Still can't get TV channels

[Oregon_Camper]

Had a quick trip out this weekend.... Only 40 mins from home.

I know for sure TV channels are broadcasted this far as my neighbor was getting OTA tv

So... What am I doing wrong? Scanned for channels numerous times... Changed coax cable connection above TV... Nothing. I tried with the button pushed on (on) and out (off).

Attached images of how it is setup now.

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[Garypowell]

Don't know your unit...I am sure someone who does will chim in. But a couple of quick hints.

1. For ~$40 you can get a "toner" at big box home store. With this you can trace all your lines. Many in the past have reported finding bad cables, loose connections.

2. If you are that close to home you should get 20+ channels with a coat hanger. I would prove that the tv is actually working. You can find directions on the web....get the analog to cable connector ar Radio Shack for $8.

 

[JohnD]

Did you try running the coax off of the other connection on the bottom of that brown plate to the back of the TV?

Mine was labled cable on top and satellite on the bottom . . . but guess where the cable and antenna came out?

HINT: . . . it wasn't the one labled 'cable'.

I also discovered that everything in the basement concerning TV, cable and satellite was hooked up completely backwards to the point that I removed every single splitter in the trailer and connected everything so there was one straight shot from the antenna all the way back to the living room.

I also discovered that the trailer's built-in stereo (Fussion) was shorting out the antenna and cable at the splitter inside of the entertainment center, so now we don't have any AM/FM radio in the trailer.

It is going in this week to get these and several other warranty issues resolved!

 

[danemayer]

In the bedroom, press the button to turn on the signal booster. The LED on that panel will light up and a rescan should bring in channels.

 

[maddog]

Antenna amplifier turned on?

 

[JohnD]

Antenna amplifier turned on?

In the OP he said he tried it both on and off.

 

[Oregon_Camper]

In the OP he said he tried it both on and off.

Yep...no luck either way.

 

[JohnD]

Yep...no luck either way.

Did you try switching the coax to the other connection on either of the brown wall plates?

As I mentioned, ours were labeled backwards and I found I was getting the antenna and cable through the one marked 'satellite'.

What I did was to run a 50-foot coax cable from the bedroom ceiling plate (where the antenna is hooked up directly along with the red button for the signal amplifier and ran it all the way down to the living room TV and hooked it to the back directly to see if I was getting the cable signal at least from there) . . . which I was.

This also told me that the problem had to be in the wiring down in the basement . . . which it was!

I then removed all of the splitters in the basement (also disconnected the cable outlet in the basement for an outside TV) and in the entertainment center (two splitters total) and made it one straight coax line all the way to the wall plate in the entertainment center.

This brought the signal back to the TV in the living room, but still not good!

It was when I remembered that there was one more splitter inside the entertainment center behind the built-in stereo and disconnected the radio coax antenna connection that I suddenly got an almost perfect picture to the living room TV.

I removed that splitter as well, but the coax wires have shorts in them behind the stereo and I had to wedge them in there just right to keep the signal.

My dealership is going to completely rewire the coax system in our trailer next week while it is in for warranty repairs, and am waiting to hear if Heartland is going to replace the stereo as it has never worked very good, either.

 

[gasman]

Unscrew the antenna booster and check to see how the coaxes are connected. Mine were not on the correct terminals. Once I switched them I had great TV.

 

[etcmss]

has it ever worked? same result on both TV's I take it? Any recent work at the antenna area? My connections in the entertainment cabinet to the TV were backwards. I found that when trying to get satellite to work.
Gary

 

[jmgratz]

Here is my comment. Check the connectors that they are properly installed, tight and in the proper position. But why has this been such an on-going issue over the years. Why won't the factory train their employees (all involved regarding which factory) to properly install the connectors, and to connect the correct wire to the correct terminal?

 

[HornedToad]

A problem I've had with my OTA signal...
My Direct TV is hooked up to all the TVs on channel 3
and I can watch OTA by changing the channel on the TV.

With the booster on or off, when the Direct TV box is on
I loose a few of the OTA network channels,
but I can pick them up when the Direct TV box is off???

 

[Oregon_Camper]

has it ever worked? same result on both TV's I take it? Any recent work at the antenna area? My connections in the entertainment cabinet to the TV were backwards. I found that when trying to get satellite to work.
Gary

We've never camped where we'd have service, so I'm not sure it if has ever worked.

We're going out again in 3 weeks, so I'll try swapping the Satellite/Cable connections.

BTW...our 3160 only came with 1 TV. (which I'm fine with)....was I suppose to have 2?

 

[Bob&Patty]

That would depend on how the coach was ordered. A quick call the HL with your VIN# and they could tell you yes or no on the 2nd TV.

 

[Bogie]

I don't know what TV you have, but after checking the connections you might want to check your TV settings before you re-scan to make sure the scan is set to Over The Air channels and NOT Cable Channels. These are two very different scans. Scanning on cable channels when using the antenna will give the result you describe.


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[JohnD]

Neither of our two Heartland's came with TV's . . .

The two we have in our Prowler are the same two I bought for our previous Trail Runner.

You get a much better TV for half the price when you buy your own.

 

[Oregon_Camper]

I don't know what TV you have, but after checking the connections you might want to check your TV settings before you re-scan to make sure the scan is set to Over The Air channels and NOT Cable Channels. These are two very different scans. Scanning on cable channels when using the antenna will give the result you describe.

I thought of this, but there is no option (on my TV) to scan OTA. I just get one option and it scans all sources (take about 4-5 minutes to complete)

 

[danemayer]

What's the make and model of the TV?


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[gasman]

Okay I remembered the problem I had. The cable and antenna coaxes were reversed on the back of the booster. I switched them around and all was well.

 

[etcmss]

Scanning OTA TV channels to me means to scan antenna---the TV may or may not be selected to antenna. and then when hooked up to cable---with booster off a new scan is done.
My 3260EL is almost the same as 3160 and we have 2TV's. Did you order without the bedroom unit? You would have remembered excluding the other TV I suspect. Ours is mounted above the dresser.
And the comment about "why can't the factory get this right (or fix this)? I have wondered that for quite some time also----it is not that hard, and seems many PDI's don't uncover this ---tells me they don't check all modes or connections........needs fixed.
Gary