Newby with TV connection question

[slegere]

Have 2014 Toyhauler Forest River HFS30S. When I take off the wall plate in the front I see an orange wire that is from a splitter hooked into the "cable" connector, the orange split wires comes from another orange cable that I think is cknnected to the outside input. The connector on the wall plate labled for "satellite" has nothing hooked up in the back of the plate.

i want to hook up a portable Wyngard satellite to be able to use it when we can't get a cable connection, like in National Forest. I know u can't hook up a satallite cable to go through a splitter? So how can i connect my satellite cable into my outside coax input and get the video to work on my TV? I also have a TV in the cargo area. This is were we prefer to watch TV-----but Im guessing that means having to figure out how to connect to the wire that feeds the back TV instead ofthe front TV.

Can anyone help me? We are going to TX thjs winter, and the RV campground does not have cable TV.

 

[danemayer]

Hi slegere,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum.

Most of us, being Heartland owners, probably don't know any specifics about Forest River toy haulers, but let me give you a generic answer.

Rooftop antenna wires and exterior cable wires usually merge at a signal booster somewhere in the coach. Satellite signals will not make it through the signal booster. So using a cable TV coax connection for satellite will generally not work.

If your trailer doesn't have an exterior satellite connection, you may have to add one. Your dealer parts department, or a Camping World or Tweety's probably will have an exterior plate and interior plate that you can install to make a pass through in one of your walls. Another method is to use a flat coax jumper designed for a thru-the-window connection. You need the flat jumper, some regular coax wires, and a couple of barrel connectors. Run the flat jumper in through the window and close the window on the flat part.

 

[wdk450]

A couple bits of advice/help. A standard TV cable splitter does not have the extended frequency capabilities needed for the satellite signals. Make sure that any splitters (and coax cable) involved are satellite-rated. That means RG-6 for coax, and satellite splitters like this: http://www.walmart.com/ip/GE-Digital-2-Way-Splitter/16561365

An easy and inexpensive way to sort out which coax is which is to mark and disconnect all coax ends going into devices, and use an alligator clip or piece of wire to short from the center wire to the outside threaded nut. Then take a multimeter on the "low resistance-continuity" function and see which other wire end shows a short between the center wire and the threaded nut (there SHOULD only be 1 such wire). You can also get tone generator/tone sensor kits at Home Depot or Harbor Freight Tools for identifying cables.

You might get some more help on a Forest River Forum, like on the IRV2 website.