Cable TV Question

[RollingStones]

OK so are we all in agreement that there is no dumb question on this forum? Great! We bought our 02 2619 in April. It is our first RV and we love love love it, but can't figure out how to get TV reception. We're not big TV people even at home, and so far have just been using the DVD player for the kids. This weekend I really wanted to watch something besides Spy Kids. We have the antenna and booster. But I must be doing something wrong. We raise the antenna, attach the cable to the TV and the cable outlet next to the plug and Voila, no signal. Never a signal. What can I be doing wrong? (Remember, no dumb ?'s)
Also, when we do stay at a 'cable hook up' location, where does the cable plug into on the 2619 (02)?
... does anyone have a picture?... I am a visual learner.


Muchas Gracias
Kristin from San Diego, CA

[Allen1124]

Remember, that it is always possible that the campground is having "technical problems", so before going crazy, ask them. We have had various campground problems from time to time. Never used the antenna, since cable has been available.

[goyisacup]

First, check your TV setup on your TV to see if you need to change from antenna to cable. When your TV is set to receive cable, do not push in the little black button that turns on a little green LED light. The little black button is only to boost antenna reception, not cable reception.

[Paul_Heuvelhorst]

Kristin,
When using the antenna on the roof, with the booster turned on (little black button), you must be in an area where TV reception is available via the antenna. You'd be surprised at how quickly you can get 25-50 miles out of a major metropolitan area, with a few hills between you and town and will not have any reception at all... except a snowy screen.

In the RV park, you need to run your cable connection up between the shells, under the flaps, and connect it directly to the TV. TM doesn't provide an exterior connector for cable hook ups, at least not of the age of your unit, or my older unit.

[mtnguy]

Kristin,

In the RV park, you need to run your cable connection up between the shells, under the flaps, and connect it directly to the TV. TM doesn't provide an exterior connector for cable hook ups, at least not of the age of your unit, or my older unit.

OK, I have never used a TV while camping, and don't intend to, but what is the cable type hookup right beside the outside phone jack for??? :confused:

Chap

[Leslie & Nick]

OK, I have never used a TV while camping, and don't intend to, but what is the cable type hookup right beside the outside phone jack for??? :confused: Chap

Hmmm???? ...never noticed outside cable connector or phone jack on our TM (it's only a year older than yours). Where are the jacks located? I might be missing something!

Have only used cable TV once, but we do use the TV antenna w/booster pretty regularly. I'm always surprised how well that antenna works - and we're usually way out in the boonies!

[mtnguy]

Hmmm???? ...never noticed outside cable connector or phone jack on our TM (it's only a year older than yours). Where are the jacks located? I might be missing something!


The the left of the fridge vents. I looked all over when they were talking about the phone jacks, and finally found those inputs (?) there. It looks like a flip up electrical receptacle.

Chap

[Joseph]

On my 06 TM there is an outside cable outlet street side beside the phone connection. That is where the camp ground cable connects to. The TV connects to the cable outlet inside the TM no matter what I am using for a signal source. The only difference is that when using the TM Antenna the little black button is pushed in to improve signal strength. It is not pushed in when using camp ground cable. Try it..:)

[flyguy]

I have a 2004 3124KB and mine is located at the same point and works the same way as Joseph's.

[rjsmalley]

All instructions concerning connecting TV to receptacle and pushing the button is fine, that works very well for local reception. But snaking the cable through the shell and vinyl flap is not required if you use the tee that is located outside the unit (actually under the camper) below the refrigerator vent. I just connect a 25’ cable from the camp ground’s hookup to that tee and it works. By the way, this tee was on my unit when I got it and I have only had a problem one time when the cable from the antenna pulled out of one side of the tee. I needed to replace the connection fitting, fasten it back into the tee and was back up and running. Other then that, I get great reception from either the antenna (when near to broadcast) or cable.

[jimwilly]

I'm OK with cable, but still have a problem with the antenna.

Please tell me what I'm doing wrong.

I raise the antenna. Then connect the TV with a short cable to the cable connection to the side of the refrigerator. Then press in the power booster button. Never been able to get reception.

I think somehow I am not connecting the TV correctly. Do I need to run a connection from the TV antenna to something inside the TrailManor?

Thanks for any help.

[B_and_D]

Does the little green light come on when you press in the power booster button? If so, it sounds like the problem is between the outside TV antenna and the power booster box. There was some discussion here a while back about people finding that their antennas weren't hooked up correctly.

Try these threads:

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1774

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2320&highlight=coax

http://www.trailmanorowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5457&highlight=antenna

http://trailmanorowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6204&highlight=antenna

I did a search on "antenna" and came up with these, there are links to other discussions within those threads too.

[mtnguy]

jimwilly,

Did you understand post #4 on this thread?? Even though you have a cable from the antennae to your TV, the TV must be programmed to antennae.......not cable. Depending on the year of your TV, you might even have to get a cable to 75 ohm adapter to make things work, but that is a long shot. Get out the TV instructions, and program the input from cable to antennae and see if that works. If not, then you might have to dig into a problem with the antennae.

And this comes from a guy who has never had a TV in his TM.:rolleyes:

Chap

[Leslie & Nick]

I'm OK with cable, but still have a problem with the antenna. Please tell me what I'm doing wrong. I raise the antenna. Then connect the TV with a short cable to the cable connection to the side of the refrigerator. Then press in the power booster button. Never been able to get reception. I think somehow I am not connecting the TV correctly. Do I need to run a connection from the TV antenna to something inside the TrailManor?
Thanks for any help.

Sounds like you're doing it correctly. If you can't get any TV reception at all with the antenna, I would suspect a broken connection somewhere. First place I'd check is at the antenna itself. The antenna connects to a cable on top of the TM. I believe there is a rubber 'boot' covering the connection. With the front shell down, make sure the cable is firmly connected here.

If that looks OK, I'd next check the connection at the junction box (on the side of the refrigerator). If nothing looks suspicious here, there might be something wrong with the antenna booster device itself. Unless you're a long way from the broadcast station you should be getting some signal with the antenna.

Let us know what you find.

Nick

[lnussbau]

If you're not getting the small green light when you push the button, you may have a blown fuse. My TM came from the factory with a short (finally found in the cable at the antenna) which caused the fuse to blow when I pushed the button. If the green light DOES come on, (check the rear antenna connector by the bed, too), then you have a connection problem -- I'd check in the outside "12V" box, where the cable comes from the antenna into a tee (at least on my 2006 2720SL).

[jimwilly]

Thanks all for the help.

I'll look and report back as quickly as I can. I'm still a working guy so it may take a little while.

Thanks again.

[larsdennert]

The 2003 has the outside cable/tel jacks FYI. The little black button must switch inputs between the antenna and outside cable. When I pulled the box inside, there are two coax lines leading to it. I've never used the antenna. Instead I just bring a laptop and play dvds for the kids. Kind of a self contained TV I guess.

Don't forget that channels are now transmitted in ATSC digital as well until analog is phased out. So your TV might have Cable, Antenna and ATSC settings.

[lnussbau]

I don't think the button switches inputs -- in my 2006 2720SL, there's a splitter in the outside 12V wiring box, one coming from the antenna. I've not pulled the other one, but I think it comes from the outside cable jack. I do know that the switch turns on the amplifier for the antenna, and reception is very poor without it.

[Bill & Lisa]

The black button does NOT switch the inputs. both the park cable connection and the antenna signals run up to the tv connection next to the fridge. See figure 13 on page three of this link http://www.winegard.com/mobile/pdf/2452013.pdf
The cable signal is normally stronger than the antenna signal and will be dominante UNLESS the booster is on...Then the TV Signal is stronger and will cause lots of snow and interfernce with the incoming cable programming. Note the third coax behind the wall mount goes to the 2nd tv connection if your model has one. (normally near the floor level of the bathroom wall just forward of the rear bed.

There have been instances where the wall mount was not correctly connected. You may have to pull the wall plate off to check signal at the cable from the antenna.

Bill

[joemchugh3]

Just wanted to make sure. When you have tried to use the antenna, did you also position the antenna?
Joe
New owner of 2001 2720SL

[2 Trails]

We had the same problem when we first bought our trail manor, nothing we could do to fix it.

Finally took it to the dealer and the problem was the wiring was never connected underneath.

This may have been something some of you could have fixed yourself but we did not want to mess with any wiring and take a chance of voiding a warrantey

Be sure to take a TV with you so you can test it.

Good luck
Jim

2007 2720
2005 Trailblazer

[P and B]

Since I'm a vidiot, I thought I should chime in here. There are a bunch of reasons for no reception- many of which were mentioned above. It could be that you have corroded connections to the antenna or a bad transmission (coax) line. Also check to make sure that the center conductor of the coax from the TV to the jack or the transmission line if on cable, is not bent and is long enough to make contact with the center female pin on the connector.

It's also important to know how to work your TV. Many modern TVs have to be changed from TV to Cable in the menu or setup option on the TV. If you have one of these TVs it will also probably have a "training" feature that will scan the VHF and UHF bands and "remember" only the channels that have decent signal strengths.

Don't discount that the TV amplifier might be bad even though the light comes on. That said, always do the simple things first....you did plug in the TV right?

Good luck,

Phil

[RollingStones]

Hi All,
Since the original post, we tried a few times to get a TV signal with no luck. One day, I got out the TV manual, which I neglected to do before, thinking it had something to do w/ the antenna or cable hook up. Actually, all I had to do was 'scan' the channels. Yes, it was as simple as following the directions in the manual for the HD TV I bought for 'Maynard' ( Yes, I named him).
We got heaps of channels including HD channels.
So there you go.

Happy Thanksgiving All,
We're heading out tomorrow for 4 glorious nights!

kristin

[Bill]

Kristen -

Thanks for for posting this. We have a lot of posts about successes, but not so many about successes after an easy step has been missed. It all contributes to the collected knowledge.

Bill