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Auto Satellite Dish


kakadu

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Hi to all
I have got 21ft Topender and in the process of fitting an auto satellite dish to roof. I have had the mounting brackekt fitted by by the boys at Kedron and I have mounted the dish, now I am ready to do the wiring side of it.
What I would like to find out from anybody who have had one fitted is do you tap into the the Tv wiring aerial etc already in the van or just use wiring that come with dish. It is a Sphere sat dish which I got from Sat Nav in Melbourne.
Regards Tony Mobile 0403287044

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Use the wiring that came with the dish, Tony.

Did you leave the TV aerial installed?

The Sphere dish is dual LNB, so there are two coax cables plus a control cable.

I cut the end off the control cable plug and re-terminated to avoid all of the looped excess cable - just take a pic before you do this if you decide to go this way.

I also cut the coax cables to the correct size and re-terminated.

The installation manual is pretty straight forward and reliable.

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Use the wiring that came with the dish, Tony.

Did you leave the TV aerial installed?

The Sphere dish is dual LNB, so there are two coax cables plus a control cable.

I cut the end off the control cable plug and re-terminated to avoid all of the looped excess cable - just take a pic before you do this if you decide to go this way.

I also cut the coax cables to the correct size and re-terminated.

The installation manual is pretty straight forward and reliable.

Thanks mate for your reply

No the wyngard antenna was removed by Kedron to make way for the mounting bracket. The reason I had the bracket fitted was I met a nice couple of fellow koggers when I was up at Hervey Bay I

can't rember their names but they were great and they already had the dish and showed me how the indoor box was mounted inside there cupboard nice and neat and was a realy good setup and they were on there way to Kedron to have the

bracket fitted so I thought wile I was up there and was going to get the van servised I would get mine done to. I mounted the dish etc on the roof yesterday and run the wires through roof and now I will get my son inlaw who is an electrician and

does lot of data cabling work so i will take on board about shortening the cables and mection that to him when he does the job.

Thanks Tony.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...


Hi Bryan


I hope the Pics work. As you see after mounting the satellite dish on the mounting bracket Kedron fitted for me I ran the wires down under the 2 solar panels on drivers side of van using wire clips drilled into solar panel mounting brackets to hold the wires and drilled through the roof under the front panel into the inside of the cupboard where I mounted the control box as per pics. to work out where to drill hole in roof I used the inside of the front window frame as a reference point and measured to the inside of the cupboard and then transferred the measurements out side and on to the roof which worked out great because being under the solar panel and fitting the cover plate which came with the wires and using selastic I don't think it will ever leak. I also shortened the the 2 coax cables and the electrical wires, taking a picture of the wiring plug with my phone so that I was sure I rewired the plug the same as suggested by David (cvtripper) which makes good sense not having a lot of cables rolled up inside the cupboard.


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Sorry Bryan


I am trying to work out how to post photos I have done the attachment thingy but not working.


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Hi Tony



When adding a photo to a post there are 3 steps to the action:


  1. Look in the Attach Files section and click on the Browse button. Find and select the file / photo you need.

  2. When your file / photo is selected, click on the Attach This File button.

  3. When your file / photo is listed on your screen in the Attach Files section, click on the Add to Post button.

Repeat this process for as many file / photos as you need.



Please don't hesitate to contact me if you are still having problems.



Cheers

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Looks good, Tony.



(Except I don't like that bracket on the roof that Kedron make - it lifts the dish even further off the roof.)



A couple of hints for you:


  1. I found the double sided tape that comes with the remote infrared sensor isn't good quality - ours fell off the underside of the cupboard on the first day. I replaced the tape with "scotch exterior mounting tape" which is much stronger and withstands humidity etc http://www.bunnings.com.au/3m-scotch-heavy-duty-exterior-mounting-tape_p3978296
  2. What did you use to cover the cables that came through the roof? I used an external electrical box with individual cable glands for each cable. With the box sikaflexed to the roof. If you have just put the cables straight through the roof and then siliconed up, keep an eye on it as water will track down the cables. It only takes a tiny pin hole and you have a leak you will chase forever (from experience).
  3. I'd suggest supporting the cables in pic 4 otherwise corrugations will see the crimped plugs come loose.
  4. Some small clips will help tidy up the loose cabling hanging down from under the cupboard for the remote sensor. The same clips could be used to support the cables from the dish (point 3). http://www.bunnings.com.au/smart-100mm-mounting-cable-tie-25pk-ctm100w_p4430487 or http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=HP0756 (but in black if you can find some)
  5. Did you change the plugs so both work on 12V? Saves running the inverter.


Good job! Not too hard is it?



Enjoy the system, mate! Mine has been on some pretty rough corrugated roads and no problems at all.


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Thanks Dave


Will take those points on board and looks like I will have to visit bunnings, dam I loose to much time when I go there.


Also I realize the bracket lifts the dish higher but it is still under the height of the aircon and the koggers I met at Bundaberg had already had the dish fitted and were going to Kedron to have the bracket fitted because the dish was causing a lot of flex in the roof when operating.


Regards Tony


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Just considering the same issues. Another question, the SatKing guy is adamant that the power to the dish must be run directly to the battery. If this is indeed correct, how do you get the cable from the dish to the batteries in the front box?


Any guidance Appreciated


Hugh


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Just considering the same issues. Another question, the SatKing guy is adamant that the power to the dish must be run directly to the battery. If this is indeed correct, how do you get the cable from the dish to the batteries in the front box?

Any guidance Appreciated

Hugh

Has he said why? Maybe he is trying to say not doubled up on your light circuit or something?

The SatKing box pulls about 0.5A, so you shouldn't have any voltage drop issues.

The Sphere satellite box only needs power while it is deploying and closing - once done, it automatically turns itself off, so no power used once deployed. I haven't measured the current while deploying, will do if you need me to.

Who is the "SatKing guy"?

I have the satellite dish box and the SatKing box on the same 12V circuit, which is a subcircuit off the battery.

I put an inline switch on the 12V lead to both boxes so I can isolate the power while travelling so there is no danger of the dish auto deploying, but that's just me.

If you have a 12V circuit handly near where you want to install the boxes, I suggest you use that - the Winegard circuit is more than adequate (that's what I used).

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Satellite guy is Deen, from Access Antennas at Underwood. Dave, did you run a new sub circuit, as I think that is what Deen is suggesting needs to be done. I don't think there is an issue having the dish and the box on the same circuit.


Or is there likely to be an unused circuit available ? I will go through the roof near the TV cabinet ( as in the photos above ) but have no idea how to locate a spare 12v circuit?


Any advice appreciated.


Hugh


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  • 1 month later...

Hi Tony



Thanks for the pics the installation is finished at last and it works.



I extended the base of the dish to pickup three (3) roof beams and fastened it with studserts and swags of sikaflex, ran a conduit from the dish to the roof penetration and sealed with sikaflex.



Taking David’s advice I used an external electrical box at the roof penetration and pumped it and the conduit inlet full of sikaflex ensuring it encapsulated the cables individually as well as together.



I made a shelf tor the Motorsat and now all I need is a Vast HD receiver remote sensor extender, any idea where I can pick on up?



Cheers


Bryan


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Hi Bryan maybe a Little to late but I had one of those remote sencors installed as our vast box in in the cupboard but it failed and now all I have to do is leave the door open .the signal seems to bounce off the ceiling.

I noticed that yours is going in the open shelve ? If that's the case it may well work without the extender

John

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Hi Bryan,

Our SatKing box is mounted in a cupboard over the washing up drain tray. I bought a TV Infared remote target with 3 metre lead from Satplus 7/100 Sugar Road Maroochydore 07 5443 5513 for $24. I stuck it under the cupboard above the washing up draining tray and it works fine from the table, bed and even outside through a window.

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Hi Bryan the one that I had was just siliconed on to to remote light if this makes sense it did work at first as I posted but fell off and work still with the door open . Just trying to save you some money

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Hi Everyone,

We have an Oyster Sat. dish on our van and it is not working at the moment - won't find the satellite (we are on the Eyre Peninsular)

Smartsat WA have advised that it is probably a crook lnb or requires a software update.

Has anyone with an Oyster done either of these, themselves?

I would appeciate any feedback.

Cheers,

Ian

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Hullo Ian

We have an Oyster Smartsat on our ATV. It has worked really well all over Australia; and we have not experienced any problems.

I recommend you give Thomas Kuenzel (National Manager Smartsat) a call on 07 5540 6850 or try www.smartsat.com.au. They were based in 1/14 Hopper Ave, Yatala QLD 4207 when I spoke to them some time ago.

All the best

Peter

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