ATF: Cyclone - Cable connections?

[RachelMcC]

We have a 2016 Cyclone 4018. We're on the road with it for the first time. We've been trying for hours to figure out how to get the cable to connect. Can anyone advise us, please?? Thanks!!

 

[danemayer]

Hi RachelMcC,

Congratulations on the new Cyclone and welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum.

I'm not familiar with the Cy 4018 layout, but let me give you some general thoughts.

In the Universal Docking Center (UDC), you probably have both satellite coax connectors, and a cable coax connector. Usually the cable connector is not on the same surface of the UDC. So make sure you're connected to the cable connector.

Inside the coach, there is a signal booster. Not sure where it's located in your rig, but it's often in the bedroom. There's a small push/push switch and an LED light. The booster must be ON for over the air TV, and it must be OFF for cable.

Assuming you're trying to watch in the living room, there are probably two coax connectors there: one for antenna/cable and the other for satellite. You should be hooked up to the antenna/cable connector and the other end goes to your TV's coax input.

Note that in some RV parks, a set top box may be required, which would be connected in between your coax connection in the living room, and your TV.

On the TV, you have to go into the menu and select between Antenna (Air) and Cable. Then run a channel scan to pick up the available cable channels.

If you don't get anything, it could be that the living room coax connectors are labeled backwards. Try the other one.

If it still doesn't work, and you have a long enough piece of coax cable, try connecting at the signal booster and run that to the living room TV. That would verify the 1st portion of the cable run.

Finally, although it's relatively uncommon now, it used to be fairly common to have poorly crimped coax connectors that are loose, or have strands of the ground shield touching the center connector. If it still doesn't work - check there.

Let us know what you find.

 

[TxCowboy]

Dane gave you some good advice. One other thing that is often overlooked is that sometimes the coax connections are just loose. In my new Key West, almost every coax cable was only on the connector about one turn. I hand tightened them all -- UDC, bedroom, all of the living room connections plus the connections for the outdoor TV -- and everything worked great after that.

 

[RachelMcC]

Thank you both for your responses. We have 4 coax connectors and have tried them all with 4 with no success. I've checked behind the living room TV and there are 2 connectors there, but I am completely unable to reach them to try switching that one. Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[danemayer]

Thank you both for your responses. We have 4 coax connectors and have tried them all with 4 with no success. I've checked behind the living room TV and there are 2 connectors there, but I am completely unable to reach them to try switching that one. Any suggestions? Thanks!

The 4 coax connectors in a row are probably satellite. Look on the other surfaces of the UDC for a coax connector by itself. That's for cable TV.

 

[avvidclif]

Since I can't make a link work. In the section above is the HUG link. Or just click on the following for a shortcut. It has 2 different layouts for the CY/RW cable layouts. If neither fits I have a third and since mine doesn't match any of the 3 if I ever get around to tracing mine out there will a 4th. Have fun is all I can say.

http://manuals.heartlandowners.org/?man=Electronics/Coax_Layouts/All_Brands

 

[IronJ]

I have a 15 RW that don't match the 2 posted... (I have a splitter on my sat cable DIRECTLY behind the udc...not sure where they go as none of the outlets will work my dish box. ..

ALSO, after fighting to get park cable to at least work I found out that the sat and cable wires we're crossed in the bedroom at the splitter (my sat cable was running to the park cable spot on the amp/splitter plate.....

So now I at least get ant and park cable on all the tvs....

To use the sat I have to sting a dang wire through my patio door directly to the box....

I'd like to see the 3rd possible wiring diagram ??

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[avvidclif]

Layout # 3, also submitted to the HUG. Note the drawing number.

- - - Updated - - -

Also as temporary fix on mine I found the white wire behind the Main TV for the Sat in. It ran right by the UDC. Hmmmmm. It got cut and attached to the Sat connection in the UDC. I'll figure out where the splitter that was hooked there goes later. It disappears up into the maze.

 

[IronJ]

I guess ill have to dig deeper.....I have a 2 way (not a 3 way) splitter directly behind the udc sat in feed wire....no idea where those 2 go, but it looks like up towards the ent center area.....

iv tried hooking my sat directly to the splitter and then directly to each of the 2 wires.....nothing....the wires in my udc sat feed are black....the one that goes to the sat connection in the ent center is white?

its frustrating to say the least

 

[danemayer]

I don't know about Dish equipment, but Directv SWM LNBs require power coming back through the system. Some splitters will pass power on one connection (but not all). I'd be surprised if the splitters installed at the factory are this type.

If your LNB needs power, the power inserter will probably have to go in the UDC.

 

[avvidclif]

I guess ill have to dig deeper.....I have a 2 way (not a 3 way) splitter directly behind the udc sat in feed wire....no idea where those 2 go, but it looks like up towards the ent center area.....

iv tried hooking my sat directly to the splitter and then directly to each of the 2 wires.....nothing....the wires in my udc sat feed are black....the one that goes to the sat connection in the ent center is white?

its frustrating to say the least

That's what I have. A 2 way splitter rated for 900 MHz which won't pass satellite. The output wire are black and go up into the middle. Somewhere up in there they convert to white wires and one goes to the storage connection for a tv, another to the bedroom, and the third to the Ent center. Now just how 2 black wires are converted to white and where I don't have a clue. Since I hooked the Ent white wire directly to the UDC I haven't been in a hurry to figure it out.

 

[IronJ]

I'll have to look at the splitter again but I was pretty positive it was rated to pass both signal and power necessary for my tailgater...but you called it...udc---> 2 way splitter ---> some where in the middle of trailer.... and white wires at all the sat wall plates...?

Also i tried bypassing the splitter behind the udc and connecting to each of the two output wires directly. ...still nothing...?

But riddle me this... (I would be extatic to have ONE working outlet)...where did you grab the ent cent wire to run to the udc??

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[avvidclif]

My layout is totally different. My Ent center is in the middle of the rv facing the rear. The connections were on the drivers side and going to the front and right by the UDC. That made it simple. I see you're also in Tx. Where? I have all of the cable tracing equipment and we might could gather up...

 

[IronJ]

I'm in lubbock. ..It is still under warranty so if it becomes that big of an issue I'll have the dealer fix it when i take it back...we still have a couple of trips as well as some tailgaiting to do...so it would be nice to have ONE outlet working. ..

My ent center tv and patio tv are both connected to the box via an hdmi splitter...so if I could get that outlet working at least I would have those 2 tvs?..

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