Crank up antenna problem?

[Al and Missy]

We have a 2001 Safari with the crank up antenna. When cranking it up the mast goes past vertical. All the pictures I have seen of deployed antennas show the mast vertical. I don't see anything in the manual about a stop or adjustment. What does your antenna do?

Thanks,

Al

[SteveH]

I think they all go up a little past vertical.

[polarlyse]

By going past vertical my thinking is that it gives it a greater circle to rotate within. Perhaps allowing it to grab a broader range of channels. I'm to techie but that's just my thinking.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by polarlyse

By going past vertical my thinking is that it gives it a greater circle to rotate within. Perhaps allowing it to grab a broader range of channels. I'm to techie but that's just my thinking.

As an engineer, I think not. If it rotates 360° horizontally anyway, then cranking it vertically to 95° is the same as cranking it vertically to 85°.

But, if you were to crank it open to 89°, almost but not quite vertical, then its own weight will make it try to sag down to the retracted position, putting a strain on the operating mechanism that has to hold it up. If you crank it open to 91°, just a little past vertical, then if it starts to sag, it will sag against the stops and stay open, with no strain on the operating mechanism. In other words, the extra little bit of over-travel is a hold-open device.

[Silver Goose]

Is it really going past vertical or does it look that way? Mine and most of the ones I've see are mounted considerably off center on the roof so that when retracted it doesn't interfere with the skylights and A/C. That puts it on the curved part of the roof and when extended looks like it's listing to port.

[Al and Missy]

It is going past vertical. When cranking it up it is oriented in line with the length of the trailer. Viewing it from the side, it is going about 5 degrees past vertical. I got up on a ladder today and took a look at the mechanism. It appears it is designed to work that way. Mine is mounted to the curb side at the front of the trailer. The front of the two mast bars hits a stop formed by the base to end travel. So I'm going to conclude that it is supposed to go past vertical as SteveH has suggested and stop worrying about it.

Thanks,

Al