Antenna Cable Thru Open Window a PITA.

[JackandLiz]

Howdy, Y'all.
The available cell phone signal is really marginal in this RV park and especially where our coach is parked. (Nope, we can't move). I purchased a Wilson ground plane antenna which really provides a lot more signal to our cell phone.(More metal in the sky). I attached this antenna to a fishing lure retriever and tie wrapped that to the patio awning arm.

The problem is that SHMBO is unhappy with having the cable coming in through an open window. I stuffed a piece of foam insulation into the gap but at night cold air still comes in. I was wondering if I could somehow run that cable into the roof of the Bird along side of the CB radio antenna.

If you have an ideas as to getting this cable into the coach, I sure would appreciate hearing from you. It seems to me that someone did something similar with a satellite radio hookup.

TIA,
Jack

[warbucks13477]

jack you already have a cable port on the roof which allows access to the inside of the coach. The cables for your BB antenna comes thru it now. If this port is full its a very easy thing to make another in any area that you need to run a cable. Remember that your inside overhead storage have screw in panels in the back so you can remove them and get access to the wires and cables already running on both sides of the coach near the top of the coach. You can get another brass nickel plated access port from west marine or most places that handle RV parts, drill a 1/2" hole in the top of the coach(with my 1985 PT 40 it is right along the top aluminum diamond plate near the goat rail) and the hole will come out behind the storage panel . You affix the port to the roof after drilling the hole and run the cable thru the hole and then fill with sealer and it will be tight as a bug and look like it came from the factory like that. Then run the cable where ever you want inside the storage bin and terminate it.

[BCRoamer]

Jack:

As Tom just pointed out I'd be very suprised if you don't have an extra antenna mount or two on the roof. In my case they brought two sets of extra wires down behind the coach on the street side. All I had to do was figure out which was which.

I ran a 3 watt booster to my cell phone. Very effective and extended by range by at least a factor of 2.

[iamflagman]

The past four years I have been using a regular magnetic mount Wilson cellular antenna, both in the 'Bird and here in my shop/office. The signal here at the shop is right between two towers and if I'm in the office with it's metal roof, just using the cell phone built in antenna, the call gets switched from one tower to the other and sometimes dropped. What I did was get another one of the same model antenna that I use in the 'Bird and just place it on the window sill here in the office and there are no longer any dropped calls and when I hook up the external antenna and make a call, the signal strength is almost triple the strength as without it.


http://www.walcottcb.com/wilson-elec...ath=28_352_417

I notice the same in the 'Bird and that is with the magnetic mount antenna mounted upside down, on the metal bottom of the front overhead compartment, with the antenna mast hanging down instead of up and placed right up next to the windshield. I do it that way, so that I can also take the antenna with me either in the toad, or put it in the saddle bags on the bike and pull it out and place it on the tank to use if I'm out in a remote area where the regular signal is extremely weak, such as I did on the way to the Badlands a few years back when my tenants back here in South Carolina, were having airconditioner problems and I could keep in touch with them and the contractor to see how the repairs were going.

I have talked to Randy while using it going across western Nebraska on Hwy 2 which is somewhat remote and the reception was good and when Rob calls me, he sometimes has to remind me to hook up the external antenna when I'm here at the homebase, as the reception comes and goes if I don't.

The only problem I have encountered with this type of antenna, is the adapters, some of the newer style cel phones do not have an external antenna hookup, so I have chosen to just stay with my older cell phone, which works fine for me, but if you are using one of the newer type this may or may not work for you.

I believe it was Curt Sprenger who tried this same method when he was having similar problems at his remote site in the desert.

[JackandLiz]

Howdy, Tom.
Thanks for the reply.

Originally Posted by [I

warbucks13477;10972]jack you already have a cable port on the roof which allows access to the inside of the coach. The cables for your BB antenna comes thru it now. [/I].

Are you referring to the "Flying Saucer" TV antenna?


Jack

[warbucks13477]

Yes jack just trace the RG6 coax cable from the flying saucer antenna and you will find the cable port installed by the factory. Just get another port like it and install it where ever you need another entry point. Drill the 1/2" hole, install the cable thru the hole then install the port over it and screw it down then inject some sealant to seal the coach etc and you are home free. Remember to install the port so the entrance hole is facing to the rear of the coach. Good luck and have fun