TV antenna crank broke

[Super8mm]

Her in Dalhart. Texas a was going to see if I could get any TV reception and nothing so I rotated it back to the park position an went to call rank it down, well the crank came off in my hand and the big plate and two plastic tubes and a spring hit the floor,

I got a socket on it and thought I could crank it down, nope the antenna just rotates

So how do I get the antenna down?

I am heading to Denver in the morning

Thanks
7

[Super8mm]

I got it, you. Have to slide the tubes back into the hole and rotate them unit you feel them catch, now hold them firm and rotate the shaft to bring the antenna back down,

[Scrapper]

Did the crank break or just came off. There is a set screw in the crank that fits the square stem. It probably vibrated loose so the crank came off. Had it happen to my previous TT.

[Super8mm]

There is about 1 inch still in the crank handle and the rest is sticking down from the ceiling

Guess it is time to see about a upgrade

[waiter21]

If its the standard ole Winegard, don't forget to lube the assembly,

I replaced the coax on my Mirada a couple years ago (it broke) and after I lubed the gearbox and bearings, I was amazed how easy it was to raise/ lower and turn the antenna.

Replace roof top antenna coax cable – 2001 Coachmen Mirada 300QB

Theres also a link to the Winegard manual at the bottom of the article...

[rvrobocop]

On a recent 3 week trip the set screw backed off while on the road at 60 mph and when I heard the banging of something hitting the table and then all the insulation stuffing was flying everywhere, it was weird. No idea what had happened. Put it back together. All good. My crank finally stopped working on the ROO I had 5 years and the set screw had mashed down the crank post to such an unusable state it was worthless. Never thought about lubing the gears. Do so on the MH once a year and never an issue.

[litgrep]

If all else fails go to the roof. Make sure antenna is aligned to its down resting slot. Pry the plastic seal out and pull the worm gear out. It should pop out as you push the antenna down with no handle on. I'm assuming it's a Wineguard antenna.

[itat]

I'm assuming you have the Winegard Sensar (aka "batwing") antenna. If the metal shaft broke, you'll need to replace it. You should be able to buy new parts.

Order Winegard Sensar Parts

Here is a good video showing how to maintain the Winegard Sensar antenna. He takes it apart starting at 2:21 so you can see the shaft that turns to elevate the antenna.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KATPS5bU0nY

Be careful not to drop the "e-clip" because if you do, chances are it will roll off the roof and you won't be able to find it on the ground (this happened to me the first time I did this maintenance).

[Super8mm]

Thanks for the info guys

Yes it is a batwing, I will work on when I get home next.

Is there a better antenna that is worth upgrading to while I am at it?

[Volvodriver]

Yes. Look at the Kings. Different styles for you to choose from. Winegard crank system is crap IMO. Don't ask me why I say this.

Dave

[itat]

Originally Posted by Super8mm

Thanks for the info guys

Yes it is a batwing, I will work on when I get home next.

Is there a better antenna that is worth upgrading to while I am at it?

The easiest and least expensive upgrade you can do is to add Winegard's Wingman attachment if you don't have one already. They do increase the number of stations you'll get. Switching to another brand will be a fair bit of work.

I added the Wingman and also bring a satellite dish and tripod for when we are staying for longer periods.

I don't have any experience with other brands so I can't offer a comparison but adding the Wingman usually gives me twice as many stations. Why is it that you can always get the shopping channels?!

[litgrep]

I've also added the Wingman and get more channels more easily. I've only had the Wineguard system. I'm surprised you said the shaft broke since it is aluminum and the crank base is plastic. I've seen the handles strip out on my son's unit when it was badly aligned. When all in line and lubed with silicone grease I find it very reliable and easy to use.

[Dano1955]

Originally Posted by Volvodriver

Yes. Look at the Kings. Different styles for you to choose from. Winegard crank system is crap IMO. Don't ask me why I say this.

Dave

The king AO 8000 jack antenna replacement is a direct bolt on replacement to the winegard batwing. Much better antenna IMO. Of course if the problem is the crank and/or mount you'd have to fix that first.

https://www.amazon.com/KING-OA8000-R...ack+rv+antenna

[Super8mm]

Originally Posted by litgrep

I've also added the Wingman and get more channels more easily. I've only had the Wineguard system. I'm surprised you said the shaft broke since it is aluminum and the crank base is plastic. I've seen the handles strip out on my son's unit when it was badly aligned. When all in line and lubed with silicone grease I find it very reliable and easy to use.

Where it broke it looks likes like someone tried to cut it with side cutters and made deep intentions

I do like the idea of not having to crank it up and down. I am only 5'9" ant I have to stand on tip toes to reach it

[pmsherman]

I had the crank fall off at least half a dozen times before I gave up and put a permanent fix in it. I used a drill bit that just fit in the setscrew hole and used the hole and drill bit to mark the location on the square shaft where the setscrew hit. After removing the crank, I enlarged the hole with a larger drill bit, making a small well for the tip of the setscrew to fit into. Now when I tighten the setscrew, it's embedded into the shaft and holds a lot better.

Phil

[Super8mm]

Thanks Phil but the shaft broke about one inch above the crank :.(

[itat]

I saw the shaft part at a couple local RV dealers yesterday. It's called a worm gear. They were selling it for CAD$26.99. I looked on Amazon.com and found a couple different part numbers - one was 12.25" long, the other 14" long - both for well under US$15. So you'll need to verify the part number you need.

[rjshiflet]

Originally Posted by Super8mm

I got it, you. Have to slide the tubes back into the hole and rotate them unit you feel them catch, now hold them firm and rotate the shaft to bring the antenna back down,

Been there, done that. It's tedious, but you can get it put back together in time. Happened once only - now we've got the KING Jack and I don't have to worry about cranking up and down, just an easy rotate and watch the signal meter.

[Wolverine 1945]

Ours fell apart last year,,, took some experimenting to get it back together right !!!
First time I put it back together it was pointing the wrong way !!!