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Old 01-26-2011, 07:11 AM   #1
mel07green
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ARGHHH. Need help hooking up satellite

Why oh why is nothing labelled in this Alpine?

OK, so we bought a DISH 1000 but are unable to get a signal. At all. There are three possible places where the receiver can connect to the wall behind the TV. Any suggestions???

Keystone sent me a wiring diagram - for the Montana Big Sky.
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Old 01-26-2011, 10:53 AM   #2
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Question Will need help also

Melinda and William -

This was going to be one of my "chores" this coming weekend - setting up the DirecTV dish and sorting out the wiring. Any insight you might gain would be appreciated!

Ron
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Old 01-26-2011, 11:15 AM   #3
DocData757
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I went through all this when I got mine too.

First, in the convenience center, there are 3 connections. The left most, with a round cap, is for cable. The next 2 are for satellite/phone. The one with the coax is for the satellite cable from the antenna.

Next, in the master bedroom, you need to jumper the 2 coax connections above the TV that are on the same wall plate. This will get your signal to the back entertainment area.

Finally, behind the main TV there are 4 wall plates. The two on the left have coax connections. The one at the bottom (at least on mine) is what you hook to your receiver box and then connect the receiver box to the TV. The top plate is for the cable connection to your TV and/or the antenna connection to the Audio receiver.

All this assumes you have the same setup as I do.

First thing I recommend is running a wire directly from your satellite to the receiver box and get your disk aimed. Once you have a picture, you can be sure that is all working. Then start with the hook ups. If it doesn't work. one of the hook ups are wrong.

Good luck.

Dave
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Old 01-26-2011, 04:22 PM   #4
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Thanks so much, Dave, for taking the time to do that.

It appears they forgot to put the two coax connections in the bedroom. Our plate only has one
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Old 01-26-2011, 05:18 PM   #5
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Satellite

We found that if we hooked up the dish to the receiver to the television and got signal we did good. We have a signal finder (makes life easier) We are going into our second year and still do not have signal in bedroom. And still bring the coax in through the window. BUT I do have television. Maybe this year we will figure out the other connection!

Good Luck!!!
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Old 01-26-2011, 05:54 PM   #6
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One thing to keep in mind when dealing with a satellite receiver - they will NOT work if there is a generic "splitter" anywhere in the cable!

The receiver sends a DC voltage (IIRC, ~13VDC) through the cable to provide operating voltage to the LNB (doohickey on the end of the dish "arm"). A generic splitter will not let this voltage pass through properly, so you'll never get a signal.

Of course, the easiest way for the manufacturer to provide cable to multiple TVs is via a splitter - causing hate and discontent for satellite owners.

If you need to feed multiple receivers (more than 2, or if one is a DVR that needs 2 inputs), you will need a dual-LNB dish (even the cheap ones typically have this) and a multiswitch - these have both the LNB feeds on one side, and multiple outputs to the receivers (usually anywhere from 4-8 outputs).

Multiswitch example: (hey, at least they're cheap!)
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Old 01-27-2011, 07:44 AM   #7
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Thanks for all your suggestions.

This is all so confusing and annoying, tbh. The closest I've come to hooking up a satellite is phoning DISH Network.

Yes, there is a splitter, the one that was already on the receiver we took from our house. But it worked fine at our house. We did manage to get a signal locked in from one satellite, but not the other two. We were tired and hungry and after two futile hours, gave up.

Is there anyway to counteract the boo-boo in the bedroom, where they forgot to install TWO coax jacks for the loop?

"Satellite-ready" is about as hollow a promise as the so-called "Therma-Shield".
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Old 01-27-2011, 07:54 AM   #8
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So, you only have one wall plate located above the TV in the bedroom? I have 2. One has 2 coax that had to be jumpered (which I found out after talking to Keystone). This allows me to install another Satellite receiver (don't know where I'd put it) in the front bedroom and still get a signal to the rear entertainment system. The other is the one that has one coax and a 12v cigarette lighter style plug. It has a pushbutton on it that turns on/off an amplifier.

This 2nd plate in my setup is for cable to the rear TV. To get cable to front TV that switch (and small lamp) has to be off. More on that later.

Maybe since they didn't put in the plate with the 2 coax, you don't need the jumper because it is a direct run to the rear entertainment set.

In the rear, you will see a splitter down inside the TV storage area. It is the antenna to the audio receiver as well as the cable to the TV. With the switch off in the bedroom (that push button on he plate over the TV), cable comes into the rear TV but no radio signal goes to the receiver. With the switch on, the radio gets a signal but there is no cable. This is fine since I can't think of when I would listen to a radio station and watch TV at the same time.

I needed 2 cables to my DVR to work the way I wanted and found splitters don't work. I ran one cable through the camper wiring and the other I installed myself. I drilled a hole through the side of the camper that enters into the area where the audio receiver is located. I covered it with a wall plate that has a coax connector in it. I ran a short cable from the inside of that connector to the DVR's second connection. This stays hooked up all the time. I ran a second cable from the dish to the coax that now sticks out on the side wall of the camper. Works perfectly, it's a clean install and easy to setup and breakdown.
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Old 01-27-2011, 08:31 AM   #9
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Thanks, Dave.

I'm going to have William read your reply this evening. It's more than my little mind can process
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Old 01-27-2011, 08:36 AM   #10
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Another thought... is that missing wall plate with 2 connectors behind the TV in the bedroom. That this is a bear to get out and put back in so have patience when you check.

Again, I want to stress my recommendation that you do a straight run first , cable from the dish through a door, window or slide seal directly to the receiver to confirm you have the dish setup and aimed right and that the receiver is working. This way you know for sure it is all working. Then you can move on to the wiring in the camper.

PM sent.
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Old 01-27-2011, 08:54 AM   #11
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Nope, there's nothing behind the TV. The plate is where it should be, but it only has ONE coax jack instead of two, so nothing to loop to.

Behind the main TV in the rear there are two coax plates. The top one has one jack and the bottom has two.

We did attempt a straight run last night. We got one satellite locked in, but the other two nada. Neither of us has any experience with this, so it's all quite comedic. Dish blew over the night we got it, and the arm cracked off. Disaster all round, really.
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Old 01-27-2011, 10:34 AM   #12
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Spike the dish tripod into the ground or at least put some weight on it.

If you are getting a picture on your TV frm the satellite, I wouldn't worry about the other satellites at this point. You can tweak the aiming once you have a good hook up.

Of the 2 plates behind the rear TV, the top one already has a coax and splitter on it..yes? If so, then its the bottom one you want for satellite. Now, we just have to hope that the missing plate in the bedroom doesn't mean that the wire is spit behind the wall.

You should now be able to connect your dish to the connector makred satellite in the convenience Center and run a cable from that lower plate to your TV. It the wire in the camper is entact, you should have a picture.
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Old 01-27-2011, 12:16 PM   #13
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OK, the first pic is above the TV in the bedroom - see, just one coax on that plate on the right, not two.

The second pic is behind the TV. It's not very clear, but at the moment the top coax is plugged into the receiver (which is clearly wrong).

Attachment 241

Attachment 242
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Old 01-27-2011, 01:33 PM   #14
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I'm thinking yours is a bit backwards from mine.

I'm wondering if the plate with double coax is the satellite with one being what you hook to the sat receiver and he other being the one that goes to the bedroom.

It's a lot of trial and error but...

You said you had the satellite working so I would hook the cable from the dish to the coax in the convenience center and then take one from the lower plate to your sat receiver and then from the sat receiver to your TV. If it doesn't work, try the same hook up but use the other coax on that plate.
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Old 01-27-2011, 01:38 PM   #15
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Yep, process of elimination, it would appear ...

Curious that they don't make life easier by labelling, or else providing clear instructions. The manual reads more like a legal disclaimer than any kind of useful owner's guide.

Thanks again your time and patience with this. Much appreciated.
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Old 02-12-2011, 05:47 AM   #16
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Satelite cable routing

We have a Big Sky 2010. Could not get Dish to work through factory installed cable due to generic splitters.
Ended up running cable through the slide and up the wall to Dish Box.
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Old 02-13-2011, 12:25 PM   #17
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I don't know what kind of antenna/amplifier system Keystone uses because I havn't picked mine up yet. If it's a Winegard batwing with the little button that turns it on and off. it will not work with a satellite dish according to Winegard. The dish requires 12VDC to operate(not a separate 12V wire) that is sent from the receiver through the satellite coax cable. I ran a dedicated satellite cable for my television.
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Old 05-10-2011, 06:08 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mel07green View Post
Yep, process of elimination, it would appear ...

Curious that they don't make life easier by labelling, or else providing clear instructions. The manual reads more like a legal disclaimer than any kind of useful owner's guide.

Thanks again your time and patience with this. Much appreciated.
Mel I am new to this forum as well as rving so forgive me if I mess this post up. I too have the Alpine 3500RE and I have your same headache. It seems that Keystone don't have a cable/sat diagram for this model. I have received 3 different diagrams non of which help me. Still my issue right now is that I can only get tv over the air. I have auto tuned the tv for the cable channels provided by the rv park and all I get is snowy pictures. Air channels are crystal clear. I have connect to all the outlets possible...nothing!!!! I want to get sat but reading the posts it seems a daunting thought. Did you finally get it all to work?
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Old 05-10-2011, 08:40 PM   #19
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Mychesh, Howdy;

If you are using the exterior connection for the Park's Cable system andit is connected thru the same coax connection that you use for the antenna. Are you turning OFF the antenna amplifier (small button makes the green light go off)?
Generally have to do that to make the cable work better. Or so I've been told.
Hope that is all that it was.

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Old 05-11-2011, 06:29 PM   #20
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Turn OFF the booster

In order to receive TV in anything BUT air connect...turn off the booster. DW and I also have a dish. After reading the previous posts the first thing I added to my Bullet was a direct coax for the sat dish. I was told that even tho the coax connection for dish was a straight shot deal it would be best to have the booster OFF for that as well. Don't know for sure cause I haven't turned it on w/dish just to prove/disprove. And can't dish aiming be FUN?//Good Luck and Travel Well..
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