. Not to mention the fact that all that twisting on and off isn’t all that good for the cable’s connectors, which may, after time, come loose.

Steve

Dean A Van Peursem · 07-14-2006, 09:31 AM

I may not have made myquestion clear. I am hooking the satellite in on the 3400RL cable input. I habve removed the coax jumper and receiving the signal on the lower connector and feeding that to the satellite receiver. Then I have to remove the cable that feeds the video to the TV from the Quest 3000 and hook it to the video output of the satellite receiver to get satellite video on the TV. To obtain DVD video I have to switch the cable back to the Quest 3000. I have connected the two audio channels of the satellite receiver to the Quest 3000 aux 1 channel and then switch to aux 1 xchannel and i get full surround sound on the Satellite as well.

But Is there a way to get the Salelite receiver video to the two TV's w/o having to connect the video cable to the TV from Quest 3000 to the satelite receiver?

I hope this is making sense.

Parrothead · 07-14-2006, 10:17 AM

Steve
We have the second receiver in the bedroom and run cable into there through the window via a flat cable from CW. We leave the flat cable piece in place and it hasn't fallen out. Our dish has 4 receiver capabilities as well as HD if we ever get one.
Dean
I'm not sure I understand your question but when we have the DirecTV hooked up we don't hook it to the DVD (we have a Sony). It is always hooked up to the TV.
We may have a different set up because we have (came that way) a splitter in this whole mess. From what I've read not all come that way.
Happy trails......................

sreigle · 07-14-2006, 10:33 AM

We don't have the quest nor satellite so read with that in mind. My understanding is you remove the jumper to use satellite and reinstall it to use cable. I would think you could wire an a/b switch in the middle of the jumper with one side (A) completing the circuit for cable use and the other (B) wired to nothing when you want to use the satellite.

Montana_1240 · 07-14-2006, 12:37 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Dean A Van Peursem

I may not have made my question clear. I am hooking the satellite in on the 3400RL cable input. I have removed the coax jumper and receiving the signal on the lower connector and feeding that to the satellite receiver. Then I have to remove the cable that feeds the video to the TV from the Quest 3000 and hook it to the video output of the satellite receiver to get satellite video on the TV. To obtain DVD video I have to switch the cable back to the Quest 3000. I have connected the two audio channels of the satellite receiver to the Quest 3000 aux 1 channel and then switch to aux 1 xchannel and I get full surround sound on the Satellite as well.

But Is there a way to get the Satellite receiver video to the two TV's w/o having to connect the video cable to the TV from Quest 3000 to the satellite receiver?

I hope this is making sense.

Dean,

Sorry I went off on a tangent.

I get what you’re trying to do. But, pretty much like ParrotHead said, it’s not necessary, (and probably not even preferred,) to run the DVD’s video into the same TV input your receiver’s running into. In fact, when I got my two Montanas, the TV had cable plugged into the standard cable F-Connector, and the DVD was plugged in with the Video Cable on A/V1 of the TV. (I added my VCR to A/V2, and had a splitter on the cable input so I could record while I watched, pretty much just like at home.)

So, if your receiver has a standard F-Connector you can use, hang an A/B switch at that point, (like I’ve done on mine,) so you can switch between the receiver’s signal, and cable, if you connect it instead of the satellite. (Like maybe for a short stay where you can’t acquire a clean satellite signal, but the site has cable.)

Or, you might just hang your receiver’s video output onto A/V2 of the TV.

You can still use the Quest for audio, even if you watch it through an F-Connector or A/V-1, or –2, since it’ll still be connected through your receiver. (Though these TVs often have audio out, as well. That’s what I’m using through my Sony Home Theater System.)

As for watching the receiver’s output on both TVs? You’d have to use the other side of that panel you removed the short jumper from, and take the F-Connector output of your receiver and put it on there. It goes to the rest of the RV. (Make sure you don’t have the amp on in the other room since it won’t be needed.) But also understand that you won’t be able to plug cable into the RV without making sure it has a path to whatever you’ll need it on. (Which is why so many A/B switches and splitters have been sold!

I hope that helps. I can see it in my head. But that is of little help to you….

Steve

Parrothead · 07-14-2006, 02:31 PM

So you guys that are adding all this stuff, did you see my question about what to do with all the wasted space that is in the 3400 and one other (CSR got me) entertainment cabinet. It is driving me nuts. I sit there and look at it and can't decide what to do.
Happy trails............................

Montana_1240 · 07-14-2006, 03:43 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by Parrothead

So you guys that are adding all this stuff, did you see my question about what to do with all the wasted space that is in the 3400 and one other (CSR got me) entertainment cabinet. It is driving me nuts. I sit there and look at it and can't decide what to do.
Happy trails............................

Do just what we've done.

ADD MORE STUFF!

Steve

Parrothead · 07-14-2006, 03:54 PM

I've got all the stuff I need as far as equipment. I want to utilize some of the space for storing DVDs and CDs. I also want to bring the sub-woofer forward instead of being in the back. Our Sony system is a little bigger than the Q was but not much. I was mainly looking for storage suggestions. But if you make them you have to tell me where you got them or if you made something, you have to make me one! LOL Since we are getting ready to full time I'm looking at every nook for more space. I should mention than Ed is a movie nut, spelled addict. We will take a lot of DVDs with us. Then of course I have my full array of Jimmy CDs (everyone he has done) that must go with us. We take our Bose Wave radio with us but I need to find a home for it. BTW at the stick house I play the Direct through the Bose and the sound is great.
Happy trails.......................

Dean A Van Peursem · 07-14-2006, 04:19 PM

Could somebody explain what the two connection points do that the coax jumper connects between? I have figured out that the bottom one of the two picks up my Satelite signal when I connect the Satellite dish to the cable input so that must be a direct connect to the outside cable connector. But what is the other now unused connector for? Does it do nothing but send the cable signal to the rear TV?

The diagram supplied earlier doesn't explain that at all. At least not from what I can gelan from the schematic. I think I were to slide the TV out I could use a S Video cable to do what I want to do. But I'm not willing to go through the removal of the fireplace frame to get to the two screws holding the TV in the cabinent. Well, at least not yet.

At the moment I don't need park input cable TV operation. Just Satelite signal coming in the cable port. The Quest 3000 DVD video output is a RCA jack just like the two sound channels. This same video cable that goes to the TV can plug into my Satelite Receiver video output which then gives me video directly to the TV and sound through the Quest 3000 audio amp and speakers.

If I could figure out the above supplied schematic I suspect there is a way to get video to the TV either through the Quest 3000 output or directly from the cable wiring somehow, but I sure can't figure out how to do that from the above schematic.

I'm sorry I'm such a pest about this but I think if the schematic was fully illustrated and showed where all connections went this could be solved easily. I am sure that Montana engineers knew this would come up and there is a solution. Otherwise they would have required a Aux 1 video input on the Quest 3000 so that one could switch from DVD to Cable or Satellite. I really believe there is a simple solution to this if we really knew how all the wiring was done inside the RV.

Montana_1240 · 07-14-2006, 04:41 PM

Parrothead,

You can move the subwoofer to behind the fireplace. Plenty of unused room down there. (Might make you mad at the waste of space, actually!)

As far as the storage of DVDs, and other things? I’d try looking into buying a piece of chipboard, plywood, or even a piece of oak to build a shelf above your equipment. And then buy some slide-out tray type shelves to stash things in above your stuff.

~~~~~~~~~

Dean,

The one connector does connect directly to the outside cable/satellite connector. The other one that the jumper was connected to goes to the other TV, and the amplifier for the antenna. The third connector, usually alone on a plate, comes from that amp, and allows your TV to connect to the antenna, or whatever else the other TV’s got on it, providing you’ve got an input on that lead.

You can verify that by connecting to a cable system, with the jumper in place, with your TV at that point on the third connector. Then, remove the jumper, and see how the TVs go blank.

And it’s not all that hard to remove the fireplace. Pry those wood plugs out and there are screws under them. The whole fascia pulls off easily, and the glass comes off with one screw, leaving two screws on the sides of the fireplace to pull it out. The TV mounting screws are up there, and pretty easy to get out. Very long screws, too! Use a chair to slide the TV out and rest it on while you go over the connectors.

You could also try simply turning the TV in the cabinet. Push it back in a bit to avoid the cabinet's front edge's plastic oak veneer, and maybe you'll have to lift it up a tad.

Either way, be careful not to mar the oak veneer with the base of the TV when you move it.

I’ve had mine out so often!

I suggest that once you have it out, plug a cable into every lead, mark them completely, and run them up to where any additional equipment will be going. Saves going through the removal process in the future.

As for getting a "Video" output to the other TV on the existing cable? I doubt it. The cable in the RV is RJ-6, and not compatible with what a Video signal requires. If you use the RF output on the Quest, (I'm just guessing that the 3000 has the same output the 1000 had,) you can send the signal to the other TV. (On the lower of the double connector panel.) But that'd eliminate using the house wiring for feeding the antenna signal back to the other TV.

Steve

Dean A Van Peursem · 07-14-2006, 08:05 PM

Ok, progress. Then the top coax connector (double outlet)goes to the back bedroom when the jumper is installed so that the back TV gets cable or Satellite signal. I don't know what the amplifier in the rear closet does when the switch is in the off position but when "on" it feeds the amplified signal from the roof antenna to both the rear TV directly and to the front single coax connector. Then the splitter connects to it and feeds the roof antenna TV signal Amplified or not out one splitter coax connection and radio signal out the other splitter coax connection to the Quest 3000.

If this assumption is correct the Cable or Satellite signal isn't connected to that amplifier in the rear ever. Only the roof antenna. OR Maybe in the "off" position it is has a gain of X1 for the cable signal and can be switched to have gain for the roof antenna. ???

A clear drawing incuding what the switch does and how it is connected would really help here. In any case the single coax connection doesn't really help for this requirement and I don't understand how the normal cable connection feeds both the front and rear TV's unless it gets fed to the front like the roof antenna signal is. I just don't follow this wiring yet! Help???

snfexpress · 07-14-2006, 08:48 PM

Dean,

Here is what I did:

1 - Top F-connector on plate that says cable/satellite is direct from outside. This connects to satellite dish or park cable.

2 - Assuming satellite in, I got the Dish 622 which has one satellite input and two TV outputs. You'll understand in a minute.

3 - Satellite in on the receiver.

4 - TV1 (the L/R TV) goes to the grey coax that is on a splitter. Remove grey cord from splitter and hook up to TV1 out.

5 - TV2 out goes to the bottom connection of the cable/satellite plate.

6 - Composite output from satellite receiver (L and R audio) goes to Aux 2 input of Q3000. This way you can have surround sound from satellite receiver. But, they way I hooked up, you can also get audio direct from TV1.

7 - Where the cable/satellite plate is, and the upper coax comes in that I routed to satellite receiver, I later added a splitter so that I had two feeds coming in. One still goes to satellite receiver, satellite in, but the other goes to Ant/Cable in on the reciever. This way, if I can't get satellite reception, like now in Grants Pass because of a huge hill, I can use the remote to switch to TV/Video input so I get cable.

8 - With the 622 from Dish, I also have independent channel control of TV2, in the bedroom. Since the second remote on these receivers is UHF, there was no other wire to run. I just point the remote towards the L/R to change the satellite channel.

9 - I purchased an emitter receiver and transmitter. I installed the 1/2 inch emitter receiver in the side of the frame of the cabinet (drilled a 1/2 inch hole and mounted the brass receiver). I then sticky taped the emitter transmitters on the Q3000 and the satellite receiver so that I can operate each with the cabinet doors closed. Remote 1 is IR. See here: http://www.smarthome.com/8170.html - I bought all.

10 - I made myself a cocktail and enjoyed the new setup.

Hope this helped.

Forgot to mention that you need to use satellite rated (RG6) blue type connectors and cable so that signal will get to receiver properly. You CANNOT use the RG58 connectors.

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