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DC-RV · 03-04-2021, 10:07 PM

So, I am going to do this ... bought the Speed Demon package from Mobile Must Haves and ready to go. Two questions:

1. Looking at the roof, I am assuming this is where the built in wiring is - correct?

2. I am having a hard time finding where the wiring terminates inside. How do you find, is there a wiring diagram I can reference?

Thanks!

DC-RV · 03-04-2021, 10:13 PM

So, I am going to do this ... bought the Speed Demon package from Mobile Must Haves and ready to go. Two questions:

1. Looking at the roof, I am assuming this white plug is where the built in wiring is - correct?

https://photos.app.goo.gl/iDKiQNawi4793VKZ9

2. I am having a hard time finding where the wiring terminates inside. How do you find, is there a wiring diagram I can reference?

Thanks!

lvrouter · 03-05-2021, 08:38 AM

I plan on doing the same thing, removing the radio antenna and replacing it. May I ask how you routed the wires? It does look like they're accessible behind a light but is there a clear path to where the radio is mounted? TIA.

pdavey · 03-05-2021, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lvrouter

I plan on doing the same thing, removing the radio antenna and replacing it. May I ask how you routed the wires? It does look like they're accessible behind a light but is there a clear path to where the radio is mounted? TIA.

In the Globetrotter with the front bedroom the Radio Antenna is located in the rear behind the last rib so the wire route directly down the back curve into the top cabinet where the radio unit is located.

I mounted my peplink router there so it was a straight shot.

My 7 in 1 antenna is direct mount through the skin with the shorter cable which will reduce any gain loss from the unit to the antenna.

If you have a FB flying cloud my guess is yours would be just as simple as my above post.

pdavey · 03-05-2021, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DC-RV

So, I am going to do this ... bought the Speed Demon package from Mobile Must Haves and ready to go. Two questions:

1. Looking at the roof, I am assuming this white plug is where the built in wiring is - correct?

https://photos.app.goo.gl/iDKiQNawi4793VKZ9

2. I am having a hard time finding where the wiring terminates inside. How do you find, is there a wiring diagram I can reference?

Thanks!

Looking at the pic you attached and interior pictures of the unit, my best guess is that it terminates in the cabinet over sink.

It appears from the picture you attatached you are taking it from the front of the unit on the right side.

CMHM · 03-06-2021, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdavey

Looking at the pic you attached and interior pictures of the unit, my best guess is that it terminates in the cabinet over sink.

It appears from the picture you attatached you are taking it from the front of the unit on the right side.

@pdavey: I am the original poster, and as you might have seen I installed the antenna with two 6ft cables, basically my new 7-way MIMO plugs into the pre-wired 5-way MIMO because I couldn't get the pre-wired cable to move through the ribs. I agree that I'd rather have a much shorter antenna cable, can you explain your process?

GeeSag · 03-06-2021, 05:20 PM

We have seen various times that when using Zoom Meetings over AT&T, the LTE connection gets dropped.

We use Hotspots. Maybe your router behaves differently in this high bandwidth application.

We toggle to a T-Mobile or Verizon Hotspots and the Zoom Meeting runs just fine.

I am trying to figure out why it seems to drop on just AT&T.
Repeatable enough to be predictable.
Happens even with very good AT&T signal strength and throughput.

DC-RV · 03-07-2021, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CMHM

@pdavey: I am the original poster, and as you might have seen I installed the antenna with two 6ft cables, basically my new 7-way MIMO plugs into the pre-wired 5-way MIMO because I couldn't get the pre-wired cable to move through the ribs. I agree that I'd rather have a much shorter antenna cable, can you explain your process?

I went the same route and bought the 7-way, but could not find a way through and had to utilize the existing 5-way setup. I traced the cable and it seems to go through wood and likely a metal rib - so I scrapped it, thinking I could always revisit since easy to unmount from the roof.

For anyone curious, in the '21 Caravel 19CB, the wiring is above the table on the left side behind the speaker.

Lumenyaare · 04-08-2021, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DC-RV

I went the same route and bought the 7-way, but could not find a way through and had to utilize the existing 5-way setup. I traced the cable and it seems to go through wood and likely a metal rib - so I scrapped it, thinking I could always revisit since easy to unmount from the roof.

For anyone curious, in the '21 Caravel 19CB, the wiring is above the table on the left side behind the speaker.

Do the leads terminating at the roof have male ends that thread directly to the new antenna, or do I need male to male couplers?

Thanks for all the great info. Saved me tons of time.

Lumenyaare · 04-11-2021, 09:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CMHM

I wanted to share our experience in terms of setting up an internet connection for our 2021 27F Globetrotter, as I spent over a month researching and finally got everything installed today:

New Airstreams come with a MIMO antenna cable and power connection pre-installed. MIMO is the technology to use high-speed data over LTE/5G; paired with the latest Pepwave modem you can have multiple SIM cards / data plans running at the same time. Add a 5- or 7-way Poynting antenna, and you will have 2 LTE data plans and 2 wifi connections running in parallel. Airstream sells you the Connected package that confines you to AT&T and a limited data package for $300/month. But you can buy the hardware components yourself and then choose multiple data providers you want.

WHAT/WHERE TO BUY:
Mobile Must Have are fantastic, they sell bundles that come with everything you need to get you going. We bought the Ultimate Road Warrior bundle, which comes with the modem that allows you to run up to 4 SIM cards at the same time. The antenna is a 7-way, which is a little overkill as the pre-installed cable on the Airstream is made for 5-way antennas:
https://www.mobilemusthave.com/Mobil...dles_c_44.html
Andy at Mobile Must Have has been incredibly supportive and available daily during the set-up of the modem, which can be a little daunting. His videos however make the process very easy.

In terms of data plans you want to choose two networks that together will give you the maximum coverage. We went with an unlimited plan from AT&T from EZ-COM (https://store.ezcom.us/cart.php) at $150/month and a Visible/Verizon plan at $40/month as a backup. Josh at EZ-COM is very knowledgeable and was of great help.

INSTALLATION (SEE PHOTOS BELOW):
We set-up the modem and antenna in our house first, and played with the SIM cards, different set-ups and then started the install in the Airstream. The latest models have everything pre-wired in the front of the trailer. You will see a little white button sitting on top of the roof. The antenna cable then reaches into the AS and you can find it alongside a 12V power connection in the left upper cabinet. In our case this is above our bed.
It's pretty much a plug & play from then on, the antenna attached via a big 3M sticker and we sealed it up.

So far I am impressed with the connection. I have zero bars for AT&T on my phone; in the Airstream I was working with 4 bars and full speed. I added my home wifi to the mix, which sits over 500 yards away and it was like sitting at home.

I can only recommend this set-up, it is pricey but for those working remotely it is a game-changer.

Do the leads terminating at the roof have male ends that thread directly to the new antenna, or do I need male to male couplers?

Thanks for all the great info. Saved me tons of time.

GMFL · 04-11-2021, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lumenyaare

Do the leads terminating at the roof have male ends that thread directly to the new antenna, or do I need male to male couplers?

Thanks for all the great info. Saved me tons of time.

They have male ends.

Lumenyaare · 04-11-2021, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMFL

They have male ends.

Thank you!

BF_Brewing · 06-05-2021, 12:07 PM

How does the 7 way antenna mount? How is it sealed?

Lumenyaare · 06-06-2021, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BF_Brewing

How does the 7 way antenna mount? How is it sealed?

It depends on the antenna, but the parsec has a 3m adhesive binding that covers the entire bottom, as well as a threaded post and nut that you can use to secure if you have access to the post from the inside of your unit. I used the existing hole and didn’t have access to the post in the interior, so I didn’t use the nut, I just used the sticker and then sealed around the edge with Dicor.

VTARF · 06-10-2021, 02:47 PM

We’re planning to purchase the Ultimate Road Warrior with the Mobile Mark antenna. We have a 2014 23FB International, so no pre-wiring.

I chatted with Mobile Must Have, and they did say that they are getting reports of interference from AC units and fantastic fans unless the antenna is 18-24” from those units.

The attached photo shows the top of our rig. The radio antenna is too close to the fan, so not an option, especially as that’s the fan we use the most. The 41” distance between the AC & FF looks like it should be sufficient with the blue dot marking the location for the antenna in the middle. The yellow arrow indicates where the wires would need to come into the overhead compartment on the curbside.

It’s a short distance directly across, and seems like it should be “easy”. As I want to be sure before ordering and drilling into the roof, does anyone have any familiarity with the roof construction? Am I going to run into issues with the TV antenna or north/south support?

Thanks.

CMHM · 06-11-2021, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VTARF

We’re planning to purchase the Ultimate Road Warrior with the Mobile Mark antenna. We have a 2014 23FB International, so no pre-wiring.

I chatted with Mobile Must Have, and they did say that they are getting reports of interference from AC units and fantastic fans unless the antenna is 18-24” from those units.

The attached photo shows the top of our rig. The radio antenna is too close to the fan, so not an option, especially as that’s the fan we use the most. The 41” distance between the AC & FF looks like it should be sufficient with the blue dot marking the location for the antenna in the middle. The yellow arrow indicates where the wires would need to come into the overhead compartment on the curbside.

It’s a short distance directly across, and seems like it should be “easy”. As I want to be sure before ordering and drilling into the roof, does anyone have any familiarity with the roof construction? Am I going to run into issues with the TV antenna or north/south support?

Thanks.

You could switch to the Poynting MIMO antenna. Andy @ MobileMustHave told me there is absolutely no perceivable difference between both antennas, and the Poynting has a much smaller footprint and looks sleeker. Also the cable comes (optionally) out at the back of the antenna, allowing you to position it pretty much anywhere on the roof.

VTARF · 06-14-2021, 11:10 AM

Thanks. Actually the Poynting is 10” x 5” and the Mobile Mark is 5.5” diameter. The Parsec is the big one at 10.75” D.
We pulled an LED ceiling light and used my scope camera. There is access through the beam, and should be a direct line of just a few feet to the cabinet.
Hoping to get it done next week.

kajmonty · 06-28-2021, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CMHM

Antenna: unfortunately the antenna comes with a cable attached and sealed inside, no way of removing it. Therefore we attached the 6ft antenna cable to the 6ft cable provided by Airstream. We tried to pull the existing cable through but it is run through the ribs and a lot of glue in the fuselage so we had to just tuck the cable into the roof.

Are the cable ends that are present in the rooftop male SMA so that the connectors on the cabling attached to the antenna just plug/screw in or did you need couplings?

kajmonty · 06-28-2021, 07:38 PM

I found the answer to my question above. Thanks all. I will be installing the 5 in 1 Poynting antenna on my 2021 GT as soon as temps drop. I already have in place a Cradlepoint 2x SIM router that simply need to be plugged into the new antenna.

rmlangut · 07-13-2021, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdavey

They started the pre-wiring in the 2020 model year but later in the year. I bought my 2020 in September 2019 and it didn't have it (27ft Globetrotter)

I don't use the terestrial radio so I knocked out the radio antenna and installed the mobile mark antenna in place of that.

I had to enlarge the hole slightly but all in all it was pretty easy with the right hole saw.

You can see it is fairly low profile and looks like it was meant to be there. Attachment 386773

This is our first idea for installation - we planned to put the router is right there (with the DVD player). We don't use the radio per se (just with bluetooth). How hard was it to route the cable from the old radio antenna location? I fished around a little and it *seems* fairly easy once we have a hole big enough.