# Changing a Knaus roof folding TV for a freeview TV



## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

My Knaus has an analogue TV that double folds into the roof space. I would like to change this for one with freeview tuner rather than add a separate box. Has any other Knaus owner successfully done this?

I think I can get a 46cm width flat screen to fit but the issues may be with the entry points for the cables due to the complex folding mechanism. Currently these are all at the bottom of the TV. 

I am in Croatia at the moment and only occasionally on wifi so apologies if there is a delay on my responses.

Thanks


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## jedi (Nov 22, 2007)

I can't understand why anyone would want a digital tv in their van. You can pick up analogue tv's for next to nothing at car boot sales. :wink:


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## jcm_ni (May 10, 2012)

I have just made this change, I bought a 19" cello tv which has DVD, free view, satellite and cable tv built into it. Not sure what your set is but I had a scart lead from the first cupboard behind the passenger to the analog tv which also would have plugged into a satellite box housed there (I didn't get this as the previous owner took it out) I joined the satellite cable and took it over to the new tv through the same route and took out the scart lead. Easily enough done and well worth it.

I have a few photos of the job if you want them [/img]


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## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

jcm_ni said:


> I have just made this change, I bought a 19" cello tv which has DVD, free view, satellite and cable tv built into it. Not sure what your set is but I had a scart lead from the first cupboard behind the passenger to the analog tv which also would have plugged into a satellite box housed there (I didn't get this as the previous owner took it out) I joined the satellite cable and took it over to the new tv through the same route and took out the scart lead. Easily enough done and well worth it.
> 
> I have a few photos of the job if you want them [/img]


Thank you so much. I will check out the Cello. My current setup has the DVD player from the cab radio and also satellite input from the Zhender/Camos dome. I will PM you with my email address as I would appreciate pics of your work and these are easier for me to pick up when on the road.

regards Andrew


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## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

sorry but I dont seem to be able to PM you but pics would be appreciated.

Thanks Andrew


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## jcm_ni (May 10, 2012)

I found your post on another forum and have already sent you an email with the photos, if you have any questions please don't hesitate in emailing me. 

I have only had my Knaus for about 4 weeks now and am gradually sorting things out my way, and getting used to a mh over a caravan.


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## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

jcm_ni said:


> I found your post on another forum and have already sent you an email with the photos, if you have any questions please don't hesitate in emailing me.
> 
> I have only had my Knaus for about 4 weeks now and am gradually sorting things out my way, and getting used to a mh over a caravan.


Thanks I have got them and responded by email..

regards Andrew


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## Morphology (Jul 23, 2010)

Andrew,

I'd be interested to know whether you find a suitable TV. I'd prefer an all-in one rather than having several different remote controls for dash DVD, freeview etc., and the picture quality on the knaus-supplied Diopus TV isn't the best either - particularly on DVD, where it suffers from interference from the long analogue RGB video leads.

The current advantage of the Dash DVD is that the sound runs to the CAB and hab speakers, so is better than the sound from the TV, so you'd probably need to feed the TV sound back down to the dashboard head unit, though I've got an MP3 lead permanently wired into the spare AUX input of our JVC KD-DV5100 (ours missed out on the front-mounted input, which came later!).

@Jedi: As OP said; to avoid the need for a separate Freeview / DVB box - analogue TV is fast disappearing throughout Europe, whilst most countries provide an amount of free-to-air TV via DVB (local language, natch, but that's fine for news and weather).

My solution was to buy one of these, which is tiny, and velcro it to the back of the Knaus-supplied TV. I feed it with the aerial signal from the Status 530 and split the 12v feed to the TV. It plugs into the spare SCART connector. Not the neatest job in the world, but you wouldn't know it was there and we have never not been able to pick up some sort of free-to-air DVB TV during our travels in Europe and, of course, it works like any other Freeview box here in the UK.

@jcm_ni: me too, me too!

Richard


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## jcm_ni (May 10, 2012)

This is the TV I got which is an all in one unit (HD tv, freeview, DVD, satellite, cable)

I got it off amazon (uk), its called Enox tv, but is made by Cello and when I got mine it was a Cello!!


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## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

The Cello TV certainly solves the connection issue as all of them are parallel with the TV face rather than stick out the back at 90 degrees. Thanks for the post and pics JCM NI

Richard, you have raised issues that I am also currently contemplating prior to making any change. The question of sound from the radio DVD is one and that would mean another cable back from the TV if I have one with a DVD inbuilt. The cab DVD is fine.

The cab radio is good and I have a USB front input which I use 4GB memory sticks for my music. This works well and I wouldn,t want to drop the TV down just to listen to music.

If I got one with Freesat input as well, does that replace my Zhender satellite decoder or duplicate it unnecessarily?

The only control I use for TV at the moment is the Zhender as it does volume as well. Adding freeview will create another.

Have some thinking to do now.


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## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

Morphology said:


> My solution was to buy one of these, which is tiny, and velcro it to the back of the Knaus-supplied TV. I feed it with the aerial signal from the Status 530 and split the 12v feed to the TV. It plugs into the spare SCART connector. Not the neatest job in the world, but you wouldn't know it was there and we have never not been able to pick up some sort of free-to-air DVB TV during our travels in Europe and, of course, it works like any other Freeview box here in the UK.
> 
> Richard


Richard could you give me a link to your gizmo as I cant seem to find it on Google. I would like to check it out more.

thanks


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## jcm_ni (May 10, 2012)

I left the feed for the cab dvd in place which you can see in the pic of the rear of the tv (gold coloured item at the bottom of the tv), although I havn't connected it it still leaves the option to use it if I wish and you don't have to drop the tv to listen to the music.

The built in Sat. has done away with the need for a seperate decoder unit and everything is controlled by the one remote control. The unit has various satellites preprogrammed with the main astra even having a quick setup.

I only removed the scart lead, and brought over a satellite cable which I joined to the one in the cupboard which was to the missing decoder box. I have at the tv the following cables, power supply (as fitted to the diopus tv), satellite cable and video feed from cab radio/dvd palyer.


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## Morphology (Jul 23, 2010)

andrewball1000 said:


> Richard could you give me a link to your gizmo as I cant seem to find it on Google. I would like to check it out more.
> 
> thanks


I can't remember where I bought it, but there are some for sale on 
eBay

I *think* I paid about £30 for mine. It started off as a simple and cheap experiment to see whether we could pick up freeview using the Status 530 TV aerial which came with the 'van. Now that I know that we can, I think I'd prefer *@jcm_ni*'s route of an all-in-one TV. I certainly love the simplicity of the wiring!!

By changing the connectors, I imagine you'd be able to route the earphone output from the TV back down the Analogue Video cable to the dash-mounted radio in order to use the main Hab speakers, or perhaps use the Speaker Output from the TV and use some sort of speaker switching box so that you can choose TV or Radio as your audio source for the Hab speakers?

I'm interested in mounting some speakers back up by the fixed bed, so routing the Speaker outputs from the TV back there might be neat. At present, if we're watching DVDs in bed we have to have the hab speakers up quite loud.

In answer to your other question, I would imagine that the use of the Cello-type TV would make your Zhender satellite decoder redundant?



andrewball1000 said:


> I am in Croatia at the moment


Anyway, sounds like you're in the right sort of place to do some thinking.... 8) [doesn't seem to be an Emoticon for jealous!]

Richard


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## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

Have done my thinking and it looks like I will be doing exactly what jcm_ni has done. Neat solution. Thanks very much for paving the way.

I will remove the Zhender. What satellites is the TV preprogrammed for I have a Camos which picks up Astra 1 & 2, Hotbird, Sirus , Ab3 and Hispersat. Although I only really use the Astras. 

regards Andrew


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## jcm_ni (May 10, 2012)

The tv has a quick set up which is preset to Astra 2(i think) its the one which has all the current bbc, itv including HD channels. In the set up menu there are numerous ones hotbird, other Astras eutelsat etc. I can try and take a note of them and post it up here. They do list the position i.e. 28.2deg East and it also allows to make changes and add more (changing from V to H etc), but like you I tend to lock onto Astra and nothing else. i was supprised as to how many I was able to get compared to my Freesat in the house.


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## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

Hi JCM_NI , no that is quite comprehensive enough for me. I see I can happily remove the Zhender and get some more cupboard space back!
Thanks again.


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## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

A quick update on this thread. 

The new Avtex 186DRS was released this week and I have just fitted it the same way as the previous poster with the Cello. 

It fits very well in the Knaus slot and gives me an HD TV with both Satellite and Freeview with built in DVD. It also get rid of my Zhender and remote. I have kept the video input from the Knaus DVD which use the MH speakers. 

I am very pleased with it. My thanks to Chris at PremierMotorhomes for his help and information on its release. 

I will put up more details when I get time.


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## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

Some pics as promised


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## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

Connections


In line fuse holder in the 12v TV feed in the locker to replace the fuse in the Avtex cig connect

Join to the Avtex connector in the support arm


Existing coax from the old unused aerial. Now Freeview

New Sat coax from existing Camos. Used old Zhender scart lead to pull through. 

Existing Video In from Knaus DVD player. (uses MH speaker system where Avtex doesnt)


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## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

More locker room now Zhender gone.


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## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

Additional Parts

The existing TV mounting screws are too long at 10mm. It needs 5mm M4 countersunk machine screws.

In line fuse holder. Avetx is 5amp fuse. 

4m of satellite coax


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## premiermotorhomes (Feb 13, 2008)

Good evening Andrew,

I'm glad I could help.

This is an excellent job, looks fantastic and is much cleaner with the reduced cabling and redundant receiver now removed and is a much improved set up over the standard TV.

Early start this morning looking at the time on the TV!

Regards,
Chris


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