Bighorn - Coax issues (Problem found)

wingnut

Member
2019 Bighorn 3871 FBO - Got the satellite connected and all is well in bedroom and living room. Only get OTA in bedroom. Do not get it in Living room or outside tv. I checked continuity from orange cable at booster to the LR connection and outdoor connection with coax tester. No good. According to schematic sent by Heartland there is a splitter from orange cable to a black cable for LR and gray for outside. Can not find splitter anywhere. Please give me the location of the splitter. Either the splitter is bad orange coax came loose. Worked during PDI.
 
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Lou_and_Bette

Well-known member
Re: ATF: Bighorn - Coax issues

If your BH is like ours, the LR TV is in the kitchen slide. Go under the slide and gently open those black plastic wire/cable protection sleeves until you find the one that encloses the Sat/OTA cables. Follow that sleave back to where it exits the frame and undo some of the foam sealing that hole up. If you are lucky, there will be enough slack in the cables to allow you to gently pull them out into the open. There is a in-line barrel connector in the cables. Find those connectors and tighten/reconnect them. If you don’t have enough slack to put them out far enough to see the connectors, just drop down enough chloroplast to find the connectors by running your hand along the cables. Ensure they are connected/tight. This solved my problem and, at least, 2 other Heartlanders I have assisted who ad the same problem.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Re: ATF: Bighorn - Coax issues

I don't know if they still do, but for many years Heartland put a coax connector in the basement, with a splitter behind the wall plate. The coax from the bedroom signal booster made its next stop in the basement.
 

travelin2

Pennsylvania Chapter Leaders-retired
Re: ATF: Bighorn - Coax issues

Yeah what Lou and Dan said PLUS...
In our ‘17 BH I replaced the splitter in the basement that runs to the basement outdoor connection, also there is another splitter in the cabinet above the TV (I eliminated that one) as I could find no reason for it. I also replaced the cable ends with a higher quality compression end. Solved our cable and OTA connectivity issues


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mlpeloquin

Well-known member
Re: ATF: Bighorn - Coax issues

Since it worked at PDI, it maybe just a loose coax connector or bad crimp anywhere in the loop and not a bad splitter. As stated you will have to open up the wall plates to check there. I found poor signal which was caused by one loose connector and a poor crimp when mine was new.
 

travelin2

Pennsylvania Chapter Leaders-retired
Re: ATF: Bighorn - Coax issues

2019 According to schematic sent by Heartland there is a splitter from orange cable to a black cable for LR and gray for outside. Can not find splitter anywhere. Please give me the location of the splitter.

You should find that splitter behind the basement wall likely in a huge loom of other wires zip tied together.
While you’re in there check all connections. I’d recommend you replace that splitter once discovered


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wingnut

Member
Re: ATF: Bighorn - Coax issues

2019 Bighorn 3871 FBO - Got the satellite connected and all is well in bedroom and living room. Only get OTA in bedroom. Do not get it in Living room or outside tv. I checked continuity from orange cable at booster to the LR connection and outdoor connection with coax tester. No good. According to schematic sent by Heartland there is a splitter from orange cable to a black cable for LR and gray for outside. Can not find splitter anywhere. Please give me the location of the splitter. Either the splitter is bad orange coax came loose. Worked during PDI.


Thanks for all of help. The splitter was behind GFCI in basement. The connectors on the orange cable (from booster) and black cable to LR TV came right off. Explains why it worked at PDI. The splitter is a 50 - 900 MHZ. This is a 2019 unit and should not have a splitter from 1987. 720 HD and 1080 HD need at least a 1 GHZ. A better choice is 2.5 GHZ, cost $5.00.
 

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Kbvols

Well-known member
Re: ATF: Bighorn - Coax issues

If your BH is like ours, the LR TV is in the kitchen slide. Go under the slide and gently open those black plastic wire/cable protection sleeves until you find the one that encloses the Sat/OTA cables. Follow that sleave back to where it exits the frame and undo some of the foam sealing that hole up. If you are lucky, there will be enough slack in the cables to allow you to gently pull them out into the open. There is a in-line barrel connector in the cables. Find those connectors and tighten/reconnect them. If you don’t have enough slack to put them out far enough to see the connectors, just drop down enough chloroplast to find the connectors by running your hand along the cables. Ensure they are connected/tight. This solved my problem and, at least, 2 other Heartlanders I have assisted who ad the same problem.

Lou, I just want to verify there are barrel connectors in both the Sat and OTA cables? My OTA cable is good but SAT is not.


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travelin2

Pennsylvania Chapter Leaders-retired
Re: ATF: Bighorn - Coax issues

Lou, I just want to verify there are barrel connectors in both the Sat and OTA cables? My OTA cable is good but SAT is not.


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I can speak to that... the answer is yes. Think about it a bit. The slides are assembled (wired) separately from the main coach. Therefore there are connections under each slide for any electrical and cable connections. Like Lou said, if you trace lines under there you’ll find a black coax for cable/OTA and a white cable for satellite. Both have barrel connections just inside the frame.


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Kbvols

Well-known member
Re: ATF: Bighorn - Coax issues

I can speak to that... the answer is yes. Think about it a bit. The slides are assembled (wired) separately from the main coach. Therefore there are connections under each slide for any electrical and cable connections. Like Lou said, if you trace lines under there you’ll find a black coax for cable/OTA and a white cable for satellite. Both have barrel connections just inside the frame.


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Got it makes sense. Project when it comes out of storage. Hopefully will be the answer to the PIA satellite not getting signal. Thanks for the clarification Lyle. Hope you and Nancy have Merry Christmas!


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Lou_and_Bette

Well-known member
As Lyle stated, both have barrel connectors but wanted to say thanks to Lyle for the explanation on why they are there. Hope this solves your problem when you get to it Keith.
 

Kbvols

Well-known member
As Lyle stated, both have barrel connectors but wanted to say thanks to Lyle for the explanation on why they are there. Hope this solves your problem when you get to it Keith.

Lou, I much appreciate the insight and information.


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Lou_and_Bette

Well-known member
You are very welcome Keith. I certainly get more out of belonging to this forum than I am able to give back. I live to serve.:)
 
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