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Old 12-12-2010, 03:46 AM   #1
Wiesehan
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TV reception

When hooked up to park cable at two separate parks, we have poor pictures on our lower channels and a few of the upper ones. At first I thought it was a problem with the parks cable, but when the problem followed me to the next park, I knew it was something in the coach. To add to the mystery, with no change to any thing it cleared up for a while and then went back to snow like reception. I changed the coax from the splitter to the TV, but no change. The TV in the bedroom doesn't seem to be affected with the snow!
Any ideas on what to check next would be greatly appreciated. I currently have a "stock" set up, but was planning on adding some type of switch when using satellite.
Don
 
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Old 12-12-2010, 04:16 AM   #2
CamillaMichael
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Is your antenae booster on??
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Old 12-12-2010, 04:19 AM   #3
bw2
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Check all of the F connectors. There have many instances where the connectors have not been installed on the end of the coax cables properly. Also, check and make sure the connectors are screwed on tight.
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Old 12-12-2010, 04:35 AM   #4
H. John Kohl
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Wiesehan

When hooked up to park cable at two separate parks, we have poor pictures on our lower channels and a few of the upper ones. At first I thought it was a problem with the parks cable, but when the problem followed me to the next park, I knew it was something in the coach. To add to the mystery, with no change to any thing it cleared up for a while and then went back to snow like reception. I changed the coax from the splitter to the TV, but no change. The TV in the bedroom doesn't seem to be affected with the snow!
Any ideas on what to check next would be greatly appreciated. I currently have a "stock" set up, but was planning on adding some type of switch when using satellite.
Don
Definately agree with bw2. Check every coax connector.
In the bedroom gain access to the amplifier power box. Check each coax connector. With living room TV on wiggle and see if it makes the difference. It would be worth swapping out all those cheap connectors but that is about $100. for the connectors and installation tools.
Pull the white panel behind the TV and check the connectors there. Then if your entertainment center is on a slide go outside and look under the slide for the "cable splice" for the wires into the slide and check those coax connections.
Good luck and let us know what you find.
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Old 12-12-2010, 06:11 AM   #5
SlickWillie
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The worst connection I have found was the cable entrance on the outside. I pulled the plate and was astonished to find they had used one of those twist on coaxial connectors. At least all the others were the crimp connectors. All have now been replaced with the compression type connectors.
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Old 12-12-2010, 10:02 AM   #6
Wiesehan
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I don't have booster on and I have checked connections for being tight. I have not however pulled the plate where coax comes into coach. I will try that and will also try a new splitter just in case that one is defective. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Don
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Old 12-12-2010, 11:50 AM   #7
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I checked all the connections behind the wall plates and they are all tight and seem to be quality coax. My TV is in a slide, but didn't find any coax or splices under the slide. Perhaps i'm not looking in the right place. Still need to get a different splitter to try and will try to find a Radio Shack tomorrow and give that a try, but we are moving and not sure if we will have internet for a couple of days. I will post again when I can.
Thanks,
Don
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Old 12-12-2010, 12:53 PM   #8
H. John Kohl
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Wiesehan

I don't have booster on and I have checked connections for being tight. I have not however pulled the plate where coax comes into coach. I will try that and will also try a new splitter just in case that one is defective. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Don
The "I don't have booster on" comment concerns me. The booster is normally in the bedroom. It is on a white plate with a black button and green LED. The LED needs to be on for the amplifier(booster) in the Batwing antenna to work.
Normally you will receive little to no TV signal without the Amplifier on.

Reference the coax into the slide. There should be a "cable route" normally on a black flat piece of rubber under the slide that flexes when the slide goes in and out. Look where the cable goes into the main part of the trailer, not the slide.

Maybe someone else with a 3400 can help with better guidance to locate the splice. It has to be there so they can disconnect the wire if the slide has to be pulled out.

Good luck and let us know what you find.
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Old 12-12-2010, 03:08 PM   #9
scductman
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I had to change my coax from the rv to the park connection this summer same problem. the coax was bad looked like maybe the wind had shook it loose at the end not all the way just enough to make the picture snowy. Just something to look at.
bobby
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Old 12-13-2010, 12:09 AM   #10
NCFischers
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The first thing to try would replacing all the connectors with good compression connectors. As John Kohl said, it's a bit of an expense but may solve your problem. One of my employees did this in his home and all his problems (snowy TV, slow computer downloads, etc.) disappeared. Next, take a piece of COAX and bypass the trailer COAX completely. Go from the pedestal directly to your TV. This will check to see if the trailer COAX is good or not. I must have taken some sort of an electromagnetic hit while my rig was hooked to my home satellite. I had to replace my DVR in the trailer, the COAX that runs from my house to the barn where the trailer sits and the COAX in the trailer. Now, all works well.
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Old 12-13-2010, 01:37 AM   #11
nosticks
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I went through something similar. Under the entertainment slide is a wire bundle, and on mine fed from the rear of the coach by the bumper. I opened the bundle which was nothing more than wrapped with black electrical tape. Three coax connectors were there, all loose. But, that still did not solve the problem. The bedroom TV was fine, but the LR was not. It would do fine on Antenna with booster on, but not cable. I bypassed the coach coax by running a cable directly to the park through a window and still only a snowy picture.

Ready for this, the TV does have an analog tuner, that is what the cable delivers, an analog signal. My analog tuner was bad. Air broadcasts are all digital thus the excellent picture reception using the antenna and booster. With digital signals, you either have it or you don't, no snow like in the analog mode. Bottom line, Keystone replaced the TV and problem solved.
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Old 12-13-2010, 05:28 AM   #12
bw2
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Nosticks has a good point. Cable tv providers are making the change to all digital signals from a mix of analog and digital. As more and more HD channels are added to their lineup, the providers need more band-width and as such must convert to digital from analog. Just an FYI for all of us going forward to check for digital signals when setting up for catv
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Old 12-15-2010, 01:24 PM   #13
Wiesehan
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Good information. I purchased a new splitter, but won't have a chance to check it out on cable for a while. We will be using antenna or satellite for a while. When back on cable I will check by running cable direct to park box too.
Thanks for all the assistance.
Don
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