No picture using outside satellite connector with dish tailgater

[Scuba_Steve]

Hello to everyone. My head is swimming with all of the experience on this site! I can't find an answer specifically to my satellite issue though.

My wife and I bought a new 2013 Torque last year. It sat on the dealer lot for a year so the savings was considerable . Our problem is when I connect our dish tailgater to the outside satellite coax connector there is no video feed. What I mean by that specifically is that I am able to receive communication between the tailgater and the receiver when using the Torque's built in connection for satellite, but once the satellites are found and the program guide is downloaded, I don't get a picture. Instead I get an error. I get the channel information bar at the top of the screen like it is just seconds from displaying a picture but the picture never actually comes on. I can't recall the specific error code. Directly connected to the receiver, the system works fine. We really dislike running coax through the door or window!

For giggles I tried all of the connections outside. But I got the results I expected. Only one satellite connections works for the living room I'm trying to use it in. When using the direct connect method, I can patch the output to the rest of the trailer (no HD of course on the patched in tvs) and that works well. But of course, I have a cable running through a door or window.

I know the tailgater receives power from the receiver (211 model) so I'm thinking there is a voltage drop or a satellite signal incompatible piece of hardware (i.e. wrong splitter). The fact that I am able to successfully search for satellites and download the guide but not get a picture perplexes me. Any ideas out there on how to use my built in satellite wiring? Unfortunately, Heartland's warranty expired before I knew about the issue.

 

[cookie]

Howdy Scuba_Steve and welcome to this great forum.
It sounds like you are on the right track. Testing with the dish connected directly to the receiver.
And you are correct about a splitter. It can't be just any old splitter.
If I were in your shoes I would check all the connections behind any wall plates inside and the input at the side of your trailer.
Remove the coax connections and check to be sure that there are no shielding wire strands touching the center carrier.
You could also check the coax with a toner or multimeter.
If you find nothing and it still don't work then the easiest solution might be to just run a new coax.
In the mean time you could run your coax through the side of the slide seals. Better than the doors or windows.
Come back and let us know what you find.

Peace
Dave

 

[Scuba_Steve]

Thanks for the reply, I'll check all the connections I can get to. Will I need to remove panels or are the splitters convieniently located behind some of the wall plates do you think? I never thought of running through the slide out seal, that's clever!

 

[Lynn1130]

I am a little confused by what you are trying to do but keep in mind that you need a receiver for each TV and you cannot "split" the DISH signal. You can run it to the living room TV or one of the others but not all.

I run mine to the living room and use the over-the-air antenna for the bedroom. You may be doing that already but if you are getting a a download signal and and it goes through all three steps and starts downloading the guide then it drops out there is some issue with the receiver/signal or tailgator. Call DISH and they will walk you through it. They have me in the past and they may need to give you a signal blast again. Be sure your handle is pointed north so that the tailgator can find the sats and get a good signal.

 

[pegmikef]

I know the tailgater receives power from the receiver (211 model) so I'm thinking there is a voltage drop or a satellite signal incompatible piece of hardware (i.e. wrong splitter). The fact that I am able to successfully search for satellites and download the guide but not get a picture perplexes me. Any ideas out there on how to use my built in satellite wiring? Unfortunately, Heartland's warranty expired before I knew about the issue.

Yeah, I think I know what the problem is. It happens to me whenever I haven't used Dish for awhile (I only use Dish with the RV). What happens is they periodically download updates to your receiver and if your receiver doesn't get the software, then it will do everything up to and including downloading the programming, but ends with some error message about not authorized programming or some other nonsense. You need to call Dish tech support and hope you get a knowledgeable tech. Do this after you are hooked up and see the message. Tell the tech that you need a "hit" and they will download the update and your deal will start working after a few minutes. If you get a not so knowledgeable tech then they will walk you through several steps and end up downloading the update. I now fire mine up at least once a week to avoid this situation.

BTW, your receiver doesn't have to be on when they download the updates you may have missed, just hooked up to the dish and plugged in.

 

[Scuba_Steve]

Thanks Lynn,

the tv patching I referred to was just running a coax from the rear output of the receiver to the second coax from the ceiling that connects to the other rooms. But that isn't an issue, more of a side comment. Good idea to contact dish, and I did do that. But they weren't able to help, they did however send an activation signal to the receiver but again nothing worked.

It is definatley confusing that the system will go through all the motions except play the picture when's using the rig's built in connections. But again, it all works dandy when not using the built in coax and being directly plugged in from the tailgater to the receiver. As a side note, I left the output for the other tv's disconnected when I was trouble shooting so as to avoid introducing a self induced problem. I have been wondering that if the problem was related to the voltage from the receiver to the tailgater if simply using a different dish like the px2 that had its own power source would solve the problem.

im going to go with cookie's idea and start with the basics first and make sure all of the connections are good and ohm out the center pole to the shielding to ensure there isn't a bad connection and then make sure all of the splitters are correct for the application.

if anyone else has had experience please chime in. When your lost, any recommended direction is helpful!

 

[Scuba_Steve]

Thanks pegmikef,

Boy you guys sure are on the ball! I did in fact need a software update at the time, which the receiver "says" it succefully completed while I was camping. But it didn't fix it. Since that trip, I have left it plugged in to my home system (I actually use this receiver in my office and take it with me when I got camping). You are absolutely correct in saying the receiver needs to be re activated and updated when left unused. That's what had happened prior to that trip, I had left it unplugged and unused from the previous trip before. As I said, unfortunately that didn't solve the problem, and by then, momma was done with me messing with it so I just ran the direct cable so she could watch tv.

 

[hp2guy]

We too have a 2015 Cyclone 4100 that has a cable laced through a window because the wiring is incompatible with a Tailgater.

Although we are still under warranty & our dealer sold us the tailgater & Dish box, we are 1500 miles from them.

Does anyone know the correct fix?

 

[Scuba_Steve]

We too have a 2015 Cyclone 4100 that has a cable laced through a window because the wiring is incompatible with a Tailgater.

Although we are still under warranty & our dealer sold us the tailgater & Dish box, we are 1500 miles from them.

Does anyone know the correct fix?

I have yet to learn a fix for that problem. I've just been running the cable through the narrow opening on a slide out so the cable doesn't have to go through a window or door. I had my local rv shop take a look for satellite compatibility with the coaxial splitters. I'm told they are correct for the application. I'm at a loss for a fix, save for yanking out all the coax and reinstalling with known good cable and splitters. Of course, I'll just keep using a direct cable before I do that. Or buy a different satellite dish that has its own power source. At least I'm assuming that voltage drop between the receiver and dish are the problem. But on the other hand, the dish does work it's just the video signal for any given channel that doesn't go through. So maybe just some form of signal loss. Either way, I think a different satellite dish setup will be my next try.

 

[pegmikef]

I have yet to learn a fix for that problem. I've just been running the cable through the narrow opening on a slide out so the cable doesn't have to go through a window or door. I had my local rv shop take a look for satellite compatibility with the coaxial splitters. I'm told they are correct for the application. I'm at a loss for a fix, save for yanking out all the coax and reinstalling with known good cable and splitters. Of course, I'll just keep using a direct cable before I do that. Or buy a different satellite dish that has its own power source. At least I'm assuming that voltage drop between the receiver and dish are the problem. But on the other hand, the dish does work it's just the video signal for any given channel that doesn't go through. So maybe just some form of signal loss. Either way, I think a different satellite dish setup will be my next try.

I dunno about the line voltage drop. I have had a tailgater for four years and have used up to 100 feet of cable in some areas that were heavily wooded. The receiver provides the power. It comes with a fifty foot cable and I don't think they would provide that if the voltage drop was a problem. The main reason I bought the tailgater was so I did not have to mess with a second line for the 12 volt source. I do know that a poor connection anywhere in the system will cause it not to work.

 

[bigred73]

Do you have a seperate plug on the outside for satellite or just one which is usually for cable. If you only have one then your satellite will not work unless you use a splitter behind the faceplate inside the camper. You need to get one that will work with the voltage of the satellite. You usually cannot get these at your local store. I have direct tv and had to pay them to come out and put one in for me that worked. This way I can now run my dish, cable and tv.