I've lost signal on one of my Winegard Trav'ler input lines. I've checked for continuity from the LNB to the receiver. Winegard says they never see an LNB fail on one line-it's all or nothing. How can I check further without calling in a tech? Is a voltmeter of any value had these signal levels?
Is it where you are? There have been times when we can get two satellites but not the third because of trees.
Perhaps some of this might help. We have a failed connection on our Trav'ler. Since we only use one line, we've left the cables swapped until we feel like diagnosing whether it's the harness or the turret:
Us:
"Question:
We have a Winegard Trav'ler SK-1000 (Dish Network HD) installed on our RV. We have been in the same location for more than a week with no signal issues. Today we suddenly received a "Complete Signal Loss" error message on the TV screen. Troubleshooting, we found no signal for 110 or 119).
I performed a "check dish", and no satellites were found. I also tried stowing and re-deploying the dish, with no luck. The Winegard control box does show that it has locked onto the relevant satellites successfully.
A Google search turned up a suggestion to swap the outputs at the dish if they weren't all being used. Both A and B have cables that run into the RV, although we only have the single Vip 211k receiver. I swapped the coax connections to A and B at the Trav'ler and we then had signal on our receiver and things were working again.
Obviously we have an issue with the outputs on the dish itself. Please advise on what parts I need, how to order them, and the cost."
From Winegard Technical Assistance:
"The communication error you are seeing could be caused by the external harness from the top of the turret going out the arm to the LNB. Need to take the cable currently giving you signal and barrel connect that cable to cable on the top of the turret that wouldn't show you signal. If you get signal then you will need to replace the turret. If you do not get signal then you will need to replace the external harness going to the LNB. Parts can be ordered through our sales line at 800-288-8094.
Winegard Technical Service"
Yes, I got that same advise from Winegard. I connected a spare coax at the top of the turret with a barrel connector and still got no signal. Yet that harness looks pristine. that's why I question the LNB. Maybe there's enough flexing of that harness raising and stowing the dish to cause an internal break, yet the questionable wire in the harness shows continuity.
For now I've stolen the signal to Anne's TV in the bedroom so I can still had HD in the front, but that solution is not going to last for long!
Yeah, apparently it's a pretty common problem. I found out about swapping the A and B connections on rv.net.
So you've gone one step further and bypassed the turret entirely and still have no signal on one line, thus pointing to either the harness going from the turret up to the LNB or the LNB itself, correct?
I haven't been on our roof, to know what it looks like, but do you have access to both connector ends of the harness they're talking about? Have you checked the integrity of the connectors? Look at the center conductor and the shield integrity in case this was done sloppily - Steve had to replace every one of them in our coach). I have read of multiple complaints of corrosion on the Winegard connectors.
The other thing you might try is a signal tracer - screw the source in at one end of the cable run and see if you pick it up at the other. That would help rule out the cabling.
When we were in the Tetons (and in the trees) we could find two satellites in automatic mode but it wouldn't lock onto the third and would then just give up and go back to the stowed position. Is there an overide to just accept the two and move on with just them?
Winegard Trav'ler SK-SWM3 DirecTV
Update: Found this on line. Doesn't come with the Trav'ler or from DirecTV.
I don't know the answer but over at iRV2.com in the Technology forum there are some people who are familiar with the Trav'ler and have mentioned some things about manually finding satellites.
Yes, you have to go into menu, haven't done it for a while. If you have dish you will also have to run "check switch" diagnostic from install menu. And again when you can see 3 birds again
Wish the first post in this thread had been up about 5 hours earlier.
We're docked at Tennessee RV in Knoxville for some work. Overnighted beside "Mike the Trav'lin Man," in a dually, towing a huge blue Winegard toy-hauler with living quarters for him and a 10-person classroom in the back. This a.m. when I was disconnecting from the pedestal we shared, he asked if we had any questions. BTW, he gave us the 50 amp, he took the 30; nice guy.
Photo is of his classroom. Susan is in training and education, so she was interested in more than Winegard! Wish I'd gotten a shot of the toy-hauler. It was impressive.