Installing a Second Coax for a New DVR

DavidC1225 · 04-13-2011, 02:36 PM

We have a new satellite receiver that has 2 tuners so that you can watch one channel while recording another. I need to install a second coax cable from the satellite antenna on the roof. Pulling a new cable from the roof is not a problem, but getting it to the entertainment center is, at least it is for me. Our floor plan is 38-J, which means that the entertainment center is on a slideout behind the co-pilot's seat. I haven't been able to figure out how the existing cable is routed and I was hoping someone here did know.

RickO · 04-13-2011, 03:00 PM

I have a different model but on mine the coax is routed from the dish... into the roof... down the channel behind the windshield trim on driver's side to outside the coach... then runs under the coach where it joins a cable bundle which enters the slide right under the entertainment center. It sure isn't easy but can be done. You might want to go to Winnie's website and pull up the wiring diagram of your model. It should show you how they're routed.

Good Luck...

Rick

Billy S · 04-13-2011, 04:45 PM

Do you have a dual LNB on your dish, if not another cable won't help. I have the tv on the side also, I just drilled a hole and dropped a cable down where I needed it

RickO · 04-13-2011, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Billy S

Do you have a dual LNB on your dish, if not another cable won't help. I have the tv on the side also, I just drilled a hole and dropped a cable down where I needed it

Is your TV in the slide? If so how did you account for the in and out travel when routing the cable from the top?

Rick

LK23 · 04-13-2011, 05:59 PM

I have the Itasca Horizon 40AD with the TV in the slide behind the passenger seat. I ran a second coax by entering the roof with the other coax. Then I ran through the front cabinets to the cabinets over the door exiting the cabinets near the RV wall. Our coach has a pleated shade over the slide mechanism. I ran the coax over the top of the shade, made a loop to facilitate slide movement and then through a hole in the top of the cabinet to the TV area. I hope his helps.

Tom N · 04-13-2011, 06:10 PM

I have a 38R with the same TV layout as your 38J.

I found my roof coax entry and unused second coax to the left of the sat antenna control in the overhead cabinet above the passenger windshield. I had to pull loose the lining from the back of this cabinet and the wiring was there. Winegard color codes their coax. I think the unused coax was gray.

-Tom

DavidC1225 · 04-14-2011, 04:07 AM

Thanks for the information everyone. Tom N....I didn't consider that a second cable might be available. I'll look on the area you indicated to see if one is there. I really don't want to put a hole in the roof if I can avoid it.

Billy S....The satellite antenna is a Trac-King in-motion antenna with a dual LNB.

pa0gri · 04-14-2011, 06:14 AM

David, If your receiver has 2 tuners and each has an LNB in and out (so 4 F connectors at the rear) the you just need a little jumper coax from tuner1 out to tuner2 in.

sam-tip · 04-14-2011, 11:59 AM

Is it dishnetork or directTV? If dish and using a traveler you can use a dishnetwork splitter to run both inputs from one cable. Easy. Only about $10.

But if you have an inmotion system it is very very difficult to use a dual input reciever. Inmotion systems only have one LNB and both tunners must watch the same Sat location.

DavidC1225 · 04-15-2011, 05:28 AM

We have Direct TV. The 9760 series in-motion antenna is a dual LNB with two coax ports on the dome that can be used to connect to two different receivers or tuners. RickO...I looked under the slide and found where the electrical connections enter the entertainment center. It will be a pain to route the coax from the roof to the slide via the windshield posts, etc., but I prefer to do that rather than cutting a hole in the roof. Thanks for the information.

sam-tip · 04-16-2011, 03:35 PM

It should work as long as you only watch programing on the 101 orbital lacation. But you should not use a DVR while driving. The bouncing down the road is very bad for the hard drive. It will work but will crash much quicker.

RickO · 04-16-2011, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sam-tip

It should work as long as you only watch programing on the 101 orbital lacation. But you should not use a DVR while driving. The bouncing down the road is very bad for the hard drive. It will work but will crash much quicker.

... and be aware that just "turning off" the DVR doesn't shut down the hard drive if it's plugged into a socket which works off of your inverter. I think you actually need to unplug most of them to accomplish that.

This is probably a good practice but we don't do it... just leave ours running when traveling... and we've been lucky for about 34,000 miles so far.

Good luck...

Rick

sniggles · 04-17-2011, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidC1225

We have a new satellite receiver that has 2 tuners so that you can watch one channel while recording another. I need to install a second coax cable from the satellite antenna on the roof. Pulling a new cable from the roof is not a problem, but getting it to the entertainment center is, at least it is for me. Our floor plan is 38-J, which means that the entertainment center is on a slideout behind the co-pilot's seat. I haven't been able to figure out how the existing cable is routed and I was hoping someone here did know.

If you have directv why not just go with a SWM satellite dish set up. there you only need 1 cable coming in and then just split . Directv installer just did that in our
place so he didn't need to run an extra cable for the DVR. We have 2 receivers, one a DVR. Everything come in great.

just a thought.
sniggles

RickO · 04-17-2011, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sniggles

If you have directv why not just go with a SWM satellite dish set up. there you only need 1 cable coming in and then just split . Directv installer just did that in our
place so he didn't need to run an extra cable for the DVR. We have 2 receivers, one a DVR. Everything come in great.

just a thought.
sniggles

They did the same thing at the stick house I just bought but I believe that most/all RV dishes don't yet support it. Sure would like to hear otherwise if someone has better info.

Rick

sniggles · 04-18-2011, 08:00 AM

I know they need to chnage the head on the dish to a swm head. And because of the dvr he installed a power thing in the back of the tv with the DVR. Nothing behind the either tv.

I don't know about you but it sure would make life easier to be able to use just one cable coming from dish.

best of luck hope someone will come up with more info. As I am interested also.

sniggles

sniggles · 04-18-2011, 09:15 AM

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Directv Oval 18x20 in. Triple LNBF Satellite Dish Tripod Kit *::*Tripod System Kits*::*Satellite Dish Tripods*::*InstallerOasis.com For stand 3 LNB reception.

theses are great set ups come complete.

sniggles · 04-18-2011, 09:22 AM

SWM Single Wire Multi-Switch LNB Kit for DIRECTV *::*DIRECTV Equipment*::*InstallerOasis.com

link for setting up your directv for swm

kuhoopsnut · 04-19-2011, 08:46 AM

Hello everyone--

I have some questions about Direct HDTV for my brand new Itasca Cambria (am so excited...it's the first RV I have owned myself for myself only). Thanks to info I've already gleaned here, the dealer is going to install the Winegard Trav'ler Slimline so I can utilize the LCD HD TVs as well as HD DVR via Direct TV. So the installation will be done by pros.

However, I have never had satellite TV before and need to learn more about it so I can be sure the dealer does what I want and need. And I will be cancelling my cable TV at home and using Direct TV for the house as well as for the Cambria.

I know I'll need an HD receiver for the house (have had it with the cable company) and at least one for the RV. So here are questions: Can I use the same receiver from the house for the RV (TV at home will not be used when I'm gone)? If so, is it complicated to move it from house to RV and back again when home--and worth the hassle--or should I just bite the bullet and buy one just for the RV? Will I need one receiver for the cab TV AND one for the bedroom TV (2 total)? Or can one receiver, maybe with a splittler, work for both TVs in the RV (will only have the DVR on the cab TV)?

Also, with the Trav'ler Slimline installed on top, will I sometimes experience reception problems in campgrounds or elsewhere (like from trees, etc)? If so, should I get another dish for portable use to carry along to be set up in a different location? And again, if so, will that be a huge hassle to use?

Finally (I think but maybe not), when I have Direct TV install the house set up, should I tell them I will be traveling and utilizing it in an RV too...or just keep quiet about that? Not sure if it's OK to do both with same subscription and equipment, if that's possible/preferable.

As you can see, I'm a true satellite newbie and any information/tips you can give me would be much appreciated. I've talked to the dealer's techie who is in charge of installing it, but I got confused listening to him. I want to be sure I can communicate clearly with him so that it's set up exactly the way I want/need it to be.

Thanks!
Barbara

RickO · 04-19-2011, 11:03 AM

Hi Barbara and :welcome:

With several questions specific to your situation it's usually better to start your own thread but I'll chip in my $.02 here anyway.

That's a great dish you're having installed. When DirecTv comes to set things up at your house I would recommend that you just let hime do it and not mention the RV. Usually telling them won't be a problem but they could press you to open a second account for the RV, which would be expensive. Taking the receiver/DVR back and forth between the house and RV is worth the hassle to most folks and it's not really that bad or technical.

One possible issue you'll face is with the SWM set up mentioned above. I think the DTV tech at your stick house will probably install SWM there. Unless the RV dish can be upgraded to accept SWM, the RV tech will need to route two coax cables and those cables will need to have the adapters which allow them to pick up some of the DTV HD satellites. These are very common adapters and I don't remember what they're called but the RV tech will.

To get HD in the bedroom you'll either need a second receiver or run a long HDMI cable from the unit in front to the one in the rear. I took this approach and it's worked well for us. Using the RF instead of IR feature on the remote allows me to control the DVR from the bedroom as well.

Best of luck...

rick

DavidC1225 · 04-20-2011, 08:55 AM

I don't think I can change the Trac-King antenna on the roof to use only one cable for the dual tuner DVR, although I might could change the tripod dish that I use in emergencies.

While puling a second cable to the roof antenna, I found a small gray wiring harness containing a red and white wire and one of them had a small 3 pin connector attached. Does anyone have any idea what that is for? It was coiled in the access hole for the antenna coax.