TV connection problem

Submitted: Sunday, Apr 18, 2010 at 16:25

ThreadID: 77819 Views:7482 Replies:8 FollowUps:10

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leeb1973

Hello

We are currently in Batehaven (near Batemans Bay) & the TV reception is shocking so we hired a TV cable from the caravan park (as has nearly everyone else here!). My problem is that the TV reception is still just as bad when I try to tune in the TV. Our previous Jayco had two separate TV connection sockets inside the van (the socket that connects the aerial/cable connection to the TV) - one when using the aerial on the roof & the other for when we had a cable connected to the van. The Jayco we have now (we have a 2009 Sterling) doesn't have that - it only has one TV connection socket & even with the cable connected into the TV aerial socket outside the van the reception on the TV is still just as bad after retuning.

What are we doing wrong? Is there something we are supposed to change/click so the TV knows we want it to tune in from the cable & not the aerial on the roof?

Hope to hear some answers soon :)

Thanks in advance.
Leanne

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Reply By: Member - Allan B (QLD) - Sunday, Apr 18, 2010 at 16:39

Sunday, Apr 18, 2010 at 16:39

Hi Leanne,
There may be a fault with the antenna wiring within the van. Is the cable supplied by the park long enough to pass into the van and plug directly into the TV? If that produces a good signal then it would appear that the van cabling is at fault.

If you still do not get a good signal it may be your TV or possibly a faulty cable supplied by the park. Ask them if you could try another cable.

Cheers
Allan

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AnswerID: 413437

Reply By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Sunday, Apr 18, 2010 at 17:41

Sunday, Apr 18, 2010 at 17:41

You can buy a thru the wall connector from Caravan places or even Dick Smiths
Cost about $30 You can fit it yourself if you are careful

If using the outside connector turn the booster off Turn the little green light off

AnswerID: 413450

Reply By: mickf69 - Sunday, Apr 18, 2010 at 17:45

Sunday, Apr 18, 2010 at 17:45

hello lee, we had a sterling and just wondering if you have got the button in the cupboard that powers the antenna booster turned off . should be a red light on,next to the little button. we have done that a few times, easy to knock with a container or whatever in that cupboard . cheers

AnswerID: 413451

Reply By: SDG - Sunday, Apr 18, 2010 at 18:36

Sunday, Apr 18, 2010 at 18:36

My parents have a Winnebago and recently purched a digital tv for it. They (read me) are also unable to tune it in. Three other vans I know of are having the same trouble after getting a digital tv. Before these new tv's they were able to tune.
I'm wondering if the problem with these, and yours, might be the aerial. Are they digital ready? Or do these need to be changed?
Have never had troubles installing tv's before, but these omni directional aerials are new to me. Use to the fixed house ones.

AnswerID: 413460

Follow Up By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Sunday, Apr 18, 2010 at 19:15

Sunday, Apr 18, 2010 at 19:15

Tuning a digital Tv is no different to any other. Just remember if you are away from main centres there wont be any Digital except for maybe SBS and ABC

Most Tv aerials on vans are NOT OMNI directional.

Go outside and look to see where the locals have theirs pointed

You have to go into the menu and change the source from Digital to TV depending on what the TV defaults to.

All aerials will pick up digital you dont need a new one.

If you have a Winegard you will have trouble in small places that have vertical polarisation as the Wiegard wont pick it up.

Erldunda comes to mind.

FollowupID: 683551

Reply By: leeb1973 - Sunday, Apr 18, 2010 at 18:59

Sunday, Apr 18, 2010 at 18:59

Thanks everyone for your replies so far. We tried connecting the cable directly to the TV & consequently couldn't get a signal at all!

We thought we would try a different connection on the caravan park side as the one we were using was a bit loose but it was too far away to have it going directly to the TV again so we connected it back to the caravan & still no luck. I got my husband to take the cable back in case that one had a loose wire or something but the lady at reception was leaving (it was 5pm) & she said all the cables are the same so just gave him his money back!!!

Since then some people have said I should turn the booster light off when connected to cable but as I no longer have a cable I can't try that!!! We will try again in the morning though, with a new cable, & hopefully have more luck :)

Leanne

AnswerID: 413463

Follow Up By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Sunday, Apr 18, 2010 at 19:18

Sunday, Apr 18, 2010 at 19:18

Definitely as the booster livens up the head of the Winegard and pokes that to the TV

Turn it off and it allows the second feed in the back of the wall unit to feed the TV.

If its a new van you should have the instructions for the Winegard

Have a read its in there

FollowupID: 683555

Reply By: DIO - Sunday, Apr 18, 2010 at 19:25

Sunday, Apr 18, 2010 at 19:25

The only certain way of reliable TV away from the cities is satellite (free to air or pay).

AnswerID: 413470

Follow Up By: leeb1973 - Sunday, Apr 18, 2010 at 19:59

Sunday, Apr 18, 2010 at 19:59

This is true but considering Batemans Bay has 14,000 people living in it & Batehaven is right next door I didn't expect to have these problems here!!! We had better reception in Quinninup WA & they don't even have a deli/general store!!!

FollowupID: 683566

Follow Up By: SDG - Sunday, Apr 18, 2010 at 20:34

Sunday, Apr 18, 2010 at 20:34

And neither did I smack bang in the middle of Wagga.

FollowupID: 683574

Follow Up By: Ray - Monday, Apr 19, 2010 at 08:04

Monday, Apr 19, 2010 at 08:04

Also Busselton. ABC & SBS very good with a STB but GWN & Win not watchable

FollowupID: 683608

Reply By: Rangiephil - Monday, Apr 19, 2010 at 08:54

Monday, Apr 19, 2010 at 08:54

I am not an expert on this, only learning from experience with a dongle on my Lap top and reading.

First Digital is different to analogue when trying to find a station as it is "all or nothing" and you do not get a ghosted picture like when you are near a signal on analogue.

I have had pretty limited success with my dongle even via an external aerial on a pole and a booster fitted below the aerial. The tuner will just not tune to stations even if you are a few degrees off.

I have resolved to buy a digital signal meter recently introduced by Jaycar that lights up LEDs according to digital signal strength. I plan to set the aerial using the meter then do the tuning. This is the only way it will work once the analogue signals are gone.

Maybe nobody gets a good signal at batehaven. have you asked other vanners?

Regards Philip A

AnswerID: 413523

Follow Up By: Glenndini - Monday, Apr 19, 2010 at 11:08

Monday, Apr 19, 2010 at 11:08

Although advertised as such, the digital TV signal strength indicator from Jaycar is not. It has no digital tuner in it at all. Therefore all it can show is the strength of whatever signal is being received within a certain frequency band. These signals could be digital, analogue, TV or not. A real digital strength meter costs more in the vicinity of $1500.

To receive a digital TV signal, first you will need to know the frequency band and polarisation of the transmitter you are trying to tune to. Then you will need the correct length antenna oriented to match the polarisation.

Then (only if horizontally polarised) you need to point it all in the right direction. ie: towards the transmitter. The jaycar meter might, might help in getting this better.

FollowupID: 683623

Reply By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Wednesday, Apr 21, 2010 at 17:31

Wednesday, Apr 21, 2010 at 17:31

So what happened

After asking the same question on several forums perhaps you would be kind enough to share the solution.

AnswerID: 413794

Follow Up By: leeb1973 - Wednesday, Apr 21, 2010 at 20:35

Wednesday, Apr 21, 2010 at 20:35

Sorry I didn't update before. Friends of ours arrived at the same caravan park so after getting a new cable & that one still not working for us we tried it direct to his TV & it worked beautifully. We tried going direct to our TV again & this time the TV found a number of channels but when connected to the socket outside the caravan - nothing. Obviously there is a problem between the outside cable connection on the caravan to the TV so when we take the van to Jayco Nowra next week we'll get them to check it.

Thanks to everyone who offered pieces of advice :)

Leanne

FollowupID: 684002

Follow Up By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Wednesday, Apr 21, 2010 at 20:38

Wednesday, Apr 21, 2010 at 20:38

Get them to put a separate thru the wall connector as we have had trouble trying to connect park cables through the wall connector that goes thru the Winegard

They are about $31.50 for the good ones You wont need the flash $65 ones

FollowupID: 684003

Follow Up By: leeb1973 - Wednesday, Apr 21, 2010 at 21:25

Wednesday, Apr 21, 2010 at 21:25

Do you mean have two connections in the wall like our previous setup (one socket when using the roof aerial & another for when using a cable)? Or are you talking about something else that is put inside the wall?

Leanne

FollowupID: 684017