Setting up tv and cable - Montana Owners Club

Dkeel72@comcast.net · 10-01-2018, 02:40 PM

Hi, we have a 2018 375fl and haven’t been able to figure out how to hook up the tv to cable without running cable through the window. When we hook up to the outlet outside it does not work. Pretty sure we have the cables on the back of the tv hooked up wrong but we have tried so many configurations that we have no idea what it was first. Could someone just take a pic of the back of their tv?

Thanks so much

Rick and Leta

BB_TX · 10-01-2018, 02:58 PM

Some have reported that the 3 outside coax connectors were mislabeled. And after figuring that out it worked. If only it were that simple.

mazboy · 10-01-2018, 04:17 PM

Try different configuations.
Make sure you amp button is off.

Dkeel72@comcast.net · 10-01-2018, 04:31 PM

Hmmm, what is an amp button?��

jking · 10-01-2018, 04:49 PM

My Monty has a sat dish from prev owner and it has an amp switch above bedroom tv that must be turned off to allow cable signal thru

MidMOTraveler · 10-01-2018, 07:47 PM

I removed the wall plates ( 3 TVs) that the cables screw into.
Removed the splitter and put a male/male connector in.
The living room tv I ran a cable from Dish box and have that and the one from the wall. I connect to which ever I am using.
Your antenna booster is located near (as a rule ) bedroom tv.
We’ve been able to use park cable, Dish & OA antenna with no issues.
Good Luck

**AZ Traveler** · 10-01-2018, 09:59 PM

Rick and Leta,

Assuming you are getting analog cable from a RV park, try all the connections and make sure the over the air antenna booster is turned off. It is a small switch normally with your front TV connection - the light will go off when it is off.

darmock667 · 10-22-2018, 03:56 PM

My 2019 3950br has similar problems. There seems to be a mix of RG59/RG6 cable throughout the unit. No rhyme or reason to the layout. The OTA works great and that is where it stops. I toned out the most of the wiring and while there is DC connectivity RF does not go through well. Our park has xfinity in it and I get great signal strength at the pedestal and then I run a length of quad shield RG6 cable from the pedestal in through the window and got a great picture and good signal strength.

I then tried all three of the connectors into the monty and none of them would pass RF regardless of the antenna amp being in the on or off position. I began looking at the coax behind the connectors in the basement and stopped when I saw they all appeared to be RG59.

I will be running all new RG6 quad shield in a home run configuration for both satellite and cable. I plan to eliminate as many splitters as possible which should help boost the signal strength. The OTA system is running great so I will leave it be. In the front entertainment area I will add another f type wall plug which will be dedicated for CATV only. The existing satellite f type connector will have a dedicated line of RG6 run from it back to the entrance f type connector in the basement.

I can't see having more than two satellite receivers in the rig one in the front and one in the bedroom. Just can't bring myself to watch TV outside 8^) I use the TV in the spare room as a computer monitor.

My concern is the flex of the cable on the front slideout that has the entertainment center. The constant flexing of solid core coax will degrade the signals somewhat over time and eventually need to be replaced. I have been thinking of adding a small metal box under the slideout that would contain three f type bulkhead connectors which would parallel the Satellite, CATV, and OTA coax connectors. These would connect to a similar box mounted to the frame. The net result would be to make the replacement of the cables easier and you could actually just plug into catv directly if you desired.

Time to get the fish tape out......

Tom

Dmcgrew · 10-22-2018, 04:35 PM

I found that after identifying the proper cable for each run, replacing the splitters and connectors with a higher quality item made all the difference. Signal would not pass through several of the connectors prior to replacement. Poor quality connectors from factory was a pita to locate and replace!!

fastf350ps · 10-24-2018, 10:19 PM

I have a brand new Monty High Country HMS374FLS. Only the OTA cabling works. We live in our trailer. The satellite connections all indicate a "purple" responder on my tester, but there is NO purple responder plugged-in anywhere! The Dish installer (with an external dish, not built-in, but on the ground) had to run cables through 2 of my windows. That drove me nuts and I slid them in through slide gaps. But, Amp on or Amp off, I get nothing. After reading this thread, I'm thinking crappy connectors and RG59 crap cable. Any thoughts?

Montana Man · 10-25-2018, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fastf350ps

I have a brand new Monty High Country HMS374FLS. Only the OTA cabling works. We live in our trailer. The satellite connections all indicate a "purple" responder on my tester, but there is NO purple responder plugged-in anywhere! The Dish installer (with an external dish, not built-in, but on the ground) had to run cables through 2 of my windows. That drove me nuts and I slid them in through slide gaps. But, Amp on or Amp off, I get nothing. After reading this thread, I'm thinking crappy connectors and RG59 crap cable. Any thoughts?

Our satellite cabling was doomed from the factory. Splitters that didn't work, mislabeled connections, loose connections, cable destroyed by wood screws. A direct wire through the slide wall worked for me. Problem solved.

Lucky23 · 11-02-2018, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Montana Man

Our satellite cabling was doomed from the factory. Splitters that didn't work, mislabeled connections, loose connections, cable destroyed by wood screws. A direct wire through the slide wall worked for me. Problem solved.

Thanks Montana Man, I ordered the recessed outlet from Kyle switch & plates. I just finished mine today & while I was behind there I installed my DirecTV Swim box.

russgarrett · 12-27-2020, 06:59 PM

That's a neat professional job adding the cable connection. What tool to cut into the slide and how did you install it and secure it to the slide?
Also, how did you determine to locate it there. Was it because it was easy to run the wire form there? Where it had to be located inside? Had to go there because there was nowhere else to put it? etc....
I had thought about running a cable and putting a connector in the basement or just under the trailer. The cable jacks with three connectors are located behind the tv which is to the left as you go up the stairs and above the basement. Bigger problem could be the bedroom tv is on the door side of the trailer in a small shelf at the top of the room. Running that could be a problem.
It's a 2007 307rkd 5th wheel in great shape I bought used. I still don't know what all three outlets are behind the tv. I just removed the looped cable and plugged it in.
Did not mean for this to get so long but if you could help out it would be great !

russgarrett · 12-27-2020, 06:57 PM

That's a neat professional job adding the cable connection. What tool to cut into the slide and how did you install it and secure it to the slide?
Also, how did you determine to locate it there. Was it because it was easy to run the wire form there? Where it had to be located inside? Had to go there because there was nowhere else to put it? etc....
I had thought about running a cable and putting a connector in the basement or just under the trailer. The cable jacks with three connectors are located behind the tv which is to the left as you go up the stairs and above the basement. Bigger problem could be the bedroom tv is on the door side of the trailer in a small shelf at the top of the room. Running that could be a problem.
It's a 2007 307rkd 5th wheel in great shape I bought used. I still don't know what all three outlets are behind the tv. I just removed the looped cable and plugged it in.
Did not mean for this to get so long but if you could help out it would be great !

**AZ Traveler** · 10-24-2018, 10:38 PM

fastf350ps - Welcome to the forum!

A Dish tailgater or similar low power antenna will not tolerate the splitters and the longer cable through the rig well. The standard setup usually works well for higher power analog signals fairly well.

I ran a dedicated cable to my receiver in the living room. To do this I pulled my fireplace and was able to run a line out by my outside TV where I can open the door and pull the cable out to the antenna. Others had added a cable connector to the side of their slide.

Snoopy · 11-11-2018, 04:49 PM

you are right. had to but a cable connector for my king antenna on the out side wall of the slide. ran cable up behind fireplace to tv. great picture.

fastf350ps · 10-25-2018, 12:09 AM

This is basically misrepresentation of paid-for feature (fraud)! Anyone starting a Class Action Suit?

Timber Tramp · 10-25-2018, 12:15 AM

We just bought a new Montana and had Camping World install the on the go dish(?). It didn’t work. After many hours with Dish I was told there is a primary and secondary tv and they were hooked up backwards. Try setting up with bedroom tv instead of living room.

darmock667 · 10-25-2018, 08:07 AM

Even if the cable was hooked up backwards it may not be the proper quad shield RG6. I found only a single run of RG6 in my rig and it was not quad shield! RG59 can't be used for satellite stuff you should use RG6 quad shield for all satellite connections and RG11 for longer run satellite connections. The OTA signals will run that much better over the RG6 quad also. I suspect that the cheapest possible coax has been used on the monty's to save a few pennies. High end coax properly run and tested at the factory is far cheaper than spending a weekend rerunning it all. When I was doing my research prior to buying my monty I read about all of the poor wiring issues and decided I could fix this as needed.... Unfortunately this issue was worse that my research indicated.

Oh well I will take the opportunity this weekend while I am in the bowels of my monty to neaten up the poorly organized wiring job as I am running new RG6 Quad throughout. I had a peek behind the bulkheads when I bought the monty and shook my head how all the wiring was all over the place.

I keep notes, pictures, and samples of the wiring just in case someone does a class action.........

Tom

russgarrett · 12-27-2020, 07:55 PM

I just read your email about satellite tv. I have a 2007 307RKD 5th wheel. It has 1 outside connection. Behind the tv there 2 outlets with 1 having 2 jacks and the other outlet 1. I removed the looped cable and plug a dish receiver into 1 side and the other is OTA and plugs straight to the tv. Works great. OTA works with booster front and back when needed.
1. What is the outlet with 1 jack for ?
Is there a way I can watch the satellite in the bedroom and the den at the same time and I am aware I will be watching the same channel with 1 receiver?

Thanks if you can help !

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