Help - aerial has fallen off! (1 Viewer)

[Heebson]

I was up a ladder today doing the post wintering on the drive roof clean and I noticed there was a little gap at one end of our aerial mounting.

I pushed it back down and heard an unpleasant crack. Turned out the internal fitting to the base has perished and it was only being held on by the tension of the RF cable connector into the aerial’s internal male plug!

Anyhoo, we don’t actually use the TV aerial at all (iPad streaming instead), so I dont actually need to replace it - but we’re away soon so need to do some kind of quick fix. Options seem to be :

1. Shove it back on, hope it holds
2. Take it off, leave the base alone
3. Gunge the whole base in Sikaflex to prevent water ingress
4. Remove the base and pack the holes left somehow.

#4 seems the best option of course, but I’ve never fitted one of these, so not quite sure what I’ll find up under the base. Anyone know what’s there - and suggestions for a water tight seal?

Many thanks,
Heeb.

 

[Googlebot]

I would leave the base on, you might use the hole for something else in future. Just clean it thoroughly and fill it full of sikaflex.

Done!

 

[suavecarve]

I would leave the base on, you might use the hole for something else in future. Just clean it thoroughly and fill it full of sikaflex.

Done!

Sounds like a cunning plan I would do ! I might be tempted to silkaflex the aerial down (dependant upon damage)

 

[RM_Marine]

Was it the mutli directional aerial, if so that's just happened to my mum and dad's van which is only three years old

Will be interesting knowing what you plan to do with it

 

[Jev88]

I removed our old base and temporarily glued down a metal plate. Then removed later and used same hole for a Mifi aerial...

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[stuartholmes]

Was it the mutli directional aerial, if so that's just happened to my mum and dad's van which is only three years old

Will be interesting knowing what you plan to do with it

I recommend anybody with factory fitted multidirectional aerials should have a quick squint at the comments in this thread:

Indoor tv aerial - fit for purpose in mh?

I am loathed to fitting an external aerial onto my pvc. Does anyone use or has used an internal aerial for their (uk) tv reception? Any good? Alternatively any suggestions for terrestial/freeview reception? Thanks

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[L' Hobo]

I would leave the base on, you might use the hole for something else in future. Just clean it thoroughly and fill it full of sikaflex.

Done!

I was going to suggest this but first, I would cap the actual Arial hole with a blanking grommet or something.
It might be needed later and trying to remove the Sikaflex might be a problem.

 

[Heebson]

So, this is definitely in the sledgehammer to crack a nut territory, but what I actually did was fit an additional solar panel and reused the hole for cables and the gland casing covered 2 screw holes completely and I just sikaflexed the last.

I had been planning/dithering about doing this upgrade (with new MPPT controller and a B2B) for ages, so this was just the nudge I needed