Outside TV Question...

[AnnR]

Hello everyone! I have a (probably stupid) question about the TV connection on the outside of the RV. Does this connection work with the regular antenna on top of the trailer and the antenna boost? I was going to buy a small TV to put in the bedroom that we could also use outside on the deck for football games. When I mentioned this to our camping neighbor, he said outside connections only work with cable hookups or sattelite dishes, not the antenna. He's a heckuva nice guy, but the kind of guy who knows everything about everything and feels the need to share it with everyone . He also has an SOB trailer, not a Heartland, so I'm hoping it's different. I found a Sundance TV wiring diagram on the forum by using the advanced search, and it looks like everything is connected, but I'm no electrician or cable lady! I don't want to buy the tv if it won't work with the outside connection because we really wouldn't use it much in the bedroom. We camp in a fairly rural area, but do get a good signal for many stations with the power boost turned on (nothing without it, if that makes a difference.) Will a TV work outside with the antenna/boost and is there anything special I need to do to hook it up or switch the signal to that connection? There's also a little football rivalry going on here - he's a Bears fan, my husband is a Packers fan, and I'm a Lions fan (and not embarrassed!) I would love to hook up the TV and invite him over for a cold beverage during a Lions or Packers game! Thanks for any help!

 

[danemayer]

Hi Annr,

On the left side of the wiring diagram, it looks like one of the connections is for an external TV. I'm not familiar with the Sundance layout, but I would assume that's on the door side of the rig. It's downstream from the signal booster and should receive the same TV signals (or cable) as the TV inside. No special hookup or selectors required. You can watch both TVs at the same time if you want.

The right side of the diagram shows the connections for cable and satellite coming into the rig. Those connectors might be in the Universal Docking Center (UDC) with the plumbing connections. They are inputs and will not get the amplified signal from the TV Antenna Booster.

The booster has to be on for antenna reception and has to be off for cable connections.

 

[cookie]

Take a look in the basement for a connector on the door side of the basement wall.
If you don't find one then you might be able to fish a cable from the bedroom to the basement.
Your husband is a smart man......GO PACK!

Peace
Dave

 

[AnnR]

Thanks for the quick and helpful reply! We do have an unlabeled co-ax connection just to the left of the main (living room) door, which is where I had planned to hook up the TV. I remember seeing a labeled cable connection on the back (bumper) end of the trailer next to a labeled telephone (?) connection, which I guessed would be the input. I couldn't figure out why the antenna would only work for one of the 3 TV hookups. I've been browsing the TV section of the forum since I posted and found lots of info about the bedroom TV hookups which according to the diagram seem to be on the same line (?) as the outside hookup, so I think I'm learning some helpful troubleshooting if it doesn't work at first. If for some reason the outside connection doesn't work at all, I can always get an extra long cable and hook it up to the bedroom connection and run the cable through the plastic sliding handle area of the back (bedroom) door! Not as pretty, but it should work. This forum is like having the world's best and biggest owners' manual!

 

[AnnR]

Take a look in the basement for a connector on the door side of the basement wall.
If you don't find one then you might be able to fish a cable from the bedroom to the basement.
Your husband is a smart man......GO PACK!

Peace
Dave

Thanks Dave - our Sundance is a TT, not a 5er (I know, kind of unusual, they seem to have stopped making them) but the connection seems to be about in the same place, just on the outside, so I think everything should work. OK, two trusted opinions from the forum - it's time to start TV shopping! Now about your taste in football teams ... well, at least you're not a Bears fan, right?