Replace digital TV receiver with Cell booster

[TravlinMan]

I got that Omni antenna up top that feeds to a little junction box at the place where my TV used to be in the lounge. The box has an on off button and a mini RF out.

Can I use the existing antenna and wires as the outdoor antenna for the weboost? Or if I gotta replace the antenna can i use the existing wires?

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Antenna - nope (not even close due to the preamp in it). Coax cable - maybe, but probably not (lots of loss and wrong connectors / wrong impedance). Rest of the wires - nope (they don't do anything you need to do). Antenna mount - probably not (it's custom for that TV antenna).

Mounting the WeBoost antenna isn't all that crazy. Feeding it in is also not very nutty. Better to do it right.


Bob

[TravlinMan]

I believe ya, thank you Bob. I just hate havin that thing sittin up there totally useless. And then also havin that useless box which I suppose I could just turn into a 12v socket. I just got a pet-peeve about things not goin to use.

Thank you.

[uncle_bob]

Originally Posted by TravlinMan

I believe ya, thank you Bob. I just hate havin that thing sittin up there totally useless. And then also havin that useless box which I suppose I could just turn into a 12v socket. I just got a pet-peeve about things not goin to use.

Thank you.

Hi

Maybe replace the antenna with a miniature Christmas tree? Use the switch to turn on the lights. At least that way you'd get *some* use out of it

Bob

[TravlinMan]

Ha! It would be more useful than the TV antenna for sure. It's actually kind of weird how much wirin and stuff in this trailer is dedicated to tv watchin. Once ya get rid of the TVs and DVD player, it's a lotta useless stuff!

[gecko]

Actually, we've found a great use for the antenna! As windsurfers, we often camp on the beach where we sail and accurate wind direction and velocity input on location is pricelsss. So I've hose clamped a cut down top of a super lightweight carbon fiber mast to the retractable antenna to elevate instruments an additional four feet above the roof's turbulence and installed an anemometer and wind vane that reads out in a large display in the cabin--large enough to read through our windows from outside. (Fun to see a small crowd of sailors gathered around the Airstream!) Not only can we raise it for use and lower it for travel, but the rotating bezel inside lets us align it in the proper direction, using a compass, so our wind direction is accurate, too. We set it up initially so that with no bezel adjustment, it's facing south--this gets us pretty close with the trailer parked head to wind in many locations.

Watch TV? Not so much... :-)

[TravlinMan]

Thank you gecko that is a clever use. I have actually thought about tying some sort of wind device to the trailer just to help position it better in wind. But I ain't got an antenna that raises and lowers, it's just that alien lookin omni thing. It works. I tried it once before I removed the TVs and it showed me all sorts of terrible programs and commercials for a before I switched it off in agony haha. To me, all TV sounds like the adults in the peanuts cartoons... 'wha wha wha wha wha wha wha wha..... wha wha wha wha wha wha..... wha wha wha!'

No thank you!

I like the idea of puttin lights up there.

[jdalrymple]

Actually, some cell boosters use the 50 ohm RG-6 coax and "F" connectors used for the tv antenna.

The wall plate would have no function, as it serves only to send 12 volt power to the booster in the antenna.


But, one could removed the antenna, fabricate a mount for the antenna from the cell booster and use the existing cable to connect to the cell booster box inside.

If a cell booster kit chosen had directional outdoor antenna, the rotating part of the tv antenna could be used to peak the cell signal.


Several of the WeBoost brand boosters use RG-6 coax with F connectors for the outdoor antenna.


Regards,


JD

[TravlinMan]

Thank you JD, this is exactly what I would like to do. I have a weboost 4gx in my truck that I already had. It's got the magnet mount but I like havin it in my truck cause I'm often in the backcountry without the trailer. So I probably need to buy a second unit. Right now I leave my phone in the truck and activate the hotspot and then connect to that with my iPad in the trailer and it works pretty good but I'd like to do better.

Thank you.

[jdalrymple]

I misspoke the ohm rating on the coax. 50 ohm is cell phone/two way radio coax.

TV antenna/Weboost outdoor antenna coax is 75 ohm.


Doesn't change my suggestion, but a small mistake on my part.


Regards,

JD

[TravlinMan]

It's ok, thank you. Actually typin my last response gave me an idea so I dropped the indoor antenna of the truck weboost through the tiny slot behind my bed and put the weboost brain in the storage area under the bed and ran the outside antenna through the outside storage door between the door and the weather strip in and magnetized it to one of the top bolts that holds the front window rock gaurd. Works perfect haha. Took me 5 minutes so that's all it would take to put it back on the truck, cause I ain't gonna tow with it stuck on that bolt.

But, anyways, there's my Jerry rig solution for now til I get fancy like ya suggested.

Thank you!

[TravlinMan]

And also it gets me from zero service in the park I'm at (zero bars with an x) to 3 bars of 4g!