Status 550 Digital Antenna System

[Gabsgrandad]

Anyone any experience of separating the top from the bottom of the dome. Have had an intermittent fault on tv, traced it to the coax connection to the antenna in the dome. Taken the antenna off the roof to remake the connection, but can't see a way of separating the top from the bottom of the dome to facilitate repair. The only method I can see is 'brute' force to separate them. But don't want to use that, only as last resort. Anyone had experience of working on one of these and separating the dome. (Have contacted Vision Plus - manufacturers, but don't know if they'll get back to me. Have informed them the van is only 18 months old. -warranty- I think. But away again next week so want it repaired for then) Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Danddandy]

Yes, I tried. . Brute force. . Leather work gloves. ... safety glasses.. big screw drivers. I think the assembly adhesive is stronger than the product. . Once I had it apart, there was no way it would ever go back together.
I bought a replacement. Then I realised it was covered by a 2 year warranty. So check the caravan and or Status warranty.

 

[brian_c]

I'm not going to be of any real help to you here but I believe these are an item that once assembled that is it!

I'm sure that if the manufacturers was asked to carry out repairs under warranty they would just swap the suspect one for a new replacement. Unless of cause they have some magic gizmo that seperates the halves.

My recent experience is with one fitted to a van of Fifteen years old, the thing couldn't pick up a signal at all and on investigation I could see that the cable had previously been bodge repaired about two inches from where it enters the device.
Leaving me nothing to work with. After trying everything I could think of to seperate the two halves I got out the Aldi version of the dremel tool with a cutting disc and went around the seam to get it apart.

I then soldered a new length of coaxial cable to the terminals and stuck the two halves back together with Araldite finally when set I went around the joint with white shower/bathroom silicone sealer. It was with no great confidence I then replaced it on the caravan. Well I must say it works a treat now and the repair from ground level is virtually invisible (well from a quick glance at least)
I'm sure though your best bet is to exhaust the warranty route due to yours being still virtually new. I hope you soon get sorted.
Best regards Brian

 

[SheffSean]

What about using a junior hacksaw, they've got fine teeth which will make a less raggedy cut, and then you could glue the two halves back together with transparent gorilla super glue leaving a near invisible joint.

Sean.

 

[Woodentop]

Just a minor point: there ain't no such thing as a DIGITAL aerial. An aerial is a signal collecting device; digital is how that signal carries the information that your TV decodes and displays.

The one difference is that DTTV needs a good quality of signal as well. You can have 40% or less signal level (whatever that is) and 100% quality and have a perfect picture, but 100% signal and 40% quality may have problems. Quality on an analogue TV may have shown up as lines of white speckles or a ghost both of which can destroy a digital signal.

 

[Sproket]

Looks like a tin opener is required ......

 

[Gabsgrandad]

Thanks for that Sproket, guessed that, but hadn't been able to find anything from web to establish for certain. Will try tomorrow to see what suppliers are prepared to do with it. Can't 'tin opener it ''til then. From the internals picture on the site you found won't take much repairing once I got into it.

Ps Used the full title of it - ie - Status 550 Digital Antenna System, cos that's what's on the 'box', and folks would know what I was talking about!

 

[Woodentop]

Thanks for that Sproket, guessed that, but hadn't been able to find anything from web to establish for certain. Will try tomorrow to see what suppliers are prepared to do with it. Can't 'tin opener it ''til then. From the internals picture on the site you found won't take much repairing once I got into it.

Ps Used the full title of it - ie - Status 550 Digital Antenna System, cos that's what's on the 'box', and folks would know what I was talking about!

Clearly VisionPlus who now own/make Status do not. Makes you wonder, don't it?

 

[Gabsgrandad]

What Superb Service from Vision Plus. contacted them by phone last Wednesday am. Talked to a chap (I think called Clint Thompson in customer service) talked through our problem with him, he said probably not the reason as he had only had one fail in that way in the past. Anyway parcel it up and we'll send a courier round after lunch. We were going out so made the arrangement for Thursday am. Courier duly arrived and took it. Friday pm. a phone call tells me they had checked it on the bench and couldn't fault it. (Surprise from me!) However for peace of mind we'll slip you a new one back. this duly arrived Monday lunchtime. Just going out to fit it. So from me to VisionPlus a great big thankyou for such brilliant service. Ps as I explained to them as it came with a new van, no documentation, wasn't registered etc. - no problem still got the service. So if your correct name who I dealt with was Clint Thompson - thank you, couldn't have talked or dealt with anyone better.