Satellite hookup help

Omurray · 07-05-2005, 10:43 AM

My MH is a 2002 Journey DL.

Have two satellite dishes. One the KVH which I know is wired into the present system. The other, a manual dish. I cannot find the feed from the manual dish, does anyone know where it hooks into the system. I have tried to hook a receiver to this dish but cannot get a signal. Have looked everywhere I can think of.
Thanks,

Omurray · 07-05-2005, 10:43 AM

My MH is a 2002 Journey DL.

Have two satellite dishes. One the KVH which I know is wired into the present system. The other, a manual dish. I cannot find the feed from the manual dish, does anyone know where it hooks into the system. I have tried to hook a receiver to this dish but cannot get a signal. Have looked everywhere I can think of.
Thanks,

John_Canfield · 07-05-2005, 04:31 PM

Which end of the manual dish coax can't you locate? Can you find the connector in the basement for hooking up the dish and don't know where the other end is, or vice versa?

For my 2005 Horizon there is a basement plug (I forgot exactly where) and then a wall plate for the other end near the TV.

--John

Omurray · 07-06-2005, 04:47 AM

The dish end is hooked up, as I can see this from a ladder. The question is where is the end that would normally hook into the satellite receiver. I have looked through both cabinets, but not behind the tv itself, as I do not think it would be there.

dirko · 07-06-2005, 05:52 AM

Hi Ho: Your answer may lie in asking the person who hooked up the KVH dish. When I installed mine I actually got rid of the old manual dish. The general attitude is that it is redundant. This may have resulted in the technician simply cutting the coax somewhere along the way. In other words, it is quite possilbe that there is no coax to locate. One reason for this is that it is simple to connect the tracking dish (KVH) to the coax that wasconnected to the old manual dish. You may have a good reason to want the old dish, but I don't miss mine at all.

Omurray · 07-06-2005, 03:02 PM

The KVH is set up for Direct TV. I prefer Dish. Cannot find anyone who can change the KVH system over to Dish. Any suggestion?

I think Dirk might be right about the coax being cut to supply the KVH.

tomsm · 07-06-2005, 04:01 PM

Sounds like you didn't get a manual with the system. There's really nothing to "set up" on the KVH. If the KVH wall plate is connected to the low speed data port on your receiver, it'll find the right satellite on it's own. If it's not using the data port, you just wait till it finds a satellite and if it's the wrong one, you push the "Sat Select" button and it will find the next. Just repeat, if necessary, till it finds your dish satellite.

KVH has manuals online. Click herethen select your model. When that page opens click "manuals" in the left column and you'll get the install and operation manual.

Good luck...

dirko · 07-07-2005, 05:51 AM

Hi Ho: Tom is right in that the KVH will acquire any satellite (including the Canadian one). You can, however, program it through the data port to be more specific in acquiring the one that you want more quickly and efficiently. Just download the most current firmware for the KVH that you have and the service you want and download it to the KVH control using your laptop and a serial cable. I changed mine because the original code sometimes got hung on the wrong satellite. When the dish is acquiring the satellite you might want to go to setup and press 6-1-1 on the DISH control to make sure that it gets the satellite you want with a good (green) signal. If I am parked, I then turn off the KVH system to avoid extra wear. Do you have the extra control module with the button that Tom refers to? Unlike your DISH system at home my system just gets one satellite at a time and you have to push the button to switch to the other. Aren't motorhomes fun? Good luck.

tderonne · 07-07-2005, 10:28 AM

This programming of firmware through the data port. How is it done specifically? I see nothing at the KVH website, and my local dealers (Camping World, etc.) are zero help. I've tried using KVH tech support in the past and they were no help either. Might you have a direct contact there?

Thanks,
Tim.

LandHo · 07-07-2005, 11:23 AM

right now, I am having problems with kvh L2 and directv...perhaps I should have gotten the king dome. But that is on another thread.

My CW installer left the coax for the old winegard dish, so I have been using that setup again. hopefully, your old coax is still there somewhere. Was the MH prewired with a coax outlet and the old coax is connected to that? or is the kvh connected there instead?

Omurray · 07-07-2005, 12:30 PM

My error, I have a DATRON system, not KVH. I have no paperwork and don't even know if it works or not. Have been told that this set up will only accept Direct input and it takes a computer reprogramming to change to Dish. If anyone has any info they would be willing to share, I sure would appreciate it.

This is why I am trying to chase down this elusive input from the manual dish receiver.

I appreciate all the informative input.

timz61 · 07-07-2005, 03:03 PM

I had difficulty locating the auxiliary sat feed in our Itasca Meridian. I finally found it in the cabinet above the driver's seat. There was a dual cable outlet with one labeled "Satellite" and the other labeled "Aux Satellite"