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Old 09-01-2014, 03:14 PM   #1
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TV antenna booster or TT wiring bad?

So I installed a flat screen TV in the "bedroom" with a digital tuner built in. I hooked up the bat wing antenna and got a couple channels depending on where I was aiming it. Over the dinette there is a 12v cigarette style power port and a coax terminal with a power on/off switch. From what I understand this is the power booster to the coax cable for using the antenna? I turn it off if I was to connect a cable tv connection to the exterior port? With that switch off I won't get anything off the antenna. I have not tested the exterior input connection.

So I decided to install the King jack HDTV replacement antenna thinking I just needed a better antenna after reading some reviews. The red LED does not come on and I didn't get any more stations(about 3-5 depending on the aim). so I bypassed the trailer wiring completely and ran coax from the antenna to the included king jack booster and then to the TV. Now I have like 50 channels but the red LED still didn't come on at the antenna. I guess I'm ok that the red LED on the antenna doesn't light up if I get that many stations?

So I guess it comes down to is there a bad connection in the factory wiring? Bad coax in the factory wiring? The factory booster not working anymore even though the green power LED(the one on the panel that comes on and off when I turn the switch on and off) is working?

Thoughts?

thanks!
Bert
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Old 09-01-2014, 03:18 PM   #2
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one is blurry, sorry
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Old 09-01-2014, 06:24 PM   #3
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Did the Jack antenna come with a new power injector (wall plate)? Did the led on the wall plate light up ever? If it's not lighting up, have you checked for 12V at the wall plate?
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Old 09-01-2014, 06:25 PM   #4
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Sorry, re-read your post. The Wall plate is lighting up right?
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Old 09-01-2014, 07:17 PM   #5
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The ANTENNA BOOST PANEL is always misleading. All the panel does is send 12VDC up your coax to power up the PRE-AMPLIFIER in the base of the BATWING or JACK Antenna.

If your JACK Antenna also came with a DC INJECTOR MODULE you do not need to have it in-line with the RG CABLE... The original ANTENNA PANEL will provide the necessary 12VDC to power up your JACK ANTENNA. Having both connected may be your problem...

Once you are connected and pointing at the BROADCAST station you have to scan in the digital HDTV signals using the TV menu... You also have to SELECT 'ANTENNA' verses 'CABLE' from the TV menu as well...
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Old 09-01-2014, 07:19 PM   #6
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nylyon: yes the wall plate lights up. the new jack antenna came with an inline booster but the instructions say not to use it if I have an existing booster. thats when I bypassed the TT completely and wired coax straight from the new antenna to the new booster to the TV and boom, 50 channels. The red LED on the antenna still doesn't come one though. And I don't want to run a coax everytime I want to watch tv lol.
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Old 09-01-2014, 07:28 PM   #7
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What happens if you use the new injector (booster) with the existing trailer wiring?
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Old 09-01-2014, 07:40 PM   #8
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The NEW INJECTOR will work just fine if you DO NOT TURN ON the existing Antenna Panel PUSH BUTTON. I have used the JACK antenna just fine using the existing 12VDC from the existing antenna panel wall plate.

You will know the 12VDC is maiking it to the JACK ANTENNA by observing the LED LIGHT on the JACK ANTENNA near the RG CABLE Connection. If that LED is ON then you have 12VDC POWER on the JACK ANTENNA.

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Old 09-02-2014, 06:45 AM   #9
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So I hooked up the new injector to the existing TT wiring and with the TT panel button off, I only get a few channels and the red LED on the new Jack antenna is still off. As I stated before, I have yet to see the red LED on the new Jack come on at all. Yet if I bypass the TT wiring completely I can get 50 channels. So something has to be wrong with the TT wiring, I'm just not sure if its the sun beat coax on the roof or the panel with the on/off button. I pulled the little rubber cover up where the coax from the antenna meets the base of the antenna mount thinking it was a connection and I could just change the short piece that is exposed to the elements but it disappears into the roof. So it looks like I would have to completely pull up the roof mount to change the cable? Or I was thinking about cutting it and putting a new connection on it and adding a new section from there to the antenna.
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Old 09-02-2014, 06:48 AM   #10
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could I replace that stock control panel with this? I don't see ever needing the 12v outlet.

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping...er-white/55642
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Old 09-02-2014, 08:25 AM   #11
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It seems like you've narrowed it down to a bad cable somewhere you will probably want to replace that.
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Old 09-02-2014, 10:10 AM   #12
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I may have misled you on my statement of the ANTENNA PANEL WAL PLATE working just fine using a JACK INJECTOR between the F CONNECTOR and your TV SET. The ANTENNA PANEL WALL PLATE will have a DC BLOCK feeding the F-connector on the face plate.

You will need to tap into the RG CABLE going up to the JACK ANTENNA. Here is a diagram on how the ANTENNA PANEL WALL PLATE is hooked up..


The MIDDLE CONNECTOR comes from the CABLE OUTSIDE connection.

Also in this photo you can see the +12VDC cable hooked up. NOTE the push on spade lug connector... This is what you need to test for 12VDC. Apparently you are missing this for some reason. This DC VOLTAGE comes from your on-board converter unit when plugged into shore power and also comes from you charged up installed 12VDC trailer BATTERY. There may be a FUSE on the board itself or possible in the 12VDC Distribution PANEL where all of the 12VDC fuses are located.

The easiest thing for me was to just remove the BATWING antenna and MOUNT THE JACK ANETNNA on the roof. It uses the same BOLT PATTERN and all you do is just connect up the existing RG CABLE. Apparently you are missing the 12VDC that gets sent up to the roof from the ANTENNA PANEL WALL PLATE. ALSO NOTE in this photo you can see the RED LED light I was referring to earlier on the bottom of the JACK ANTENNA. This will light up when 12VDC is being applied from the ANTENNA PANEL WALL PLATE or your JACK DC INJECTION unit.


The WALL PLATE has a small PUSH BUTTON and when pushed it will turn on a small LED light on the WALL PLATE telling you the 12VDC is present and being applied. If you don't see the LED 'ON' then you do not have 12VDC being applied.

This would be you best bet getting the ANTENNA WALL PLATE to work as this will feed both your living room HDTV and your BEDROOM HDTV when in ANTENNA MODE picking up digital signals from the trailer roof top OTA antenna.

The cigarette plug socket is a great place to plug-in your cell phone 12VDC charger cable... Use mine all the time...

Roy Ken
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Old 09-02-2014, 10:35 AM   #13
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By the way those connectors on the back of the ANTENNA PANEL WALL PLATE are type F connectors. No need to cut any existing cables into to make your mods... Buy adapters as needed...

If you get the WALL PLATE PANEL figured out it already goes to the places you want to route your OTA digital BROADCAST TV signals and Camp Ground CABLE CONNECTION TV signals to...

Roy Ken
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Old 09-04-2014, 11:37 PM   #14
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when I push the on/off button on the wall plate I get the green LED coming on. I haven't actually put a DVOM on it to check the 12v but I'm assuming it's there since the green LED comes on. I just find it strange that if I bypass the TT wiring completely that I get so many channels. However even with so many channels I still don't have the red LED on the Jack antenna come on.

I've been busy and haven't done any other testing. We are going out on our maiden voyage tomorrow morning! Prob won't have tv. oh well, going dry camping anyway.
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Old 09-07-2014, 11:27 PM   #15
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successful first outing with the trailer. yay!

anyway, I connected the antenna and tv 2 connections directly bypassing the wall plate. and hooked up the injector from the new king jack antenna and it worked just fine. Still no led on the antenna. I think I'll call the mfg and see what they say about that. I guess I'll be changing out the wall plate soon as well. Thanks for the info guys!
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Old 09-10-2014, 10:05 AM   #16
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We had the same problem- Our problem was solved when I pulled the antennae coax out at the rooftop opening- We found a deteriorated connector which we replaced- Apparently the coax is not a one piece coax- Poor contact or no contact through this connector was the culprit- Just be sure to reseal the rubber grommet to keep moisture out- JMHO- DD
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Old 09-11-2014, 07:01 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Diesel Donnie View Post
We had the same problem- Our problem was solved when I pulled the antennae coax out at the rooftop opening- We found a deteriorated connector which we replaced- Apparently the coax is not a one piece coax- Poor contact or no contact through this connector was the culprit- Just be sure to reseal the rubber grommet to keep moisture out- JMHO- DD
the cable that is exposed on the roof looks horrible. Stiff and cracking. I want to change it but I pulled the rubber boot up off the base thinking I might find a connector and can just replace the section on the roof... nope. A big glob of grease to help seal and I pull on the wire a little and no connector. I don't want to pull any harder to see if there is a connector that is accessible and I didn't really want to pull the whole mount off the roof. My luck I'd do that and the coax would be one piece all the way to the wall plate. I know if can't be really because the coax is grey on the roof and white in the trailer. Thanks for all the input guys. I don't plan on going where there is cable hook up or mounting a tv in the dining are yet so I'll probably live with it wall plate bypassed until I have the funds to get a new wall plate.
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Old 02-01-2015, 12:25 AM   #18
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FYI finally figured it out. the factory must have switched the antenna and tv2 cables. Thats why they worked when I connected them directly but not with the wall plate. switched the cables on the wall plate and everything works fine.
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Old 02-01-2015, 07:42 PM   #19
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We had a similar problem with no red light on the antenna, or so we thought. Of course, all my troubleshooting was done during the day. Then, one evening I went out after dark and sure enough it was lit. I can't see the red light on the antenna in the daylight.
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Old 02-21-2015, 10:43 AM   #20
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Originally Posted by gypsmjim View Post
We had a similar problem with no red light on the antenna, or so we thought. Of course, all my troubleshooting was done during the day. Then, one evening I went out after dark and sure enough it was lit. I can't see the red light on the antenna in the daylight.
You're right. I can't see the led during the day, but I can see it at night.
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