Antenna reception


gljIII

New Member
Strangest thing with this RV - Have Winegard Model VS-0604/6412 Amplified Video Distribution Center - Antenna buttons pushed. Found out we have to change antenna direction to pick up the same station on rear TV that we've been watching on the front one. Reasons? Fixes?

Also, replaced factory installed DVD player with VHS/DVD combo. Rechecked connections a number of times but have been unable to record on VHS tapes. However, we are able to play VHS tapes but only on the DVD setting.

Had been unable to pick up the same higher channels on the front TV that we could get on the back one. Read another tip which suggested changing the TV (screen) setting to cable while keeping the Distribution Center on Antenna. Don't know why, but the upper channels magically appeared.

Needless to say, we're electronically challenged. Any help would be appreciated.
 

hertig

Senior Member
Re: Antenna reception

How much do you have to change the direction? If only a little bit, the front TV may have a better tuner, so might not need to have your antenna be as exactly alligned with the transmitting antenna as the rear TV, with a lesser tuner and/or more wires to go through, might need. In which case, use the rear TV to set the antenna. Or does the front TV not work when the rear TV is working? That would be difficult to understand.

Does the VHS/DVD combo record (from the tuner)? A lot of the new machines do not (there was a whole line of them in Sam's Club with warning signs on them that they did not have tuners - perhaps because all current tuners will stop working in 2009 when the FCC yanks all the current broadcast licenses).

Does the box have both DVD and VHS outputs? It may only have 1, which means both DVD and VHS output would be on the same line, and the same switch position. This would probably be the most conveniant anyway.
 

Kirk

Senior Member
Re: Antenna reception

On the TV question, I don't think you should have to change the antenna direction completely but I have seen somewhat the same thing with ours. Are the two TVs from different manufacturers? Or of different age and model? When I had identical TVs in both ends we never had that kind of problem but we have seen significant difference between the two since we replaced our rear TV. There is very often a difference in TV sensitivity to the signals available. If you want to test this, reverse the location of the two TV sets and see if the signal issues do not follow the TV sets. I'd bet that it will. It is possible that there is a problem in the coaxial cable between the switching device and the sets, but that isn't likely. You could get a long cable and connect directly to the antenna amplifier output and then to first one TV set and then the other and that will tell you for sure. By doing so you can eliminate all of the switching in between.

For both the TV sets and for the DVD player, I suggest also that you start by reading the instruction sheets that came with them.
 
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