TV service recommendations May 28, 2019, 10:26:52 pm Last fall, while visiting my DIL & granddaughters in Texas my OTA TV went out during a storm. I'm sure I wasn't struck by lightening--I think I would have surely noticed an event like that. The TV seems to work fine, but just has that floating "no signal" dancing across the screen. I'm not sure if it's the Jack antenna or if something went awry with connections/co-ax/etc. I've read some of the various troubleshooting/repair threads on the forum, but I need someone who knows way more than I do (since I know next to nothing, except that there are ways to trace current/etc., but I certainly don't know how). I asked for some recommendations up home to no avail--one guy in St. Joseph wanted to sell me a new antenna without even looking at what I had, & wasn't interested in looking/assessing/repairing if that was all that was needed. LDy Lulubelle went into her hibernation phase at the farm shortly after, but I'm now out & about for the summer/fall, & wanting to get things taken care of. Also, though I have the original owners' factory dish still in place, the folks I bought from had Direct TV in their house, so they put a Winegard Travl'r dish up top & said they just took the box out of the house & hit the road. I finally ditched our cable provider & Chillicothe & went with Direct TV, since I had the compatible equipment topside. While Ed gave a wonderful dissertation about his DISH connection process, my brain doesn't know how to translate that to Direct TV.So, I'm in Copperas Cove enjoying granddaughters 'til next Monday, at that time they will return to their regularly scheduled programming & I'll begin my trek back to the flood zone. I'm wondering if any of the FOLD might have any thoughts about TV service professionals down this way (eg., Texas/Oklahoma), given the snowbirds/more RVs down this way/etc.--I'm not really inclined to just pull into one of those ginormous RV dealerships I've seen along I-35 & take potluck. I tried to look at the member map to see who was down this way besides Ed & Margee, but the map is a complete blank when I pull it up (no map shows up on the page at all).Thx in advance--Lynne
Re: TV service recommendations Reply #1 – May 29, 2019, 07:41:27 am Hi Lynne,I realize you are looking for a service reccomendation, but here are a couple things I would do before taking it someplace.Not sure what you have for a tv, but I would go into the tv menu, make sure it is using the antenna for signal instead of cable or sat. and then try to scan for channels. If you fail to get a signal, I would next either buy or borrow a cheap over the air antenna, what we used to call "rabbit ears", disconnect the Rv antenna coonction to the tv and connect the rabbit ears, and attemp another scan. You may just have a poor connection somewhere. Could be in the roof where the Winegard cable connects to the coax going into the roof, could be where the antenna connects to the power booster. You should be able to get a signal with an inexpensive antenna, even if it is in the motorhome.Good luck!Steve K. 1 Likes
Re: TV service recommendations Reply #2 – May 29, 2019, 09:48:29 am Quote from: Lynne Broyles-Greenwood - May 28, 2019, 10:26:52 pmI'm wondering if any of the FOLD might have any thoughts about TV service professionals down this way (eg., Texas/Oklahoma), given the snowbirds/more RVs down this way/etc.--I'm not really inclined to just pull into one of those ginormous RV dealerships I've seen along I-35 & take potluck. I would not use an RV dealership for this, particularly if you want/need to have work done on the Trav'ler. Instead, I would look for someone whose specialty is installing satellite TV systems on RVs. Unfortunately, I don't know who that would be in Texas...hopefully, someone here can recommend a place. Now, if you were going through Quartzsite, I'd have the ideal place to have this work done. How far south are you going to be traveling in Texas? I'm sure there must be places in the Rio Grande Valley to have this work done since that area has an enormous influx of snowbirds during the winter.
Re: TV service recommendations Reply #3 – May 29, 2019, 11:04:57 am I agree with Steve K. that trying another antenna would be worth the investment, e.g.:Amazon.com: TV Antenna, [2019 Strongest] Indoor Digital HDTV Amplified...The antenna amp is in the winegard head, and is most vulnerable to static discharge. Next in-line would be the TV tuner, so the new antenna will narrow down that choice.Steve As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Re: TV service recommendations Reply #4 – May 29, 2019, 04:25:12 pm Thx, Steve, Linda, & Steve.Copperas Cove is west of Ft. Hood on 190; I'm not planning on heading farther south at this time, but will head back to north Missouri next Monday when the girls go back to their regular schedule. Because I like the US routes & hate paying tolls in KS/OK, & dealing with the DFW metroplex traffic, & traffic down the I-35 corridor, I usually come down US 71 out of Kansas City to connect with US 69 through OK & various US/TX routes. My sister lives at Argyle near Denton, so I sometimes go that far on I-35, which is where I've seen the ginormous RV dealerships (which, no, I don't want).I keep thinking Quartzite will be on my list, but hasn't happened yet...Steve, the previous owners had upgraded to a nice LG flatscreen, to go with the Direct TV dish & blueray player they added. I did try to scan through the channels at the time it conked out last fall & tried several times on the way back to Missouri, but just to double check, I did it again after finding your response (turning the directional finder 1/8th of a turn for each scan, all the way around) & nada. I really think I need someone with technical knowledge & skills--I remember rabbit ears on my TV in college, but they were never any good beyond about a 40-mile radius of Columbia & Jeff City.So, with these thoughts in mind, where might I look--outside of Quartzite--for someone to troubleshoot/diagnose/replace the antennna, (since I wasn't impressed with the guy I talked with in St. Joseph last fall)? Thx, all--Lynne
Re: TV service recommendations Reply #5 – May 29, 2019, 10:31:35 pm Linda, why would she go to a satellite service person if she uses over the air broadcast tv? She nailed it up front - "The TV seems to work fine, but just has that floating "no signal" dancing across the screen. I'm not sure if it's the Jack antenna or if something went awry with connections/co-ax/etc." A satellite provider is only useful if you are using satellite TV.Steve had a good idea. Your TV uses different inputs. If it somehow got switched to an incorrect input, you will see no signal. as he also said, there could be a problem with the amplifier, but the amplifier is not in the antenna head. That is a pre-amplifier. The amplifier is mounted behind the switch plate where the coax cable connects inside to go to the TV.Lynne, first make sure you are powering the amplifier. Look next to the coax connection on the switch plate where you connect the coax cable to the TV. There is a little button there. Is it showing a tiny green light? If not, press the button and see if the light comes on. If so, rescan the TV. If the light did not come on, switch the rocker switch and try the button again. When you get the light on, you will have power to the amplifier. At that point, if you have the antenna up and aimed, and if you are in an area that has broadcast TV signals, your scan should give you SOMETHING. If you still have no signal, most likely, the tuner on the TV has failed OR the coax cable to the antenna has a broken core. You might also have a failed pre-amplifier in the antenna head, but that is a low probability. Replacing that cable is easy. If replacement of the cable does not help, then the suggestion to borrow rabbit ears is a good one. Give it a try.Finally, you can measure voltage at the cable connection to the antenna head. If you get no voltage, the problem is lower down, and might be a problem with the cable from the antenna to the amplifier.SO - possibilities are:A failed antenna pre-amplifier or cable to the antenna.A failed or unpowered amplifier.A bad cable from the amplifier to the TV.A problem with the TV tuner.A tv set up to use an improper tv input.Pinning it down means checking the TV input, measuring voltage at the antenna to verify connectivity, making sure the amplifier is powered, trying another antenna, and replacing the cable from the wall to the TV.Good luck.Ken F in WY 1 Likes
Re: TV service recommendations Reply #6 – May 30, 2019, 12:29:12 am Ken--Linda was responding to the part of my issue in that I've never been able to find someone to educate me about taking the Direct TV Genie from the house to hook it up to the sat as the previous owners said they had done (at the time I bought the rig, I still had cable at home, so instructions on sat connections were not germane).The input didn't change in the middle of a broadcast--I was watching a program & suddenly the picture was gone. Yes, the tiny green light was on at the time of the original defugilty, & has been on each time I've tried to re-scan. Oh, I just remembered, & this may be germane--when the antenna was deployed & the little green light was on in the entertainment center, there was a little red light on the bottom of the Jack antenna that I could see when I would open the roof vent just aft of the cab (I have four vents down the center of the rig: just aft of the cab, just even with the end of the sofa by the main door, between the shower & bath doors, and at the foot of the twin beds). That little red light on the bottom of the Jack antenna is no longer illuminated.While I understand the general concepts of your points, and I understand the notion of measuring/tracing voltage/etc., this is not in my wheelhouse. I was just kinda hoping there might be some suggestions of service technicians without going to Quartzite, or as Linda suggested, clear down to the Rio Grande valley. I really like the ATT Rural Home Phone & Internet, & know there are ways I could learn to use Roku/Apple TV/Amazon/etc. to get lots of programming, but I've gotten by with the OTA to catch PBS/local network news & weather/etc.--though I have gotten a bit addicted to the Genie DVR with the Direct TV at the stix house.Thx, all--Lynne
Re: TV service recommendations Reply #7 – May 30, 2019, 03:32:41 am Hi Lynne. Well Circuit City is no longer with us, but Best Buy has technicians (Geek Squad). Fry Electronics near me would be my choice. Any company that sells and installs car radios may be of help. RV dealerships usually have facilities to install those satellite systems, surely they can troubleshoot these issues. That 'no signal' message, is that coming from the TV? I have a Jack antenna, the one that installs on the same mast that the Winegard 'batwing' Sensar fits on. I don't recall any red LED on my antenna head, doesn't mean I don't have one. That could be the problem. I suspect it indicates no power from the amplifier in the wall plate inside. Check that switch, and it's fuse in the DC power center I had the downlead co-ax cable open up, but first it was intermittent, then it quit for good. That doesn't really fit your symptoms. And like Ken F. said, your set could have switched to another input accidentally. I think another choice he mentioned of an un-powered amplifier is most likely. HTH RonB
Re: TV service recommendations Reply #8 – May 30, 2019, 10:01:08 am Quote from: Kenneth Fears - May 29, 2019, 10:31:35 pmLinda, why would she go to a satellite service person if she uses over the air broadcast tv? She mentioned having a Winegard Trav'ler and I said that IF she needs work on the Trav'ler, I (personally) would not use an RV dealership for that type of work. They would probably be fine for an OTA antenna, but I wouldn't trust a dealership to work on a Trav'ler. 1 Likes
Re: TV service recommendations Reply #9 – May 30, 2019, 12:46:55 pm Quote from: Kenneth Fears - May 29, 2019, 10:31:35 pmSteve had a good idea. Your TV uses different inputs. If it somehow got switched to an incorrect input, you will see no signal. as he also said, there could be a problem with the amplifier, but the amplifier is not in the antenna head. That is a pre-amplifier. The amplifier is mounted behind the switch plate where the coax cable connects inside to go to the TV.Ken, If the circuitry behind the jack has not been changed, there is no amplifier there. It is simply a DC biassing and multi-input distribution setup. The only amplifier/preamp is in the Winegard or Jack antenna. This is why it is the most vulnerable component.Steve
Re: TV service recommendations Reply #10 – May 30, 2019, 07:26:14 pm Someone mentioned static electricity somewhere in this discussion. So, I sort of understand static electricity & lightening--question: is this what might have killed the Jack antenna, even though I wasn't struck by lightening, as opposed to there being a problem in the co-ax or connections or inside the guts of the entertainment center? I know enough to know I don't know much...hence the need for reliable/reputable technical support.RonB--RE: "RV dealerships usually have facilities to install those satellite systems, surely they can troubleshoot these issues."That's what I thought as I stopped at a dealership in St. Joseph, MO, on my way back home after the incident last fall...they seemed to see $$$signs & were only interested in selling me a new OTA antenna, without assessing/diagnosing where the problem might be (e.g., co-ax/connections/etc.). I had called Camping World east of the KC metro on I-70 (despite the bad reviews of CW here & elsewhere), when I first dropped cable & went to Direct TV--thinking they could get that set up (since they sell sat systems), but they weren't amenable to service--though they'd take my money for somebody to install new equipment. These defugilties, along with discussions of how hard it often is to get dealerships to remedy even warranty work on products they've sold hade me leery of just stopping in at a random dealership & saying "Help!" Yes, the "No Signal" is on the screen of the TV, just as it's been when I've had stations scanned in & then moved, necessitating a re-scan. I think the TV is OK...it acts normal in terms of powering up/letting me scan for channels/etc., which is why I thought whatever happened was in the antenna/co-ax/connections...Thx for the Best Buy suggestion; we have some in the Kansas City metro.So much to learn...so little time--& thankful for those along the way who know waaaay more than me. Lynne
Re: TV service recommendations Reply #11 – May 30, 2019, 07:40:45 pm Linda, I apologize. I completely missed Lynne's comment about DirecTV. Steve, if you are sure, I will take your word for it, but I have been told by others, and have seen articles, that talk about an amplifier in that switching circuitry behind the jack, plus have seen the Winegard head described as containing a pre-amp. That was the basis of my comments.As to the connecting to DirecTV, most of the steps will be similar to those in the Satellite TV article you mentioned. First be sure that the receiver is compatible with the dish. The prior owners used THEIR receiver and it worked with that dish, but your receiver may be different and may not be compatible. To illustrate, for 9 years I used DishNetwork's 612 receiver with a dual head Dish500 dish. This past winter I upgraded to a Hopper, and had to replace the dish.One of the links in the article steers you to equipment compatibility guides. You might find your equipment there. Alternatively, you might be able to find your receiver on the DirecTV site, and find a list of compatible dishes for it. Short form, the fact that the dish worked with their receiver is no indication that it will work with yours. You will have to do some homework on that. Once your dish and receiver are compatible, carry your receiver out to the rig, plug it in to power, to the dish and to the TV, then align the dish and look for a signal. If it works, great! If not, things can get dicey after that. The article has some troubleshooting info that MIGHT help, but you may need a DirecTV installer, and they may be unwilling to work on an RV unless you make changes to your plan. I can't help with that.Ken F iin WY 1 Likes
Re: TV service recommendations Reply #12 – May 30, 2019, 07:53:46 pm Thx, Ken. Those compatability issues are things I'd not thought of...another of the reasons I need people more knowledgeable than me.Lynne
Re: TV service recommendations Reply #13 – May 31, 2019, 09:47:31 am Good morning, all--Well it's a pleasant day, so far, here in central Texas---humidity is down due to the storm Wednesday night/partly overcast skies/gentle breeze out of the north/temp at 78.With all the helpful suggestions percolating in my brain I suddenly thought about at least looking online for info about Winegard service in Missouri (why it took almost two years for that inspiration to strike is one of the continuing mysteries of my brain ).Lo & behold, there is an electrician in Carrollton--30 miles south of me in Chillicothe--listed as a Winegard dealer. Just talked with him, & to compound the optimism, he said he does OTA antennas, too (makes sense, since they service an area closer to Kansas City, where signal are better). So, I'll contact him when I get back to the flood zone next week--they are cut off on three sides (US 65 N & S, US 24/MO10 W). He also told me Chillicothe is cut off on US 36 E & W (plus the US 65 outage south to Carrollton. This is definitely looking like the Flood of '93--he said nothing is getting planted, & what some got in early (when there was just the flooding in NW MO/Iowa/Nebraska/etc. has now taken a hit with the downstream flooding.Thx to all with the many suggestions. I may not be able to do this work myself, but I certainly feel more knowledgeable in asking questions, & hopeful about finding somebody close to home (rather than just some random RV dealership along the interstate). I'll follow up with more when I know more. Thx, again--Lynne
Re: TV service recommendations Reply #14 – May 31, 2019, 09:50:19 am BTW Lynne,Since all over the air signals are digital, meaning its on or off no inbetween, the cheapest antenna that works is as good as the most expensive.glen 1 Likes
Re: TV service recommendations Reply #15 – May 31, 2019, 01:50:27 pm Quote from: colddog - May 31, 2019, 09:50:19 amBTW Lynne,Since all over the air signals are digital, meaning its on or off no inbetween, the cheapest antenna that works is as good as the most expensive.Yes, but.... 'works' is relative. A less effective antenna, one with less gain, will drop the signal more often in a marginal reception condition. You may not notice the difference in a strong signal area, but you will in the boondocks. We have a remote cabin with a large roof-mounted antenna, a mast-mounted amplifier (preamp), and a distribution amp under the house. We can receive signals from two major cities, one about 50 mi. away, the other about 90 miles.... some of the time. When we get a signal, it is perfect HD. In poor conditions, the screen freezes a lot, breaks up, or shows 'no signal'.Steve
Re: TV service recommendations Reply #16 – May 31, 2019, 08:59:32 pm Thx, Glen & Steve. I've certainly noticed the difference with the digital pixilation, as opposed to the "snow" of my youth when Dad would go upstairs in the farmhouse to reach outside to adjust the antenna (until we got really modern with a "rotor", which I now realize was sort of a remote control to turn the antenna from inside).RE: "We can receive signals from two major cities, one about 50 mi. away, the other about 90 miles.... some of the time."Indeed, that's why I stayed with cable for so long, & have switched to DirectTV at the stix. It's about 75 miles to the station in St. Joe & about 90 miles to the stations in metro Kansas City. I could get most of the KC stations with the Jack antenna (before last fall's defugilty) six miles south of town at the farm because I'm up on a hill, but nothing in town & I don't know of anybody in town who has an OTA set-up...even though I grew up in the '60s-'70s with an analog OTA antenna on the roof about two blocks away from where I now live, getting the St. Joe & KC stations.Again, thx to all for the thoughts & suggestions; I certainly feel a bit more confident in asking questions when I get back to Missouri & connect with the place in Carrollton. Lynne
Re: TV service recommendations Reply #17 – June 01, 2019, 10:06:29 am very quick down and dirty lessonThe shorter the wavelength the shorter the travel thru air. And it generally is line of sight. (long waves will travel along the curvature of the earth). Most all radio and tv stations are limited in the power they can use to transmit. With digital they are able to move radio and tv stations closer together with frequency allocations. (topic for another day). If there is no signal there is nothing you can do to get it. But (and here is where is get stupid crazy) if there is a signal you can boost it. The antenna is either good or bad no matter the price. What they add in boosting is the issue. The boosting part must be match to the frequency you are trying to boost (amplify) i.e. cost.And one more issue -- at night a signal will travel further then during the day. Also at night some radio/tv stations can increase the transmission power. The transmission power is kept low to kept radio/tv stations from interfering from each other during the day. Each station has a geographic location assigned to it. Generally a 50 mile radius. They will use repeaters (re-transmitters) to increase the geographic radius. Rural folk are last in line. That's called capitalism. Humans follow the money. More people equal more profit. glen 2 Likes
Re: TV service recommendations Reply #18 – June 01, 2019, 12:06:52 pm Glen--Thx for the explanation...I remember as a kid in the '60s-'70s the popular Top 40 station in Kansas City that could reach 90+ miles out to us in the boonies would cut its power at sunset, but then I could pick up stations out of Chicago & New Orleans late at night. The NPR station (88.9) at the University in Maryville (far NW MO/80-ish miles away) built a repeater tower five miles west of Chillicothe several years ago & I can no longer get the Kansas City station (89.3) until I get about ten miles west of that repeater tower.So, part of what I think I've picked up from various responses here is that the antenna is good or bad (& cost may not be an indicator of quality), a booster is essential/a booster must "...match to the frequency you are trying to boost (amplify)"/a booster may be the more costly part of the equation, & the Jack antenna has a built-in booster. I already understood different TV stations will have different assigned frequencies, so I suspect I will still be at the mercy of the integrity of the tech support I find, since I won't know if an antenna is good or bad, or if it has the appropriate booster for the frequencies I might want to access.RE: "Rural folk are last in line."I do really like the ATT Rural Home Phone & Internet plan that was discussed on this site a couple of years ago, as it's given me flexibility in the LD I didn't have when I had an ATT hardwired landline & the rural phone cooperative ISP that was wireless, but tethered to just my stix house with an antenna receiving signals just from their tower.Thx to all for this discussion--Lynne
Re: TV service recommendations Reply #19 – June 01, 2019, 03:02:54 pm "Also at night some radio/tv stations can increase the transmission power. The transmission power is kept low to kept radio/tv stations from interfering from each other during the day"Glen, you've got your days and nights confused. Most AM radio stations must REDUCE their power at night to avoid interfering with other stations as propagation increases distances at AM frequencies (500 - 1800 khz) after sunset. Clear channel stations are the exception. Rich - W7JVL - Birch Bay, WA 1 Likes
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