Prep For Digital Satellite Dome On Monaco

[F213633]

Hi all,

07 Monaco Cayman 36PDQ.

Have been on the roof recently cleaning – what a job that is! There is a label that says something to do with prep for digital satellite. I want to fit a digital satellite dome. Any idea how I discover exactly what the prep is and what it consist of? Also where under the roof skin I can find it?

On another forum it was recommend that by removing the strip light nearest the label on the roof I should be able to locate the coax and or power cables ready for the satellite dome.

I have spent the last two hours with various bits of the coach removed and tracing cables… Here is what I found, above the strip light is what I presume to be the steel plate that you bolt the satellite the dome to, in the plate there is a hole for I presume again passing cable up to the dome.

But no cables except the power to the lights. I then removed the front speakers from the surround sound just in case they were up there. All I could find is the speaker cables, the power to the strip lights passing by, coax for the TV antenna, nothing else visible. So using the camera on my cell phone I pushed the phone up and took many pictures covering all directions, nothing except the cables noted.

I worked forward in the directions of the cables noted and nothing else found, removing access panels, high level cupboard backs etc as I find them.

However in the AV cupboard above the drivers seat I found a coax all connected up and marked "Roof DSS" which I take to be Roof Digital Satellite System which disappears behind the TV box and goes roof wise but can't find where without removing the TV.

Any other ideas where I may find these coax and or power cables?

Many thanks

[wolfe10]

Three thoughts come to mind.

Hopefully, someone with the same coach will have the answer, see this post and respond.

I would also suggest that you e-mail Monaco (the new Monaco) for that answer.

Third, you might e-mail some of the larger RV satellite installers to see if they remember the setup on your model coach.

Brett

[Guest BillAdams]

First, are you sure you want a dome? Do a bit of research before you make that choice.

Second, it's likely that the only thing under the roof is one single coax which, in almost all cases, is not enough to install an automatic satellite antenna.

Third, it's not unusual for the pre-wire to not be in the suggested location so you might want to consider either running new cables or, if there is a route from the overhead light to the receiver location, drilling up through that opening above the lighting fixture and make the connections there. If you can find any other "drill up" option such as through the speaker opening that can be a good route if you can get from there to the receiver.

Should you be interested in taking the plunge, you would drill a 2 1/2" hole in the roof where it says Drill Here. Stop as soon as you penetrate the roof and start scraping out the foam insulation. If you are lucky you will find a cable wrapped around in there somewhere but if the antenna you want to install requires more than just a coax connection you are still without a working solution. Only the Trac-Star and the Trac-King antennas can be connected to the inside controller with a single coax connection. These are both very expensive in-motion dome antennas and not ones that I would recommend unless you absolutely positively must have an in-motion antenna on your roof.

If you are not going to use a Trac-Star or a Trac-King then forget about the pre-wire entirely and just run the cable from the antenna mounting location to the area directly above the satellite receiver compartment (most likely the fiberglass cap) and drill up and down to get the necessary cables to the necessary location.

[F213633]

Hi Brett,

Thank you. I will email Monaco out of pure curiosity now you mention it.

I have spoken to the major installers in the UK and they all ignore the DSS Prep and do their thing and pop through the front cap with cables secured to the roof from there to the dish/dome, but won't explain why. I was hoping to use the prep… But that is seriously looking like a "forget that idea" now.

Hello Bill,

Interesting you question the thinking about a dome, I presume a dome vis-à-vis a motorised dish was your thinking? Having had a motorised dish on the roof of the last coach and problems we had with that in high winds, twice dish damage, both very easily repairable, but just hassle. Having looked around we have decided following various investigations and talking to people who currently have them, on either the "KVH TracVision R4 Fully Automatic Static Dome Satellite Dish " or the "KVH TracVision R5 Fully Automatic In Motion Dome Satellite Dish" Still not sure 100% sure we need the in motion bit. The only draw back I can see for a dome is needing to keep it clean or free of snow. Unless you know something I have not yet considered?

Sounds like the answer is to run new cables anyway to the dish/dome from the front cap and along the roof and just ignore the DSS Prep.

Many thanks for the input.

Kind regards

Steve

[Guest BillAdams]

I was referring to an automatic open face dish vs and automatic dome. Just do your research before you make a purchase so you don't end up with an antenna with less capability than you would like now and into the future.

[F213633]

Bill,

Will do thank you.

Point of interest, contacted Monaco and had the follwoing reply "Go up on the roof in front of the A/C half that distance you will find a sticker with an X that is where the cable is"

Thanks

Steve