Cable conns thru DVR?

[wingnut60]

Looking for help again...

I have the Winegard Carryout satellite and Dish--everything works fine now that I know how to update every so often. My new question is how to/if possible to hook up to cable in parks where they have it and I don't want to put the Winegard out.
Currently, have both cables off Winegard going thru the 2 connections in the bay--and connected to rear of DVR as Sat1/Sat2. I can get OTA TV when I want to, but can't figure out if I can use cable.
Any ideas?
Thanks,
Joe

[2blackdogs]

When I have cable available I attach it to the connection that is labeled cable in the water hook up compartment, should be the same place you are hooking up the dish.

[Huck]

Run one of your sat. cables. Maybe the one that is labeled cable in the hookup compartment, into the out side of an A/B switch.
Then run your sat. dish to sat. receiver into the A side of the switch.
Run the "cable in" on you video selector box to the B side of the A/B switch.

Then you can switch between cable and sat. by using your A/B switch.

[Motor31]

On my 05 trailer both the outside cable and satellite connections were tied together with a signal splitter. For a strong cable signal that was no big deal. When I hooked up an out side satellite dish though that splitter had added resistance in the line that killed the signal. In short, I think you will find that both connections go to the same line.

I spent an interesting day sorting out the rats nest of cables in my entertainment equipment trying to figure out what went where. The signal splitters really killed the signal on most options.

[wingnut60]

Appreciate the answers, but...
My Winegard satellite requires DIRECT hookup to the DVR--both the cables into the trailer are hooked to the DVR as Sat1 and Sat2 for HD service. My problem is how to use the park cable service the way I have it hooked up now?
I have tried using the cable connection and the satellite connection separately to the park cable, no results.

I may not be making this clear enough, since I am definitely tech-challenged.

Joe

[Motorcycle Jack]

Joe -

i am assuming you are using the HDMI cable from the dvr to your TV? If that is the case, there is an input connection selection on the TV menu. You can change it to HDMI1, HDMI2, Video1, Video2 or PC. You have to set it to the proper input for the cable connection on your TV, probably Video1. Also in the menu of the TV is an Input selection, you have to make sure it is set to "Cable". This way the cable TV comes into the DVR and out on Video1 to the TV that understands it is to receive Cable. In the antenna menu selection make sure it is set to "cable". Once you have this all set right then you need to go into the menu and select "Auto select channels" let it run it's course and find the cable channels then you should have them.

I know it's complicated but I switch from sat to cable to over the air antenna depending on where we are all the time. You just have to remember to auto select the channels so the system learns where the signals are.

[wingnut60]

John,
I thought we had done the menu drill, but maybe not correctly. Will do this next time out. Thanks.
My wife is the remote controller, I am the cable guy. And she usually knows what to look for, so hopefully she missed something.
Good to know that it can work.
By the way, do you have the dual input DVR? Or do you have only one cable in for sat and one for cable?
Joe

[golf_bears]

Not sure how you are wired but in the water/outside compartment we have two satellite connections and one cable connection. One satellite connection goes to the living room TV receiver, the other goes to the bedroom TV receiver. Need two wires from the satellite dish. The cable one goes to the switch box and then to the TV. Works well for us especially after you figure out exactly how everything works. Hope this helps.

[Motor31]

Wingnut,

The reason I mentioned the cables hooked to a splitter was simple. You have an 05 so there is almost sure to be a signal splitter in the line just behind the outside connection plate. It will be a small silverish box having one wire from each outside connection fitting then one wire leading to the entertainment center behind the TV area. If you remove the signal splitter then you will have just one connection outside that leads to the entertainment center. You will need to get a barrel connector to splice the outside connector (choose one of the 2) to the cable leading to the entertainment center if the wire won't stretch to the outside connection plate. Then connect that lead to the in signal receptacle of your box.

Hard to explain in text here but if you look at the wires and trace them it gets easier to see what I mean.

[BobW]

Wingnut,

The reason I mentioned the cables hooked to a splitter was simple. You have an 05 so there is almost sure to be a signal splitter in the line just behind the outside connection plate. It will be a small silverish box having one wire from each outside connection fitting then one wire leading to the entertainment center behind the TV area. If you remove the signal splitter then you will have just one connection outside that leads to the entertainment center. You will need to get a barrel connector to splice the outside connector (choose one of the 2) to the cable leading to the entertainment center if the wire won't stretch to the outside connection plate. Then connect that lead to the in signal receptacle of your box.

Hard to explain in text here but if you look at the wires and trace them it gets easier to see what I mean.

Not sure if it was mentioned here, but, you can't run your sat cable into a splitter. The dish needs 12v to operate and it get's that from the dish receiver. A splitter won't let the 12v run through. I had the hardest time with mine until I found that out.

[Motorcycle Jack]

Joe -

Well, I do have the two satellite connectors in my utilities box plus a cable input and no splitter anywhere in the system,and since I have an '11, I have the winegard 3500 on top that comes into an electronic input selector. But I know your system and think that since you have satellite thru your DVR but no cable coming in from the utility supply, it's just a set up problem. BTW, there is cable on the utility pole, you did ask the park if it works. Else you'll never get cable TV :)

[wingnut60]

John,
My system has only 2 inputs in the service bay, labeled satellite and cable. I am using these to supply the HD signal from the Winegard Carryout. No splitter anywhere--both cables direct to rear of DVR.
As to the cable available--I was told it was on when checking in, but did not verify that. There were no OTA antennas up on any of the trailers in the park, so assume they were on cable or sat.

For anyone using Dish and the 622/722 DVRs---where does a cable input go?

Joe

[Gemstone]

Sounds to me like you will need to run a coax from the "cable in" port on the rear of the Winegard Video Switch in the Entertainment cabinet to the outside of your rig where you can hook up a coax to the park's cable port for your site.
When I had Hughesnet, I had to a get twin coax stub from the modem to the outside, where I connected the feed from the antenna. To do this, I removed the file drawer in the computer desk to gain access to a small hole in the floor (and we wonder why these things are hard to heat and cool) in the front left corner, where I snaked my coax to the outside...these were difficult to place, but once in, were left in position permanently. I used a barrel connector on the coax to connect to the antenna feed. From the drawer space, I drilled an access hole at the rear, into the kneehole area of the computer desk, where I exited thru the grommet at the right rear of the desktop...up the corner thru a hole I drilled in the TV shelf, behind the TV where there is already a hole into the entertainment shelf area. Now you can connect the park cable to the Video switch. Whew, I'm tired all over again.

The stub out from the drawer area comes out very near the rear most cut in the slide out sweep seal...it is a 2 person job to fish the coax thru the floor. I left just enough to connect my feed to the antenna, and just enough so the slide did not crimp the coax when closed. Coax doesn't work well when crimped :( . So, once you have it in place, as long as it doesn't get crimped by the slide, you've got a cable connection, plus your twin Dish coaxes and your batwing.

Good Luck
Gemstone

[Motorcycle Jack]

Run one of your sat. cables. Maybe the one that is labeled cable in the hookup compartment, into the out side of an A/B switch.
Then run your sat. dish to sat. receiver into the A side of the switch.
Run the "cable in" on you video selector box to the B side of the A/B switch.

Then you can switch between cable and sat. by using your A/B switch.

I think Huck is on to it. Out in the utility box you will need to disconnect the satellite cable going to the cable connection, this will go to the A on a new A/B video switch. Connect a cable from the site's cable connection to the B on the video switch. Then a short video cable goes from the out on the switch to the cable connection in your utility box. When set to A you should have satellite coming in on A thru switch to cable connection to your A/B switch inside and then the DVR, other sat comes in on Sat on the connection you haven't disturbed.

Switch to B and cable comes into the trailer thru the switch and in on "cable" connection. Now you should be able to select the B or A on your A/B switch inside and have cable TV. So you have two A/B switches, one outside to select the feed coming in on the "cable" line and another inside to determine what feed is going to the TV - sat or cable. Hope this works as I don't know what to do if it doesn't.

[wingnut60]

Will be trying this A/B switch soon as I get somewhere with cable.

thanks to all.

Joe

[The View 5046]

Don't know about others but there was a splitter behind the Sony receiver, it was hidden very well talk to Drv and told them at that time you can't split digital signal. I removed the splitter and have no issues. I haven't use the Cable connection. My 2009 MS also had a splitter. Happy Trails....

[Huck]

I forgot to mention that you have to select the correct tv input on your tv.
Coax from "video selector box" to tv and hdmi from your "dvr" to tv.

[martins192]

I now use an SWM setup for DTV, but for many years I used both cables for DVR inputs as you do. During that time I inserted a Multiplexer (I think thats the right name) inside and outside on one cable.

The multiplexer will combine the cable signal into the line on the outside, and split it back out on the inside, allowing you to use both simultaniouslly. When hooked up properlly it passes the DC to your dish and has very low insertion losses.

Good luck Marty.