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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ต.ค. 2024
- This is a 2 part video. In part 1, I discover that the coax for my antenna is bad, so I have to repair it. In part 2, I upgrade the antenna with a Winegard Wingman UHF element.
Winegard Wingman: amzn.to/1WyS2N0
Project Webpage: www.rv-project....
Just had problems with my Winegard. Its over 12 years old and has travelled many kilometres. Over the past few months I've noticed a deterioration in signal quality. To the point that during our equivalent of the Super Bowl (AFL Grand Final) I had NO SIGNAL :(.
While away I decided to try and sort the problem - but to no avail. Thought about coax and tested down low - All Good. I found your video and then went straight out to the van. Took off the coax connector where it meets the antenna. Well the connector on the Winegard was rusted out. The Copper wire within the coax had also corroded. Tested the Coax and had 12 V at this end - So I will replace Coax and will update the antenna to a Winegard Sensar HV TV Antenna Retrofit kit. THANKS SO MUCH Cheers Steve
Don't you just love the sneaky things RV mfgs do?
A thousand thanks for sharing this video, including the spot on attachment of multimeter to antenna wire and the friendly warning about shorting which I managed to do : ) Thanks again!
The Winegard coax is supposed to feed through the front of the cast base plate and connect to the RV's coax inside the roof cavity. The RV coax can be pulled through the roof, connected, then stuffed back into the roof cavity. There is a raised place (looks like a tube sticking up) that is part of the casting and is designed for this purpose (can be seen at 7:02). Once the coax has been fed through, the boot will fit snugly over it forming a watertight seal. On this RV it has been calked over and not used. This was likely an amateur coax replacement rather than a factory install!
No - that is how the factory did it. They didn't use the hole in the cavity because when relocating the cable, they were able to route the cable inside the cabinet.
If they used the original hole in the casting, the cable would have exited through the bottom side of the roof and show on the inside.
Doing it the way they did, they probably saved 3 minutes by not having to fish the coax through the roof cavity into the cabinet.
But I suppose there is some logic that the factory install was an amateur install.
The RV Industry does not employ a QC/QA GUY, sad isn’t it.
Thanks yes the antenna was outdated nice repair, well thought out video.
Glad it helped
Excellent job with this video. I have a similar problem and was not sure if that center conductor in the coax carried the 12v or not. Now I know. Thank you.
Glad it helped
Thanks for the info, I just changed my coax cable to RG6 cable from home depot(6ft) it fits into the antenna arm, I had to do the same as you and pull to get the cable thru the roof it was connected just like yours.....
nice fix, damn those manufactures and their shoddy work.
Sad to say, but when you say the RV industry "pushes things out the door" that is VERY true. I have found owning an RV (enter class here) is like having an over size car. Maintenance work is never done :)
22howards That is why I often say "The only thing that works on a RV is the owner".
Got it to work.... But... It shouldn't be this difficult :(
thanks, thinking this is my trailers antenna problem. Need to test and see. Helps seeing and having it explained. Mine runs in the wall so I am concerned of getting snagged up in the wall somewhere when I switch out coax.
12V not present on coax on antenna. Cable dried and flaky so replacing No idea where coax is inside trailer. Once it goes through the boot on the roof unable to locate in cabinet. Thank you for the video very informational and this has indeed helped me troubleshoot my antenna. I will have to remove tv from unit and rerun the entire cable to the video distribution box.
Very helpful and good video
My boot was on the roof as well, doesn't look like it would fit very well on antenna anyway must be manufacturing standard as you suggest. Thanks for all your replies.
What I found the best to do is drill a hole in the back or the antenna bracket and run the cable though that and just place my antenna right over the hole so that no matter what way you rotate it the cable is always in that one place
The best solution is to use a flexible coax with a stranded center conductor like Belden 1694A. This coax is made to flex, while standard - solid connector coax is not.
But the RV mfgs use the cheaper (solid) coax, because - they are nothing if not cheap.
Nice video thank ya
I use heat shrink.
Another great job. Have a question? Ever replace you LPG tank gauge linked to the inside panel.
My unit is a 2013 Forest river Sun seeker, 3010Ds, fairly new. Gauge is not working, how ever working fine on the panel. Is there a chance of a leak at the gauge?
Great video. I bought a used 2008 Southwind 32' with this antenna and your video will help me with checking coax etc. My problem is the rotating disk inside. The crank moves antenna up and down but the rotator disk just spins after you pull it down from the locked position.. You can push it up to lock the antenna and when you pull it down the antenna can be rotated on the rood. I took the crank handle off and the rotator disk fell out. It appears to be broken at the top end with about 8" of plastic shaft. Can't see what it connects to or the part that it broke off from. I looked in the manual and it is not clear to me how the "directional handle" (rotating disk) connects to the gear mechanism, etc. If I buy a new handle how does it connect inside the tube? Any suggestions??
Don Skiver The top of the plastic shaft that fell out connects to the pivot pin on the gear housing. When you are actually turning the plastic part, it simply rotates the gear housing. Winegard makes several "repair kits", depending on what you need.
The installation manual has a parts breakdown so you can determine the part or kit you need.
You can download the installation manual here: www.winegard.com/help/images/3/37/2452013.pdf
Thanks for the help. I'm not sure what part I need. #10 or #8. I took the crank handle off and the turning handle (#10) fell out and appears to be broken off at an angle. But I don't see what it was attached to up in the hole. I can put it back in and it locks the antennae from turning but when I pull it down it comes out. I would bet I have to take it apart on the roof and that doesn't look easy. Suggestions?? I have a pic of handle but not sure how to send it to you or even if seeing it would help you. thanks
I know this is an old video and thanks for posting it, It’s very informative. I hooked up a coax cable to my antenna and tested the resistance of the antenna itself and it shows completely open. I am unsure if that is normal or not. Do you happen to know what the internal resistance should be? I know I am not getting 12v at the antenna so I have a cable issue but I am also wondering if the antenna is bad since it shows open on my ohm meter,
If you are measuring the coax connector when both ends are disconnected, there should be an open between the center pin and outside of the connector. There should be a short between the center pins on both connectors, and a short on the outside of both connectors.
You cannot make reliable DC resistance measurements when the coax connector is connected on one end.
I get 12 v dc from my distribution but no signal or anything on coax from antenna. I have to test on the roof to see if 12 v is present there then set up a loop to test continuity on the cable. I will be replacing all the RG59 with RG 6 as well. Can I ask where you took your 12v dc measurement? Are there test points at the antenna on the roof?
layton86 I simply removed the coax and measured 12VDC between the center pin and shield.
awboater on the coax connector, not the antenna connector.
awboater Test for 12V on the coax connector - not the antenna connector. If you don't want to use a voltmeter, you can use one of these coax 12V testers. You simply screw the tester on the end of the coax and a LED will tell you if you have 12V present or not.Winegard TE1400 Voltage Tester
Thank you I got channels
Thats great.
I think my trailer has the same shitty work on my antenna. I need to upgrade to the new digital stuff and I'll verify. Lol
Thank you for supporting the channel.