Electrical TV Antenna wiring help please

[Colsar]

Well it was a frustrating day, so here I sit with jimmie in hand asking the panel of experts that are the members of " Expandas Downunder"
I started out with a std booster panel and a additional cable off that to a socket on other side of van.
Tv antenna plugged to booster plate gets 40 channels, when plugging to additional socket only get half, which are the main ones I use, so not to bad.
But this is where is gets " what the" I put a splitter behind the additional socket and run another cable off to a new point outside the van, now out there I'm lucky to get one channel..

Any advice, if I continue my frustrating journey, or if I give up who do I call ? A tv guy, or take it to page bros jayco Seaford, which is my local dealer and be done with it......

 

[twscoot]

Oh the pain of the antenna challenge. The silence you have after a day of posting your question tells you a lot from the learned folk here....

I have spent many hours on similar antenna challenge problems. Our most recent van simply wasn't wired correctly. Fixed under warranty.

There was a guy who once camped next to me who had a ladder, a slab of coke for a bit more height and a safety harness to get up really high (ok he didn't have a safety harness...) to try all the combinations of plugging into boosters, antennas and different pieces of co-ax.

Sorry. Long way of saying I'm not sure. But for every connection you make you lose something. Bad Co-ax plugs are often the cause in my experience. The professionally crimped ends seem to be the best but I'd probably have to add an oscilloscope to my tool kit to prove it. And then get someone to show me how to use it...

 

[skippy]

I have tried and failed with normal TV.
We were up at Monkey Mia and couldn't work out what was wrong with our TV Arial, after some discussion with other people in the caravan park they all recommend to get saterlight TV and we have never had a problem since.
Then we have updated our van and to this date I never use the normal TV Arial and always opt for the Saterlight TV. I only watch TV for the news or the footy then after that it gets turned of to my kids disgust.

 

[davemc]

Where did you put the splitter after the booster?
Is it the normal wineguard?
The wineguard has Roof aerial input, secondary input for park TV, one output.
So where did you split it as two are input. I also think it sends 12v up the one to the roof aerial

 

[Colsar]

This is what have at the moment, and given the thoughts of you helpful folk, I am thinking of getting a antenna guy to come out to me, and skip jayco ! @davemc i have put the splitter behind the box of the 1 st point and then run out to my ext point.
Will keep u all fine folk posted. Fingers crossed !

 

[davemc]

Can't find a manual there was a hard copy one in my Jayco book. Two are input one output so split on output one. Although mine was wired wrong to start with

 

[Colsar]

Can't find a manual there was a hard copy one in my Jayco book. Two are input one output so split on output one. Although mine was wired wrong to start with

yep its split on the out put one on the other side of van near the 1st additional point. If i can get a antenna guy out i get him to test it all, but not today as it is pouring rain, and vans outside for next couple of weeks.

 

[davemc]

With the split is the current ones work fine? Maybe Use a multimeter and check is it the cable?

 

[Colsar]

great at the booster plate, 50 channels, 1 st point only get about 20, and my new point, one.
think i get the ANT guy to re fit all connections and points , test and go from there.
its a bit beyond me with out the right test equipment and the know how to use it !
i did whack a multi meter on , booster plate zero ( guess its measuring resistance ) 1st point 1.6 and the last point outside 80, yep 80, so something not right , probably connections.

 

[davemc]

Did you try a short cable from the split to see if it works?

 

[Colsar]

yep, no better , have mixed and match cables and connections to no avail, thats why its beaten me this time.
Now its time for SUPER ANT MAN ! ( well he' ll be super if it works )

 

[Capt. Gadget]

With RF Cable, the more cable and joins you have, the more signal you lose, also if you have just one of those tiny strands that wrap around the inner cable shorting with centre cable it can play havoc as well, chances are your splitter will have some resistors in there , take them out and hard wire the splitter. I don't use the antenna wiring that was installed in the van I installed a Camec through the wall kit and plug the tv into that and then just plug in the antenna to the outside each time I want o use it .

 

[Colsar]

hi @Capt. Gadget thanks for the above input, so you have a booster plate inside, and just run a lead to the inside of your" though the wall fitting" from the booster plate, lead just across the floor or what ever. is that correct ?

as for the splitter, do you even need it, or can you just join wire, or keep splitter without resistors internally.

Man this does my head in……… might be easier to cut a hole in the van wall and whack in a big hatch - there u go kids - look through there.


as for those wires around the outside , yep very fine and messy, they make for great splinters (Ouch).

 

[Capt. Gadget]

Sorry no Booster in the Van I do have an old Kingray Masthead amplifier that I take with me but haven't used yet, System is completely independent of the wiring jayco supplied that is still fitted in the van, I didn't buy mine with an antenna installed just a plug on the outside and a plug on the inside,the reason I didn't use it was the plug was on one side of the van and the outlet was on the other side of the van, the signal loss was too great, either from a bad connection that I couldn't find or the length of cable running around the van to get from one side to the other. Pretty sure this was where I got mine from http://caravansplus.com.au/catalog/...ucts_id=143&osCsid=31d2jbnsm519j8ki1i821ttgk1 I bought 2 one for the Vast Box and one for the antenna, I'll nip up the shed and take a photo of the setup

 

[Capt. Gadget]

Outside

Inside

 

[Capt. Gadget]

 

[rojoberry]

Hi Colin did you get this sorted? I have set 2 vans up including installing a wine guard antenna into a roof and all have full range of signal inside and out. It is very possible part of the braid is shorting on the inner conductor. If you need a hand I'm only in Pakenham up to you.

 

[Colsar]

Hi Colin did you get this sorted? I have set 2 vans up including installing a wine guard antenna into a roof and all have full range of signal inside and out. It is very possible part of the braid is shorting on the inner conductor. If you need a hand I'm only in Pakenham up to you.

Thank you, a very kind offer, how ever i have arranged a guy for next Tuesday. i am guessing it will have to be connections as you and others say, as there are a few, planning to get them all re done and tested.
Will let you know how i go. Touch wood !

 

[Drover]

Had a similar problem but now have it sorted.

 

[Colsar]

Thanks @Drover, made my day, as i sit here laughing :lol: