Why on Earth?

[dmassey321]

Why would any engineer ever design an AV system where the user needs to push a button to either activate or deactivate an antenna feed? Why is it not HDMI 1 = Antenna feed, HDMI 2 = Cable, etc.?

I, being the idiot I am, spent the better part of the day trying to understand where the cable connection was faulty…only to later find out it was only because the antenna button was pushed to the on position. I even bought a signal tracer….arrrrrrrgh!

I have never seen this in any other RV (trailer or Class A). What gives?

Ps. I know I am asking a rhetorical question here….but it feels good!

[uraljohn]

Yep, if you are connected to cable and want to use it you must turn off the antenna booster. My friend has a Lance trailer and it works the same way. My sister has an SOB and ditto. Just the way it is. At least now you know and will not be fooled again. Learn something new everyday.

[tbrowne]

Almost all RV's work this way. Cable and antenna use the same input to the TV. The booster needs to be on to amplify the signal from the antenna but it needs to be off for a cable connection. The cable signal doesn't need a boost and can't get past the booster if it's on. It's best to leave the booster off when not in use because it draws current from the batteries even when the TV is not it use.

[InvertdEagle]

Yep..Airstream uses a powered signal amplifier (booster) on the antenna connection. An amplified signal is incompatible with inputs other than from the antenna (e.g., cable tv connections). Electrically, it would have been possible to run separate wires from both the antenna and cable tv connections directly from their respective sources to the television(s), but it was likely less expensive to run a single cable to the television(s) vs. having to run multiple connections. Also, some televisions may lack sufficient inputs to have separate antenna, cable, and other sources. Most TV sets do, but some don’t.

Amplifiers are simple and they work…you just can’t use them for cable tv inputs. As the OP suggests though, it’s a pain in the you-know-what sometimes when you forget to turn off power to the amp.

[BigSxyWhtGuy]

I blame the people that can’t change with times. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone just streamed? It’s worked for us for almost 4 years now and we haven’t had cable TV for over 12 years.

Everything just runs from our phones. There is a cute little dongle that charges the phone and pushes the signal through an HDMI cable. We just added an HDMI switch to be able to still run our DVD player…. Which is quickly being obsolete in our lives as well….

Technology moving much faster than the RV industry can keep up with.

[richard5933]

Originally Posted by BigSxyWhtGuy

I blame the people that can’t change with times. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone just streamed? It’s worked for us for almost 4 years now and we haven’t had cable TV for over 12 years.

Everything just runs from our phones. There is a cute little dongle that charges the phone and pushes the signal through an HDMI cable. We just added an HDMI switch to be able to still run our DVD player…. Which is quickly being obsolete in our lives as well….

Technology moving much faster than the RV industry can keep up with.

Blame??

We like to watch local news when we are out in different parts of the country. Simple to do with our rooftop antenna. Streaming wouldn't help with that.

Nice that your method works for you, but there are as many preferences out there as there are people camping.

Maybe we can avoid placing blame for something like this.

[stevejones]

Originally Posted by InvertdEagle

Yep..Airstream uses a powered signal amplifier (booster) on the antenna connection. An amplified signal is incompatible with inputs other than from the antenna

I think the problem is more one of when you engage the switch, the wall plate power supply puts 12V DC on the coax line leading to the antenna. The amp is actually in the antenna and is powered by the 12V.

Steve

[kidjedi]

Originally Posted by BigSxyWhtGuy

I blame the people that can’t change with times. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone just streamed? It’s worked for us for almost 4 years now and we haven’t had cable TV for over 12 years.

This is an pretty weird response considering you're making an uninformed statement that "judges" people you are accusing of not adopting new technology. There are still plenty of places in this country that have no internet/cell signal but do have digital broadcast television signal. You can't stream in the mountains of Colorado or the desserts of New Mexico simply because you *want* to. Thus, the only way to get live tv (and often important information, especially regarding weather) is over broadcast television signal or radio waves.

[Mollysdad]

Originally Posted by dmassey321

I have never seen this in any other RV (trailer or Class A). What gives?

I think you'll find it in other trailers also.
Remember the button does two things.
1. activates the antenna booster.
2. switches the input to the tv from "cable" to "antenna" and back.

Two cables go in (behind the wall) one comes out (to the TV)
a third cable goes to the bedroom TV, stripped of the dc voltage for the antenna.

Question: Can you watch cable on TV1 and antenna on TV2 at the same time?
Can't say I've ever tried....until now.

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

Question: Can you watch cable on TV1 and antenna on TV2 at the same time?
Can't say I've ever tried....until now.

I don't think so because you'd have to have the booster on to get a signal, wouldn't you? That would defeat the cable. I think it's one or the other. Once you connect the cable it feeds both TVs.

[Rich W]

Well, it feeds both as long as the jumper is there. I guess you could remove the jumper, connect a cable to the connector that goes to the cable input and keep the other TV on the antenna with the booster. That might work

[turonueve]

Originally Posted by dmassey321

Why would any engineer ever design an AV system where the user needs to push a button to either activate or deactivate an antenna feed? Why is it not HDMI 1 = Antenna feed, HDMI 2 = Cable, etc.?

I, being the idiot I am, spent the better part of the day trying to understand where the cable connection was faulty…only to later find out it was only because the antenna button was pushed to the on position. I even bought a signal tracer….arrrrrrrgh!

I have never seen this in any other RV (trailer or Class A). What gives?

Ps. I know I am asking a rhetorical question here….but it feels good!

Yes. I love our Classic. However, the AV system astounds me. If I want to listen to music, it is easier (and sounds better) to connect my iphone to a bluetooth speaker. If I want to watch a movie, it is easier to HDMI my ipad directly into the TV which is hooked up to a $79 sound bar.

The AS sound system has an inferior sound quality, a lot of extra wires, and 5 lbs of useless paper manuals.

But the rest of the Airstream is awesome!

-Arthur

[propchef]

Originally Posted by richard5933

Blame??

We like to watch local news when we are out in different parts of the country. Simple to do with our rooftop antenna. Streaming wouldn't help with that.

YouTubeTV uses your location and will automatically include the local news stations. Easy-peasy.

[richard5933]

Originally Posted by propchef

YouTubeTV uses your location and will automatically include the local news stations. Easy-peasy.

How is that easier or peasier than just using the roof top? No devices, no subscriptions, no internet, and no hassle. All I do is have the TV scan for local stations once and we're good to go.

I get it that nearly everything on live TV can be watched through a streaming or subscription service of some kind. I'm a fan of using devices to stream shows when I want streamed shows, but there are lots of times we just want to watch whatever is local and we don't see any need to add complications to the process.

Sometimes it's nice to just watch TV without having to enter a single password or jump through any hoops trying to get an internet signal inside the trailer.

[kidjedi]

Originally Posted by propchef

YouTubeTV uses your location and will automatically include the local news stations. Easy-peasy.

It's not easy-peasy when there is no cell service or wifi. This is a ridiculous argument, and I don't understand why people keep arguing. An antennae draws in a broadcast signal in places where there is no cell service and no wifi and thus *no streaming.* The end.

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by richard5933

How is that easier or peasier than just using the roof top? No devices, no subscriptions, no internet, and no hassle. All I do is have the TV scan for local stations once and we're good to go.

I get it that nearly everything on live TV can be watched through a streaming or subscription service of some kind. I'm a fan of using devices to stream shows when I want streamed shows, but there are lots of times we just want to watch whatever is local and we don't see any need to add complications to the process.

Sometimes it's nice to just watch TV without having to enter a single password or jump through any hoops trying to get an internet signal inside the trailer.

Totally agree. Newer isn't always better. Raise the antenna, point it towards the nearest big city direction, scan and make a martini while that's happening. Almost everything we watch is broadcast OTA TV, home or on the road.

[richard5933]

Part of why we go camping is to get away from things like passwords, login screens, etc.

[propchef]

Wow, such stress! Lol

It was mentioned that local stations could not be done by wifi. I said it can be. I NEVER said it was easier, always available, or even better. I said it can be done.


Geesh. Maybe decaf next time?

[propchef]

Originally Posted by richard5933

Part of why we go camping is to get away from things like passwords, login screens, etc.

Good for you. I take a slightly different view.


YMMV

[DonRich7878]

Originally Posted by dmassey321

Why would any engineer ever design an AV system where the user needs to push a button to either activate or deactivate an antenna feed? Why is it not HDMI 1 = Antenna feed, HDMI 2 = Cable, etc.?

I, being the idiot I am, spent the better part of the day trying to understand where the cable connection was faulty…only to later find out it was only because the antenna button was pushed to the on position. I even bought a signal tracer….arrrrrrrgh!

I have never seen this in any other RV (trailer or Class A). What gives?

Ps. I know I am asking a rhetorical question here….but it feels good!

---------
Dave, the TV Antenna Amp switch for which you suffer, is from a common design going back over 40 years ago, before there was HDMI data formats. Airstream products are full of legacy components and designs from this period. That's why you own an Airstream, to take you back to a simpler time and perhaps better way of doing things.