Remove Omini TV antenna

[hovr]

Hi,
Has anyone had experience removing their Omini TV antenna? See attached picture.
I rarely watch any TV, I don't even have antenna or cable subscription in my house. I wouldn't bother removing it if it's not in a position on 16' Caravel that I could use to add a 100w solar panel. The small trailer has very limited roof space.
It seems like the feet of the antenna are secured with screws, and with sealant, but I am not sure if there are VHB between feet and roof sheeting. I also want to know the wiring situation inside so I don't end up cutting it if I need to use multi-tool to cut through the adhesive. Would appreciate it if someone has experience can give some pointers.
Ideally I would relocate it to a different position on the roof.

I did find one post that mentioned moving an similar antenna, but OP didn't mention the removal process, plus the antenna is different.

https://www.airforums.com/forums/f37...-a-184515.html

[PB_NB]

Hi hovr.

I am also interested in this. When we first got our trailer, I wondered why this is even there. Then after getting the antenna work by making a little shunt that goes on the exterior cable connection, I was able to get 4 channels so I could now watch Maury in the middle of the day We then changed out the LG TV for a Samsung curved monitor and don't have a TV tuner anymore.

So taking this thing off the roof would be fine with me as well.

I would suggest pulling the interior jack cover and disabling the 12V switch as well so you don't have any electrical shorts down the road. If you chase the 12V connection to the bus bar, you could pull the connection to make sure it has been disabled.

As far as sealing up the holes. I would use a Sikaflex product and maybe even a patch made out of aluminum sheet cut to fit. Then attach it using the existing screw holes.

[hovr]

Originally Posted by PB_NB

Hi hovr.

I am also interested in this. When we first got our trailer, I wondered why this is even there. Then after getting the antenna work by making a little shunt that goes on the exterior cable connection, I was able to get 4 channels so I could now watch Maury in the middle of the day We then changed out the LG TV for a Samsung curved monitor and don't have a TV tuner anymore.

So taking this thing off the roof would be fine with me as well.

I would suggest pulling the interior jack cover and disabling the 12V switch as well so you don't have any electrical shorts down the road. If you chase the 12V connection to the bus bar, you could pull the connection to make sure it has been disabled.

As far as sealing up the holes. I would use a Sikaflex product and maybe even a patch made out of aluminum sheet cut to fit. Then attach it using the existing screw holes.

Thanks @PB_NB, thanks the advice! Also you should have plenty of roof real estate with a 22', why could you both with a roof surgery like this ?

[NickA]

Did either of you (or anyone else) do this? I have a 27ft International with this antenna and we never use it and never will - we only use streaming services. Most of our roof is solar and I'd like to mount our new Starlink dish where the TV antenna is. Anyone have any ideas on how to get it off before I give it a shot with my best guess?

Ideally I'd like to remove the antenna and pull the cable back inside, use it as a guide to pull in the Starlink (network) cable, so I don't have to make more holes, but that might be optimistic. I'm guessing it ends up behind the wardrobe/fridge somewhere, but I'm far from sure... Any input on that much appreciated too

[PB_NB]

Hi NickA, i haven't bothered getting up there yet. I was doing some other additions with solar, shower valves and thermostats. The antenna is still just hanging around taking up space. I did clean it last year as the algae was building up on the roof components.

Does your Starlink use co-ax cable? if so, you probably could use the existing wire assuming it is co-ax as well. Our wire appears to run down inside the skins to the wall outlet. I can see a challenge in pulling the wire if it was strapped anywhere along the way!

[NickA]

Originally Posted by PB_NB

Does your Starlink use co-ax cable? if so, you probably could use the existing wire assuming it is co-ax as well. Our wire appears to run down inside the skins to the wall outlet. I can see a challenge in pulling the wire if it was strapped anywhere along the way!

Thanks for replying . Nope, I'm afraid it's a heavy duty network cable. I wondered the same about strapping. Probably optimistic!

[foobar]

Originally Posted by NickA

Thanks for replying . Nope, I'm afraid it's a heavy duty network cable. I wondered the same about strapping. Probably optimistic!

The starlink cable is a shielded cat5 cable with a slightly nonstandard variation on T568B ethernet configuration and 48v POE. It also has non-standard connectors that are huge and difficult to pull through cable chases and walls.

There are a number of existing Airforum postings and threads on how to modify the starlink cable and inject the 48v so that you can mate starlink with standard ethernet equipment and delete the 120v starlink router/wifi access point along with the funky/large connector used to connect to the starlink router. I have done this and integrated starlink into my trailers pepwave based system (with 12v pepwave cellular modem/router and pepwave wifi access point). The pepwave treats starlink as the primary service and fails over to cellular data service automatically if starlink is not available.

[NickA]

Originally Posted by foobar

There are a number of existing Airforum postings and threads on how to modify the starlink cable and inject the 48v so that you can mate starlink with standard ethernet equipment and delete the 120v starlink router/wifi access point along with the funky/large connector used to connect to the starlink router. I have done this and integrated starlink into my trailers pepwave based system (with 12v pepwave cellular modem/router and pepwave wifi access point). The pepwave treats starlink as the primary service and fails over to cellular data service automatically if starlink is not available.

The difficulty I have is that we purchased the high performance dish. I've been looking regularly at the 12V conversions since the dish came out last year, but as yet don't see anyone who has made this modification with this version of the hardware. I'm wary of assuming the same cable connections, however likely, as well as not sure that the power capabilities of the power over ethernet injectors being used for the standard dish are sufficient. My plan is to install it on the roof in place of the TV antenna which is only about 3ft from the cupboard above the fridge where we have our existing pepwave router mounted. I'm thinking I will run it off the inverter for now, and would love to convert to 12V in the fullness of time. For now, I just need a way to get the wire inside with minimal chance of creating leaks!

[NickA]

For anyone else who wonders about doing this, it's actually pretty easy. The screws (there are two in the end of each leg) came out pretty easily - I used a craft knife to cut the sealant around them to help but I'm not sure I needed to. After that I carefully cut the sealant around the edge making sure not to scratch the roof, and the whole thing lifted off. Had to do a bit of cleanup of the sealant, "scratching" it off with a blunt plastic scraper before the final cleanup with some paper towels. The antenna itself plugs into a cable that comes through a hole in the middle, and the connection pops through the hole if you pull the wire. I ended up filling the screw holes with 3/16" rivets with a good helping of Silkaflex on each and added an Aluminum patch over the hole, stuck on with 3M VHB tape and a seal of Slikaflex around it too. All done!

Here's a link to the follow-up Starlink install in case anyone is interested. That's what the mount in the last photo is for. I actually put that on before the Aluminum patch, as they needed to fit tight together, which is why it's shown here.

https://www.airforums.com/forums/f31...ml#post2664694

[Airstream1817]

Originally Posted by NickA

For anyone else who wonders about doing this, it's actually pretty easy.

Bumping this to ask a question as I am eyeing that same space to install a Pepwave 42G antenna on top of a Carlon 8x8x7" junction box.

I was wondering if you gave any thought to running your Starlink antenna cable down into the existing hole and snake it through between in exterior and interior panels?

My current plan is to install all my comms hardware in the cabinet above the fridge in our 2023 27 FBT (shown below after punching out the factory backing for that cabinet).

To the best of my knowledge (though I have not pulled the fridge to confirm) I believe that OAT TV antenna comes down and terminates behind the fridge and into the antenna jack/power receptacle next to the TV. While it might not be worth the brain damage, I was wondering if I can use the TV antenna cable as a pull cord to lead the 42G's 7 cables through the interstitial space between the panel.

Otherwise, my plan is to do exactly what you did....

Anyone else with knowledge on this, please feel free to chime in.

[NickA]

Hi Tom - I considered the same, and whether I could pull the new cable through using the old one, but didn’t know what route the existing cable went and it wasn’t the right one for a patch. Plus, every connector you add loses some signal. In the end it was easier for me to just patch the original hole and make a new one in the right location. The existing hole would have needed a junction box or something go seal it and it wasn’t the best location for the box. I put the new box under a solar panel and exactly where I needed it on the roof. Saw a good post from a YouTube channel called (I think) “JohnJessJourney” where he installed a cell booster. He first drilled a hole from inside throug the interior shell and then banged a tool into the outside shell from the inside so he could see the mark on the outside and drill in the exact same spot - worked like a charm for me. I also added the plastic hole surrounds so the cable didn’t chaff on the sharp metal edges. Whatever you do, good luck!!

[Airstream1817]

Originally Posted by NickA

Hi Tom - I considered the same, and whether I could pull the new cable through using the old one, but didn’t know what route the existing cable went and it wasn’t the right one for a patch. Plus, every connector you add loses some signal. In the end it was easier for me to just patch the original hole and make a new one in the right location. The existing hole would have needed a junction box or something go seal it and it wasn’t the best location for the box. I put the new box under a solar panel and exactly where I needed it on the roof. Saw a good post from a YouTube channel called (I think) “JohnJessJourney” where he installed a cell booster. He first drilled a hole from inside throug the interior shell and then banged a tool into the outside shell from the inside so he could see the mark on the outside and drill in the exact same spot - worked like a charm for me. I also added the plastic hole surrounds so the cable didn’t chaff on the sharp metal edges. Whatever you do, good luck!!

I appreciate the response. I’ve come to the conclusion, same as you, it’s not worth the brain damage and potential time black hole of trying to make that work. Seal it up and run a new line out of the PVC box and mounting the antenna on. Use a smaller box over the hole wherever that’s going to eventually end up being.

Thanks

[Airstream1817]

Is there any secondary market for selling a "nearly new" OTA antenna with amplifier/wall outlet and mini coax cables? After removing it, I would prefer to monetize it than store it in a box ala...

[NickA]

No idea I’m afraid - we just gave ours away through Craigslist or something similar. It’s not worth that much and we were never going to want it.. Maybe you could sell it on eBay or something like that, or perhaps someone on here might want a replacement one

[Airstream1817]

Detached mine yesterday. I was a tad overzealous with the caulk remover and plastic scraper. I covered the hole and screws with duct tape until I can get up there and seal them proper later this week.









Thursday will bring part 2

[NickA]

Good work! Hope the new one goes on easily

[Motorsport36]

Originally Posted by Newbie Tom

Detached mine yesterday. I was a tad overzealous with the caulk remover and plastic scraper. I covered the hole and screws with duct tape until I can get up there and seal them proper later this week.

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Thursday will bring part 2

Attachment 436469

I’ll be waiting for your install! I am in the same boat trying to install the pep wave to my roof. Keep us updated!

[Airstream1817]

Originally Posted by Motorsport36

I’ll be waiting for your install! I am in the same boat trying to install the pep wave to my roof. Keep us updated!

More here

https://www.airforums.com/forums/f45...ml#post2699775