Weboost 4G-X Drive RV Antenna Install Placement

[LvngTheStrm]

Hello, I apologize in advance knowing that I am sure there have been past threads on this, but I am in a hurry and hope that there have been some fresh thinking on the topic. For those with Weboost 4G-X Drive RV 4G boost units, where did you mount the external antenna? Also, were you able to find a way to get the wire into the AS without drilling a hole? Thank you.

[billrector]

Some have used a flag pole and a directional antenna in lieu of a permanent mount. You can use the satellite connection to get the signal inside the trailer without drilling a hole.

[batman]

If you need a way into the trailer from the outside top. Try using the refer vent, fishing the cable behind the refer and out either side.

[wulfraat]

For best results the exterior antenna needs to be at least 10’ from the location of the interior antenna. The further the better. Ours is mounted at the rear of the coach. Cable enters via fridge vent. Interior antenna is near the fridge, center of the coach.

[daleyocum]

+1
The idea is to mount it as far away as you can from the interior antenna. Ours it at the front of the trailer because the people interior antenna is in the back.

Going down the vent is a common technique. In my case it was easier to use a waterproof “Cable Entry Gland” to go through the roof.

By the way, the interior ceiling air ducts are a handy way to route cables for the inside antenna if needed.

[chugchug]

I placed mine at the center on the front and routed the cable through the fridge vent. I used VHB tape and fashioned a bracket to attach it to the roof and taped the cable on the roof with aluminum tape. The bracket has a pivot so if it gets hit by something it will fall back on the roof.

[dolson]

[Rbarlow]

I mounted mine on the tv antennae similar to the previous post. I brought my cable down the refrigerator vent. I had to slide my refrigerator out a little to get it to feed down.

[DoubleR]

I was thinking about mounting our cell booster antenna on the retractable antenna also, just to get a little more clearance over the other objects on the roof.

[sbowman]

We just installed one of these units on and in our 2017 Classic w/no new hole. Was not easy however a clean install. Please note we use a Pathway 2X Dish antenna for our TV viewing and not the worthless TV antenna that came w/our Classic.



Pulled the "Winegard RoadStar omnidirectional antenna" off the base plate mount. Yes you can get it off w/o breaking it. There is a clip ring inside the antenna female fitting. Use a small flat screw driver and push up inside between the antenna and mounting shaft, rotate and pull up. You will need to decouple the antenna from the coax.



This is the fun part, I had to pull my refer out and the ceiling light closest to the roof mount. Note there was no way I could feed the new coax over to the cabinet w/out the below process. I could stick my hand up through the ceiling light hole and pull the coax out of the roof mounting shaft and push it aside. Once I had the refer out I cut a hole in the wood cabinet, refer side in order to feed the new WeBoost coax up to and through roof mount.Next I feed the coax through the dead space to the over head cabinet. Once I had the coax feed from roof to over head cabinet, I took the wood cut out and reinstalled. For me I was glad I pulled the refer. The original install at the factory was garbage. The seals around the back side of the refer were worthless and the sealing tape looked as a 2 year old installed. Pulled all out and installed correctly.


For the roof mounting I bought a marine antenna mount (plastic) that I could raise and lower my WeBoost antenna that I can lock in place, up for use and down for travel. Found the correct PVC fittings, one to fit over the original roof mount and screw into the marine fitting to anchor. Another PVC fitting to screw on to marine fitting, added 2'-0" PVC pipe and mounted the WeBoost antenna to it. Works great! About an 8 hour job and you will need help in pulling the refer.


Suggest going to Utube, you will find the antenna set up and pulling of your refer. Please note this was the process for our 2017 Classic.


Make sure you reseal all exterior and the top of the PVC pipe extension.



Yes the WeBoost works great!


Safe travels and best regards.

[SilverWind]

My objective was to create maximum distance between my SureCall exterior antenna and my Wilson "candy bar" interior antenna in order to minimize interference between the two antennae.

I use the Wilson "candy bar" antenna on the dinette at the rear of our 2017 25FB. I've found that the WeBoost is most effective when the portable interior antenna is next to or near my devices, iPhones, tablet or Verizon Jetpack. The three foot cable on the "candy bar" allows for maximum flexibility.

During the solar system install, I had AM Solar mount the SureCall on the corner of a solar panel at the front of the trailer. They ran the thick coax cable in protective sheathing to a point just above the WeBoost which is installed in the cabinet over the dinette at the rear of the trailer.

My other option was to mount the exterior antenna near the fridge vent and mount the 4GX in the cabinet above the fridge thereby avoiding drilling the roof and easily accessing nearby 12 volt and AC connections. I have friends who had installers do this seemingly more convenient install. Their interior antenna are rigidly mounted in a broadcast position near the cabinet. They find that they need to be close to the middle of the trailer for best reception.

I decided that this type of "fridge" install would bring the interior and exterior antennas too close together and that the interior antenna's mid-trailer broadcast position would cause degraded effectiveness in the work area. I also wanted the 4GX to stay cool so the sliding doors on the cabinet over the dinette provide good air circulation.

You could probably still do a very effective fridge area install by mounting your exterior antenna at one end of the trailer, cabling through the fridge vent, and routing the interior candy bar antenna down the wall, around the couch and to the dinette at the opposite end. Maintaining maximum effectiveness through antenna separation might be more difficult for mid-trailer dinettes however.

[DaveP]

We mounted our external antenna on a tripod which we deploy at the campground. The coax cable is routed through the storage door on the left rear of the trailer with a flat transition cable. We use 50 feet of external coax cable. This allows aiming of the antenna and maintaining maximum distance from the internal antenna. Works great!!

[LvngTheStrm]

Thank you all very much for the tips. I will let you know how I make out.

[montanablue]

I have been reading this thread and also an install instructions. In the instruction is a paragraph which states: "The metal roof of your vehicle acts as a shield between the two antennas, making antenna placement a bit less critical for vehicle boosters."

I have all green lights on my WeBoost and have the external Omni antenna mounted on my TV crank up mount. I have the internal antenna mounted to the left of my front center cabinets. I had originally had the outside antenna mounted at back on top of the vent cover. Good service there as well. So with all of that said. I think the their statement is true that the metal of the Airstream shields external from internal antenna signals. What are others thoughts?

Here is link to article:

Link:https://support.weboost.com/hc/en-us...bile_site=true

[rmkrum]

Except for window and door openings, an Airstream makes a great shielded Ham Shack...

[centennialman]

I made a mast out of black ABS pipe that I can unscrew and take apart for traveling. It sits in a flag pole base that I put under the jack plate. The cable goes through the front window trip and then under the bed and over to the dinette. It works well, is easy to set up and take down and you can't tell where I drilled the hole in the window frame. I also installed a rubber grommet in the hole to finish it off.

[hhendrix]

I've spent way too much time and money experimenting with different setups including a system called WiFi in Motion. Bottom line for me is a simple set up using a Weboost cradle amplifier, Weboost trucker antenna, a Verizon jetpack, and a painter's extension pole. The good thing about the trucker antenna is it does not require a ground plane like many antennas. The complete set up not including the Jetpack is less than $300. I get a boost of 2-3 bars with it even sometimes when no bars are showing on my phone or Jetpack.

[chugchug]

Since you are using a jetpack, you can connect it directly to the external antenna with a splitter like

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Using one of those with the regular omnidirectional antenna that came with the weBoost RV (and without the booster or the internal antenna) I am getting 9-12 db gain and about 10 time the down/upload speed

I figure the booster is only needed to drive the signal to the internal antenna and that will be necessary for any device that doesn't have an antenna plug such as a cell phone.

[SSquared]

Originally Posted by hhendrix

I've spent way too much time and money experimenting with different setups including a system called WiFi in Motion. Bottom line for me is a simple set up using a Weboost cradle amplifier, Weboost trucker antenna, a Verizon jetpack, and a painter's extension pole. The good thing about the trucker antenna is it does not require a ground plane like many antennas. The complete set up not including the Jetpack is less than $300. I get a boost of 2-3 bars with it even sometimes when no bars are showing on my phone or Jetpack.

hhendrix,

I like your mounting system.

I've only used my WeBoost at one location so far. At that place I had a sturdy six foot post at my site I could tie my pole to. But I know I will have cases where I need to anchor a pole to my trailer. I'd rather not tie up the awning, but your solution looks easy and sturdy. Thanks.

[hhendrix]

Originally Posted by SSquared

hhendrix,

I like your mounting system.

I've only used my WeBoost at one location so far. At that place I had a sturdy six foot post at my site I could tie my pole to. But I know I will have cases where I need to anchor a pole to my trailer. I'd rather not tie up the awning, but your solution looks easy and sturdy. Thanks.

Thanks. The bracket is simple and I use a tie wrap to the awning arm. Awning out or in, I can still attach the tie wrap.