Winegard antenna power Supply

Submitted: Thursday, Apr 24, 2014 at 13:01
ThreadID: 107433 Views:2687 Replies:3 FollowUps:7
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Good afternoon to all . In my van I have two winegard wall plates which both have the small electronic board at the back which boosts the signal. One plate inside and one outside Up until recently both worked perfectly. For reasons that I cannot fathom the light on the outside wall plate will not come on yet the inside one works OK. When I disconnect the antenna cable from the back of the plate the light on the defective one the green light comes on. Replaced wall plate with a new one, same deal;

The following info is from the Winegard website

NEW Model -This unit is equipped with a polyswitch (current limiting device), which will shut down +12V if there is direct short between antenna and power supply. Green indicator light will not light. Once short is elimiated, device will reset inself in approximately 2 minutes.

Does the above mean that the antenna cable has a short with in itself at one of its connections such as the ends or at the splitter where ever that is or is a 12 volt wire some where bare & resting against a joiner.

Thanks in advance Daz
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Reply By: HKB Electronics - Thursday, Apr 24, 2014 at 20:16

Thursday, Apr 24, 2014 at 20:16
Do you have a link to your plates specs?

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Follow Up By: Member - daz (SA) - Thursday, Apr 24, 2014 at 20:33

Thursday, Apr 24, 2014 at 20:33
http://winegard.com/kbase/upload/2451889.pdf

This is what I can find

Daz
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Follow Up By: HKB Electronics - Thursday, Apr 24, 2014 at 20:43

Thursday, Apr 24, 2014 at 20:43
The plate is a power injector, it feeds power to the amplifier in the antenna. Note sure why you would need two?

If the led goes out when you plug the antenna in then you have a problem either in the antenna or the coax to the antenna.

Also check that the tv and antenna plugs are in the correct sockets.

Cheers
Leigh

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Follow Up By: Member - daz (SA) - Thursday, Apr 24, 2014 at 21:11

Thursday, Apr 24, 2014 at 21:11
One inside the van to view TV in side this is OK
Second on outside so as to view TV under awning This one was OK but the power feed stopped When antenna coax is disconnected the power supply returns. I am 90 % that a fault has developed in the coax cable. Rectifying could be difficult chasing cable through roof etc. I presume there is a splitter some where under the antenna with cable going to both wall plates . Having to remove the antenna will be my last option.

daz
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Reply By: The Bantam - Thursday, Apr 24, 2014 at 23:05

Thursday, Apr 24, 2014 at 23:05
You should only need one power injector to supply the amplifier.
The secod outlets could just be a simple soket connection.

As for faults in coax.
Far from uncommon especially if saddle & screw connections have been used.

Saddle and screw connections are pretty well extinct in commecial TV work these days.

I gave up on sadde & screw back in the 90's in favour of F connectors,due to the poor reliability and the slow termination.

A further problem is that most saddle & screw terminations I come across that have not been fitted off by television industry people are not terminated correctly and are very prone to problems.

Moving onto the coax used..there are still people who persist with copper braided coax with an air spaced centre.....that likewise is prone to failure.....the commercial aerial business gave up on that stuff in the 80s in favour of multi layer aluminium shields

Now back onto the splitter.
Most splitters are only power passing on one outlet.....there are all outlet power pass splitters, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

So...time to open things up and have a good look....and breakout the multimeter.

If you have airspace cax and sadde & screw connections.......I'd seriuosy recomend a rewire.

These days we mostly use RG6 quad shield coax and compression fit F connectors and they give very little trouble...but you have to have the gear to terminate.


cheers
AnswerID: 531146

Follow Up By: Member - daz (SA) - Friday, Apr 25, 2014 at 08:38

Friday, Apr 25, 2014 at 08:38
Hi Bantam
The end connection looks to me to be a compression fit connector. It has me stuffed why one day it works all OK and then stops and then becomes a mystery challenge to rectify. I for the life of me cannot understand why it would suddenly short. I thought initially it was the Winegard wall plate power supply and replaced that, but no luck no green light.
Thanks Daz
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Follow Up By: The Bantam - Friday, Apr 25, 2014 at 09:37

Friday, Apr 25, 2014 at 09:37
Intermittent faults in antenna cabling are hardly unusual.
Lack of care when terminating, corrosion, wear and tear from repaeted set up and pull down and vibration of travel can account for many things.

cheers
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FollowupID: 814171

Follow Up By: Member - daz (SA) - Friday, Apr 25, 2014 at 12:49

Friday, Apr 25, 2014 at 12:49
Hi Bantam

It dawned on me this morning that the outside connection goes back in to the van to the wall plate inside even tho on opposite sides of van . Connected TV on external wall plate No reception No green light at power booster switch Pushed the switch at the wall plate inside the van Presto TV reception outside. Obviously I have been oblivious in the past watching TV outside that the wall plate booster power switch was on. All OK now and I am a bit wiser. Thanks for your interest Daz
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Reply By: Member - daz (SA) - Friday, Apr 25, 2014 at 12:54

Friday, Apr 25, 2014 at 12:54
Thanks to HKB and Bantam for input
Made me question the setup
problem resolved as per reply to Bantam
Poly switch on outside plate not needed.
Poly switch on inside plate controls power to antenna

Daz
AnswerID: 531181

Follow Up By: The Bantam - Friday, Apr 25, 2014 at 13:43

Friday, Apr 25, 2014 at 13:43
Some of these "caravan specific" antenna systems are screwy by commercial standards.

Perhaps because some of these systems are designed by people who have had nothing to do with the main stream TV antenna industry.

In fact there are a couple of these caranan antenna devices that are an on going source of amusement in the main stream antenna industry.

cheers
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