ATF: North Trail - No working TV in 24 RBS

I can not get Analog or Digital Channels.Sansui SLED1937 w/a Jensen AWM965.
Service tech @ dealer says I need a converter box. Sansui phone tech says I must be within 12-15 miles of a station. What I'm I doing or more importantly not doing? First trip this weekend. No TV. Missed the Clemson game!
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
Re: ATF: North Trail - No woking TV in 24 RBS

First dumb question: Did you raise the antenna, turn on the amplifier and experiment with rotating the antenna? Dumb question #2: Did you set up the menu on the TV to receive input from the antenna? If yes to all, next thing to do is check the cable coax connections in your trailer for continuity (or if the connectors are even on correctly). And check that the cable you're connecting the TV to is the right one (living room vs. bedroom vs. satelite connection). You should be able to receive over-the-air broadcasts unless you're really out in the boonies, although they will probably pixalate enough to drive you nuts. And any TV made in the last few years does not need a converter to handle digital signals. The converters were for older TV's (like in the days of cathode ray tubes), back when the gubbermint decided we all needed to go digital.

Now, depending on what you're specifically trying to watch, like a televised sporting event, you might not be able to get it over-the-air, due to broadcast rights, etc. For that, you might need satelite service, which does require a satelite antenna and a receiver for the service (DISH or DirectTV) to get it. That and the subscription fee for the service.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
The Sansui SLED1937 appears to be a TV currently on the market and has an integrated digital tuner. No converter box is needed.

The Sansui tech is probably right. Digital TV signals don't go as far as older analog signals and there are only a handful of over-the-air analog broadcasts still being transmitted in the U.S.

Digital signals also need line-of-sight more so than analog did. If you are surrounded by hills, you may not receive anything.

But if you're in a good reception area, turn on the signal booster (amplifier) and use the TV on-screen menu to select over-the-air signals and then do an auto search for stations. You'll need to do an auto search at each camping location. That's how digital TVs work.
 

Bob&Patty

Founders of SoCal Chapter
Its the same way with AM-FM radios. AM follows the curvature of the earth.....FM goes in a straight line. Ever noticed that you can get an AM radio station from 1K miles away at night?
 

pegmikef

Well-known member
I have been to a lot of parks where I have had zero reception and I have been to others where I have had great reception. . . but I use the Tailgatger Dish network system so I have reception in most areas (a few are so heavily treed that nothing works). As the others have said it is mainly depended on the terrain.

You should try it in an area where it is known there is good reception before you start trouble-shooting the system. And make sure the signal booster is on (it is a pushbutton near the cable hookup and the lit red light indicates on)
 
Thank you ya'all for the info. I did the Ant., Booster on, tried different direction w/ant. I guess I must be closer to Stations Towers.
I did hear of a free web site that one could use their zip code and recieve more info for directional postion. Is this the case ?
I have Direct TV @ home with four boxes. Phone in to CSR but was told I couldn't use a house box in a mobile unit, must have special
reciever. It was all very confusing, is as though they are against RV or Trucker TV patrons.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
I have Direct TV @ home with four boxes. Phone in to CSR but was told I couldn't use a house box in a mobile unit, must have special reciever. It was all very confusing, is as though they are against RV or Trucker TV patrons.

Hi coneagle59fal,

The technology has been migrating from the older multi-switch to newer Single wire module (SWM) designs. The new receivers all support SWM. Some of them also support older multi-switch. The satellite dish's LNB has to match the receiver capabilities.

Bottom line, if you take one of your home receivers with you in the RV, and you get a dish with LNB from Ebay or elsewhere, you can watch satellite while on the road using your existing programming package. If you have local stations at home, as long as you don't go very far, you should be able to receive those same stations while traveling.

If you leave your local area, you won't have CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, or WB network programs without signing up for Distant Network Services. But that puts you into a mess of new FCC rules and costs extra.

If you want High Def programming, you'll need a Slimline 3 or 5 dish and a tripod. And you'll have to learn to aim the dish. If you're ok with standard definition while traveling, you can get one of several auto-aiming, carryout dishes, like this one. But you'll need to check the compatibility with the model of receiver you plan on taking with you.
 
Thank you. I'm getting closer to TV reception. Still unable to get digital or analog off air with antenna but did get info from Direct Sat.
today. I have a older Direct Reciever/Hughes Model that will work in the 24RBS. With just the cost of the additional the reciever ($6.oo)mo.
Question now is how to hook-up with the Heartland wiring configuration. The Mfg. manuals don't cover much regarding entertainment systems. I have a portable dish (MP1). When I attach the RG cable from the MP1 to the outside of the trailer where do I go from here?
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
Not familiar with your rig, but I'll take a SWAG and assume that at the TV there will be two coax connections. One is for the roof antenna and is probably already connected to the TV's coax connector. Connect the other to your satelite receiver and then connect the receiver to the TV via HDMI cable. You will have to use the onscreen menu on the TV to select between the two inputs for viewing, as well as turn off the antenna booster (little red button/LED) when viewing satelite.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
If you have a coax connector marked satellite, that's where you connect the dish. There would be a matching connector near the TV. If there's only one outside connector, it's for cable. The wire typically joins the TV antenna and goes through a signal booster that won't pass satellite frequencies.

So if your rig isn't prewired for satellite, you'll have to run your own cable. One way is to get a flat coax cable designed to go through windows and hook up to that. Another is to mount a connector going through your exterior wall.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
If you have a coax connector marked satellite, that's where you connect the dish. There would be a matching connector near the TV. If there's only one outside connector, it's for cable. The wire typically joins the TV antenna and goes through a signal booster that won't pass satellite frequencies.

So if your rig isn't prewired for satellite, you'll have to run your own cable. One way is to get a flat coax cable designed to go through windows and hook up to that. Another is to mount a connector going through your exterior wall.

I can understand it not being prewired for a roof satelite antenna, but in this day and age, one woulda thunk they'd have an input for a portable dish. The added production cost would be peanuts.
 

pegmikef

Well-known member
If it is like my NT then there is no prewired satellite input. I ran my own and located next to the cable input. If you look around on the forum here, someone put up a wiring diagram on how to wire a satellite dish using the single input. I'll see if I can find it.

Here's the link to the thread that has a couple of solutions and extensive discussion on hooking it up.

//heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/30234-SOLVED-Satellite-TV-Hookup-question
 
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Silverado23

Iowa Chapter Leaders
Here is the link for the website that uses a zipcode to give you an idea of what TV stations you should be able to get.
http://antennaweb.org/

Adding a satellite connection using the existing wiring is fairly simple.
Details are on this link.
//heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/30234-SOLVED-Satellite-TV-Hookup-question

Don't forget to check the connectors for stray wires shorting out the cable. Loose or poorly installed connectors will cause problems too.

You may also want to verify that the connections on the amplifier switch are connected to the correct locations. I had a few of them misconnected when I got my NT and had all kinds of reception issues. Once this was fixed and the loose/poor connectors replaced I am usually able to pull stations in as far as 60-80 miles away depending on terrain, with great reception.
 
Still no TV in the TT, do have TV in the TV.:confused: We plan to attent the Rally in Williston Crossing Fl. (MARCH) I'm hoping some kind soul will help then. Maybe with luck I'll have figured out before hand. Would the problem be covered under Heartland Warrenty, if so I known of a Audio/visual Tech in the area who would like to step-up...but I fear he does not come cheap.
Trevor & Eva.. PS..:cool:.Many have signed up for Williston. We are looking forward to our first rally w/Heatland members.:D
 
Thank You, Silverado
We took the unit out this past week-end. The TV does work with cable ( park ) I did use the website you gave. I was able to get stations
from the Savannah area. We now have TV...next wiring for the SAt. Direct TV..Thanks again.
 
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