No DTV signal

[MichiganMike]

I have a 1993 rockwood camper with the Winegard batwing. I installed a new digital TV and it works fine. My parents have a 94 Damon with the same antenna. We just installed the Sylvania digital converter box and I cannot get it to work. I get all my channels in analog with the box off but when I check digital I get nothing. I tried the box in another location and it works fine. This box does have a signal meter and when it's hooked up in the house it gets a constant 60 out of 100. When I check in the camper, I get an oscillating signal that jumps from 0 to 99 and back. Any ideas?

[rjt562]

Hmm! strange!
I am assuming you are operating the equipment in RV mode, I.E. RV power. Using ac generator or an inverter.
If so, try running a extention cord from the house to power just the digital converter tuner. If it works then it may be the tuner is sensitive to generator power (may only operate properly with only pure AC sine wave power as found in house power.) The only solution is to try other brands of digital tuners. Good luck!

[winegard]

Good morning Mike -

Could you please supply us with the zip code or full address of your location. Technical services would like a more complete picture of the issue to give you an answer back.

Thanks!

[MichiganMike]

49402, Branch Michigan. I actually live about 2 hours South and am working on this on the weekends. Like I said, I get analog signals from 3 different stations fine. I'm going to try running the AC power to the box from an extension cord from the house and unplugging the camper to run the antenna off just the battery.

[MichiganMike]

One more note, whether it matters or not; The converter box is Magnavox, not Syvania.

[Winegard-Mobiletech]

Here are the channels that I see for your area:

vhf WPBN 7 NBC TRAVERSE CITY, MI
vhf WWTV 9 CBS CADILLAC, MI
vhf WWTV-DT 9.1 CBS CADILLAC, MI
vhf WPBN-DT 7.1 NBC TRAVERSE CITY, MI
uhf WFQX 33 FOX CADILLAC, MI

Only two of these are digital and both are far enough away that you may not be in their coverage area yet. Many of these stations will be playing with their signal over the next few months trying to get back all of the customers they had pre-transition. If you get 7 and 9 analog, technically when they are done playing you should get them again.

Here are my two questions:

Are you getting the menu screens from your converter box?

If you are 2 hours south of the zip code you gave me, odds are that you have a different set of channels. If this is the case, please let me know.

[MichiganMike]

Yes, I do get the menu screen from the digital converter box. This is where I see the signal meter for each channel oscillate. I'm taking the camper to Muskegon, Michigan today. This is area code 49441, about 2 hours south of the previous location. We currently get reception in analog from Grand Rapids, MI TV stations. I am going to try it again and also swap in a digitally ready TV to test it. I'll update afterwords.

[MichiganMike]

Okay, after moving the camper to the new area code,(49441) I do get all the digital channels I expected in that area. I guess in the other area, (49402), where I was receiving all the channels you listed in analog, I expected to receive them in digital as well. Apparently just because I can get them in analog does not mean I can get the digital signal.

Thanks for all the help,

Mike

[winegard]

I believe you will see some big differences after the 12th as well. I would love to hear back from you on how the transition goes and how it effects your signal.