Satellite cables revisited for "11"

ChopperBill

Well-known member
OK has Heartland figured out you need two separate cables to run two separate satellite receivers from the docking station? One for the bedroom and one for the living room. I had a nightmare when rigging up our "06" and had to run another cable from the docking station to the bedroom in order for it to work. I am not interested in diplexers, switch boxes or other hoopla. Just a 2 straight beelines from the dish to the docking station, one for the bedroom and one for the living room. Don't need any cable to the roof because HD roof mounts are priced way out of my range. Besides I like to park in the shade where there would be tree interference. I tried to blow up the "11" on line literature to see the connection labels but it got too blurry. Thanks for any info.
 

2010augusta

Well-known member
Re: Satellite cabes revisited for "11"

our '10 has two dedicated feeds from the UDC to the bedroom and ent-center. I did add a third line to the Ent-center, so we can use a 2-line DVR and record 2 shows at a time.
 

ChopperBill

Well-known member
Re: Satellite cabes revisited for "11"

Great! Glad Heartland is watching these threads! Now all I have to do is bring a continuity tester to the PDI to check cables. But I am sure the dealer will check 'em. HA HA I made a funny!
 

Pizzaguy

Well-known member
Re: Satellite cabes revisited for "11"

Our 2011 3610RE has 2 separate connections for satellite in the UDC. We are going to get another receiver for bedroom and hook it up like you are talking about doing.
 

Wharton

Well-known member
Re: Satellite cabes revisited for "11"

When we ordered our rig we asked the dealer to run a 2nd line from the UDC to the Entertainment Center and an extra coax from the BR to the Entertainment Center. He has no problems with doing that. I agree Heartland should start running 2 cables though. Time to join the satellite world.

I am not sure why husband wanted a 2nd coax from Entertainment Center to BR but that is his domain...............
 

DXprowler

Well-known member
As far as I see it Heartland has yet to address this issue of the need for 2 Sat feeds to the Ent center and 2 feeds to the bedroom. The way I understand it, on our '10 there is still only 1 Sat line running to the entertainment center and 1 Sat line running one to the bedroom. There is also a cable line but this is where you have to diplex to bypass the booster to get 2 Sat lines to the ent center. I did print out a diagram that someone graciously made up and posted here on the forum. You need one splitter and 4 diplexers.

Just took delivery of our 2010 BH 3410 and haven't dove into this project as yet as I'm waiting for delivery of the Surge Protector and will do all that needs to be done when the basement panel is off. I believe the diplexer approach would be easier than trying to fish a line through the bowels of the coach!

What the roof top Sat feeds are is beyond me! Since it's lines for a Sat dish on the roof why would the cable be feed to the UDC? I guess you would jump the connections in the UDC but why not just run them directly to the Ent Center and the bedroom? This would free up the inputs in the UDC for the extra Sat feeds!
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
Bill,

I agree with you that 3 coaxial cables, to both the bedroom and livingroom television locations would be ideal (2 satellite and 1 antenna/cable). That said, only a small percentage of our buyers have this requirement. To make all pay for the few is something we try to avoid. But like you are planning, there are workarounds (diplexers, running a 3rd cable, repurposing the antenna/cable line).

In terms of the satellite feeds to the roof, this is a prewire of 2 coaxial cables for this who want a roof mounted dish. Those wires go from the roof to the UDC. All other satellite feeds also wire back to the UDC. This is to give the end user as much flexibility as possible. Yes, jumpers are the name of the game. Merely jumper your source to its destination. I have 2 jumpers in place in my unit from the 2 roof feeds to the BR and LR jacks.

Best of luck with whatever you end up doing and please share back with the community, your project results.

Jim
 

ChopperBill

Well-known member
Re: Satellite cabes revisited for "11"

When we ordered our rig we asked the dealer to run a 2nd line from the UDC to the Entertainment Center and an extra coax from the BR to the Entertainment Center. He has no problems with doing that. I agree Heartland should start running 2 cables though. Time to join the satellite world.

I am not sure why husband wanted a 2nd coax from Entertainment Center to BR but that is his domain...............

You probably have DirectTV HD with DVR (recorder). You need 2 cables to the reciever for it to work. I think Dish only needs one. You can not get the Direct HD DVR to work with only one cable, not even just to watch TV. Believe me I tried at the stick house. Had to use the regular HD receiver with out DVR that uses one cable for the computer room.
 

DXprowler

Well-known member
In my case with Bell TV (formally ExpressVu) you can get away with watching HD and using the PVR on one cable provided the proper switching is at the LNB's. However, this HD/PVR has 2 tuners in it and to get the absolute out of it you need 2 Sat cables so you can record while watching another channel.

Now in a perfect Heartland world, if there was another line into the bedroom from the Ent center then you could use the receiver in the Ent center for the bedroom TV as well. But you give up the record while watching another channel as you still need the 2 feeds to the receivers 2 tuners.

Jim, if it's going to save a few bucks I don't have a problem retro fitting myself. My god I've done this on all the previous trailers so why stop now! However, Heartland prides itself on innovation with industry leading features, which I totally appreciate and as a user ability goes I really enjoy, but as mentioned before this little extra wouldn't be such a bad idea! :)
 
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jbeletti

Well-known member
Thanks for taking my comments in the spirit I intended :)

I have sent a request for consideration note into product management of satellite cabling as well as space considerations for all satellite receivers (including DVRs). Each model year, we tweak things. Who knows what we'll come up with in this area for next year?

Glad you'll be running your extra cable. Small price to pay for happiness :)

Jim
 

DXprowler

Well-known member
Tnx Jim! I have great admiration for Heartland and the Heartland Owners forum! It's this transparency that I especially like. You won't find that with other manufactures/customers where it's the "them against us" syndrome. Far more beneficial to work together in this imperfect world and try to make things just a bit better for everyone than banter negatively on and on. It is all about the spirit! :)

For those interested in the diplexer method of achieving 2 Sat lines (with the existing cable) to the Ent center here's the link to the post I mentioned earlier by Michael J. Kidd on the HOOT thread: http://hoot.heartlandowners.org/tips-howtos/menu-pwr/53-pwr-other/45-advanced-cable-wiring This is a great How-to post with a description and diagrams!

I intend to go this route as I can't see fishing a cable all the way from the UDC to the back of the coach an easy task. I have used diplexers before and they work well because of that reason. When I get to it I'll posts some pics.

BTW... I wonder what cabling challenges will be in store for us when 3D comes of age? Fiber-optic cable maybe??
 
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BC1of38

Active Member
I realize this thread is old, but come on, RG6 cable is $.06 per foot wholesale, F56 ends are less than $.50 each, come on Heartland, there should be at least 2 home run sat lines to each TV location (including the basement rough in) plus the standard antenna/cable TV wiring, this should be the absolute bare minimum on a higher end 5th wheel. Also easily terminated on a single gang 4 port plate.

Luckily my new Winegard Trav'ler has the new Dish pro plus lnb on it so I can still run my Bell dual tuner receivers in the living room and the bedroom by using the frequency destackers at the receiver end.

If anyone knows or can confirm, are the roof top sat lines burried above the bedroom speakers on a Big Country 3450ts? My Satellite tracker install is happening next month.

Thanks!
 

rvn4fun

Well-known member
After trying everything listed above to get a signal from Dish DVR up to the bedroom tv, I gave up. I finally just ran a cable on the floor from the dvr to the steps, then thru the furnance vent area, then into the under step area, where I found the cable that goes up to the bedroom. Then I found a splitter that would work with the Dish reciever and split it there sending the signal down to the storage compartment and the other up to the bedroom. It works now and when we move, I unhook this cable from the back of the dvr and coil it up on the inside steps out of the slides way, when it comes in. Is this a pain, yes it is but it works.... Someday I would like to take the bottum of the rv off and run this cable so it would come up under the kitchen sink area, where it could be monted permanetly. While doing this I would also run a propane line up there so I could hook up our catalytic heater, and insulate the water line that freezes up, that runs from the fresh water tank to the pump. Someday......
 
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