Customizing Our Coach

Bedroom Electronics Installation

2006 Monaco Dynasty Platinum III

By Bill Groves, © 3/22/2012

 

Vizio Razor 23” TV

DirecTV  HD DVR

Modulator for coach distribution of dvr on CH14

UPS for entire entertainment circuit in coach.

Cradlepoint MBR1000 Wireless Router with Air Card Internet

HP Wireless 3 in one printer with Airprint

5000btu Battery Powered A/C

 

 

TV:

 

·       Recovers 7 cubic feet storage space previously occupied by heavy CRT TV.

 

·       Mounted on hinged door

 

·       Allows viewing from bathroom area, or front room if you look down the hall.

 

·       Glass screen with touch screen controls.

·       Low power – uses about 25w

·       Built in ATSC tuner.

·      Mounting is optimally angled for viewing from bed as well as standing positions.

·       Also applicable to numerous other coaches with crt’s.

 

DVR:

·       HDMI connected to Razor which is 1080P

·       Remote is RF which allows control from entire coach and outside too.

·       AV connects to Modulator and DVR output is broadcast on house rf cable on channel 14

·       OTA channels reside on house cable along with dvr on channel 14.

·       Dual program recording.

o   One tuner is driven by dedicated secondary rf cable.

o   The other tuner uses a diplexor to use the other rf cable for OTA and DTV.

 

Modulator:

 

·       Frequency agile – Set up for uhf channel 14, mixed onto OTA house cable

·       Notch filter up at JACK tv antenna entrance prevents any OTA channel 14 from interference.

·       Could be replaced with ChannelPlus 5415HD when price is right for 1366 x 720p / 60fps (currently about $600 for modulator) or ZeeVee 280 with 1080 resolution (currently over $2000 for modulator).  Currently analog channel 14 resolution is about 720 x 480 perhaps close to dvd quality.

 

UPS:

·       Provides complete protection for circuit #8 on inverter panel which provides power to all entertainment systems in coach.

·       Switch time < 8ms

·       300 watts capacity… about twice what is needed.

·       Shoe box size in bedroom TV cabinet.

·       Provides about 15 minutes of standby operation if inverter and power are both off.

·       Protects awnings too.

·       Prevents glitching of DVRs, TV and other electronics which can occur when generator switches off during dry camp conditions and inverter takes over. Inverter switch in time is 16ms and it is not designed to be an UPS.

 

Cradlepoint Router

·       Uses Verizon Wireless, 551L 4g LTE usb air card. Also will bond with additional Ethernet connections (aircards or other Ethernet source)

·       Unlimited BSP data account – no longer available, grandfathered in from Alltel

·       Speed typically 10mbps, 25mbps is the most i have clocked.

·       Connected to front and rear dvr’s – allows rental with remotes, necessary if you want to record before you watch a movie. If you are not connected to Directv, you can only rent a movie while it is on the “guide”.

·       Connected to Front 3d TV, BluRay 3d player, and Outside Vizio 24 which have internet apps such as Pandora and Netflix.

·       Wireless connection to various Iphones, and computers.

·       Connection to wireless HP Printer with AirPrint (Iphone / Ipad support)

 

HP 3 in one Wireless Printer

·       Has Scanner and can make copies as well as print.

·       Wirelessly connected to network

·       Out of way in cabinet… close tray and close the door.

 

5000 BTU Battery Powered Air Conditioner

·       Battery operation for those hot muggy dry camping nights

o   Power drain is 50 amps to inverter while compressor is running, negligible when just fan.

o   Power at night to inverter is typical – 65a compressor running, 15a not running, 40a average at 50% duty cycle.

o   Powered by 660 Amp Hour house battery bank composed of 6 flooded golf cart batteries.

§  Enough power to run all night if need be. Eight hours at 40 amps, 50% duty cycle = 320AH which is LT 50%. Load typically declines to minimal after midnight. We usually set it turn off around 1am at the latest.

§  SeeVision on Aladin allows monitoring of batteries.

o   Remote control with timer

§  Allows you to set it to run for a couple hours until things cool off, then it turns off.

§  Set temp for comfort and duty cycle decreases as room cools and ambient drops

§  Functions as Fan, Dehumidifier or Air Conditioner.

·       Operation with 30 amp shore power allows for one of the 15kbtu roof units and the 5kbtu unit for total of 20kbtu on 30 amp service, a 33 percent improvement over a single roof unit.

·       Operation off alternator while traveling. Coach has 200 amp alternator and 5kbtu in rear helps dash air tremendously. This probably doubles the dash air capacity. We don’t need to run genny and roof units unless its REALLY hot. Coach also gets about 20amps from solar on a sunny day which gives the sun something to do.

·       Total A/C is 35kbtu/hr (not counting dash air) up from 30kbtu/hr. The 5kbtu/hr which is direct air you in the bedroom area actually cools you faster than the 15kbtu roof unit does because it does not have any roof ducting to cool down. The cold air blows right where it needs to go. You can tell this puppy to drop the bedroom temp 2 degrees and it will put you to sleep in less than 2 minutes.

·       Does not affect emergency egress, which is from window behind the bed headboard. (the other side).

·       Window is open-able about 2” for cross ventilation if desired.

·       Custom plenum box allows unit to not hang out like a normal window unit would. Unit primarily supported on cabinet top inside. Unit not notice-able especially when window awning is out.

·      

This was put in as an experiment and works so good that we would not take it out for anything. If I had the nerve to put intake and exhaust ports behind the tv cabinet in the fiberglass I would like that, thus regaining full use of the curbside window. But, making a waterproof box to put in there would be a challenge. The plenum box it is in is canted towards the window and treated with silicone so any water that drips out goes out the window ledge.

 

The bedroom is also home for a Iphone supportive clock radio and a digital picture frame. The Vizio is also picture capable via USB.

I can be reached at  bill@gtek.com if you have questions.