Status 530 aerial

Feb 28, 2009
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Just noticed that the aerial on our new van is no longer fitted with telescopic aerials.

Does this mean that I wont be entertained in the future by vanners risking life and limb trying to extend them only to go vertically aligned later on and bend them! The instruction booklet clearly stated that they were for use abroad (was it France....cant remember).

Also why do so many people have them facing the wrong way when travelling ie. point towards the front. Its in the instructions.
 
Jan 8, 2006
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I was told that these telesopic things were only for radio. Now for your next question, you will laugh at this a friend of mine thought that it should point to the rear of the towing vehical, it does say in the instruction book to be pointed to the rear of the vehical when towing. J.Lo
 

JTQ

May 7, 2005
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I was told that these telesopic things were only for radio. Now for your next question, you will laugh at this a friend of mine thought that it should point to the rear of the towing vehical, it does say in the instruction book to be pointed to the rear of the vehical when towing. J.Lo
I must have met your friend because I got the same response when commenting; surely there is not another one interpreting the instructions the same way??
 
Mar 17, 2007
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Never had any instructions with mine. Do you mean that, when towing, the pointy bit should be facing the rear of the caravan ??
 
Feb 28, 2009
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Hi Rod,

Yes, the point faces the back of the VAN.

This is because if it is the other way around the air makes it acts like a wing forcing the aerial up and putting a bending moment on the shaft and distortong the seal.

When it is around the other way, the rounded end creates a 'bow wave' which deflects the air stopping the lifting / bending effect.

A lot of people seem to get it wrong, I guess they believe it is more streamlined point first.

It can be missleading as the red dot denotes the front of the aerial, therefore they automatically face the dot towards the front of the van.

Its in the instructions if you have them

Jim
 
Aug 17, 2007
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I met a chap last week that actually took a small set of aluminum steps with him so that he could pull out the telescopic chrome rods on his aerial as it improved the FM radio reception.

I explained that they were for VHF TV reception and not radio but he was convinced.

We then had a lot at his radio which was only connected to one aerial - a small purpose built telescopic, 12V powered, one on the side of the van.

I always tow with the pointed end of the aerial to the back but I have never seen it in print.

Bill
 
Nov 1, 2005
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it does indeed say in the instructions to travel with the antenna pointing to the rear of the vehicle "to prevent damage".

im not convinced that the theory of it replicating a wing is sound though, since its more like a wing when pointed to the rear.

i reckon its simply to eliminate the possibilty of the antenna overhanging the van and getting torn off.
 
Mar 10, 2006
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So yet another advance in the aeriel department?

Forget to travel with the thing correctly positioned, and risk water ingress via damaged seals.

Another example of rubbish being fitted.

That can be added to the cheap and nasy installed TV.

So what other improvements do i have to look forward to in a new van.

1/ cracked ABS panels

2/ Failing charger units.

3/ Failing fridge 240v elements

And so the list continues.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Quite right it does not resemble a wing at all, a wing is concaved on the underside and convexed on the top, it's this shape that creates the pressure differential required to cause lift, the 530 is convexed top and bottom.

I think the point is, facing forward the 530 presents a more streamlined shape to the wind and who knows what uneven forces this will exert on the mountings? putting the blunt end into the wind will create far more turbulence and ultimately have less effect on the mountings
 

JTQ

May 7, 2005
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Many aerofoils are convexed on both top and bottom surface, but the issue here is that the lift, positive or negative of an aerofoil at any shallow incidence angle acts at about one third from the leading edge.

Thus with the aerial turned so the longer bit faces aft then the lift forces such as they might be with air flow and turbulence will act very close to onto the fixing point. The other way round there would be quite a bit more bending on the fixing point to the tube.

I think that is the logic behind having it pointing aft.
 
Sep 13, 2006
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When we bought our van we were told to travel with it pointing forwards, I decided to have it pointing backwards simply because it less likely to snag branches or low cables this way.

This is not unlikely - when I worked for BT a female installer was killed because a passing vehicle snagged a cable on the pole she was working on, hence my caution.

Our red spot fell off almost straight away, luckily on ours facing the allen screw in the pole in towards the centre of the van aligns the aerial pointing rearward.

If you really do need to extend the telescopic bits a small awning pole piece will do it quite easily without using a step.
 
Mar 17, 2007
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I have always kept my ariel with the point facing the front of the van, as I never had any instructions with my retrofitted 530. Now that I know better, it is turned the other way. However, I would have thought that the pole/roof seal is in more danger of being damaged when the ariel is being used on site, fully extended, in a gale - as mine has been more than once.( I have the taller 920 version, so it is quite high) If the manufacturer has built in enough tolerence for those sort of conditions, I doubt that any damage would occur when it in the rested position
 
Dec 30, 2009
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My instructions said travel with the red dot facing foward funny enough the aerial faces forward as well, same on the last van and never had a problem.

Just check the Sterling hand book and it states nothing about the correct way around for the antenna, my old Abbey book stated as above. Just checked the green Status panflet and it states.

"When travelling adjust the antenna so that the red spot on the bottem of the mast points to the rear of the vehicle to reduce the possibility of damage when travelling

The red dot on the bottem of the mast indicates the front of the antenna."

I for one have been travelling for 3 years with the aerial pointing the wrong way.

Kevin
 

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