StewartJ Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 Into our third week touring NW Scotland in our new Auto-trail Tracker EKS and a problem has arisen which I'm hoping my knowledgeable forum colleagues can answer for me. We have an Avtex 19" TV in addition to the standard SE digital system so should be able to receive analogue signals but so far this has not been possible. On a cracking seahore site near Mallaig this evening with a TV mast literally just up the hill from us and unable to receive a signal, other MH's have perfect reception so resorted to desperate measures. Bypassed the system by plugging a length of coax directly into the Staus aerial straight into the TV socket and able to tune into 4 perfect channels! Anyone have any suggestions or am I missing doing something. So in a nutshell the auxy factory fitted coax outlet gives me absolutely nothing bypassing it and I have perfect reception?? Why is the auxy coax socket not working? A very perplexed newbie. Stewart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 Hi Stewart, Just a quick post. You say it is new, do you mean brand new? If so I would suggest straight back to an AT dealer to get it fixed under warranty. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
747 Posted September 21, 2010 Share Posted September 21, 2010 Thats the problem with new vans, they are full of little idiosyncrasies. You will just have to trace the coax cable back to its source. The problems often lie with the connectors as I doubt there will be a break in the cable. The only easy fix is the one you have done already. If it is anything like the new Elddis that I used to have, the coax was of shockingly poor quality. The short run of coax from the external socket on the side of the van would not give a decent picture at all and I never used it. I had to put the coax in through the window when I used my high gain freestanding aerial. Best of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StewartJ Posted September 22, 2010 Author Share Posted September 22, 2010 Hi Keith, yes its brand new, when we took delivery they did show us both tv's working on digital (freeview) never thought to try it on analogue. The status aerial plugs into the factory fit freeview receiver then out to the factory fit 11 inch monitor then I assume feeds the internal auxilliary coax outlet. Will have to add it to the small list of "dealer to fix under warranty" items. Just wanted to sound out you guys in case there is a procedure I've overlooked or misunderstood? I have put a multimeter across the digi box aerial outlet and no continuity between inlet, yet as stated they worked on handover. Yo 747 and thanks for your reply Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 Hi Stewart There should be a Status amplifier before the freeview box you are turning the this on and there is power to it there is also an anttenuator switch for low / high look at this link http://www.gradeuk.co.uk/assets/pdfs/315_ENG/315_ENG.pdf Alf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 Forgive my lack of knowledge but doesn't the signal - whichever it is - come into the same aerial and along the same cable to the same booster and from there to the back of the TV where the TV itself sorts out which is which - in simple terms? In which case and unless there are separate inputs for digital and analogue signals I can't quite see why bypassing the original aerial input cable makes it work - unless you can't get a digital picture either when in a digital area - in which case I would undo every connector and check for stray bits of wire earthing the inner signal carrying cable out? Also check the inner wire is contacting both with it's own plug or with the female side of the connection when plugged in? I too would love to hear what the answer is when you find it! Is the sun shining in Mallaig - lovely spot when it is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almanac Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 Hi Stewart It is not a fault thats the way they work. You will not get any analogue signal after the digibox, I do the same as you and run a lead from the status box. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 Almanac's posting made me think - always a dangerous scenario - and, racking my poor old memory, I seem to recall on our last AT Tracker I had to reroute the aerial cable by bypassing the installed digibox from the aerial booster direct to the larger Avtex TV that we used in place of the tiny multi system reversing camera set up in the cab in order to get any signal at all on the Avtex? As you say, the digibox does not allow an analogue signal to pass through and inputing an already digitised signal into a the TV tuner from the digibox did not work either? Does that makes sense now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogP Posted September 22, 2010 Share Posted September 22, 2010 Hi Stewart I've got an Autotrail and it sounds like a similar issue I discovered in that the aerial output in the rear would not produce a signal until I turned on the Freeview box (housed in the front of the van) and cabled to both the front Dropdown Media unit and the rear outlet I think the problem is that the Status aerial is cabled to the Freebox from which the outlet points are cabled. If its not too fiddly you could unplug the required aerial cable and plug directly into the aerial booster box and bypass the digibox. Also try checking the switches on the Status booster box as well to see if they are set properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StewartJ Posted September 22, 2010 Author Share Posted September 22, 2010 Yo all and thanks for all the replies RogP - 2010-09-22 3:36 PM Hi Stewart I've got an Autotrail and it sounds like a similar issue I discovered in that the aerial output in the rear would not produce a signal until I turned on the Freeview box (housed in the front of the van) and cabled to both the front Dropdown Media unit and the rear outlet I think the problem is that the Status aerial is cabled to the Freebox from which the outlet points are cabled. If its not too fiddly you could unplug the required aerial cable and plug directly into the aerial booster box and bypass the digibox. Also try checking the switches on the Status booster box as well to see if they are set properly. Hi Rog switching on or off the freeview box makes no difference and the status switches are all on and checked, so have disconnected status output and connected coax directly to it from the tv. You are correct in that status booster is connected directly to the fitted freeview box and you'd think switching it on would enable a connection to an output coax socket with the aerial? We havent been in any digi areas to check freeview system out yet but will at weekend once home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StewartJ Posted September 26, 2010 Author Share Posted September 26, 2010 Browsing the new Auto Trail flyer (free with latest MMM) in the new for 2011 Features came across the following " All rear aerial points now wired direct from the aerial this enables the rear TV to be tuned separately to the front screen" So it would appear its a known problem! Now how to sort it, anyone any suggestions! thinking of trying a splitter on outlet cable from digi box direct to spare aerial outlet socket on amplifier. Have metered outlet connector and have continuity with rear coax socket when unplugged from digi box. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolandrat Posted September 27, 2010 Share Posted September 27, 2010 Stewart, If you ring Guy "name" at Balwins he will tell you which way to switch the co-ax to receive a signal through the auxiliary connection on your Tracker. I had the same problem with mine. You want the service department, phone number 01422 382333. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StewartJ Posted September 27, 2010 Author Share Posted September 27, 2010 rolandrat - 2010-09-27 4:31 PM Stewart, If you ring Guy "name" at Balwins he will tell you which way to switch the co-ax to receive a signal through the auxiliary connection on your Tracker. I had the same problem with mine. You want the service department, phone number 01422 382333. Cheers for that Rolandrat, will ive them a ring Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StewartJ Posted October 12, 2010 Author Share Posted October 12, 2010 Quick update, purchased a Y splitter and some RF & Coax plugs, fitted splitter into spare outlet on Status amp, disconnected one cable from digi box and plugged it into splitter, other leg cabled back into digi box. Total success auxy TV can be tuned either on freeview or analogue independently of factory fitted digi box and monitor. Well chuffed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo3090 Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 Is there still an analogue signal being broadcast in Scotland? n I know he got a signal when he went straight to the Staus arial, but that could be why, it's just picked upo the digital one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corky 8 Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 No Analogue signal down in S/W Scotland ,you could check here ,but I thought all Scotland would have changed over to Digital this year,?http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/when_do_i_switch/stv_north Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leake Posted October 22, 2010 Share Posted October 22, 2010 We have just ordered a new Auto-Trail and I notice that in the bumph they specifically mention the the aux TV is now feed direct and can be separately tuned to digital and analogue so I assume they dropped a clanger in some way with your Motor Home and have now made changes which address the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 can anyone explain in simple terms exactly how to what stuart has done here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Or Autotrail assumed that the Analogue signals would be switched off before the Motorhome was sold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
first5 Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 On our auto trail the aerial is linked direct to the 'digibox' which directs it from there to the front tv if you have the entertainment pack and also to a seperate aerial socket at the rear of the van if you would want to use a seperate tv. If you want to link the extra aerial socket directly to the aerial to receive analogue tv you need to bypass the 'digibox' the 'digibox' is the black box in the locker next to the power supply unit. On the back of the 'digibox' at the top you will see two black coax cables attached using F connectors. One of these is the aerial 'in' into the digibox from where it is transferred to the front tv entertainment pack. The other is an aerial out to the additional socket. You need to disconnect this one from the digibox and connect it directly to the spare aerial connection on the white booster unit usually next to the digibox. You can get an F plug to co-ax adaptor at maplins for a couple of pounds. I think this is what he has done and it is how I altered mine. Its difficult to try and explain but is quite easy to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StewartJ Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share Posted February 3, 2011 first5 - 2011-02-02 9:45 PM On our auto trail the aerial is linked direct to the 'digibox' which directs it from there to the front tv if you have the entertainment pack and also to a seperate aerial socket at the rear of the van if you would want to use a seperate tv. If you want to link the extra aerial socket directly to the aerial to receive analogue tv you need to bypass the 'digibox' the 'digibox' is the black box in the locker next to the power supply unit. On the back of the 'digibox' at the top you will see two black coax cables attached using F connectors. One of these is the aerial 'in' into the digibox from where it is transferred to the front tv entertainment pack. The other is an aerial out to the additional socket. You need to disconnect this one from the digibox and connect it directly to the spare aerial connection on the white booster unit usually next to the digibox. You can get an F plug to co-ax adaptor at maplins for a couple of pounds. I think this is what he has done and it is how I altered mine. Its difficult to try and explain but is quite easy to do. You are correct but fitting Y splitter allows easy connection of a signal finder and not fiddling with undoing RF connectors. I'd post a picture but not sure how on this forum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 cheers first5 and stewart also, good explanation we r now up and running Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.