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Old 06-01-2013, 11:58 AM   #1
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Bat Wing Cable

My TV stopped working from the bat wing. I got on the roof and the cable has degraded and seems split. My question is:

What kind of cable is this? Can I use RG-6 or RG-59 or does it have to be something special to get the 12 volts to the amplifier?
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Old 06-01-2013, 03:12 PM   #2
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Older bat wing antennas used RG-59 and the newer one use RG-6. RG-6 is better but it is larger that the RG-59 and may require new grommets.
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Old 06-01-2013, 04:14 PM   #3
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Use either RG-59 or RG-6. Like grtharris said, the RG-6 is better. Be sure to turn off the amplifier switch for the antenna power before working on it. You could pop the fuse if you don't.
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Old 06-01-2013, 04:59 PM   #4
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bruceh, you will probably find a conection underneath the mounting plate of the batwing. mine was corroded so I cut the end off and put on a new connector. tried pulling on it to see if I could replace the piece going inside, but it would not move. there was plenty to work with under the mounting plate. Good Luck.
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Old 10-20-2013, 07:52 PM   #5
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bruceh, you will probably find a conection underneath the mounting plate of the batwing. mine was corroded so I cut the end off and put on a new connector. tried pulling on it to see if I could replace the piece going inside, but it would not move. there was plenty to work with under the mounting plate. Good Luck.
Sorry to be slow but I am just getting around to this project. It has been a busy summer.

This is good information, thanks! Are there any special tricks to getting the mounting plate off?
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Old 10-20-2013, 09:29 PM   #6
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Sorry to be slow but I am just getting around to this project. It has been a busy summer.

This is good information, thanks! Are there any special tricks to getting the mounting plate off?
bruceh,
I just went through what you're looking at. I had a reception problem, that is, I NEVER got any channels on the over the air system. So, long story short, I did a lot to diagnose the problem. But, to answer your question, no, there really was no special operation to remove the mount plate for the Bat Wing. To relieve the stress on the part while I was working on it, I simply removed all the tilting components and placed them out of the way. That way, the only thing I was involved/in contact with, was the mount plate itself.

It's actually quite simple. You can see how it all comes apart and the quadrant gear too. It's not complicated at all. Then, you scrape all the sealer or use a small wire brush or, pick or whatever works to get all the sealer out of the Phillips heads screws so you can insert a driver or screw driver to remove them.

Once they're all out, it may be like ours and, that is, glued on with silicone sealer/adhesive. If that's the case, you'll need a flexible bladed scraper, about 1.5" wide. I simply forced the scraper under it, a little at a time, moving the scraper from side to side and a tiny bit of prying to easily break the hold of the silicone. Once or twice all the way around that mount plate, and it came up.

Then, I pulled out the junction of the cable and examined it. The fittings were nice and clean and in great shape. I too tried to pull on that cable. if it were loose, I'd have tied on to it, an new section of cable and I'd have replaced it just 'cause I could. But, like another poster told you, it was stuck in there. For some reason, the manufacturer seemed to like to "secure" that cable in that cause-way. Maybe to silence it from bouncing around while in travel, who knows? Anyway, since mine seemed to be in great shape. I left it alone.

Once the mount plate is off, I then used a stiffer scraper to remove all the residual older silicone. I did this until it was perfectly clean. I used some lacquer thinner to clean things up but, alcohol will work just as good. Once it's clean and ready for re-install, I put a new bead of silicone all the way around the base plate, and re-mounted it. Make sure that your cable is well protected and, secured, below that base plate. Once the base plate is well secured with the screws re-inserted, then you can put the tilting mechanism back on. That part is simple.

Now, here's a tip, when it's all said and done, since there's no real "Visual" evidence of 12V presence at the Bat Wing like there is on a Jack (little LED on the underside indicates when 12V are present) then you'll need to verify that there is, in fact, 12V at the Batwing cable entrance. To do this, simply unscrew the cable from the Bat Wing and, with a VOM test across the center conductor and the outer shield (cable housing nut will work). If you don't have 12V present, you've got an issue with the system, especially if you have a switch that turns it on and lights up.

But, if you have 12V at that conductor, you're good to go. From that point on, all that you need to do is make sure your cable(s) are all routed correctly and, your antenna is pointed in a direction to receive any channels. If you need any more info, I'm not an expert by any means, but, I'd be glad to help with what I can.
Scott
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Old 10-21-2013, 06:51 AM   #7
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RG-6 is a lower loss cable. You can probably get by with a short run of RG-59. Check all of the coaxial cable connectors for tightness and the shield is firmly connected to the outside of the plug. A loose connector can inject a lot of noise into the line.

Ken
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Old 10-21-2013, 08:41 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bruceh View Post
Sorry to be slow but I am just getting around to this project. It has been a busy summer.

This is good information, thanks! Are there any special tricks to getting the mounting plate off?
fire up gave very good instructions. just make sure you use the right sealer for your type of roof.
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Old 10-21-2013, 09:46 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bruceh View Post
My TV stopped working from the bat wing. I got on the roof and the cable has degraded and seems split. My question is:

What kind of cable is this? Can I use RG-6 or RG-59 or does it have to be something special to get the 12 volts to the amplifier?
The Answer is "YES" but RG-6 is the much better cable so that is what I'd go with.
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Old 10-21-2013, 10:50 AM   #10
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fire up gave very good instructions. just make sure you use the right sealer for your type of roof.
mikf,
I knew I forgot something. Yes, DO make sure you use the right sealant around the outer rim of the base and the screw heads. I purchased a tube of Dicor self leveling and it now looks better than factory.
Scott
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Old 10-22-2013, 10:19 AM   #11
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mikf,
I knew I forgot something. Yes, DO make sure you use the right sealant around the outer rim of the base and the screw heads. I purchased a tube of Dicor self leveling and it now looks better than factory.
Scott
Thanks so much for your comprehensive and lengthy reply.

What kind of connector did you find under the base plate?

I was going to use RG59 since I only have about 6 feet and the existing wire is RG59 but ended up getting RG6 instead.

I have to replace the rubber boots also and they were a beast to find. Finally got something similar at NAPA.
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Old 10-22-2013, 10:43 AM   #12
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Thanks so much for your comprehensive and lengthy reply.

What kind of connector did you find under the base plate?

I was going to use RG59 since I only have about 6 feet and the existing wire is RG59 but ended up getting RG6 instead.

I have to replace the rubber boots also and they were a beast to find. Finally got something similar at NAPA.

bruceh,
You know Sir, I really don't have any idea what kind of connector was/is there. I'm just not that familiar with cable types. I just know that the one under the base plate was good and tight and, not corroded in any way. I tried like heck to pull on it which, if it would have broken loose, that would have meant I could have pulled new cable through to the base of that antenna mount. Again, not that I needed it, I just would have liked to do it for my own satisfaction. Besides, It would have given me a good excuse to purchase a really nice cable tool. But, it didn't break free so, the original cable is still there and working flawlessly.
Scott
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Old 10-28-2013, 11:25 AM   #13
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UPDATE!!

I finished this yesterday.

The instructions from Scott were right on. I got new rubber boots from NAPA part # 727303. The connector under the base plate showed some corrosion so I hit it with contact cleaner and used very fine sand paper on the inner wire. The base plate connector wasn't really obvious, I had to yank pretty hard to make it accessible.

I wrapped the cable in spiral wrap to protect it from UV and did my satellite dish at the same time.

All working beautifully and finished just in time as it is raining today.
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Old 10-28-2013, 11:46 AM   #14
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UPDATE!!

I finished this yesterday.

The instructions from Scott were right on. I got new rubber boots from NAPA part # 727303. The connector under the base plate showed some corrosion so I hit it with contact cleaner and used very fine sand paper on the inner wire. The base plate connector wasn't really obvious, I had to yank pretty hard to make it accessible.

I wrapped the cable in spiral wrap to protect it from UV and did my satellite dish at the same time.

All working beautifully and finished just in time as it is raining today.
bruceh,
Hey, that's way cool you got it all working. Isn't that great when things go the way they should? Every once in a while, they work like that for me too. Most of the time, when I start on a project, I have to fix six in the middle of the original one I started on. Seems pretty normal for me.
So, glad it's working good for you now. Good luck.
Scott
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