Any Tailgater (portable satellite) experts out there?

[FunWaggin]

Need help from anyone using the Tailgater. I am unable to get satellite reception when I connect directly to the coach at the cable port in macerator compartment. I have connected the receiver to the satellite cable pre-wired above the drivers seat. I have removed the wire used to complete the cable connection from the coaxial plate as instructed in the AI manual. Please let me know if I am omitting a necessary step. I am hopeful it's not a coach wiring problem.



(I am able to get satellite service when I connect the receiver directly to the satellite.)



Thanks!


FunWaggin'

[jerhofer]

When I bought my 2013 AI used, it had a Tracvision in motion antenna installed. Since that system uses Directv, and I have Dish, it was not a viable option for me. I bought a Tailgater. The first time I used it, it did not work with the exterior input. However, I later discovered that when the Tracvision had been installed, the wiring had been altered. I took it back to the original wiring and I now can run a cable from the cable input in the overhead cabinet to the receiver and it works great.

If you hook up cable to that exterior input, does it work? If not, there may be a wiring issue. On the antenna amplifier in the overhead cabinet, is it in the off position. It has to be off for the exterior antenna hookup to work. I have attached the AV wiring diagram. It may be some use to you in tracking down the problem.

[FunWaggin]

Thanks so much, Jerhofer! Cable works fine using the external port so I am hopeful I can get the satellite to work. Should I be connecting the receiver to the coaxial faceplate? If so, should the input side of the faceplate be connected to the Dish receiver using the existing jumper cable?


FunWaggin'

[jerhofer]

Originally Posted by FunWaggin

Thanks so much, Jerhofer! Cable works fine using the external port so I am hopeful I can get the satellite to work. Should I be connecting the receiver to the coaxial faceplate? If so, should the input side of the faceplate be connected to the Dish receiver using the existing jumper cable?


FunWaggin'

Yes you do run the wire from the cable-in on the faceplate to the receiver. As long as cable works when wired to the exterior input, your Tailgater should work as well. Are you using the HDMI connection from the receiver to the TV? This thread may help as well.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f240...ic-130356.html

[Lumatic]

Try as an experiment bypassing the connections in the coach altogether and running your tailgater direct into the receiver. If the tailgater fires that will tell you if the problem is in the coach wiring

[Lineolated]

Here are a couple of things to try:

- make sure the monoprice splitter is set to use the correct input, otherwise no signal to the TV.

- after setting up the tailgater, unplug the receiver so it will reboot (powering off is NOT equivalent to unplugging!)

Good luck!

[VAtom]

Originally Posted by FunWaggin

Need help from anyone using the Tailgater. I am unable to get satellite reception when I connect directly to the coach at the cable port in macerator compartment. I have connected the receiver to the satellite cable pre-wired above the drivers seat. I have removed the wire used to complete the cable connection from the coaxial plate as instructed in the AI manual.

FunWaggin'

I'm not thinking you you use the "satellite" prewire at all; that is for a roof mounted satellite. The tailgater output just comes out the normal cable outlet which is then routed to the power injector and then dish receiver.

[FunWaggin]

Wow! I love this forum! All comments have been really helpful. My first mistake was using the pre-wire for the roof mount satellite! Ughhhhhh! I'm going to give it a try today using the coaxial faceplate and since cable works fine I'm anticipating the Tailgater should work too. I'll be sure to unplug for the reboot and now I understand what the Monopiece is all about! If I still have problems at least my A/V guy will have a diagram (thanks Jerhofer!)






FunWaggin'

[gmw photos]

Let us know how it works out. I have read some say that if there is a splitter anywhere in the wiring between your outside connection on the trailer and where you are feeding the receiver inside, you may have a problem. I have a SOB trailer, and am not able to get the tailgater to work thru the trailer wiring. My solution was to run a separate wire to the outside ( from the receiver ), and then use a female-female splice to connect the wire to the tailgater antenna. This works for me.

[ednormandy]

If you have two TV's in the coach, then there is a splitter somewhere in the line. Find the splitter and replace it with "power passing" high frequency splitter and you should be OK. The tailgater gets its power from the receiver and most splitters will not pass power and have a frequency limit of about 1000Mhz. DISH receivers need 2400Mhz to work properly

[Mldun]

I am so glad you asked this, I have had the same problem. The Tailgater directions say that the cable must go directly to the Satellite receiver and I hate having to run through a window. I know some have had success with this and I am looking for to understanding more as well.
Thanks!

[jerhofer]

Mine works fine wired into the cable inlet on the exterior of the home. The only output on the Tailgater receiver is one HDMI connector. There is a HDMI cable hooked up to both TV's that is run to the cabinet above the cab area. To run both TV's from one receiver you will need a HDMI splitter. Run an HDMI cable from the receiver to the splitter and then plug in both HDMI cables from the TV's. This will allow watching the same image from the Tailgater on both TV's.

However, I recently removed the rear TV. We weren't using it and I kept banging body parts on it. I intend to mount a swing out mirror in that location. That will make my wife happy!! Happy wife, happy life!!

[jcanavera]

Can't help you with the Interstate since I using the Tailgater with my Classic. The key for me to using the outside wiring entry point is to make sure we are not trying to connect the receiver to the port inside which services the broadcast TV antenna amplifier. In my case I have a inside port labeled satellite which is usually jumpered to another port. When I remove that jumper and connect the receiver to that port, I have a straight connection from that port to the port on the outside of the trailer. Most folks having problems connecting the satellite dish to the outside connector is the fact that they are connecting to the wrong inside port with the receiver, or have to move some jumper wires which takes the broadcast antenna amplifier out of the connection.

Jack

[FunWaggin]

I was able to get the Tailgater to work using the cable inlet on the coach! Next step is to follow Jerhofer's instruction and purchase an HDMI splitter so the rear TV will access satellite channels.


FunWaggin'

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by jerhofer

M
The only output on the Tailgater receiver is one HDMI connector.

Just to be clear, I assume you are speaking of the Dish receiver the Tailgater is connected to (mine is a VIP22K) and not the dish itself. My Tailgater has a single coaxial outlet. As I understand it, on the receiver there is also a coaxial output in addition to the HDMI outlet which can also be used. The HDMI connection will give you a better picture though.

[jcanavera]

If you use a 211 Z receiver it has two outputs. One is HDMI and the other composite. Both outputs are active with the same program when the receiver is in operation. The advantage of the 211 Z over the K model is its smaller size.

Jack

[gmw photos]

To further confuse the issue, if you have the latest version of the antenna like I have ( the new one looks like darth vader ) it has two coax outputs, so you can two separate coax cables from it to two different receivers.

[mcomeaux]

Ok I'm pulling the trigger and getting a Dish Tailgater. I have a 2016 28' Flying Cloud. What exactly do you do to prepare to watch? I see the HDMI plug on top of cabinet above the Disc player. I'm aware of the separate plugs outside for cable and satellite. Any help here?

Regards Mike

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by mcomeaux

Ok I'm pulling the trigger and getting a Dish Tailgater. I have a 2016 28' Flying Cloud. What exactly do you do to prepare to watch? I see the HDMI plug on top of cabinet above the Disc player. I'm aware of the separate plugs outside for cable and satellite. Any help here?

Regards Mike

For me it's a matter of proper placement of the dish unit itself. I use an app on my iPhone called SatelliteTransponders which allows me to aim my phone to the sky and verify that all the satellites are clear and not blocked by any trees or anything else.

The satellites you need to see are 129.0W, 119.0W, and 110.0W. You can select those with the software and they will appear as green dots as you look at your iPhone screen.

Once you know you can see those satellites, I run my coax from the dish unit to my trailer. I have one coax input and I screw into there. Inside I connect my 211Z receiver with a short coax cable from the receiver itself to a port labeled satellite/cable. (Note that this connection differs based on the vintage of your trailer). From there I connect an HDMI cable from the receiver to the HDMI input to my TV.

When the receiver is powered on, it will ask you what state you are in and then it will proceed to locate the 3 satellites that you looked at with the iPhone app. This can take a few minutes to complete. Once done, the program guide will update, again wait for that. Once it completes you will have programming and you are set.

That's the mechanics of what I do when setting up. Once aimed, as long as the trailer has power and the receiver is plugged into an outlet (it doesn't have to be left on however), you will not have to go through the aiming or program guide download. Don't move the dish unit after you aim, or it will have to go through the aiming process again.

I am a home Dish subscriber and I activate the receiver only when I'm traveling. Dish prorates the use of the receiver so you don't pay for it if you are not using it. Prior to leaving for a trip, I activate the receiver and do a test setup at home. This updates the receiver with any new software and also lets me know that the receiver and dish unit are functional. Once my travel is done when I'm home, I call Dish and deactivate the receiver.

Hope this was what you were looking for.

Jack