Outside aerial point on Bourton

First time on a site where we needed the outside Aerial link to the van for the TV, Plugged in the aerial 
lead to the outside point but did not work on the inside, we had to put the Ariel directly into TV via the window, did we have to do anything on the inside, change anything for it to work?  thanks in advance.

Hi Lesley

You are not the first to have this problem.

The general consensus of opinion seems to be that you have already found the answer. Take the aerial in through the window and plug in directly to the TV.

The outside connection should work, but often doesn't. You can get a short flat strip of aerial connection for easier access through the window, which can be closed over the strip. I think it was PaulMold who suggested it.

The reason for the problem was explained to me by an ex TV engineer we met. He saw me cursing and trying to get the telly working and came across to help. He suggested the direct connection, and gave me a detailed technical explanation for why the external socket often fails to work properly. Unfortunately I didn't understand a word of it - but I was well impressed! 

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My outside point has an inside line with coaxial terminal which I have to switch for the roof mounted one.

I had this problem a few weeks ago, took the external socket off yesterday as a start, it was very well stuck on and the rear connections have been potted with a silicon compound.

A quick check last night appears to point to poor connector fittings and looks to be wired to the satellite (F) sockets.

I will go through it thoroughly this afternoon, have to get the external socket sealed and back on today as leaving for a weeks holiday tomorrow in the van.

Our Pollensa outside socket is then wired to a 12V amplifier hidden inside the drinks cabinet which then leads to the internal socket. This needs to be switched on to work, there is also an adjustment which often needs tweaking.  Not sure whether your model may have a similar amplifier tucked away somewhere?

We haven't used it much, partly because it's in completely the wrong place - under the awning on the nearside of the van, whereas the obvious place for us to put an aerial was on a pole attached to a fitting I made on the rear offside ladder, so it was easier to poke the wire through the offside lounge window and straight into the stick socket.  However we've pretty well given up with live TV, just selectively using catch-up when on wifi for the odd programme that's worth watching.  When we go to France, we just take a stock of DVD's to watch on the laptop (Jaque Tati's M Hulot being our favourites!).

This is an old chestnut.  Inside the van you will have one or more panels which have a coax socket, a cigar lighter socket and, next to the coax socket what is called an F-type socket a bit smaller than a normal TV coax socket and with a screw thread on the outside. It is the same socket that i sused for satellite or cable TV. For some unknown reason, possibly connected withthe socketry on the TV amplifier which is probably in the wardrobe (and which does need to be switched on) the OUTSDE TV coax socket is connected through to the F-type socket on the internal panel where you plug in the TV.  You need a special lead which can be obtianed from Maplins which has an F-type plug on one end and a normal coax plug to fit the TV on the other. If you can get one of those I think that your problem will be solved.
This adaptor - used on the internal panel - will also work and let you use your existing TV aerial cable
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I notice that Maplin's F plug to coax plug lead is 2m long which is far too long for the van and the adaptor is only £2.99.

You need a tv plug that converts the satellite socket to tv at least that works on mine
Gef

gef wrote:You need a tv plug that converts the satellite socket to tv at least that works on mine
Gef

That is what the adaptor does!

inspiredron wrote:

gef wrote:You need a tv plug that converts the satellite socket to tv at least that works on mine
Gef

That is what the adaptor does!

I had this happen again when on site at Grantown on Spey and I tried your solution, still zilch  In fact I tried every possible combination, in all of the available outlets inside the van, each with the 12v amplifier on and off........nothing. I resorted to the through the window (actually through the locker to be exact) with the flat adapter technique to get a signal.

I also have found the same problem on my 2017 Nuevo EK

As I have a satellite fitted it uses the F connector as it is designed for 

Surely the external aerial feed should either terminate at the aerial amplifier or connected to the aerial outlet.

Has anyone contacted Autosleepers regarding this issue ?

Eltel

I'm afraid that there's some misconceptions here. The external socket is intended for connection to an external satellite dish, but its internal cabling does not go through the terrestrial pre-amplifier often situated in the wardrobe. In common with most satellite installtions it has a screw type thread which, as has been mentioned, can be converted to the terrestrial Belling Lee "push-fit"  connector. It therefore canthen be used to connect an external terrestial aerial instead of using the Status roof mounted version. There is however a downside to using it in this way.

Looking at the diagram in the handbook it shows that there are three outlets to this external connection. Unfortuately it ia a fact of physics that each additional outlet presents a "resistive load" to the signal  - no matter whether a TV is connected or not. Consequently even with just one TV connected to one socket the overall signal level (terrestrial or satellite) is weakend. I'm sure AS wanted to be helpful by supplying these multiple outlets, but they did not take this factor into account. (Strictly speaking this "resistive" factor is actually an Inductive load).

The terrestrial "push-fit" outlets also suffer in this way, but because they are fed from the Staus aerial via an amplifier which boosts the signal the effect is not noticed. For this reason larger houses and blocks of flats installers often fit Distribution Amplifiers.

I was reminded of the above yesterday when reconnecting my roof mounted satellte dish to a new TV. As a short cut I initially tried connecting the dish cable to an F type outlet above the fridge and the TV to the one in the lounge area (there is however a further socket behind the passenger seat).  I found that the weaker channels such as BBC Regional did not function. After looking at the wiring diagram I then disconncted the  loundge socket's original cable and directly connected the dish cable to it - the BBC Regional and other weaker channels appeared! Proof then that an system with more than one outlet socket has a weaker signal.

Having been in the TV industry all my working life I agree with all your comments.

However on my 2017 Nuevo EK I have two external sockets.
1. Satellite F connector 
2. Standard aerial coax socket.

I like others have tried connecting a external aerial to the external aerial socket without success, plugging the same lead directly into the tv works fine.

Now I'm wondering if in fact the external aerial coax socket is in fact a output for using a T.V. In a awning if you have one.

I'll give it a try and let you all know.

Has anyone ever connected a external satellite dish to the external socket ?  Did it work ?

Or is this also a external satellite outlet for a T.V. In the awning .

I owe readers of this thread an apology for two reasons:
1:  The handbookl for later Nuevos does show a circuit diagram and text which says that external coax socket is now attached to internal coax sockets as cruisecontrol says. My manual specifically says that external coax is connected to internal satellite sockets.

2:  Judging from the number of connections to the amplifier I had assumed that external sockets also went via the amplifier - this may not be true and the experience of those contributing to this thread seems to imply that they do not.

It now appears, though I have not tested this, that only the roof aerial is amplified and that the external satellite and coax sockets on my van may be simply wired in parallel instead of what I naively assumed would be separate feeds to the socket panels!
I also agree with cruisecontrol that simply putting sockets in parallel will degrade signal strength.

In a slim defence of A/S I suspect that the external coax socket (not the satellite) is intended for taking a feed from a pitch cable similar to those supplied at CAMC sites with abysmal TV reception.  Such a connection would of necessity already be amplified so further amplification would be counter productive.  But the handbook should tell us!

inspiredron wrote:I owe readers of this thread an apology for two reasons:
1:  The handbookl for later Nuevos does show a circuit diagram and text which says that external coax socket is now attached to internal coax sockets as cruisecontrol says. My manual specifically says that external coax is connected to internal satellite sockets.

2:  Judging from the number of connections to the amplifier I had assumed that external sockets also went via the amplifier - this may not be true and the experience of those contributing to this thread seems to imply that they do not.

It now appears, though I have not tested this, that only the roof aerial is amplified and that the external satellite and coax sockets on my van may be simply wired in parallel instead of what I naively assumed would be separate feeds to the socket panels!
I also agree with cruisecontrol that simply putting sockets in parallel will degrade signal strength.

In a slim defence of A/S I suspect that the external coax socket (not the satellite) is intended for taking a feed from a pitch cable similar to those supplied at CAMC sites with abysmal TV reception.  Such a connection would of necessity already be amplified so further amplification would be counter productive.  But the handbook should tell us!

Having had problems with an external CAMC supplied connection I investigated the circuit.
The external coax socket does run in parallel to my three internal F sockets and independent of the coax sockets, I had a spare F to coax adapter.
My amplifier in the wardrobe only has one incoming connection which the accommodates the roof aerial, it has two TV outputs, only one used.

It could also be that the cable from the outside socket is not even connected anywhere in the van on the OP van? I found the fitted Telco antenna so useless I bought a small TV aerial and mast and checked out the external/internal cable (in fact 1 of the 2 cables connected in the external socket box) for continuity and bingo!
The external cable does go, via a couple of F type tee's, to the Teleco pre-amp. There is a piece or black cable rolled up, unconnected, next to the pre-amp. I am guessing it is for the satellite connection.