# Are the New Trailers wired for Satellite?



## arlingtoncamper (Feb 16, 2004)

My 2002 28bhs had a plug in the outside rear for cable or sat hook up. The only problem is that that outside wire runs and meets up with the cable from the rooftop antenna at a splitter that also has an amp on it (green light) on panel. For those of you who don't know you cannot split a sat signal unless you use a high-end splitter designed for the frequency of sat.

If you take the cable panel off you will see the backside had 2 cables coming into the splitter, one from the roof and one from the outside jack. I took the cable that goes to the outside jack off the splitter and drilled the small hole and pulled through the cable and now I can hook it right into the back of my sat. or cable if that is what is hooked up to the outside jack.

I continue to hook it up the same way for the roof top antenna.


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

Thanks for the great info Joe! I was unsure about this and thought you needed some higher quality cable to connect to a Sat. Sounds good!


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## KellerJames (Jan 19, 2004)

Joe,
Fisrt of all,, I'm NOT savvy to these matters so don't laugh too hard at this post. I couldn't get the outside jack to work. I spoke with someone at radio shack about it. I was told that the coax had to be RG6 in order to work with a sat' signal. My '03, 21RS has RG 59 (I think) ran through to the outside jack. I just started running my RG 6 coax through a window. 
So your saying that if I disconnect the coax from the outside jack at the (green light) panel, and use it as a completely separate connection inside to sat' rec'r, that the RG59 will work. No more through the window?? 
What if the coax used outside from dish to outside RV jack is RG 6 and that is connected to the RG 59 ? Will the signal carry through? Are they compattible?
Any help is greatly appreciated.


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

Sounds like a good question to me KJ. I heard something like that too, that's why I was pleasantly surprised by arlington's post. Vern is also running a sat, maybe he will check in on this too.


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## camping479 (Aug 27, 2003)

I was also unable to get a signal using the rg59 installed in the trailer. I disconnected it at the jack by the tv and tied into it there and still couldn't get it to work. I wound up installing a new exterior jack right where the tv shelf is and now it works fine. When a campground has cable hookups I use the original hookup, when I use the satellite, I use the new jack. I think the newer trailers have the rg6 cable installed.

Mike


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

The RG6 is the preferred cable for sat hook ups. There is more shielding around the center conductor, making the cable more efficient at carrying the signal. When the installer was putting my dish in at the house, I had to run all new RG6, or it wasn't going to work.

Tim


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## arlingtoncamper (Feb 16, 2004)

No need to re-wire the inside cable it is sat/cable ready, you just need to make sure that it is not being split any where along the line. Sat cable must not be split from the dish to the back of the sat. Yes, it is that easy just undo it from the splitter and pull it through the wall and hook directly into your sat. Been using sat for 2 years now on the my Outback.


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## aplvlykat (Jan 25, 2004)

Hi. guys there may be more than one splitter, In our model we have a front TV hook up, near sink and rear TV hook up, near bunks. This tells me there may be another splitter, one for each area. I don't have a TV in ours yet so I am just guessing.


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## KellerJames (Jan 19, 2004)

Thanks to all. I'm going to try the direct connect method first. If that doesn't do it, then I'll take Mike's path and just install a new exterior jack somewhere. Thanks again.


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

I put a digital splitter on the incoming line near the booster, and added another ceiling outlet for Satelite. I ran a new satelite line to the rear of the trailer where my TV is.


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

While we are on the satellite thing, what do you folks that use sat while camping do to find a sat where you are camping (ie, compass heading, and altitude/angle in the sky.) Also, do you just add another receiver to your home bill, or do the sat companies have special rates for RV users? My wife and I got our sat at the house in Dec, and will never go back to cable again, and I was thinking about adding to the camper.

Tim


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## arlingtoncamper (Feb 16, 2004)

you can have additional receivers in your house for a small charge, I think 4.99 a month after that you can take it anywhere you want. It can be mobile or fixed they don't care. You get the same package on your extra as you do with the main one in your home.

One thing on my older unit that I keep in the trailer and not plugged up when I am not using it the access card becomes de-activated. All I have to do is call Direct TV and give them the number and 20 seconds later it is back on. Direct Tv will boot off a access card that is active more than 45 days.


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

Ok, I guess I could just take one of the receivers that are in the house already. We have three. How do you know where to aim the dish, and is there a made for RV's folding dish that I can leave on the trailer, or do you use a portable set up?

Tim


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## KellerJames (Jan 19, 2004)

Tim,
Yes, we had one plain sat' rec'r when we got Direct TV. Later we added the Direct TV/ TIVO machine.(Awesome electronic toy). Now we take the plain rec'r out of the bedroom and put it in the RV for trips. When you get everything connected in RV, just access the rec'r set up screen. It will ask what zip code your in. Find that on a campground map. Then it will tell you what your elevation and azimuth(left or right) should be. We also use a signal finder attached at the dish. This gets removed once you locate a strong signal. Signal finders are available at Camping World, Radio Shack, etc. Use a compass to find the azimuth and the elevation marks on the dish mount for elevation. Fine tune it as much as you can and there you go. Make sure the mast that the dish is mounted to is LEVEL or PLUM. It sounds like a bigger pain than it really is. After you've done it a couple of times, it's simple. I don't mean to talk your ear off, but a lot of people use a tripod set up, including me. However, I recently found a dish mount called the "Bullseye". It's at www.rvdishmount.com... I'm expecting mine to arrive this week. It appears to be MUCH easier to deal with than the tripod. Everything I've read about it says it's far better than a tripod. Cost $75.95. More than a Radio Shack tripod, but it looks to be well worth it. I'll let you all know how it goes. Sorry to be so long winded, but I hope this helped.


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

Thanks. I'll have to do some price shopping for the mounting unit and another dish. It sure would be nice to have the sat while on the road.

Tim


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## KellerJames (Jan 19, 2004)

One other thing, I personally think a completely portable set up is best, due to trees and such. And about 50' of cable. Check out the Bullseye. Looks easy.


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

I built an inverted mount (PVC) for my dish, but changed to DISH 500, which hits two sats. It didn't work in the inverted position. It will only catch one sat because it's upside down. Now I just have the dish arm screwed down to a piece of 2'x2' plywood square. I set the Equal-i-zer bars on the wood if it's windy. Sometimes, I just set it toward the SW, and it hits the satelite without even adjusting. I carry it fully upright in the bike storage area of the 25 RSS. Simple.


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