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Topic: Co-Axial Cable Connection (Read 592 times) previous topic - next topic

Co-Axial Cable Connection

I am a new owner of a 1999 U270 forty foot.  I am trying to connect the TV to the RV park cable connection.  I know where the exterior connection is ( In the wet bay above the sewer drain ) but can't find where the junction connection comes out inside the coach.  The last owner has the TV above the driver seat and a large mess of cables he used for his satellite dish. So far, none of the twenty some cables in the cabinet behind the TV seem to be the right one.  Is there a standard outlet location for this TV co-axial connection?  Pictures of the location?  Thanks.

TurboXK

Re: Co-Axial Cable Connection

Reply #1 –
On some floor plans and some years you could find that cable with the splitter box under the closet floor.

Mike
Pamela & Mike 97 U 320

"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."

Re: Co-Axial Cable Connection

Reply #2 –
If what Mike said doesn't work a Tone tracer might help. 
Peter and Frieda Morin
1999 36ft. U320 Foretravel
Build # 5436
1998 Suzuki Sidekick Sport

Re: Co-Axial Cable Connection

Reply #3 –
Coax cable tester with tracer function are pretty cheap, check on Amazon, etc.
Forest & Cindy Olivier
1987 log cabin
2011 Roadtrek C210P
no longer 1999 36' U320 build #5522
2013 Rzr 570 & 2018 Ranger XP1000
2006 Lexus GX470
2011 Tahoe LT 4x4
Previous 1998 45' 2 slide Newell, 1993 39' Newell

Re: Co-Axial Cable Connection

Reply #4 –
Any more than $25 is a waste of $$. https://www.harborfreight.com/cable-tracker-94181.html?_br_psugg_q=wire+tracer Buy at Home Depot, Lowe's, Harbor Fright, etc, etc. They all work the same way. Great for finding the extra wires from the engine compartment to the dash by the driver's seat.

You may want to run some dedicated cable and change any amplifiers in your system. You probably have RG59 now but even better is RG6 as the loss is less. Never use RG58 or RG200 as the impedance is 50 ohms and is used for 2 way radios, etc.

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Co-Axial Cable Connection

Reply #5 –
My 1997 U295 had all the cable go to the center overhead between driver and passenger.
2014 ih45  (4th Foretravel owned)
 1997 36' U295 Sold in 2020, owned for 19 years
  U240 36' Sold to insurance company after melting in garage fire
    33' Foretravel on Dodge Chassis  Sold very long time ago

Re: Co-Axial Cable Connection

Reply #6 –
Before I posted the question, I went to Home depot and got a co-axial connectivity tester.  I put one end on the outside jack and put the test caps on all of the twenty some cables I could find above the drivers seat. No luck.  I am not seeing any thing resembling a co-axial jack or cable under the closet carpets, but I haven't tried to pry up the closet plywood floors yet.

The twenty some cables hanging out from behind the TV were supposed to connect the direct TV receiver with the Tracvision satellite system dome on the roof.  I don't have the receiver , but if anyone wants the Tracvision system, it's yours for free.

Re: Co-Axial Cable Connection

Reply #7 –
Quote from: TurboXK –
Before I posted the question, I went to Home depot and got a co-axial connectivity tester.  I put one end on the outside jack and put the test caps on all of the twenty some cables I could find above the drivers seat. No luck. 

These 20 include anything behind the removable back panels in the upper cabinets, correct?  If not, look for Robertson-head screws holding the thin plywood backs in place.
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320

Re: Co-Axial Cable Connection

Reply #8 –
On some coaches if you pull the carpet back there was a hole to stick your finger into to remove the false floor panel. 

Mike
Pamela & Mike 97 U 320

"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters."

Re: Co-Axial Cable Connection

Reply #9 –
You can transmit audio/video wirelessly now. Amazon.com : wireless video transmitter Avoids the old amplifier back in the closet. Most are available with a big discount online. I ran an HDMI cable below the floor from the front center console. Pretty easy with a vinyl wrap on the HDMI that makes it a one person job.

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Co-Axial Cable Connection

Reply #10 –
The park cable originally ran to a switcher box where you could choose the source of signal to the television. Sometimes this was in the cabinet above the driver. Like Michelle said take out the panel on the front end of the cabinet above the driver and see what is behind it.
previous 1984 35 ft ORED 250 HP 3208 Cat       
previous 1998 40 ft U295 CAI 325 hp Cummins
previous 2003 40 Ft u320 build #6140 450 Cummins M11.                                                         
1999 Mazda Miata
Ron, Nancy, Tipper the cat, Max The dog
1997 U 270 36 ft build number 5174 8.3 Cummins

Re: Co-Axial Cable Connection

Reply #11 –
Okay, I'll admit my mistakes in the hopes that it saves other people from the same frustration.  When you are trying to troubleshoot something, whether it is a plumbing problem, electrical issue or whatever, there is frequently two ends of the problem that you can start at.  One is what you think is the most logical place to start and the other is the place you think, "There can't be anything wrong there!".  This second place is frequently the quickest and easiest location to start troubleshooting, but you brush it off because you already have decided with your vast wisdom and intellect, it simply has to be okay.

I found the problem in the co-axial jack connection in the wet bay.  When I unscrewed the faceplate and removed the connection, I was thinking a prior owner had maybe installed a splitter box there and that was causing the problem.  But, NO.  The cable simply fell out of the back end of the connector.  It wasn't even fastened well enough to transmit a cable signal.

So, my job now is install a co-axial connector up by the drivers window and connect the TV to the other end that will go through the coach wall.  Somewhere.  That way, I can use an up to date new RG6 cable instead of making do with the 22 year old cable that is inside the coach.  And I can stop running the extension cable through the cracked-open drivers window. Wish me luck. 
And thanks for your suggestions.  Something tells me I may be back here asking about my next repair in the future.
 

Re: Co-Axial Cable Connection

Reply #12 –
Quote from: TurboXK –
Okay, I'll admit my mistakes in the hopes that it saves other people from the same frustration.  When you are trying to troubleshoot something, whether it is a plumbing problem, electrical issue or whatever, there is frequently two ends of the problem that you can start at.  One is what you think is the most logical place to start and the other is the place you think, "There can't be anything wrong there!".  This second place is frequently the quickest and easiest location to start troubleshooting, but you brush it off because you already have decided with your vast wisdom and intellect, it simply has to be okay.

We've all been there, trust me.

That said, we (meaning Steve) ended up having to redo every single AV coax connection in our coach.  None of them were robustly done new from the factory.  It didn't manifest as no signal, but rather intermittent or grainy signal that gradually got worse over time.  That splitter in the wet bay was likely factory original - there was one in our coach.  (I won't go into what the factory told me was the reason for it...)
Learn every day, but especially from the experiences of others. It's cheaper!  - John C. Bogle

2000 U320 36' non-slide / WildEBeest Rescue
2003 U320