While chasing down the dc voltage drop I noticed the green amplifier "on" light flicker when I moved the Wineguard amp. It appears when being soldered, the solderer!! did a lousy job at the Wineguard factory. It really would not have been nice while away to have an intermittant fault. I removed the amp and did the job properly.
What you have there is the power injector, it's job is two fold!
1/ It's main job is to inject your house battery voltage ( 12 Volts ) in to the coax cable that runs up to your wineguard antenna, THIS is were the amplifier lives, inside the white plastic cover the metal work that is the antenna it's self. The amplifier is also know to fail also after a few years, ingest of water, dust and heat cause all type of problems.
2/ the second job the injector does is that it is also a two way splitter so as you can have a second television in/outside of your caravan.
Great that you found your problem and have rectified it. It's not uncommon nowerdays to find shoody workmanship in just about any thing
What you have there is the power injector, it's job is two fold!
1/ It's main job is to inject your house battery voltage ( 12 Volts ) in to the coax cable that runs up to your wineguard antenna, THIS is were the amplifier lives, inside the white plastic cover the metal work that is the antenna it's self. The amplifier is also know to fail also after a few years, ingest of water, dust and heat cause all type of problems.
2/ the second job the injector does is that it is also a two way splitter so as you can have a second television in/outside of your caravan.
Great that you found your problem and have rectified it. It's not uncommon nowerdays to find shoody workmanship in just about any thing
Thanks Stephen, I did not know how it really worked, now I do. Eventually we will go the VAST system.
Dougwe wrote:I am also not a very good solderer, bugga.
A mate gave my a soldering tip a few years ago that's been invaluable so I'll pass it on.....
Even though you are probably using Fluxless (Pre Fluxed solder) if you use it with Flux it will improve your soldering immemsly.....
Tinning the Iron, Heat the Iron, quickly dip the tip in Flux, then tin the tip with a bit of Fluxless solder, just watch it flow onto the tip. Then shake off the excess.
Tinning wires, heat the wire on the iron tip for about 10 - 20 seconds, quickly dip the wire in flux, then reheat the wire on the tip of the iron and add a bit of solder, just watch it flow onto the wire.
Tinning a metal plate/connection, heat the plate with the iron tip for about 30 - 60 seconds by moving the tip backwards & forwards where you need it tinned. Dip a clean small flat blade screwdriver into the Flux to pick up a small amount, then brush it onto the area to be tinned, re-apply the heat with the iron tip & add a bit of solder and allow it to pool.
Then to add the tinned wire to the tinned plate, just lay the tinned wire accross the tinned plate & press the tip of the iron onto the wire and it will do its magic.
Try it, you'll be amazed. A small jar of Flux costs about $12 from a hardware (I use LA-CO Regular Soldering Flux Paste) and just about lasts forever, best investment for soldering, turns crappy solderer's into experts!.
After you can do the basics you'll no longer use crappy crimped terminals & solder all your terminals instead.
Hope this helps
Regards Steve
__________________
Steve, Di & Ziggy We named our Motorhome "Roadworx" because on the road works "On The Road Again" Ford Transit with 302 Windsor V8 conversion, C4 Auto, 9 Inch Ford Diff All Lighting L.E.D., 260 Amp/h AGM, 530 Watt Solar + Kipor Backup Gen.
For electrical and electronics soldering I'd use resin flux (rosin flux) because it is much less reactive than other fluxes (considered inert at room temps). Never use corrosive plumbers fluxes on that type of gear either, as they will corrode the equipment over time.
As for heating and applying solder:
Use an iron that is a suitable size to be able to apply the heat quickly without being too big. Only practice will tell you which to use. The temperature should be set so that when you push solder onto the tip it melts almost instantaneously, and you feel almost no resistance to the solder pushing against the tip. If it's too hot you'll cause the solder to degrade.
apply a small amount of resin flux to the joint to be soldered, and apply the face of the iron to the joint. Make a heat bridge between the wire and the iron with a small amount of solder and allow the joint to heat for about 3 or 4 seconds then "paint" the solder onto the joint. If you have the iron size and heat right, it should start flowing into the joint as you paint it on.
Apply just enough solder to wick into the joint and coat it all around, but still be able to see the form of the wire beneath the solder.
While soldering wires to splice them together makes a good electrical connection, crimping with the proper tools and terminals is a preferred method of splicing in vibration affected areas due to the superior mechanical properties of the joint. That is the reason 99.9% of electrical terminations in aircraft are crimped and not soldered.
__________________
Yes I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial.
I removed the amp and did the job properly.
Eventually we will go the VAST system.
