No signal

I am not getting a signal to my Dish Network receiver through the outside connection. I am using my home antenna for testing. It only works when I run the cable in the door directly to the receiver. Anyone previous experience with this? HELP!

Look at this diagram. You may not have the jumper cable in place.

Look it over good and you'll see the jack for outside that runs to the outlet inside that has the 2 coax jacks on it. you have to use a jumper on that , just a short piece to hook to the top and bottom.
ONe's in from the outside outlet and ones out to the stereo/AV.

http://www.wildcatcamperforum.com/gallery/DIY-Pic-s-of-repair-s-and-Mod-s/Wiring-Diagram-pic_310.htm

I do not have an outlet that has the 2 coax jacks on it. Or anything labeled SAT/CABLE. The only splitter I found was in the entertainment center area, one in and two out. And why would Forest River wire anything in this manner in the first place.

I may have stated that wrong above. I guess you'd have the in to the sat box, and out to the A/v stereo and the sat box would be in the loop. But one of those coax has to be the in that would go to your sat box. and then you'd go from the out on your sat box to the in on the concertone. I don't think their marked on the outlet plates which one is which.
I was hoping someone else would jump in that uses the Sat setup.

Thanks for the help. It at least gave me some ideas to try. I have an email to Forest River looking for a little advice. When I get it working I will post to make it clear to anyone else experiencing this issue.

The following is from another site:

These systems usually have an external Cable TV input jack located on the outside of the rig or in a compartment. This is designed to allow you to easily hook up to an external cable TV source in parks that offer cable. There is a small switch on the amplifier front face that allows you to select between cable and antenna. The problem is in the amplifier design.... the amplifier will not allow DC voltage to pass through it. Your satellite receiver places voltage on the coax cable that is needed to drive the LNB at the satellite antenna. Blocking that voltage will keep the satellite antenna from working. You can try it and see if your system will work, but it's unlikely, as most of the common designs in use are incompatible with satellite TV. I think it's best to install a separate jack for your satellite antenna... you know it will work and it won't interfere with your ability to receive cable TV if you should want to.

By the way I got the time zone thing straightened out.

By the way I got the time zone thing straightened out.

No excuse for being late now.


I can't remember anyone saying anything about the voltage block.
I'll do a search and see if anyone posted something like that.

Hey rude heres the thread that might answer your question a little better than I did.

http://www.wildcatcamperforum.com/high-tech-center-f16/direct-tv-satellite-dish-hookup-in-wc-t803.htm?highlight=satelite+hookup

With mine, I did a continuity check, only to discover that there must have been a nail thru the cable. No amount of testing was ever going to allow me a signal. Rather than tear into the Cat, I just re-ran the cable and all is well.

Keith

I had trouble with mine also. I found the cables were attached to the wrong terminals on the antenna amplifier. Also took the Concertone out to trace where the cables went. I still wonder why every Wildcat seems to be wired differently.

John

I'm gonna have to ohm out my cables to see exactly "what's what". I have two cable inputs on my cat. I was told the one on the back was for park cable and the one on the front side was for satellite (since you can have a splitter on your sat feed). I BELIEVE the one on the front is just a simple direct connect to one of the "f" connectors in the entertainment center. You can use it as a sat feed in, or a video feed out to an outside tv. But I've gotta check that out.

We put a direct line in right behind the entertainment center and by the desk in the upper bunkhouse where our sons tv is.
Our directv dish has two terninals and we run a direct line to both converter boxs.

After reading all the helpful suggestions I have decided to run a new cable from the park connection to the entertainment center. Then go from there to get the bedrooms. In part this was because of the screw on connectors they used on the coaxial cables. It might make it easy for the installers but, they tend come off pretty easily. The weather here is still not very conduicive to working outside, but I will let you all know how it comes out when I am done. for all your help.

The best help I have found on this subject.
http://www.flamingsquid.com/images/satellite_rewire.pdf

I think I will install a second plate rather than drill the exsisting one.

Well after all this I finally finished the job. With the upcoming digital conversion it made no sense to me to maintain the antenna and add a converter box. Simply removed the power booster, reconnected the park cable to a splitter with one cable going to the Dishnetwork receiver in the entertainment center and the other to a new wall connector in the master bedroom. I added another splitter to the TV out on the the receiver and put in a plate with two coax connections. One being the in cable and the other one attached to the cable going to the bunkroom. Two pieces of advice on this: 1. Take off the screw on connectors and replace them with crimp on. Three of the screw ons fell off in my hand while pulling the cables out. I bought a tool that will do both the stripping and crimping for about $20.00. 2. Do not use the 5-1000 mhz splitter like forest river uses, replace them with 5-2300 mhz designed for use with digital satellite or cable. $7.95 each. The only draw back I see is if we want to watch TV in the master bedroom the Dishnetwork receiver has to be taken up there or run a cable up the stairs. Oops, trip hazard! Has anyone tried to string coax cables through the walls and ceiling where the original ones are?
I will post pictures if anyone requests them.