Concertone ZX600

by KHUBER on 6/15/2009, 12:59 am

We have a 2008 28RKBS with the Concertone ZX600. Everything works fine except I cannot get surround sound when watching normal tv. I do have the surround when watching dvd's. I feel I may be missing a connection somewhere. It seems as though I should have a connection from the tv a/v output to the Concertone input. The only input jacks for the Concertone are for video games, vcr, etc. Anyone have any idea? I have a wiring diagram from Forest River and one from Concertone and both are different so it's a bit confusing. I thank you in advance for your help.

KH

by Richard Mondavi on 6/15/2009, 1:35 am

I'll be watching this thread too. I've tried everything and every connection I could think of without success. The only tiime I could get the TV to come through the surround sound was when I used the built in analog tuner in the model 550 concertone. Now that everything is digital the analog tuner is a waste.

by Eric on 6/15/2009, 11:40 am

you have to run the cables from your tv through a satelite box or cable box to pick up the surround. I had the same problem when using the campers antenna to watch tv. Even if your not watching sat or cable, the audio from the antenna will be picked up and travel through the concertone

by bpdlk33 on 6/15/2009, 2:45 pm

I haven't tried this yet but I was told if you run from the antenna to a dtv converter box to the concertone to the tv you would have dtv with surround sound. Will try it soon. I do not have a dtv.

by Mopar_Earl on 6/15/2009, 4:30 pm

I run RCA audio cables from the TV audio out to one of audio inputs of the concertone and than put the concertone on input-1 or 2 depending which input you hooked it to using the fucntion button. It'll give you either stereo, 2.1CH or 5.1CH depending on the channel your watching.

Earl

by KHUBER on 6/15/2009, 5:16 pm

Earl.That falls into line with what I was thinking. I don't have a satellite or converter box. I do have a digital tv and most times use the antenna. I figured in this case you almost need to use the output jacks on the tv just like you would with a home surround sound system. The only input jack that I have for the Concertone is a plate that has video games on the left side and accessories like a vcr or dgital camera on the right side. I am guessing you are using the right side of this jack if your set up is like mine.

KH

by Mopar_Earl on 6/15/2009, 6:14 pm

I have the wall plate you have and mine also came with this other plate with just audio hook-ups. You can plug your audio into any of the audio connections on the wall plate you have. Just make sure that little switch at the bottom is on the side you used. Next on your concertone use the "function" button to switch the unit to input-1 or input-2 and check for sound. On your concertone remote, the button you'd use is "input". The concertone will be able to decode what the TV is putting out while on ANT, cable, etc. Also if you're using HDMI connection to the TV, it'll route the sound to the TV and the TV will route the sound to the concertone, works pretty sweet. Found this out when I hooked up my buddies Xbox video game to the TV with HDMI.

Earl

by KHUBER on 6/15/2009, 11:21 pm

Great. I'll be giving that a try. Thanks for the help.

KH

by Richard Mondavi on 6/16/2009, 12:22 am

Mopar_Earl wrote:I run RCA audio cables from the TV audio out to one of audio inputs of the concertone and than put the concertone on input-1 or 2 depending which input you hooked it to using the fucntion button. It'll give you either stereo, 2.1CH or 5.1CH depending on the channel your watching.

Earl

My concertone must not be wired properly because I've tried this and it doesn't work for me.

by Eric on 6/16/2009, 12:43 am

Richard, Ive tried that also and it doesnt work that way for me either, thats why I run it through a converter box

by KHUBER on 6/16/2009, 1:21 pm

I just got the surround sound working while watching the tv with the antenna input. Mine works just like Earl said. I just plugged the av cables in the tv audio output and plugged the other end into the right side of the concertone input jack. Thanks Earl!!!!

by Mopar_Earl on 6/16/2009, 6:17 pm

KHUBER wrote:I just got the surround sound working while watching the tv with the antenna input. Mine works just like Earl said. I just plugged the av cables in the tv audio output and plugged the other end into the right side of the concertone input jack. Thanks Earl!!!!

Your welcome

Earl

by WVHunter on 9/30/2009, 11:28 am

For the surround sound to work with cable you have to hook it up yourself because the factory doesnt do it when they build them, take the stereo out, lay it on a table and dont disconect anything, disconnect the cable wire that comes in to the trailer and goes to the wall plate, hook it up to a 2 way splitter( 1 in with 2 outs), then hook 1 up to the cable hookup on the back of the stereo and the other to the wall plate, then program the stereo for cable tv and then do the autoscan of the chanels, you will then be able to use the remote to change cable channels and volume, you will then have surround sound with cable, the only thing you cant do is turn the tv on or off

by FF4CAT on 3/6/2011, 5:07 pm

If i remember right after we got our cat the surround sound didnt work right. I pulled out the strereo and and unpluged everything and did it the right way, works great.

by TC on 3/7/2011, 5:16 am

The best way to fix a Concertone is to pull it out, diconnect all the wiring, AND THROW IT AWAY!!

TC

by Portagie1968 on 3/7/2011, 5:36 am

Mopar_Earl wrote:I run RCA audio cables from the TV audio out to one of audio inputs of the concertone and than put the concertone on input-1 or 2 depending which input you hooked it to using the fucntion button. It'll give you either stereo, 2.1CH or 5.1CH depending on the channel your watching.

Earl

This what we had to do. The TV does not run thru the concertone anymore so you have to add cables to the extra sound cables in back of the radio.

by Portagie1968 on 3/7/2011, 5:38 am

Mopar_Earl wrote:I run RCA audio cables from the TV audio out to one of audio inputs of the concertone and than put the concertone on input-1 or 2 depending which input you hooked it to using the fucntion button. It'll give you either stereo, 2.1CH or 5.1CH depending on the channel your watching.

Earl

2.1 CH or 5.1CH ?????

by Portagie1968 on 3/7/2011, 5:39 am

KHUBER wrote:Earl.That falls into line with what I was thinking. I don't have a satellite or converter box. I do have a digital tv and most times use the antenna. I figured in this case you almost need to use the output jacks on the tv just like you would with a home surround sound system. The only input jack that I have for the Concertone is a plate that has video games on the left side and accessories like a vcr or dgital camera on the right side. I am guessing you are using the right side of this jack if your set up is like mine.

KH

Using the ones behind the radio. Cleaner operation.

by Portagie1968 on 3/7/2011, 5:40 am

I have 3 speakers in the ceiling above the TV. The center one does not work. Any ideas?

by Bob Fields on 3/12/2011, 2:58 am

Portagie1968 wrote:I have 3 speakers in the ceiling above the TV. The center one does not work. Any ideas?

1. ensure you are listening to a source where the center channel should be working
2. check the wiring
3. check t he speaker works
4. reset the unit by disconnecting power completely.

Let us know...

by Bob Fields on 3/12/2011, 3:12 am

FF4CAT wrote:If i remember right after we got our cat the surround sound didnt work right. I pulled out the strereo and and unpluged everything and did it the right way, works great.

It has been demonstrated time and again that if you are experiencing ANT trouble with your system you should double check and rewire you system if necessary. Yeah, it is a drag, but as anyone who has ever taken their system out of the wall will tell you, there is a lot of wires back there.

Believe me, I wish you could just slip it in the wall and forget but these unit do more than a car stereo and if you want all those features and sound in all those places you must have wires to get them.

To do this you don't need an electrical engineering degree or be an electrician, BUT you do need to be patient and detailed orientated and a 6-pack may help too. To do the job right and depending on your skill level you'll need an hour give or take. some can do it in 15 minutes. Some will need a couple hours, but when you are done you'll be confident everything is as it should be.

If you are uncomfortable doing this yourself, I would highly recommend a PROFESSIONAL Car Stereo Installer to do this for you. If you can bring you RV to his shop, it should only cost $40-100 bucks depending upon where you live and their going rates. If you need a recommendation on where to go, I may be able to help you with that.

Checking the wiring is an important first step for ANY system. If you are not 100% that the foundation is good, how can you really be sure of anything else?

by Bob Fields on 3/12/2011, 3:18 am

TC wrote:The best way to fix a Concertone is to pull it out, diconnect all the wiring, AND THROW IT AWAY!!

TC

Sure, that would be the easy way out, but of course I would disagree.

I apologize I have been in & out of the forum. My first Grandchild was born two weeks ago today and it has been back and forth between IN and MA along with running the business so my bandwidth has been pretty thin.

by Portagie1968 on 3/12/2011, 5:30 am

Congats Bob

by Portagie1968 on 3/12/2011, 5:34 am

Bob Fields wrote:
Portagie1968 wrote:I have 3 speakers in the ceiling above the TV. The center one does not work. Any ideas?

1. ensure you are listening to a source where the center channel should be working
2. check the wiring
3. check t he speaker works
4. reset the unit by disconnecting power completely.

Let us know...

Thank you for the reply.

My radio has been unplugged and reset many times.
Radio, TV, DVD does not work.
So when I get home I need to hook the speaker wires to another speaker to see if it works.
If not then wiring. One step at a time.

by Portagie1968 on 3/12/2011, 5:35 am

Bob Fields wrote:
TC wrote:The best way to fix a Concertone is to pull it out, diconnect all the wiring, AND THROW IT AWAY!!

TC

Sure, that would be the easy way out, but of course I would disagree.

I apologize I have been in & out of the forum. My first Grandchild was born two weeks ago today and it has been back and forth between IN and MA along with running the business so my bandwidth has been pretty thin.

Just seem to need better Q/C.

by TC on 3/12/2011, 9:37 am

Portagie1968 wrote:
Bob Fields wrote:
TC wrote:The best way to fix a Concertone is to pull it out, diconnect all the wiring, AND THROW IT AWAY!!

TC

Sure, that would be the easy way out, but of course I would disagree.

I apologize I have been in & out of the forum. My first Grandchild was born two weeks ago today and it has been back and forth between IN and MA along with running the business so my bandwidth has been pretty thin.

Just seem to need better Q/C.

Just needs to be made beefier to withstand road bumps and chuckholes. If they can make care stereos to withstand it, and CD players that keep playing while going down a washboard road, the technology is there to make a Concertone NOT crap out when its jarred around some. Good product in concept...too finicky under real conditions though....IMO

TC

by Portagie1968 on 3/12/2011, 12:06 pm

TC wrote:
Portagie1968 wrote:
Bob Fields wrote:
TC wrote:The best way to fix a Concertone is to pull it out, diconnect all the wiring, AND THROW IT AWAY!!

TC

Sure, that would be the easy way out, but of course I would disagree.

I apologize I have been in & out of the forum. My first Grandchild was born two weeks ago today and it has been back and forth between IN and MA along with running the business so my bandwidth has been pretty thin.

Just seem to need better Q/C.

Just needs to be made beefier to withstand road bumps and chuckholes. If they can make care stereos to withstand it, and CD players that keep playing while going down a washboard road, the technology is there to make a Concertone NOT crap out when its jarred around some. Good product in concept...too finicky under real conditions though....IMO

TC

I have also been told that cutting the power and letting them sit thru the cold winter is not good and just like the clock can shorten there life. This was from an electronics guru. Soon and very soon no more winters without power to the Wicked Kitty.

by Mopar_Earl on 3/13/2011, 1:04 pm

Portagie1968 wrote:
Mopar_Earl wrote:I run RCA audio cables from the TV audio out to one of audio inputs of the concertone and than put the concertone on input-1 or 2 depending which input you hooked it to using the fucntion button. It'll give you either stereo, 2.1CH or 5.1CH depending on the channel your watching.

Earl

2.1 CH or 5.1CH ?????

Number of channels. 2.1=two speakers and a subwoofer, 5.1=five speakers and a subwoofer. They also have a 7.1, 9.1 and 22.2 systems now. The 22.2 has two subwoofers.

So the concertone may operate in 2.1 or 5.1 modes depending on the input. It may operate on other modes as well, but I know mine will operate on those two.

Earl

by Admin on 3/13/2011, 1:57 pm

TC, keep in mind its not the Concertone company thats installing the units, its the guys on the forest river line that install them. The same guys that take the short cuts and leave all the saw dust in the nooks and crannies. From what i've seen a lot of people on here saying they take the concertone out of the wall and it looks like a bowl of confused noodles back there. So I'd think a lot of the problems people are having are just blind wiring from the part time high school kid that works on the forest river installation line.

As for Car units, I had a Isuzu rodeo with a 6 disk changer that would eat them and keep them. Took about 4 tries before they figured out there was some kinda screw they needed to adjust in the back after install.
I've had friends with other brand name cars that would eat CD's and other problems with the sound system.

My concertone has gone cross country and down some ruff interstates and I've never had a problem with it yet.
But I don't put CD's or Video's in mine , I use the xbox for the Disks.

lol!

by Bob Fields on 3/13/2011, 2:12 pm

All good feedback guys and I am with you regarding quality of the the product and installation.

I joined the Concertone about 10 months ago on a consulting basis and full time as VP Sales & Marketing last fall. I am very excited about the opportunities and communicating with you all as we move into the future. As I may have mentioned before, I have been very active on the ForestRiverForums and will certainly be a regular contributor here.

PLEASE feel free to contact me by phone or email with any issues or questions you may have.

Best regards,
Bob Fields
bfields@concertone.com
574-343-1165 (Elkhart, IN Office).

Wildcat Owners from around the world. 5th wheels and TT's. A place to share your Thoughts, Mod's and Idea's.

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