Satellite input really for satellite ?

[Bunkhouse]

Hello Everyone,

Our 5th wheel has just one "cable" input although it is labeled "satellite". It works just fine hooked up to park cable, however my question is will this work with my satellite ? I'd rather not have to run separate cable lines through the trailer if I don't need to. Thoughts or suggestions ?

Satellite - Wingard Carryout.

[chuckster57]

It will be fine. Satellite requires RG6 or better coax for a clear signal. Cable signal will work on either RG6 or RG59 ( the other common coax).
I suspect they ran RG6 since its labeled "satellite"

[Bunkhouse]

Thanks I wasn't so much worried about the type of cable, as I was the way in which it's wired within the trailer. The satellite supports only two receivers, and uses two different "outputs". So my question is if I use one cable from the satellite to the trailer will it support multiple TV's ?

I have direct TV at home and I know I can't split the cable line to support more that one TV. In this case I'm using Dish Direct but wondered if I would have the same issue.

[chuckster57]

As I understand it, with the carry out, it will locate and lock on to two satellites. If your using two separate receivers at two separate TV's, you have to watch the same channels broadcast on a satellite. If your secondary receiver tries to watch something else I think the signal fails. And if the primary receiver switches satellites, the secondary receiver will follow. If that makes sense and I explained it right.

We have a carry out bought in 2008 and lots of changes have taken place so I may not be totally right. We take a standard definition receiver with us, and only use the main TV with sat. The bedroom TV gets whatever comes over the air, or on our case the sat line is separate so, the bedroom can get park cable.

[bsmith0404]

My understanding is the same as Chuckster57, I'll just say it differently. It only has one antenna that locks onto satellites. It has two cable outputs that can be connected to two different receivers. Once you lock onto a satellite, you can watch different channels on different TVs, but are limited to the channels available on that satellite. If you change to a channel on one TV that would cause the antenna to look at a different satellite, the other TV would lose it's channel since the satellite it was using is no longer being looked at.

You cannot just connect one cable from the antenna to your RV input and use two different receivers. Satellite signals cannot be split like cable, you would have to use a multiplexor. Even then with the one cable coming in I believe both TVs would be watching the same channel.

[Larry1013]

I have never had any problem getting a good signal with RG-59 using the Winegard Roadtrip MiniMax with the Dish 211K receiver. This is even after re-wiring the TV switch to allow feed-thru from the external antenna RG-59 connector. RG-6 might be the ideal but for me, it is not worth the expense or effort to install it.

My setup

[Larry1013]

When traveling, I store the dish on the table inside and the mast is the only thing in the air



My homemade bumper mount. Is a little cumbersome at times to lift and insert but have yet to drop it.



Pic up the 12vdc from the fridge to power the dish