Roof Top TV antenna

[Pmedic4]

Has anyone ever taken off the Roof top, crank up TV antenna and worked on it?

We've had terrible Television reception ever since we got our current Cougar, tried a new 'Jack' antenna, yet the best reception we've gotten has been using the exterior satellite connection, and hooking it directly to the television with an amplifier. I used a small coax continuity tester, and checked every coax cable in the RV. The sad part is that when checking from the roof mounted connection, I get no signal anywhere in the RV. The outlet in the bedroom, has the built in wall plate amplifier, and there is 4 cables going into this setup, 2 I could track down to other locations, but 2 with no connections anywhere, so the assumption has to be the one between the roof mounted cable and the outlet is bad.

So, back to my original question, is there a connection mounted under the roof top crank up antenna? I tried to pull up the cable (gently!), and it seems to catch on something. Right now, I hate to remove sealing caulk around the antenna, just to check to see if there is a connection there that has come loose/failed.

[hankaye]

Pmedic4, Howdy;

Yep, had to remove mine so I could see where the installer did NOT do
his/her job.
Gently remove it, then remove all the old sealant, now is a good time to
check continuity of the cable), attach the cable, apply new sealant (buytal
rubber tape type), re install. Cover with liberal amount of Dicore's self
leveling sealant to cover screw heads. re check the base connector to
antenna connections (above the roof), should be good to go.
If you don't have side looking attachment now is a good time to install one. Climb down ... adult beverage time...

hankaye

[therink]

Also, you may want to remove the antenna amp receptacle plate. Gently pull out the multiple coax wires and you may find a coax splitter hanging loose in the wall or ceiling cavity (mine is in the ceiling). There you should find the junction or bees nest of coax wires that lead to all coax outlets in your rig. This is also a common location where factory may have to properly installed coax ends on the cables.

[Pmedic4]

Thanks for the information. I'm not even sure I want to mess with taking of the existing antenna, and just use the external Satellite/Cable connection and put an antenna up outside. While it could just be the connection right under the antenna, it could also be the coax was cut somewhere between there and the wall mount.

I did remove the wall amplifier plate, 'therink', and found the splitter and 4 coax wires there, but none could be traced back to the roof top mounting, making me certain the broken connection is somewhere between the roof and one of the amp plate coax. My assumption is there is connector right at the roof, and that is bad/loose, but really don't want to take off the antenna on the roof and possibly create a leak for the small extra effort to put the external antenna. Might even be lazier, and put up one of the glass mounting 'flatwave' models - not a big TV watcher, but like to see the news and local weather wherever we're traveling.

[pjoz98]

I find that I made a homemade two circle antenna that can pull in many channels instead of using the roof mount one. This I connect directly to the tv and run scan. The roof mount Wingard RS3035 could onlly get 2-3 channels.

[chuckster57]

Antenna comes from the factory with a short "pigtail". RV maker then runs coax to amp plate. I have seen pigtails not connected, "whiskers" causing dead short and signal wire cut too short.

Removing the antenna from the roof is easy. Remove the dicor to access the screws. Remove screws, and carefully pry the assembly off. When you put it back together use butyl tape on underside of the plate, put the screws back in and cover with new dicor.