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Topic: Old cell phone antenna removal/ switch to satilite radio receiver (Read 981 times) previous topic - next topic

Old cell phone antenna removal/ switch to satilite radio receiver

I have an old built in cell phone antenna that is in the center front of my roof just before the roof goes flat. I have no idea where the inside cable is but would like to get a satellite radio antenna installed, in that location, if I can find one that has a long enough cable to reach the dash. I have no idea when this cell phone antenna was installed. I am looking to find out how the interior front ceiling panels are removed? Has anyone had an aftermarket satellite radio installed that has an external antenna that protrudes through the roof? Most everything I can find needs the antenna wire ran from the radio out a door to the antenna that is glued to the corner of the front window. Without a front side door I cannot install any of these as the wire cannot go out the slide windows. Any suggestions?
Jim & Ann Chestnut
1994 U300 40'
Have a glorious day!

Re: Old cell phone antenna removal/ switch to satilite radio receiver

Reply #1 –
Jim, Most of those telephone antennas were installed at the factory but were rarely used.You might look under the dash ,behind or under the monitor for a coax cable ,laying loose with a "smaller" than normal coupling .
 Gary O
Gary O
2000 U320 4210

Re: Old cell phone antenna removal/ switch to satilite radio receiver

Reply #2 –
Quote from: jimcnut –
I have an old built in cell phone antenna that is in the center front of my roof just before the roof goes flat. I have no idea where the inside cable is but would like to get a satellite radio antenna installed, in that location, if I can find one that has a long enough cable to reach the dash. I have no idea when this cell phone antenna was installed. I am looking to find out how the interior front ceiling panels are removed?
I use the cell phone antenna connected to a 3 watt amplifier when we are in a weak cell area.
Cell Phone Antennas and Cell Phone Boosters at Wilson Electronics
I Replaced roof cell antenna with dual band antenna 301104 from "Prime Cellular"
our-foretravel - Modifications - dual-band-cell-phone-antenna
The cable from the antenna was coiled under the dash when it came from the factory.

Quote
Has anyone had an aftermarket satellite radio installed that has an external antenna that protrudes through the roof?
I had a sirius radio installed with the external antenna on the roof.
I think they came thru the ceiling behind the TV where it was hidden behind the cabinets and ran it down the inside of windshield.

The selected media item is not currently available.Barry BEAM #16014
2003 U320 40' AGDS
Beamalarm, Foretravel technical help and specifications
"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve"

Re: Old cell phone antenna removal/ switch to satilite radio receiver

Reply #3 –
Jim, I recently added a 3 watt Wilson Cellular amplifier and Wilson trucker ground plane antenna to my U300. I thought the old cellular antenna location would be perfect for my new antenna so I removed the trim and all of the covered screws from the cab headliner to find that there is a fiberglass panel that is part of the upper fiberglass storage area. I could find no way to get access to the underside of the old cellular antenna. I finally gave up and mounted the cellular antenna near the air horn and just drilled a hold through the roof into the passenger side upper storage compartment and ran the antenna wire around to the front passenger side storage compartment. 

If you want to run the antenna wire down to the dash, you will have to feed it behind the fiberglass fascia along the side window, quite a job. If you find a way to access the base of the old cellular roof antenna, please let me know. I would really like to have my antenna mounted in the middle of the roof where tree branches aren't as apt to catch on it.
The selected media item is not currently available.Kent Speers
Locust Grove, OK
1993 U300 SSE 40' (Restored at FOT 2009) Build 4323
720 watts Solar
6V92TA DDEC Silver Engine
2014 Subaru Outback

Re: Old cell phone antenna removal/ switch to satilite radio receiver

Reply #4 –
We mounted our self a XM & GPS antenna on our fiberglass roof. Drilled hole in roof just rear of front cap molding and ran cables down between front windshield panes.
Since we have a fiberglass roof, I think these antennas could work pretty well if mounted somehow just under roof liner with radio signal penetrating through roof fiberglass, if the antennas are not mounted under a metal cross beam.
 

Re: Old cell phone antenna removal/ switch to satilite radio receiver

Reply #5 –
The one on my 93 was an 'NMO' mount. You could switch antennas and the mount stayed the same. I swapped the original analog for the correct band digital. It just screws off. The mount is just a disc with a center contact.
The selected media item is not currently available. Dave Head & Megan Westbrook
Titusville, FL - The Great Outdoors
'98 270 buying this month
Toad is a 2018 F150 XLT