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Advice on Satellite TV

We have a new Odyssey 26M and are contemplating adding a satellite TV system.  Sat. TV on our previous Class A coach was somewhat problematic--the roof mounted sat. antenna worked fine in open areas, but when trees were in the way it didn't work at all.

So...I'm thinking about a Tailgater-type antenna.  Would be interested in any advice on how to run the cable line from antenna to coach.  I understand there's a sat. cable input on the roof....but is there one somewhere else that would permit easy Tailgater use?
2023 Odyssey 26M
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited as Toad

Re: Advice on Satellite TV

Reply #1 –

If your cable input is on the outside of the coach, the external Satellite hook up would be in the same area. Our Forest River had the roof connection but that was all. I had a work around that was pretty effective. It’s a flat coaxial cable that you can connect the dish to, then I ran it through the passenger door window- it allows you to close the window almost completely. Then ran a short cable to the receiver and an hdmi cable to the tv. Amazon.com: Fancasee (Ultra-Thin) Flat Coaxial Cable F Female to F Female...

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Re: Advice on Satellite TV

Reply #2 –
Thanks, Mercer....
I'll look into the flat coax cable as a possible solution.  My 2023 Odyssey 26M has only one cable input located in the compartment that houses the 30AMP electric cord.  The specs for the coach indicate that it's satellite ready, so I'm thinking there must be a coax run to the roof.
2023 Odyssey 26M
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited as Toad

Re: Advice on Satellite TV

Reply #3 –
Yep, most likely. Another option would be to run coax directly from the roof outlet down to the satellite …. I considered that but didn’t want to permanently leave cable wound up somehow on the roof and didn’t want to climb up there every time we set up 😊

- - - Larry and Pam

Re: Advice on Satellite TV

Reply #4 –
I'm sort of answering my own question posed earlier....

In doing a bit of research and consulting other RV forums, I found a reasonably inexpensive solution for connecting a SAT TV system to the pre-existing wiring.  My Odyssey 26M is pre-wired for SAT TV using the Winegard Air360+ HD/OTA antenna that has a SAT coax input.  But I don't want to roof mount a dish...and don't want to use the roof coax input.  The problem is that the standard Cable TV system input on the RV won't allow the satellite dish and receiver to communicate with one another. 

Here's the solution that should work for any motorhome without a separate ground-level SAT TV input:  Remove the Winegard (or other manufacturer) wall mount behind the "inside-the-coach" TV and place a diplexer between the Cable TV coax and the existing output plate.  Search for"sat tv diplexer" on Amazon and you'll see that this $7 device has a single IN/OUT connector that you attach to the Cable TV coax (after removing it from the appropriate wall plate connector)...then attach a short run of coax from the ANT post of the diplexer back to the Cable input of the wall plate...and then run another coax from the diplexer SAT post to an existing SAT TV coax output.  You can remove the existing SAT coax coming from the rooftop antenna and connect your diplexer SAT coax to the wall connector...good idea to label the disconnected coax for future use if necessary. FOR SAFETY--REMOVE THE 12V INPUT ON BACK OF WALL PLATE BEFORE REMOVING CABLES--AND REATTACH AFTERWARD.

This link shows the Winegard wall plate: Winegard AIR 360+ Manual (Page 10 of 16) | ManualsLib
Using this image and that of the diplexer, plus the description above, the SAT TV solution should cost no more than $20...not including the dish and receiver, of course.
2023 Odyssey 26M
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited as Toad

Re: Advice on Satellite TV

Reply #5 –
Here's the latest info on my "journey" to add Sat TV to my Odyssey 26M. 

Over the years, I've learned to expect the unexpected when it comes to an RV.  As indicated in my earlier post, my unit came with a Winegard 360+ rooftop antenna.  But the wall plate inside the unit is for a Connect 2.0 system.  Hence the connectors are quite different.  You can view the connector setup here: https://winegard.com/content/pdf/2452403.pdf (scroll down through the document).  Compare this wall plate to the one depicted in my earlier post (see: https://winegard.com/content/pdf/2452514.pdf).
 
Initially, I installed a Diplexer--using the incoming (black) coax from the side of the coach, with the SAT output to one of the SAT connectors below the wall plate and the CABLE output to the Cable connector on the back of the wall plate.  That setup allowed me to use my Dish Tailgater/Wally setup, as well as viewing OTA programming to the interior TV. But...I couldn't get any OTA channels on my exterior TV.  I discovered that if I disconnected the coax from the CABLE side of the Diplexer splitter, I could download OTA channels on the exterior TV.  Thus, there's some "electronics reason" why there's interference between the splitter (Diplexer) and the wall plate electronics.  In trying to figure this out, I called Winegard and was told: "Yeah, I know what you're trying to do, but it just won't work."

So bottom line:  I removed the Diplexer and simply connected the incoming Cable coax to the Line 2 SAT connector.  I get OTA programming on both TVs...and I get SAT TV on the interior TV.  Given that most campground cable service is problematic at best, I'm not too disappointed that I can't get all the "bells and whistles" to work.

2023 Odyssey 26M
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited as Toad

Re: Advice on Satellite TV

Reply #6 –
How about installing s separate coax cable outlet outside to inside for  one tv


 

Re: Advice on Satellite TV

Reply #7 –
We installed a separate coax outlet right behind where the satellite receiver is located, worked out real well and did not have to worry about snaking coax through the walls or floor