Satellite Pre-Wiring

gepaine · 05-23-2021, 10:37 AM

I have a 2015 Crossroads Rushmore Springfield and am trying to understand how it is pre-wired for satellite. (I want to add an RF Mogul Eagle permanent-mounted antenna on the roof and connect it to a Dish Hopper 3 receiver.)

There are 2 coax jacks on the roof. Does one go to the entertainment center and one to the bedroom?

In the entetainment center, there are 3 coax cables in the cabinet above the TV. I assume one would attach to the receiver's input, but since the receiver's output is HDMI, what are the other 2 used for? (Maybe back in 2015 the receiver's output would have been coax?)

There are 2 coax connections behind the TV. One goes to the antenna/cable TV input. Was the other intended to connect the TV to the satellite system? That is, does it connect to one of the 3 coax cables in the cabinet above?

In the bedroom, there are 2 currently-unused coax jacks. Are they part of the satellite system pre-wiring. (Neither the jacks behind the TV or in the bedroom are labeled.)

Any thoughts on this will be appreciated.

Thanks

Tonyg2724 · 05-27-2021, 02:33 PM

There is such a wide array of options and methods used among the various models and years for “pre-wiring” that it might be difficult to find an answer to your questions unless you find someone with the same rig and model year.
I hope you have luck. And if you f do I please share the results with us. Good luck

snowman1_23 · 05-27-2021, 04:07 PM

If they are on the roof, one is satellite, the other is digital batwing antenna, now as to which is which, it's a crap shoot. If they are on an exterior sidewall, one is satellite, the other is cable TV, again, crap shoot. Easiest way to trace them is take a small lawnmower battery, or square flashlight battery and an old cable wire, like a 6' tv cable, and cut it in half. Strip the cut end back, exposing the core. Thread one on the outside port, then one inside. Jumper wire the battery and 1 end, with battery on solid inner core, and other on braided wire. Now just run around inside with test light or voltmeter and identify plugs. ****WARNING**** If you have an antenna booster, DISCONNECT the cable coming IN at the back of it, and perform your check there.

gepaine · 05-27-2021, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snowman1_23

If they are on the roof, one is satellite, the other is digital batwing antenna, now as to which is which, it's a crap shoot. If they are on an exterior sidewall, one is satellite, the other is cable TV, again, crap shoot. Easiest way to trace them is take a small lawnmower battery, or square flashlight battery and an old cable wire, like a 6' tv cable, and cut it in half. Strip the cut end back, exposing the core. Thread one on the outside port, then one inside. Jumper wire the battery and 1 end, with battery on solid inner core, and other on braided wire. Now just run around inside with test light or voltmeter and identify plugs. ****WARNING**** If you have an antenna booster, DISCONNECT the cable coming IN at the back of it, and perform your check there.

"If they are on the roof, one is satellite, the other is digital batwing antenna,.."

If one was for a digital batwing, then I would expect there would be a way to select that input to our TV, but there is no way to do this. I can only select between cable input and the traditional TV antenna on the roof which is, by the way, digital.

"If they are on an exterior sidewall, one is satellite, the other is cable TV,..."

The only exterior wall connections consist of a clearly labeled cable TV input and two coax jacks side-by-side so I don't think my trailer is wired this way, but thanks for responding.

TexSon · 05-28-2021, 09:50 AM

Both coax and the same size it should not matter which you use for either, except for knowing where it ends up inside. About the only way to test that is ground check your system (hook components up and test everything from receiver to a tv before you mount) then mount and see which is active. Use that one as the sat feed if that is what your are using. Usually they are labeled in some way, but labels do come off.

**DavisK** · 05-29-2021, 06:05 AM

One of the 2 external coax jacks is for cable input and the other is for satellite input. The cable input goes to a splitter, likely in the wall where the cable jack is that has the power button for the amplifier, and joins with antenna input and goes to the jack. When using the antenna you turn the amplifier on and off when you are using the campground's cable. The satellite jack will terminate in another coax connection inside near the TV but is not connected to anything. You would connect your satellite receiver to this jack. They provide this second jack for satellites because they do not work well going through the amplifier.

gepaine · 05-29-2021, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavisK

One of the 2 external coax jacks is for cable input and the other is for satellite input. The cable input goes to a splitter, likely in the wall where the cable jack is that has the power button for the amplifier, and joins with antenna input and goes to the jack. When using the antenna you turn the amplifier on and off when you are using the campground's cable. The satellite jack will terminate in another coax connection inside near the TV but is not connected to anything. You would connect your satellite receiver to this jack. They provide this second jack for satellites because they do not work well going through the amplifier.

I assume you are referring to the jacks in the utility panel where the city water connection is. These jacks are clearly labeled: One says "Cable" and the other two say "Satellite"; however I am not concerned with these because with a permanently mounted rooftop antenna, I am asking about the two coax jacks on the roof. And I am still puzzled by the three coax cables coming into the entertainment center.

gepaine · 06-24-2021, 07:58 AM

I had the satellite system installed last week and we are enjoying great tv; however, I didn't learn a lot about the pre-wiring. Here is all I can add:

Of the 2 coax jacks on the roof, one goes to the entertainment center and one goes to the bedroom tv.

Of the 3 coax cables in the entertainment center, one comes from the roof, but I don't know what the other 2 connect to. I suspect that one comes from one of the 2 satellite jacks on the utility panel (for use with a portable antenna). Maybe the other one goes to the satellite jack in the "basement" (to connect a basement-mounted tv).

I learned very little about the pre-wiring because very little info was needed to set up our system.

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