Washing Machines/Door handles/Abrolga Dish

Door handle /light We have the Bargeman handle with light included, and find it very useful when returning to the van at night, You can feel along the side of van to the handle and the light switch is in behind the handle. This then gives you light for the steps and putting key into lock. Washing machine. Most people that I have seen with a washing machine carry it in the rear of their vehicle. We use public machines while away, or in the bush a bucket with aerating plunger. Abrolga Can't help. if unable to get signal on Winegard, the CD player goes on. Brian

Where is our resident SatMan .... ? Dave ? My Sat decoder/dish (like the Abrolga I assume) uses RG 6 S 75ohm co-ax cable from the dish to the decoder. As my system was fitted after delivery I'm bringing the cable in through a waterproof locking cap I've installed in the floor in the cargo bay. Works well but would be really tidy if I could use the tv sockets. I often thought of using the BT installed tv antenna points that Steve is referring to for the sat co-ax but I thought it was different ohm cable from tv antenna to sat decoder .... maybe not ? The fittings on the decoder and sat dish that take the cable are a threaded socket not a push in type that tv's usually use. Is the only way to test if it works to make a cable that has the threaded connector on one end and a tv "push in" type on the other (patch cable)..... then suck and see ? Is it a reasonable assumption that BTi use 75 ohm cable for their tv cable in the wall ? Anyone seen a spec on the BT supplied cable ? Anthony Explore this Great Land ...Do it Easy ...Tow a Bushtracker

Hi Anthony,
For a good sat. signal you should use at a tri or
quad shielded 75 Ohm coax. cable. Standard (and very cheap) tv 75 Ohm coax
is not adequate for good reception. RG6 is good, just make sure it's the quad
shielded variety. F connectors are far better contacts than slide-on type
tv connectors, however there are now slide-on F connectors. I have a male
threaded socket under the front overhang of the BT and use a slide-on F
connector for both the LNB and BT connection, i.e., no more 'screwing
around'.
You will probably find that the BTi installed
sockets and cabling for analog tv reception are not good enough for good
sat. reception.
David

Jan and Ian, We now have three external TV sockets installed undethe "nose cone". One is for the Abrolga (more later). One is for an external Powered antenna. This has a 12v (I think) power link from inside the van and in our case is for a DX2000 antenna (supplied by Sound in Motion). The third is for a TV signal from an external source in a Caravan Park. The Abrolga soccet is a normal plug on socket and is quad shielded cable direct to the decoder box. The other two go throughan A/B switch installed in the avn. We push the A or B button depending upon whether the signal is supplied from our DX2000 antenna or from a caravan park source. That leaves two video output signals, one from th decoder and one from the A/B switch. Both go to the Jaton dreambox which in turn send a video signal to the video monitor. The guru on all this is Ian at Sound in Motion. If you have any more queries, email me wita contact number and I will call you Pete

Thanks guys, I have now added "sat cabling " to list of "to do" when my BT is reskinned early next year. Anthony Explore this Great Land ...Do it Easy ...Tow a Bushtracker

On the CaravanersForum there was a web site for portable free to air Sat TV for $1200. http://www.kansat.com.au/ Brian

'Cobradave' wrote:

>You will probably find that the BTi installed
>sockets and cabling for analog tv reception are not good enough for good
>sat. reception.

The tv sockets and cabling fitted by most van makers will often cause
loss of signal strength even for analog tv reception. Especially
noticable in poor/fringe reception areas. We have found that by using
'Thru the wall connector' and taking cable direct to booster or tv can
give more than 50% better picture. ie make unwatchabel tv watchcable.
Easy to fit and for around $20 good value. So I suppose the same would
go for satellite tv...keep connectors to minumum needed.
cya
Graham

You will probably not get more than around
75 dB of signal strength in an optimum situation (offset dish of
around 1 m. dia. , universal LNB and short cable run using quad-shielded cable).
Each good connection will cost you 3 dB. When the signal strength drops below 60
dB, your reception will suffer noticeably. I use one F connector at the LNB then
one to enter the van and then feed it through without connectors to the
decoder box.
David

Jan and Ian, The info below was copy from a previous post. The Lemair xqbm20-c automatic mini washer ,I am lead to believe can be used through DC batteries and an inverter current draw 225 on wash 260 on spin this is not reccomended by the manufacturer but was suggested to me by the salesman.and that a c/van manufacturer is fitting them in new vans.I am sure that if this info is not correct someone will smash my kneecaps and blow up my computer. CAPACITY-2.2kg WEIGHT-17.5kg H 76.3 W 41.6 D 42.5 Fast wash 23-25 mins Medium 43- 44 mins Heavy 62-64 mins Fully automatic 2 years warranty Lemair is located in sydney. Dusky

Being avid rugby followers (Rob still playing Golden Oldies at 60), on our Oct.-Nov 03 Murray River Source to Sea trip we didn't want to miss a game! So we purchased an Abrolga in lieu of going to a major game (Tickets about the same cost as an Abrolga. Well, after a little practice at setting up, we watched all games with perfect picture and no interference - no matter where or how remote our campsite was. (Even on a houseboat in the Murray Sunset Chowilla area near the SA border). The decoder is small and light and fits snuggly in a draw. The dish just fits into the front locker under the bed and sits on two 100x50 aluminium angles mounted just deep enough to carry the dish. They are carpeted to ease getting the dish in and out.The cable from the dish is connected to BTi's outside socket, and the decoder is connected to the inside socket and then to TV. So the answer is, you do not need extra plugs or cables installed for an Abrolga, before delivery! Our van has a rear bench top with drawers and cupboards underneath. One of these draws now carries the decoder, sat finder, remotes for Decoder, TV and stereo, plus connecting leads etc. The Abrolga cable roll is stored in a draw in back of Landcruiser. If it works perfectly, you don't need to know about ohms! Cheers...........Rob