Steve Hepfer Posted April 20, 2020 Share Posted April 20, 2020 I couldn't find where this specific problem has been discussed so I apologize in advance if I missed it. I recently purchased an Amazon Fire Stick which works great in the house which is internet connected with a Frontier router. I tried to take it out to the motorhome (2008 Diplomat PDQ) and can't get it to work. I plugged it into the front TV using the HDMI 5 port and connecting to my Verizon hotspot on my Android cell phone. It will not connect and actually NOTHING appears on the screen when turning on the TV. The 110V power source is working fine and I did set the TV input to HDMI. Any and all help is appreciated. What steps am I missing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr4Film Posted April 20, 2020 Share Posted April 20, 2020 You did not state that you connected specifically to HDMI Port 5 where you have the Fire Stick plugged into. Is that a misprint? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hepfer Posted April 20, 2020 Author Share Posted April 20, 2020 I plugged the Amazon Fire Stick into the HDMI5 port on the back of the TV, then plugged the Fire Stick into 110 outlet and activated the Hotspot feature on my Android. I made sure that the TV input was also set to HDMI5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan K Posted April 20, 2020 Share Posted April 20, 2020 I would try a different hdmi port and check the power supply by plugging it into a phone or tablet. Lack of an internet connection will not stop it from displaying the initial screen on tv. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr4Film Posted April 20, 2020 Share Posted April 20, 2020 Are you sure it actually was powered up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis H Posted April 20, 2020 Share Posted April 20, 2020 Steve, the Fire Stick is a pretty simple device. Even without connecting to the internet, it should show up on your screen. Since it doesn't there's really only two, actually three reasons why it won't. 1. Device is defective. Since you said it works in the house, I'd assume it's fine unless you did something to it moving from the house to the rv.; 2. Your HDMI port is bad or malfunctioning. Try a different HDMI port or plug another device into that one and verify it works.; and 3. Your device is not powered up. My TV has a separate receptacle where I can plug it directly into the TV. If yours does not, verify the receptacle that you're using is hot. You can also try to reset your device using your remote. To do so, press and hold the select button and the Play/Pause button at the same time for 5 seconds.... hope this helps.....Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hepfer Posted April 20, 2020 Author Share Posted April 20, 2020 Dennis: The device isn't defective as I have returned it to the house TV and it works fine. I don't have another device to plug into the HDMI ports but they do show up on the TV input to select the different AV devices and locations. I have tested the outlets and they have power and I have tried different outlets to make sure. I tried resetting as you suggested but nothing happens. Perhaps I am not using the hotspot on my phone correctly and it isn't reading a signal? Is that possible? 1 hour ago, Dr4Film said: Are you sure it actually was powered up? I checked several outlets and I have power. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr4Film Posted April 20, 2020 Share Posted April 20, 2020 I would think that you need to have a some sort of screen pop up on your TV first BEFORE you even attempt to connect to any hotspot or Internet connection. How else would you even know what type of Internet connection you are attempting to achieve? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan K Posted April 20, 2020 Share Posted April 20, 2020 Your hotspot does not matter at this point, you will still get the initial screen. Are you using the same USB power supply in both locations? If so, then it's your TVs input port issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhReally Posted April 20, 2020 Share Posted April 20, 2020 Steve, on some TVs the HDMI ports are not all the same. Try your fire stick on hdmi1 or hdmi2 instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Andrews Posted April 20, 2020 Share Posted April 20, 2020 Well, I tried the same thing in my MH to no avail. However, I found out later when I got back, you have to re-establish the network with every location you go to. If you use it at you house then move it to you MH, you have to redo the network settings, then if you move it back to the house, you must redo the network settings again. They are not smart devices. My suggestion and what I did was purchase a new cheap Firestick just for the MH. Then you only have to do it each time you connect at a different location. That's what worked for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hepfer Posted April 20, 2020 Author Share Posted April 20, 2020 2 hours ago, Dr4Film said: I would think that you need to have a some sort of screen pop up on your TV first BEFORE you even attempt to connect to any hotspot or Internet connection. How else would you even know what type of Internet connection you are attempting to achieve? I agree but the problem is that setting the device to any HDMI ports I don't get anything on the screen. I'm starting to think that my two spare HDMI ports are defective 6 minutes ago, Jim Andrews said: Well, I tried the same thing in my MH to no avail. However, I found out later when I got back, you have to re-establish the network with every location you go to. If you use it at you house then move it to you MH, you have to redo the network settings, then if you move it back to the house, you must redo the network settings again. They are not smart devices. My suggestion and what I did was purchase a new cheap Firestick just for the MH. Then you only have to do it each time you connect at a different location. That's what worked for me. Jim: Just to make sure that my hotspot was working correctly I brought the fire stick back into the house and connected it to the TV and everything worked fine while on the Frontier router. Then I changed the settings from the router to my phone hotspot and it worked that way also using the hotspot instead of the router. When I connect the fire stick to either of the spare HDMI ports and turn on the TV I get nothing on the screen. I am going to try and figure out a way to hook something else up that I know works to the HDMI ports because right now I am thinking that they may be defective. Thanks for your suggestions 1 hour ago, sjamiejones said: Steve, on some TVs the HDMI ports are not all the same. Try your fire stick on hdmi1 or hdmi2 instead. I'm going to look at that also but they don't light up as an option so I have to see where they may be. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan K Posted April 20, 2020 Share Posted April 20, 2020 If you really want to play with it, you can set it up to work with your phone hotspot while plugged into the home tv. If you know how to cast a YouTube video to the firestick, test it out. You should see the firestick as an available device in the YouTube screen. Move the firestick to the MH and see if it still shows up in YouTube. If it does and you still have no picture, it is your tv setup or port. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hepfer Posted April 20, 2020 Author Share Posted April 20, 2020 50 minutes ago, Ivan K said: If you really want to play with it, you can set it up to work with your phone hotspot while plugged into the home tv. If you know how to cast a YouTube video to the firestick, test it out. You should see the firestick as an available device in the YouTube screen. Move the firestick to the MH and see if it still shows up in YouTube. If it does and you still have no picture, it is your tv setup or port. It's starting to look like my TV is out dates and doesn't acknowledge bluetooth technology on the HDMI ports. Thanks for your help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Andrews Posted April 20, 2020 Share Posted April 20, 2020 If you have a laptop with an HDMI, this would be the quickest way to test the HDMI TV ports. I assume you would know how to "extend" you monitor setting on your laptop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hepfer Posted April 22, 2020 Author Share Posted April 22, 2020 (edited) Thanks everyone for their suggestions and support. The end result is that the front TV is outdated and can not support the Firestick. I took a spare TV and tried it in the motorhome and it worked fine. I then did a live chat with Sharp and determined that the TV in question does not support Bluetooth technology. Looks like a trip tp Best Buy and another project to complete while we are waiting out the Pandemic. Edited April 22, 2020 by Steve Hepfer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grampy OG Posted April 22, 2020 Share Posted April 22, 2020 10 minutes ago, Steve Hepfer said: Thanks everyone for their suggestions and support. The end result is that the front TV is outdated and can not support the Firestick. I took a spare TV and tried it in the motorhome and it worked fine. I then did a live chat with Sharp and determined that the TV in question does not support Bluetooth technology. Looks like a trip tp Best Buy and another project to complete while we are waiting out the Pandemic. Steve someone is steering you wrong. There is no such thing as HDMI/Bluetooth technology. They are two different beasts in fact Fire sticks do not have Bluetooth at all. My guess is that the USB port on your tv does not have a 5volt output that is required to booth the Fire Stick. Plug a USB cable into a 5volt USB power brick (like what comes with a cell phone). Plug the Fire Stick into your HDMI port and you should get a picture to display on the TV. The other potential problem is that when you set the Fire Stick up in your house you TV in the house supports a much higher resolution so your stick is set to use 1080p HD or Ultra HD. While the stick is plugged into the house and working go into the Fire Stick setting and force it to the lowest resolution which will be 720p. Save the settings and then take it back out to the motorhome and see if that doesn't cause the tv to show the picture. As others have stated the network connection has nothing to do with whether the Fire Stick can display the home screen or not. Good luck and my bet is on resolution or more likely a questionable 5volt power supply in the MH. Ken Wilcox - 2003 The Executive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hepfer Posted April 22, 2020 Author Share Posted April 22, 2020 Thanks Ken. I tried what you suggested. I changed the resolution setting to 720p. Plugged the Fire Stick into HDMI 4, and then plugged it's power supply cord into 110 volt power. Then turned on the TV and nothing displays on the screen. Oh, and I made sure that my cell phone was set to mobile hotspot. When that didn't work I took a spare TV to the motorhome and while keeping the display setting to 720p, plugged the Fire Stick into the HDMI port, plugged the power supply for it into 110 volt power, made sure that my hotspot was still active and turned on the different TV. It worked as it was supposed to. I really think that it is a TV issue and lacks the compatibility necessary to run the Fire Stick. The TV is 13 years old and is the original one when the MH was new. Thanks for trying to help and I'm still open to suggestions . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miacasa_2000 Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 Steve reading all you have done I believe it's your tv not because it's out of date (HDMI is HDMI) and all devices that use HDMI work no mater what year there made. Our TVs in our MH take a lot of abuse (shake and rattle) more than likely your circuit board or a solder point has failed. You could open it up and look for something obvious and easy to fix between the HDMI and the board but at 13 yrs I'd upgrade your tv. Roy 2003 Dynasty 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hepfer Posted April 23, 2020 Author Share Posted April 23, 2020 Thanks Roy. I agree with you and feel that if I'm going to remove the TV to try and repair a 13 year old TV I might as well replace it with something more current. A new TV will only run around $150 and will be up to date with current technology. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grampy OG Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 16 hours ago, Steve Hepfer said: Thanks Ken. I tried what you suggested. I changed the resolution setting to 720p. Plugged the Fire Stick into HDMI 4, and then plugged it's power supply cord into 110 volt power. Then turned on the TV and nothing displays on the screen. Oh, and I made sure that my cell phone was set to mobile hotspot. When that didn't work I took a spare TV to the motorhome and while keeping the display setting to 720p, plugged the Fire Stick into the HDMI port, plugged the power supply for it into 110 volt power, made sure that my hotspot was still active and turned on the different TV. It worked as it was supposed to. I really think that it is a TV issue and lacks the compatibility necessary to run the Fire Stick. The TV is 13 years old and is the original one when the MH was new. Thanks for trying to help and I'm still open to suggestions . You gave it a good try. I believe that I read you were going to scrap the TV. If you are going to do that I would toss out one last try if you are bored with the lock down. Have you tried plugging the fire stick into a known GOOD HDMI port on the existing TV? For example unplug the satellite or whatever is into HDMI #1. Not trying to confuse the issue but I retired from just this field so it keeps me hoping for a happy ending. FWIW if you do test other HDMI port testing do not worry about hot spots, networks, etc. As stated by others a network connection is not necessary to see the Amazon Splash Screen. New TVs are always fun and of course are the latest and greatest but rarely in 20 years have I seen an OEM tv removed and replaced where the end result looks as nice as the original install. That is without extensive cabinet rework being done. Have fun if you can. Sometimes the hunt is the best part. Ken Wilcox - 03 The Executive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hepfer Posted April 23, 2020 Author Share Posted April 23, 2020 27 minutes ago, Grampy OG said: You gave it a good try. I believe that I read you were going to scrap the TV. If you are going to do that I would toss out one last try if you are bored with the lock down. Have you tried plugging the fire stick into a known GOOD HDMI port on the existing TV? For example unplug the satellite or whatever is into HDMI #1. Not trying to confuse the issue but I retired from just this field so it keeps me hoping for a happy ending. FWIW if you do test other HDMI port testing do not worry about hot spots, networks, etc. As stated by others a network connection is not necessary to see the Amazon Splash Screen. New TVs are always fun and of course are the latest and greatest but rarely in 20 years have I seen an OEM tv removed and replaced where the end result looks as nice as the original install. That is without extensive cabinet rework being done. Have fun if you can. Sometimes the hunt is the best part. Ken Wilcox - 03 The Executive Ken - I tried plugging it into the only two HDMI ports that are on the TV. Neither one will provide a screen display for the Amazon Splash Screen. I think I have exhausted all avenues? I could remove the TV and perhaps replace the HDMI ports but if I have to remove the TV to fix it I would rather replace it for $150 and upgrade to a Smart TV. I think the replacement will be fairly simple as it is attached to an aluminum frame with the standard mounting screws (4 in a square pattern) and then the mounting bracket is screwed to wood cleats with 4 screws. I just need to verify the physical dimensions of the new TV to see how it fits in the existing opening without modifying the cabinet. Also will need to check to see if the new set has the capability of having the components I have connected to the existing TV (DVD, etc) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grampy OG Posted April 23, 2020 Share Posted April 23, 2020 14 minutes ago, Steve Hepfer said: Ken - I tried plugging it into the only two HDMI ports that are on the TV. Neither one will provide a screen display for the Amazon Splash Screen. I think I have exhausted all avenues? I could remove the TV and perhaps replace the HDMI ports but if I have to remove the TV to fix it I would rather replace it for $150 and upgrade to a Smart TV. I think the replacement will be fairly simple as it is attached to an aluminum frame with the standard mounting screws (4 in a square pattern) and then the mounting bracket is screwed to wood cleats with 4 screws. I just need to verify the physical dimensions of the new TV to see how it fits in the existing opening without modifying the cabinet. Also will need to check to see if the new set has the capability of having the components I have connected to the existing TV (DVD, etc) Steve you certainly gave it your best try buddy. Time to cut bait I agree. Send us pictures of the new install with your Fire Stick running 😃 I personally cut the cord last year and left the satellite world behind and use Fire Stick and Roku all of the time at home and in the coach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Hutto Posted April 25, 2020 Share Posted April 25, 2020 Steve, I’m late to the game, and it sounds like you’ve probably covered the bases, but on the one Sharp TV I have, you can actually disable the HDMI ports with the remote. If you talked with Sharp tech support they probably covered it, but I thought I would mention it. Menu -> System Options -> Input Terminal Setting -> HDMI Setup -> Enable/Disable Maybe thats the magic bullet. 😂 When I bought this TV it was a demo, and I couldn’t get it to work. Turns out they had disabled the HDMI ports and put it in Demo mode. 🤷🏻♂️ PS - it is a Sharp Aquos circa 2009... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hepfer Posted April 25, 2020 Author Share Posted April 25, 2020 Thanks Scotty. I went out and tried your info. I went to the HDMI setup and made sure they were both on ENABLE and then went through the setup for the Firestick again. Sadly, it still does not respond. I then hooked it up to the spare TV and it was fine. Thanks for trying but I think I am back to using the spare TV until we decide if the Firestick is something we still want to use in the MH and then if so install a new 32" set (or maybe bigger LOL) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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