TV Over the Air Channel Problem

[B&T RVers]

I have 4 TVs in my rig (2021 Ventana). The over the air scan doesn’t always work. The location I was at yesterday I pulled in channels with the scan no problem. Both in the telavator TV and in the bedroom. Today I am at a new site. I pulled in channels for the outside and bedroom TV, but the Telavator TV and over the driver seat TV doesn’t pull in any channels.

Any solutions/ ideas?

Thanks

 

[Dan_Frisbie]

First, what’s a telavator?
Are you adjusting the antenna for maximum signal?

I usually just tune the TV in living area, so I’ve never compared the three…

 

[BGMAC]

There is usually an antenna booster somewhere too

 

[B&T RVers]

Sorry the telavator is my tv in the living area

 

[Neal]

I wonder if COAX is going to become like VCR? I hate it! I've done everything I can per the article below. My bedroom is the best, forward TV 2nd best, Televator sucks. I just checked connections again, don't get it - hate it! So what you're seeing is probably normal but the article below may help improve matters. Make sure all coax connections are secure of course.

Tip - Improving COAX cable connectivity in your RV or Motorhome

I was at a campground earlier this year and had issues with the cable TV as they are all digital cable. I struggled in my 2017 Newmar Ventana to get a good picture on all TV's and there number of channels being detected in the channel search was inconsistent. It was time to investigate. There...

rvforums.com

 

[AbdRahim]

Need to check the coax on both ends TV and antenna.Seems like they should all be equally good or equally bad.

 

[Bob K4TAX]

Different locations will have different signal strengths. With the digital TV broadcast the location between you and the station transmitting tower can have a BIG impact on the channels you will receive or not receive. Usually, 25 to 35 miles, as the crow flies, is the range for digital HD TV, as long as there is a clear path. Also vegetation such as leaves on trees, some species are worst than others (pine needles are a signal killer), will attenuate or reduce the signal strength. As to boosters, they don't "pull in" signals. If there is no signal, there is nothing to boost.

Different models and brands of TVs will have greater sensitivity and will be able to process the weaker signal. Some TVs don't have good receivers that amplify and detect the signals. Thus with 2 different brands or model TVs, one may work well and the other not so well. We have one brand/model in the BR and a different brand/model in the LR. They are both connected to the same antenna system and have the same exact signal available to each one. One gets more channels than the other. In other words, one has higher receiver sensitivity than the other.

At this point, I won't dive into microvolts and dB's and SNR as I normally would do.

Bob

 

[B&T RVers]

UPDATE: I didn’t do anything at all. Thought I’d just give it another try with the telavator TV & low and behold it picked up 22 channels - which is more than the TVs that I already connected.

Who knows - but thanks for all the quick responses!

 

[Bob K4TAX]

Sounds as though moving the TV via the televator ???? may have moved or loosened a cable. Certainly worth checking the connectors on each end of the coax cables. The should be a wee bit more than finger tight. A 7/16" open-end wrench is the required tool to snug the connectors.

Also with multiple TVs, one must realize there is only one signal from the antenna, or cable source, or satellite receiver source. This signal must be split X number of ways depending on the X number of TV outlets in the system. Every time the signal is split some amount of signal loss occurs. This can be a 50% loss per split of the signal. Of course, some systems do provide a booster amplifier to account for the splitting of the signal for multiple TVs. However, it makes no difference if the TVs are on or off or even if there is no TV connected to the splitter output port. The loss is there. If your system has provisions for 5 TV positions, if any one or more are not used, ideally the coax should be removed at the splitter or booster amplifier. And if one only intends to use 2 TVs, then the splitter should be a 2 port splitter. Even if one has a 2 or 3 or 4 port splitter, the loss is dependent on the number of ports, regardless if they are being used or not. A 2 port splitter will have 6 dB of signal loss, a 3 port splitter will have 9 dB of signal loss, and a 4 port splitter will have 12 dB of signal loss. This is regardless if any or all or a combination of ports are being used or not. Better explained as if one is divided by 1/2 the result is 1/2, then if one half is divided by 1/2 the result is 1/4 then if one quarter is divided by 1/2 the result is 1/8, etc.

 

[jagpot]

I wonder if COAX is going to become like VCR? I hate it! I've done everything I can per the article below. My bedroom is the best, forward TV 2nd best, Televator sucks. I just checked connections again, don't get it - hate it! So what you're seeing is probably normal but the article below may help improve matters. Make sure all coax connections are secure of course.

Tip - Improving COAX cable connectivity in your RV or Motorhome

I was at a campground earlier this year and had issues with the cable TV as they are all digital cable. I struggled in my 2017 Newmar Ventana to get a good picture on all TV's and there number of channels being detected in the channel search was inconsistent. It was time to investigate. There...

rvforums.com

This may sound like a dumb question but how do you "terminate" a port. Is there like a plug to buy? Is it a permanent fix? Sorry! Asking for a friend!

 

[Neal]

This may sound like a dumb question but how do you "terminate" a port. Is there like a plug to buy? Is it a permanent fix? Sorry! Asking for a friend!

Amazon.com: F Type 75 Ohm Terminator - 10 Pack: JUrban

Buy F Type 75 Ohm Terminator - 10 Pack: Accessories & Supplies - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

 

[jagpot]

Amazon.com: F Type 75 Ohm Terminator - 10 Pack: JUrban

Buy F Type 75 Ohm Terminator - 10 Pack: Accessories & Supplies - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

Thanks Neal. Just ordered them. Don't have issues but I will plug them anyway!

 

[Bob K4TAX]

Yes, there is a screw-on cap that looks like a hat with a little center pin coming out the bottom. It is a 75-ohm termination. With an open line, unterminated, there will be signal reflections in the line. These reflections add to the primary signal to cause ghosts and in some cases the cancellation of signals.

Bob

 

[PdMeehan]

First, what’s a telavator?
Are you adjusting the antenna for maximum signal?

I usually just tune the TV in living area, so I’ve never compared the three…

@Dan_Frisbie, the Televator is a lift with a TV mounted to it. The Televator typically resides behind a couch and when the proper switch is hit the Televator rises upward to expose the TV screen. The travel position for the Televator is down. In our coach the Front overhead TV, Televator TV and outside TV are on the same Coax feed. The bedroom TV stands alone.

 

[Just George]

This may sound like a dumb question but how do you "terminate" a port. Is there like a plug to buy? Is it a permanent fix? Sorry! Asking for a friend!

@jagpot I think installing the port terminator is a good move. You might consider replacing splitters with more outputs than you need with splitters that just meet your need, i.e. no open ports requiring a terminator. You do need to make sure any splitter you get is rated for the frequency range you will be running through it. In my case I replaced what appears to be the Newmar standard 4 port splitter with 2 port splitters. I don't have a way to measure actual signal strength but I believe the less ports the less loss.

 

[jagpot]

Yes, there is a screw-on cap that looks like a hat with a little center pin coming out the bottom. It is a 75-ohm termination. With an open line, unterminated, there will be signal reflections in the line. These reflections add to the primary signal to cause ghosts and in some cases the cancellation of signals.

Bob

Thank you Bob

 

[jagpot]

@jagpot I think installing the port terminator is a good move. You might consider replacing splitters with more outputs than you need with splitters that just meet your need, i.e. no open ports requiring a terminator. You do need to make sure any splitter you get is rated for the frequency range you will be running through it. In my case I replaced what appears to be the Newmar standard 4 port splitter with 2 port splitters. I don't have a way to measure actual signal strength but I believe the less ports the less loss.

Thank you for the info. I don't have issues but I only use Direct TV. Coach is in storage but I will look to se what I have when I take it out. 4 port splitter with 2 port splittes? pic if you can. Do the mhz's matter? 5/2000?

 

[Bob K4TAX]

Jaagpot et al;
Yes, more ports equal more loss. It is that simple. Unused ports even though terminated will be part of the total loss.
It is like a pie. That represents the entire signal coming from the antenna. Cut the pie in half (2 ports) and you have two pieces that are smaller than the whole pie. Cut those 2 pieces into 4 pieces and you have 4 smaller pieces of the original pie. etc etc So, do you prefer the hole pie or one of the 4 pieces? Just depends on how much pie you want.

I don't advise putting in more ports than actually needed. Of course, one can always add a booster ahead of the splitter to make up for splitter loss. All of this gets messy and with digital TV, one has enough signal for the system to lock or it doesn't lock and one has a pixellating picture or no picture. More signal strength won't make for a better quality picture. In the digital world, you either have a picture equal to the display quality of the TV or you have no picture. That is the 1's and 0's of the digital world.

My biggest problem with HD digital TV there are very few programs with content worth watching. Period.