Keytv failure - 2nd time

[Vet4jdc]

We own a 2019 MHC331RL. In the first year of ownership we had many issues with the Keytv controller and finally the dealership replaced it under warranty. It has work as designed for four years.



I recently noticed that we were not getting many channels on a "scan" for cable channels and started doing some troubleshooting with focus on bypassing the Keytv controller. I can bypass it and get every available cable channel in the campground. If I run thru the Keytv I get very few channels on all three televisions.


Upon ready more about the controller, it seems that the failure rate of these things is about 60 percent. I new one from Tiara RV is $149.00 on Amazon. Do we really have to buy a new controller every four years just to have proper operation?


Anyone else have any insight or suggestions for a fix?

[chuckster57]

If it was mine, I would toss that control box in the campfire. Get a regular antenna booster and go old school.

How many TVs do you use? Can’t be that hard to re wire the coax cables.

[sourdough]

What is your setup and what inputs (cable/satellite etc.) do you use? Mine was replaced within a month of purchase, never worked properly IMO and I had the dealership just bypass it. It helped Keystone cheap out and run only one cable to an outlet vs 2 - 1 for cable and one for satellite, the box was supposed to "get it right" and it doesn't. My SM said they fail in new RVs at an extremely high rate and the replacements, which they gave to me, failed at about a 65% rate. Don't use the sources the KeyTV module controls so no worry for us. My suggestion for a fix, is which not use it, is not what you are looking for.

[RickV]

Mine failed within about 5 months never bothered with a replacement after reading posts about how they constantly failed. I was using Satellite for the most part, now streaming with a Fire Stick and can connect cable if the CG has it at that connection. My LR is in the center of the 5ver so I got one of these https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and drilled a hole to the outside.

[Vet4jdc]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

If it was mine, I would toss that control box in the campfire. Get a regular antenna booster and go old school.

How many TVs do you use? Can’t be that hard to re wire the coax cables.

Throughout the year, I am using cable about 50% of the time and over the air signal the other 50%. No sat. Using all three tv's.

[chuckster57]

With a coax tester and a booster it should be possible to redo the coax cables.

[dutchmensport]

If you want your camper to stay original and operate as it originally came from the factory, then you have to pay the price. If you don't, then by-passing the system is the way to go.

[ChuckS]

While the overall concept of the KeyTV multisource controller is good the actual device has incurred high failure issues since day one..

The original keytv box was this for your model/year:
https://www.trekwood.com/products/12...nal-Controller

There appears to be a revised version as shown for this link for the 2022 Montana line:
https://www.trekwood.com/products/15...IP-Based-Cable

** no idea which version your current KeyTV box is **

Your year group had several variations of the Roof OTA antenna available as well and so No idea if the antenna on your roof receives 12 volts DC to the antenna preamp head via a separate 12 volt line of over the center conductor of the coax feed from the roof antenna to the KeyTV

Info links above may be of use

[Preyou]

Can someone post a wiring scheme deleting the key tv using just an air antenna?

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Preyou

Can someone post a wiring scheme deleting the key tv using just an air antenna?

Here's a simplified block diagram illustrating the "older, but worked flawlessly" Winegard Antenna System. This diagram shows what you asked, "using just an air antenna system"... However, on the back of the power supply component are three connectors. ANTENNA IN, SATELLITE/CABLE IN and TV OUT. So, there is the capability of "expanding" the system to include satellite and/or cable TV. The output can be "split with appropriate splitters" to feed more than one television receiver, so this "antiquated but works better than KeyTV" will do everything the KeyTV system does with one exception... It doesn't fail every few months. Mine has been working since 2013 when we bought our trailer and I have NO plans to replace it or even to upgrade it...