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Old 03-16-2020, 08:30 AM   #1
Sheet
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Tailgater sat tv hookup

Yesterday I installed a dish tailgater. When I was installing I had to run the sat link through the door because my plug in to the cable behind the tv seemed to be dead when I plugged into the sat connection .
So to be clear from the convince center to the carb/ sat plug behind the tv was not working.
Any ideas?
 
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Old 03-16-2020, 08:46 AM   #2
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Very common problem. Would help to know the year model of your Monte.
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Old 03-16-2020, 08:54 AM   #3
Sheet
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2018 Montana 3120RL. Sorry about that I should have known better.
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Old 03-16-2020, 09:01 AM   #4
BB_TX
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Splitters is the typical problem. I can't help with the newer model. But someone will come along who has fought and solved the problem.

Mine is an older model and I ran a new dedicated coax for my sat hookup.
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Old 03-16-2020, 09:06 AM   #5
Sheet
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Thank you, I may have to go that route but hope I can come by a different solution without rewire.
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Old 03-16-2020, 09:35 AM   #6
DoctorO21
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I have a 2020 3120 RL. You you need to bypass the KeyTV system for satellite TV. I installed a coax plug in the slide adjacent to the fireplace. Then ran a coax cable from this new jack to the satellite box, in my case a Wally. That way I am now bypassing the KeyTV system for satellite and running a direct feed from the dish to this new plug, to the Wally, to the TV. Works perfect.
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Old 03-16-2020, 09:39 AM   #7
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The most common thing overlooked when getting a tailgater type dish is that they require the power to turn the dish to come from the receiver and the more modern receivers don't put out all that much. We went with a winegard g2+ and didn't have any issues once I took the splitter out because it supplies it's own power.
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Old 03-16-2020, 09:56 AM   #8
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You should have 2 sat connections in your convenience center, make sure you're hooked in to the one that goes to the tv you're wanting to use.
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Old 03-16-2020, 10:11 AM   #9
lightsout
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Originally Posted by Fish View Post
You should have 2 sat connections in your convenience center, make sure you're hooked in to the one that goes to the tv you're wanting to use.
Your must be the exception our 2019 3791 has 1 sat connection in the convenience center. I

With that said there are other consideration, cable quality and length from sat to convenience center connection Winegard and King both say 25' max, i have gotten away with 50' but never 75'.

Keep in mind that if you have 2 TV's you need the Pro series of portable SAT that has two outputs which requires tow RG-6 cables from SAT to RV as well as two separate receivers (SAT box's). Those both have to be on their own runs to each TV.

I just re cabled my RV when I added a 3rd TV in the basement. To demonstrate cable length impact when I added the new run to the BR TVI used a 20' RG6 fem the convenience center to the BR TV the picture was terrible I ended up relocating the Sat Box only 3' from the convenience center (in the ceiling of the basement as the Wally Remotes will work upto 50' and through RV walls). Anyway with only 4' of RG6 I then ran 20' HDMI and not I have a perfect Hi-DEF picture.

The main thing for portable says is the shorter the RG6 runs (including internally in the RV) the better. Try to located your Wally as close to the incoming cable connection as possible as the remote has amazing distance capabilities and there is NO reason for the Wally to be at or even near the TV. So keep RG-6 length short and use HDMI to make up the difference.
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Old 03-16-2020, 10:42 AM   #10
Fish
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Originally Posted by lightsout View Post
Your must be the exception our 2019 3791 has 1 sat connection in the convenience center. I

With that said there are other consideration, cable quality and length from sat to convenience center connection Winegard and King both say 25' max, i have gotten away with 50' but never 75'.

Keep in mind that if you have 2 TV's you need the Pro series of portable SAT that has two outputs which requires tow RG-6 cables from SAT to RV as well as two separate receivers (SAT box's). Those both have to be on their own runs to each TV.

I just re cabled my RV when I added a 3rd TV in the basement. To demonstrate cable length impact when I added the new run to the BR TVI used a 20' RG6 fem the convenience center to the BR TV the picture was terrible I ended up relocating the Sat Box only 3' from the convenience center (in the ceiling of the basement as the Wally Remotes will work upto 50' and through RV walls). Anyway with only 4' of RG6 I then ran 20' HDMI and not I have a perfect Hi-DEF picture.

The main thing for portable says is the shorter the RG6 runs (including internally in the RV) the better. Try to located your Wally as close to the incoming cable connection as possible as the remote has amazing distance capabilities and there is NO reason for the Wally to be at or even near the TV. So keep RG-6 length short and use HDMI to make up the difference.
You probably have key tv. I have an early 2019 and don't have key tv.
OP has a 2018 so I assume he has the same set up I do. sat connection for bedroom, sat connection for living room (and bunk room in my case), and a park cable connection.

On the right wall of the wet bay/convenience center.
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Old 03-16-2020, 10:50 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sheet View Post
Yesterday I installed a dish tailgater. When I was installing I had to run the sat link through the door because my plug in to the cable behind the tv seemed to be dead when I plugged into the sat connection............
You are not the only one with that problem: https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...-up-67310.html

My 2 previous and now new 2020 fifth wheel trailers did/do not allow the dish tailgater and directv portable satellite antennas to be cabled through the trailer sat connection based on my experience and recent discussion with the dealer. Had to run the cable from it through the window in the den where the tv is located directly to the receiver then to the tv. Installed a tv traveler satellite on 2 of the 3 rigs to avoid that, albeit expensive, and paid the satellite provider to have a technician make sure it was set up correctly on all 3 tv's on the trailer. Works great!!
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Old 03-16-2020, 11:04 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fish View Post
You probably have key tv. I have an early 2019 and don't have key tv.
OP has a 2018 so I assume he has the same set up I do. sat connection for bedroom, sat connection for living room (and bunk room in my case), and a park cable connection.

On the right wall of the wet bay/convenience center.
Thanks for the clarification Fish I do have Key TV which is garbage also. Regardless even the earlier ones have too many splitters and RG6 length. If you want great picture from a portable SAT reduce RV cable length and use longer HDMI. Before I started two of my sons friends install LV and Sat cabling. they came over and measured the signal strength of the RV system and it was barely usable for 1 TV let alone 2-3.

The Class A we just sold (2017 Fleetwood Bounder) had 4 TVs one Sat input that ran a short rg6 to one Box then via HDMI splitter to ALL 4 TV's it was a great system although only one Wally so all TV on same channel.

I now have the King Pro with two Sat outputs so after re-cabling the RV we have two wally's for 3 TV with perfect reliable reception from our Portable.
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Old 03-22-2020, 02:25 PM   #13
nanci&tom
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We had the same problem. They only way I could get the TV to work was direct wiring thru the door. My RV service manager told me that Montanas are generally manufactured with a splitter so you can hook up to the exterior port and it will feed all the TV's. Dish will not work with a splitter. So, they installed a new port for the living room TV only that goes directly to the receiver. It was not expensive and it works great. I still use the exterior port for the other TV's but with the antenna or campground cable.
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Old 03-22-2020, 02:39 PM   #14
RoadRunnerTR21
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We have a 2018 3121RL with a Tailgater. I went into the driver side of the pass through storage and took the screws out of the wall so I could access the splitter and back of the convenience center. I disconnected the living room TV coax from the splitter and connected the coax to the Sat 1 connection in the convenience center. That fixed it. I then moved the splitter connections so I could access them without taking the pass through wall off. This will allow me to easily change the living room TV connection from satellite to the antenna. It's been like that for over 2 years now.
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Old 03-22-2020, 04:07 PM   #15
Dreamersandtravelers
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Had a problem with our cable from satallite to RV. Replaced 30' cable with better quality and worked.
While troubleshooting running into RV and connecting directly to Wally was how we found problem with cable.
Still need to run a longer cable at some locales. Any idea what max length is possible? Does it require an amplifier?
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Old 03-22-2020, 04:26 PM   #16
GILAELKHUNTER
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My HC has two sat. connections in the convenience station and I had no idea that they were one for living room and one for bedroom. No where does it say this. Just both marked sat.
First few times using sat. dish we couldn't get it to work so I just ran the coax through the window next to the tv straight to the receiver. Then one time I hooked up to the top sat. connection in convenience station and it worked in living room, and that is where we always put it now. I suppose the lower sat. connection is for the bedroom, will have to try it and see. But we never use the tv in the bedroom anyways.
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Old 03-22-2020, 05:21 PM   #17
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I ran a dedicated cable to my receiver through the slide. Was fairly easy. I had initially removed splitters but that caused me to lose OTA TV. I put the splitters back in and ran a direct wire.
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Old 03-22-2020, 08:10 PM   #18
cgeis48
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KEY TV properly installed and wired is the solution

KEY TV properly installed and wired is the solution. Email Keystone Customer Service for a wiring diagram. Ask them if it can be installed to replace what you have. The factory system (in older models) blocks a weak satellite signal. With a KEY TV system, you will get great reception from a Tailgator.
Alternatively, drill a hole behind the TV and install a cable pass-through connected to the TV.
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Old 03-23-2020, 06:42 AM   #19
Peterize
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Dish Tailgater

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sheet View Post
Yesterday I installed a dish tailgater. When I was installing I had to run the sat link through the door because my plug in to the cable behind the tv seemed to be dead when I plugged into the sat connection .
So to be clear from the convince center to the carb/ sat plug behind the tv was not working.
Any ideas?
I had no luck with this product tried two of them, never got good signal. Will probably go old style with actual dish on a tripod. Had direct tv and had no problems with it when I was living in my 38' trailer.
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Old 03-27-2020, 11:12 PM   #20
MARK A
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Originally Posted by Sheet View Post
Thank you, I may have to go that route but hope I can come by a different solution without rewire.

Don't fight it. Buy a quality coax and abandon and replace. Less time and frustration, trust us. Also the Tailgater doesn't like a lot of coax. Shorter the better.


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