Install weathertight roof connection box for TV Antenna

12/08
Well, picked up a DTV box for the "analog LCD TV. Installed, decided Id turn on TV and check picture and compare with picture thru new converter box. Hmmmm, nothing but snow, Turned on new DTV box, wouldn't pickup anything. DANG, were getting ready to leave on vacation.

I've had a problem with thru the roof coax connection before, decided it must be corroded again. Peeled back the beehive of putty to unscrew coax cable, good grief, the fitting in the roof plate came out with it. So I pull back more putty, the end of the cable from inside is just below the hole in roof. As I go for a pair of needle nose to pull it out-it slips inside... Great!

So I remove the rest of the putty, hopefully there's access. Sure enough, its a plate screwed to roof. The Roof connection is just a male/male coax fitting that's screwed in the plate. Wow. This needs to be fixed, what a piece. The antenna lead screwed into the male adapter, the cable from inside the camper attached to other side. This lil 4" square plate was screwed onto roof, and putty was poured over the whole mess, up to boot on cable relying on boot to keep water out. Water would travel and wick into the connection, causing it to corrode. What a moronic idea, someone thought this would work, boot just does not work in vertical position on a cable that flexes. Ok Im done ranting

Heres a pic up the plate after I removed roof putty and retrieved the cable end.

I cleaned up plate & connections and reinstalled so we'd have TV on our trip.

1/09
In trying to install DTV converter so we could check it out on our trip, accidentally discovered we had no antenna connection. On our trip we never got much more than a very snowy analog picture, never found any Digital channels.

On our way home we stopped bought a "digital" antenna, and parts to install a weather proof roof connection box. I removed all the old stuff, installed new cable ends and connector. Hooked up the new antennae-bust. The old Winegard picks up more, although the Digital ant. did pull in a couple of digital channels-but not strong enough to create a picture. (The switch to DTV hasnt happended yet) I returned the Digital antenna for credit.

Bottom line is Im thinking this new digital over the air will be great, if your near a strong channel. However it seems were always in fringe areas as far as reception, and if watching TV its usually just barley watchable. The new digital service wont allow that, if its not a clean strong signal-you get no pictures. So I guess we need to carry more recorded stuff. The actually digital switch hasn't happened yet, maybe Ill be pleasantly surprised. hmm a government endorsed mandate, where I will not lose something or have to pay -right.

This is a pic of new weather proof connection box. I was going to take some pics but I barley got it sealed up before it started raining. Basically its just a weather proof electrical plastic box, available any hwd/supply house. Has knockouts for connections. I drilled a hole in bottom where inside cable comes in. Lead wire from Antenna goes thru raintite connector (compression rubber sleeved connector) on rearward face. Inside the box both cables with new ends are joined with new male/male r59 connector. Exterior cable has insulated clamp before it goes to antenna. Now I can easily if i need to work on cables & access them without cutting gobs of putty. But I should never need to because of corrosion! Ill probably later, run new CB coax into a similar box, run new cable to replace 5 year old temporary CB antenna.

Back to Ourelkhorn Camper Modifications page