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Old 08-16-2014, 04:33 AM   #1
troutbum53
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Need help hooking up satellite to RV

Can anybody give me some directions on hooking the satellite dish and box to our camper? I have hooked the cable to the satellite port and then tried different hook ups in behind the tv and we get nothing. I am sure it is pretty simple but I am tech challenged lol.
 
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Old 08-16-2014, 06:48 AM   #2
RichR
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Should be marked.One will say sat and the other cable.outside is the same,marked sat and cable as well as cable to front.I don't know what else the is.
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Old 08-16-2014, 07:15 AM   #3
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Are you using an HDMI cable from the sat receiver box to the TV?

May be as simple as selecting the correct source in the menu screen.
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Old 08-16-2014, 07:32 AM   #4
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One thing on our rig is that you have to program the TV to receive from the satellite. It's usually in the source part of the menu but both of ours were different, and a pain, and I imagine they are using different TV's in the new ones so my exact directions probably wouldn't be correct. Also be sure your antenna booster is turned off. Ours is in a bedroom closet over our washer others are in different places. I'm told some of the new ones are dark colored. But there will be a little button and a light that's on if the booster is on. If your's is like mine there will also be a 12v plug in as a part of the antenna booster controls.
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Old 08-16-2014, 08:41 AM   #5
troutbum53
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I appreciate your all's input, I am sure we will get it working on this next trip out.
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Old 08-16-2014, 09:18 AM   #6
Carl n Susan
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There are at least two challenges here.

1. Getting the antenna connected to the receiver.
2. Getting the receiver connected to the TV

Not knowing what satellite system you have (Dish or DirecTV), the type of receiver (SD, HD, DVR, SWM or ?) or the connection to the TV (RG6 coax, HDMI, R/G/B, or composite cables) makes it difficult to provide specific instructions.

So lets start with some basics and see how it goes goes.

The first (and easiest) thing to do is connect the satellite receiver to the TV. Connect the receiver using whatever type of cable you use (HDMI, RG6, component, or ??) to the TV, select the appropriate "Source" input on the TV (HDMI, AV1, etc.), turn on the receiver and TV, and you should see the start up messages from the receiver. If there are no messages, select another "Source" input until they appear. You don't need to be connected to the antenna to do any of this.

Now that the receiver is talking to the TV, it is time to connect the receiver to the antenna. Newer (post 2010) Montanas have a dedicated Satellite cable system independent of the OTA/Park Cable system. Here is a link to the wiring diagram for both pre and post 2010. http://www.montanaowners.com/forums/...ad.php?t=37324 There are two satellite cable inputs in the convenience center. One goes to the entertainment center and the other goes to the bedroom. The idea is to run coax from the antenna to the convenience center and connect to the entertainment (aka Living Room??) RF input connections. The advanced class will cover connecting the antenna to the Bedroom RF input and dealing with multiple wires (if required) for a DVR system.

Inside the RV behind the TV somewhere will be a wall plate with two RF connectors in it. They should be labeled "Satellite" or something. One of them is the other end of the "Satellite" RF coax form the convenience center and the other is basically unused. Which is which is a crap-shoot but usually the top one is the one connected. If you have a cable tester, you can determine the correct one easily. Otherwise it takes trial and error to figure it out. Pick one and connect it to the receiver and see if the receiver can communicate with the antenna (since the receiver can display its messages on the TV, you should be able to tell if the receiver has contacted the antenna/satellite).

If it were me, I would run the antenna cable through the window and direct to the receiver, get everything aligned and working, then start connecting the antenna to convenience center --> Wall Plate RF --> Receiver path. Ideally the Old World's Craftsmen wired everything correctly. But we have seen rigs which weren't. Crossed wires, bad connectors and such are not unusual and may require some troubleshooting on your (or the dealer's) part. Fortunately most of the cabling is readily accessible.

The really nice feature of the newer Montanas is the ability to have the satellite, cable, and OTA antennas all hooked up at the same time, and switch from one to the other by using the "Source Input" option on the TV.
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Old 08-16-2014, 11:47 AM   #7
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Carl, you do a great job of explaining it and make it sound so easy. I can't wait until I get Directv on my new I-watch soon.
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Old 08-16-2014, 02:49 PM   #8
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Ive got a question. Ours is a 09 Big Sky. The convenience center has only one cable connection. If I want to go satellite I assume I would connect the dish to the single cable input, pull the jumper and run the cable from there to the receiver?
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Old 08-16-2014, 05:01 PM   #9
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by washley1

Ive got a question. Ours is a 09 Big Sky. The convenience center has only one cable connection. If I want to go satellite I assume I would connect the dish to the single cable input, pull the jumper and run the cable from there to the receiver?
That is correct for your year. You have an either/or situation. Either park cable input or satellite, not both. Remember to turn off the OTA amplifier when using either park cable or satellite.
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Old 08-16-2014, 06:35 PM   #10
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When I went to hook up my Direct TV I hooked up the receiver to the outlet that said satellite
and it did not work. Switched it to the one that said cable and it worked fine. They labeled my unit wrong. Just something to watch out for. Good Luck.

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Old 08-17-2014, 03:26 AM   #11
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Carl what you said is exactly what I would do but couldn't have explained it as well.
By the way, like your ladder. Don't attach it to wrong rung.
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Old 08-17-2014, 06:04 AM   #12
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by washley1

Ive got a question. Ours is a 09 Big Sky. The convenience center has only one cable connection. If I want to go satellite I assume I would connect the dish to the single cable input, pull the jumper and run the cable from there to the receiver?
That is what I did until I added a second external coax connection specifically for satellite.
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Old 08-23-2014, 07:56 PM   #13
troutbum53
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Found our problem they had the coax connection(s) marked wrong behind the TV, easy fix, thank the Lord!
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Old 08-24-2014, 06:06 AM   #14
Bill and Jan
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Why does my direct tv DVR not allow us to record and watch at the same time, which it does in our sticks and brick? I finally hooked the dvr in the bedroom, so I can record and use the living room to watch. Is there something I can do to record and watch at the same time?
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Old 08-24-2014, 06:14 AM   #15
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We can do that with our Directv DVR in the fifthwheel. Recommend you check satellite setup in the menu box, to make sure you are set up for two tuners. If you are set up for only one tuner, that would be a reason you cannot record and watch at the same time.
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Old 08-24-2014, 06:42 PM   #16
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Great instructions , Carl, we are printing and saving them since we go periods of time not on the satellite, and I tend to have senior moments on this stuff.
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Old 08-14-2016, 05:14 AM   #17
Kellyjones
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I am a bit confused with you calling it an "antenna cable"???
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Old 08-14-2016, 05:16 AM   #18
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by carl n susan

There are at least two challenges here.

1. Getting the antenna connected to the receiver.
2. Getting the receiver connected to the TV

Not knowing what satellite system you have (Dish or DirecTV), the type of receiver (SD, HD, DVR, SWM or ?) or the connection to the TV (RG6 coax, HDMI, R/G/B, or composite cables) makes it difficult to provide specific instructions.

So lets start with some basics and see how it goes goes.

The first (and easiest) thing to do is connect the satellite receiver to the TV. Connect the receiver using whatever type of cable you use (HDMI, RG6, component, or ??) to the TV, select the appropriate "Source" input on the TV (HDMI, AV1, etc.), turn on the receiver and TV, and you should see the start up messages from the receiver. If there are no messages, select another "Source" input until they appear. You don't need to be connected to the antenna to do any of this.

Now that the receiver is talking to the TV, it is time to connect the receiver to the antenna. Newer (post 2010) Montanas have a dedicated Satellite cable system independent of the OTA/Park Cable system. Here is a link to the wiring diagram for both pre and post 2010. http://www.montanaowners.com/forums/...ad.php?t=37324 There are two satellite cable inputs in the convenience center. One goes to the entertainment center and the other goes to the bedroom. The idea is to run coax from the antenna to the convenience center and connect to the entertainment (aka Living Room??) RF input connections. The advanced class will cover connecting the antenna to the Bedroom RF input and dealing with multiple wires (if required) for a DVR system.

Inside the RV behind the TV somewhere will be a wall plate with two RF connectors in it. They should be labeled "Satellite" or something. One of them is the other end of the "Satellite" RF coax form the convenience center and the other is basically unused. Which is which is a crap-shoot but usually the top one is the one connected. If you have a cable tester, you can determine the correct one easily. Otherwise it takes trial and error to figure it out. Pick one and connect it to the receiver and see if the receiver can communicate with the antenna (since the receiver can display its messages on the TV, you should be able to tell if the receiver has contacted the antenna/satellite).

If it were me, I would run the antenna cable through the window and direct to the receiver, get everything aligned and working, then start connecting the antenna to convenience center --> Wall Plate RF --> Receiver path. Ideally the Old World's Craftsmen wired everything correctly. But we have seen rigs which weren't. Crossed wires, bad connectors and such are not unusual and may require some troubleshooting on your (or the dealer's) part. Fortunately most of the cabling is readily accessible.

The really nice feature of the newer Montanas is the ability to have the satellite, cable, and OTA antennas all hooked up at the same time, and switch from one to the other by using the "Source Input" option on the TV.




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Old 08-14-2016, 05:16 AM   #19
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Confused by calling it an "antenna cable"???
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Old 08-14-2016, 05:48 AM   #20
Carl n Susan
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Would calling it the "satellite antenna cable" make it any more clear???
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