BAC Forum
General Boards => Technical Support => Topic started by: Justin Youngren on August 23, 2014, 05:00:09 PM
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Hi, my name is Pam and my husband and I bought a 2006 Monterey. The coach has been prewired for sattelite but there was never a dome on the roof. Does anyone know where we might find the cable to install a dome? It would be great if we are able to use the existing coax system so we can have the same station on the bedroom tv. Thanks for any help with this :)
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Pam,
Not sure where to cut the roof for the dome. Perhaps someone with same year coach can answer. The cable from the satellite should go into a splitter or series of them that will route the signal to both TVs and possibly the basement outlet if you have one.
Steve
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I would suggest that you get in touch with BCS (800.382.2597) in Bend, Or and run it by them, if they don't know I'll bet they can point you in the right direction.
On the Thunder all the antenna coaxial cables air, satellite, park cable go into the cabinet above and behind the co-pilots seat, then they go to the bedroom and basement from there.
Good luck.
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Pam,
Not sure where to cut the roof for the dome. Perhaps someone with same year coach can answer. The cable from the satellite should go into a splitter or series of them that will route the signal to both TVs and possibly the basement outlet if you have one.
Steve
The cable from a satellite would NEVER go through splitters unless it was a brand new SWM DirecTV system which didn't even exist when the OPs coach was built. Signals from a satellite dish have to to directly to a receiver before they can go anywhere else.
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Pam,
I suggest that you look into the numerous choices that are available before you buy a dome antenna. A dome is antiquated technology with several performance issues for the new HD satellite systems. The only reason to buy a dome antenna is that if you do not care about HD service, but you want in motion ability instead.
Gerald
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Joel,
You're right. I was thinking antenna and cable. So Pam & Justin should have a coax cable end somewhere in the front cabinets where the sat receiver would normally be placed. They then probably have 2 (RCA cable sets?) that run from the receiver the 2 TVs. Thanks for the correction.
Steve
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Since the dish was never installed in their MH they may not have any wiring for the TV other than the coax cable "box of many buttons". Many satellite TV receivers these days don't even have coax outputs so they may have to use a wireless system to get to the rear TV or buy a modulator to upconvert the RCA outputs to the coax. I'm with Gerald that anything other than a system capable of receiving HD is really a waste of money these days unless you absolutely have to have in-motion capability.
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thanks everyone for your input. I probably have my terms wrong . The receiver is a vip 211z. The antenna is a stationary but automatic mobil one that we want to mount permanently. You are right in that the receiver only has one coax in. Would it possibly work to go through an old satellite receiver that had all the connections?
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Justin,
I'm confused. Is the vip211z receiver in the RV now? Are you wanting to replace it or? The 211 has a coax sat in, a coax TV out,HDMI out, an RCA RWY and RBG outputs so you should have enough outputs to drive both TVs. An older receiver should also work if the satellite service (Dish, Direct TV, etc,) still supports it and the card is still good. You will probably lose the HD (HDMI) capability bu t if you are looking for an in motion setup you lose it anyway. I have a KVH dome on my coach. We don't use the in-motion capability but I tried it as an experiment and it seemed to worked fine. It certainly acquires the signal much faster that a Winegard dome I had previously.
Steve
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Gerald is absolutely correct in stating that a dome is not the way to go. I had a Winegard Roadtrip SDi in motion dome on the Thunder, the key word here is had. Couldn't watch different channels in the rear and front if the channels were on different sat's. Removed it and installed a Winegard Traveler SK1000 for Dish network, it is full on HD and it will pull signal through most anything. The dome would go wacky in the fog in Morro Bay every morninng, not this one..
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To clarify, Pam... You have the Dish Network receiver and a dome but need to install them on a coach you know is prewired. The information you need is precisely where the coax and control wires terminate under the roof so you can figure out where to mount the dome?
Joel
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Yes that is right except the dish is a portable that we got the kit for to mount permanently. We picked up a video control center that has 12 volt power for the sat in so I think we are ready other than the coax to hook to the dish.
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I guess we will figure the wiring out one way or another but we really don't want to drill holes or screw the dish on in the wrong spot. Is there usually a spot that is stronger to mount to? There I'd a raised spot towards the front that I think is about where the front cabinets go across.
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I don't know exactly which submodel of Monterey you have, but here is a photo of the Kingdome on ours, which is a 36' 10" Ventura IV. It may provide some guidance, but Beaver Coach Sales in Bend may clue you in as to how to precisely locate the terminus of the antenna loom.
Particlulars in our case are:
16" from Fantastic Vent rear bolt line to frontmost 2 bolts on the Kingdome mount plates;
38" from the curb side wall of the RV to the curbside 2 bolts on the Kingdome mount plates;
43" from the street side wall to the street side 2 bolts on the Kingdome mount plates;
19" between any two bolts on the Kingdome mount plates;
165" from the rear cap wall to the rearmost 2 bolts on the Kingdome mount plates.
Hopefully this will be of some use, but I'd think there'd be some mark on the roof designating such a terminus beneath. Whether or not that's the case, BCS should have some advice.
-Joel
click on the photo and your browser should open it with your photo viewer in a larger format
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Thank you I am going to call them today. I still am going to have to get an adapter because my reciever only has one coax going in and the out is hdmi, usb or RCA. The cables in the front cabitet are coax for the sat. and there is one set of video cables that I don't know where they go. The bedroom tv only had one coax that I could see going in and one out of the vcr but I didn't pull the tv to see if the other cable from the front was pluged in or not. I would assume it is direct to the tv. The whole system was for direct tv and we have dish so I hope we can get it to work. Thanks again for all the input I am glad there are people out there willing to help however they can. :) Pam
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OK so I called BCS. I had all my questions ready for them about the tv/sat. and questions about the carefree awning over the door and where to recharge the dash air conditioner. He didn't have any good answers for me. He did tell me that there is not a sat cable going to the bedroom tv and that there are several wires in the roof so to be careful where we drilled. No coax in the roof though. I am quite confused as the wires are in the cabinet for satellite. He said it wouldn't work with the new systems though. I am going to try to see if I can pass through an old direct tv reciever and if that doesn't work we will just leave the dish mobile and pass the wire through the window. I will post my question on the awning seperate. Thanks again :) :-/
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OK so I called BCS and found out there is not a coax in the roof for the dish. They also told me that I couldn't get sat. on the bedroom tv. They were wrong. I took the vcr in the bedroom back out and studied the cables that were hooked to it. There were two sets of rca video cables, one in and one out so I looked to see what colors the in one was and then went back to the front cabinet and found the other end of it and hooked it into my sat. reciever and low and behold sat. in the bedroom! :) Then I didn't have another rca out from the reciever to go to the vcr with surround sound so I called the local guitar center and they ordered a RCA to USB cable for me so I can connect the sat receiver to the vcr for the sound. Still not sure about where to mount the dish as BCS said there are lots of wires in the roof and no extra support for the dish. We are wondering if we should drill a hole for the coax from the inside the front cabinet to avoid hitting other wires. Do you think it would be ok that the wire run on top of the roof a short distance to the dish or is that a bad idea. There are three feet that have 3 screws each to hold it plus the goop that seals everything. Doesn't seem like much to hold it down in high wind traveling but I assume the goop helps glue it as well. Your input is greatly appreciated! Pam
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Justin, Pam,
See pictures. The cables/ control wires to my dome run through a hole cut in the roof inside the TV cabinet above the driver. Cable is secured to the roof with clamps and all is sealed with Dicor. We get no wind noise etc. Works very well.
Steve
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Justin,
The VIP 211Z is a Dish HD receiver. You mention a dish that is stationary but mountable but did not mention what it was.
Later Ed
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It is a winegaurd pathway x1. Thanks for the photos that helps a lot. The dish is a winegaurd pathway x1.
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Trying to get photo small enough to send. Hopefully this works.
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Justin,
There is a guide to resizing photos for the forum. It's a "sticky" in the General Discussion area of the Members Only section.
Steve
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Just a side comment for you to think about. With a portable, you will most always be able to locate it in a position where you can get reception whenever you are parked. Many times trees block the dish and you are unable to get a signal when camped. On the other hand, if you want music or something when going down the road, you need it mounted. Personally, I would opt for Sirius if I wanted music while driving.
Roy
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When ours was new, we bought a KVH dome. The installers put it in the front above the TV locations. There was a clearly marked decal on the middle of the roof that said there was antenna cable under the fiberglass. Apparantly, Beaver thought the dome should be in the middle, not the front.
I asked the installer why he didn't use the factory location. His answer was that the factory installed cable was not always of the highest quality and TV performance was better and more maintainable if they ran their own wiring.
I'll also agree that domes are only for those that want in motion. The "dish" under a dome will be small and dew, rain or bugs on the dome can sometimes be a challenge.
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Justin,
The newer dome dish units are not as antiquated as some might think and are a good solution for many. They have the advantage of possibly being used as both a fixed and a portable unit at the same time, with a little thought, and they do a great job at handling Dish HD programming. The LNB amp/converters have gotten so effective that small dishes are becoming quite capable. Part of the reason is that they can be housed in small domes with steep slopes that shed water much better that would have diminished signals in the past. The larger traveler non domed series has several advantages and that would be my first choice if I had just a fixed roof unit. The signal strength in heavier rain is able to hold signal longer than the portables.
We tend to stay in campgrounds that have some shade from the trees and it can be for extended periods. We have a carry out that was adapted to go from a roof mount to a ground mount and we really like this option. While it is not perfect it is a good compromise for us.
One possibility to consider is a ladder mount shelf system with the ability to be released. In open campsites you would have it mounted at the roof level off the ladder to the side and if you end up staying in a site "shaded" from a clear satellite view it could go on the ground with an extended cable set that allows you to have a satellite view. This option also allows you to have the ability to bring the cable down the ladder with Velcro straps and then routed into the back of the motorhome and mount the receiver in the back bedroom. From there you need to move the HDMI signal to the living room set which is another problem to be solved. In my case I used two Cat 5 cables and routed them to the living room and used amplified Baluns to convert to and from the HDMI format.
I have posted some photos and info on the forum of these projects. This may be all Greek to you and everyone has different skills, priorities, and energy levels. This note is just to let you know that it is possible to have both a fixed and portable dish install, HD TV from Dish Network from a small domed dish, and full HDMI signals for your main TV but it is a significant project with some obstacles to overcome.
If you find that all of this is more than you want to deal with then I would find a skilled installer of RV dishes and get the unit roof mounted as close to the optimum wire routing location of the Dish 211 Receiver. They should be able to fish new cable through the roof to the receiver.
Later Ed
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Thank you so much! I think we will have it mounted in the middle at the front cause the window cable connection did not work. It has to be has to be straight from the receiver to the dish to power the dish. There are no marks on the roof anywhere for the wire end I just hope the dicor and screwed are enough to hold it up there.
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The Dicor will hold, just use some under the metal tabs as well as lap it over once screwed down.
Later Ed
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Ok thanks we will be sure to do that. :)