Disconnect Power from Winegard

[jpzlaw]

I’ve determined, in my 2023 Tellaro L, that I’ll not be using the Winegard, which has no switch, and which draws a bit of current all the time. I’m thinking I’ll go up on the roof, open it up and cut or disconnect the power lead. I can always reconnect it. Apparently the fuse (if I could find it) also powers the CO detector so that’s not a great solution.

Has anyone done this? If so, how did you open it up to gain access to the power lead?

[MCP]

Check this thread and the last few replies.

Winegard - Tellaro 20L
https://www.thorforums.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=32297

[Chateau_Nomad]

Not familiar with the Tellaro, but Thor often uses a combo outlet with a TINY button on one side. In class C coaches it's usually in an overhead storage compartment where TV power plugs in.

I swore ours didn't have one, but when I got a flashlight and step stool - I found that TINY unmarked button!

[MCP]

The Tellaro (at least mine) comes with the typical wall plate with cable connection (to tv) and the on/off button. It is a power supply for the amplified over the air antenna portion of the Winegard. However it is not a switch for the Wi-Fi. The button simply switches between over the air tv signal (amplified) and cable. The back side of the plate is typically a splitter, capable of feeding a second tv.

[Jimbo56]

I think he’s asking about the wifi booster. Mine is a wifi ranger sky4. It has no on/off switch. It ends up being a little blue light at night scanning for aliens.

[jpzlaw]

Thanks, guys! Yes, the booster is the issue. I did turn off the power for the over air antenna and I’m tryin to turn the entire Winegard off as I’m good with just my hotspot. Sounds simple in that thread - possibly a bit drastic, but completely reversible.

I’ll go up on the roof this weekend. Glad I asked tho, as I don’t have a set of Torx bits.

[Siriusblue]

I use my Winegard, but any time I change power source (battery/shore/generator), the converter kicks it off-line, and it needs to be reset. As noted, there’s no power switch, so it’s a royal PITA to turn everything off and switch off the master. On the Scope 18M, it’s wired to the left side of the coach. I started just pulling the fuse and putting it back to reset it, but later I added a toggle switch w/ a blue LED in the bench wall behind the driver’s seat. Now I just flip the switch off for 10 seconds then back on, and it resets. Also have a nice, small night light that’s not intrusive while sleeping. Could be an option if you just wanted to leave it off when the coach is not in use, but not a great solution if you want to use the lights or whatever else is on that circuit.

[jpzlaw]

I think at this point I’m clear that I won’t be using the Winegard, but I will be using the lights! So… I’m headed up to the roof shortly.

Thanks, again… Joe

[AZSteveTenSeven]

I disconnected mine a few months ago. Four screws holding the cover. Easy to disconnect the hot lead. I left everything so it could be reconnected, just used heat shrink tube to avoid a short. Took all of 10 minutes.

[Chateau_Nomad]

Weird how Thor wires things differently. My neighbor actually notice my "little blue light" from about 75 yards away (yeah... his job requires noticing things, and he doesn't miss much!). The small button on our coax panel indeed turned the entire Winegard off. No blue light, and it stopped broadcasting it's SSID.

[Jimbo56]

Originally Posted by Chateau_Nomad

Weird how Thor wires things differently. My neighbor actually notice my "little blue light" from about 75 yards away (yeah... his job requires noticing things, and he doesn't miss much!). The small button on our coax panel indeed turned the entire Winegard off. No blue light, and it stopped broadcasting it's SSID.

Coax panel? Where is that located? What does it look like? For the wifi booster?

[RizeMaster]

Originally Posted by Jimbo56

Coax panel? Where is that located? What does it look like? For the wifi booster?

Obviously different for each camper model - in my case, it's in the cabinet above the stove top, next to where the Microwave plugs into an outlet, across from the inverter switch.


It has a button which, when pushed in, connects the coax and indicates that via a little green LED. It turns off the panel when the little button is out, but it does not do anything to the Winegard power.

[djkeefe922]

I disconnected the power from my Winegard today. Just went up to the roof and removed the 4 screws that hold the dome on the unit using a Torx T20 bit. Once I lifted the dome off I was surprised how little there is in there. Just a few circuit boards.

Disconnecting was simple. The positive and negative wires are inserted in a small green terminal with little white levers on top. Just lift the levers up and the wires come out. I used a little electrical tape on each one and used black and red Sharpies to identify the original location of each wire.

I would have used a wire cap on both but they have a small bit of flat copper on the end and I didn’t want to mess it up.

https://www.thorforums.com/forums/me...albums451.html

[RizeMaster]

Welcome to the Club!

Thank you for thoroughly documenting with images and all.

The only time I miss that thing is when I need wifi to program the BMPro tablet. However, pulling that out and carrying it into the house is easy enough.

[dswaf]

...you can also disconnect the power to the WiFi by removing the wire nuts and isolating the wires w/tape/shrink tube etc and re-caulking...didn’t have my torx...but had everything else...