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Power Light while on DC power

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Forum Name: I need HELP!!!
Forum Discription: Perplexed/need help with a problem - ask here
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13889
Printed Date: 28 Apr 2024 at 1:25am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.64 - http://www.webwizforums.com


Topic: Power Light while on DC power
Posted By: DSBryant
Subject: Power Light while on DC power
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 12:13pm
Just bought a new 2020 rPod 196.   While the trailer was connected to DC only, we noticed on the roof of the camper is a device with two antenna coming out of it - facing backwards.  I assume it is for our TV over-the-air reception?  It has a small red LED light indicating it is powered on.  

Any time I see a light like that, it indicates that some device is active and is potentially drawing power from my batteries.  I'd like to see if there's a way to turn off that antenna device completely and any associated power drain it might be responsible for.  

Any ideas?

Thanks






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DSBryant



Replies:
Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 12:53pm
On my 195, it is on when the antennea booster is turned on. If you look behind your t.v., you will probably see a small red light. That is the booster. Push the tiny button beside it and the red light should go out. The outside roof light should now be off also. 

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2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195
2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
I'll be rpodding


Posted By: DSBryant
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 4:18pm
mjirpod - spot on!  It's a very small pushbutton that during the initial walkthrough, the salesman probably pointed out, but with so many other things to point out . . . it got lost in the shuffle.

It probably would place a very minimal drain on my batteries, but watt the heck, I'm currently very amped up that I can turn it off and not worry about it.  Big smile

Thanks


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DSBryant


Posted By: Buffalohunter
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 5:58pm
Dsbryant interesting observation as I too have the little red light on the tv booster on the roof of my pod...a 2020 189. Mjlrpod’s solution sounds so easy for your pod and I do hope it works. Maybe with the 189 they built in frustration as I have no little red light or little switch anywhere that I can find that would do the trick. All the wires from my tv run up and disappear in a ceiling mounted box of mystery. Like you say probably not drawing a whole lot of power. Still it bugs me to see the light and not be able to turn it off. Did you turn yours off...I hope you did...still worrying about it here

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R-pod-2020 189
2013 Toyota Tacoma


Posted By: DSBryant
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 8:26pm
buffalohunter - I verified that toggling that tiny little button "Off" certainly did turn off the antenna booster on the roof. 
The button is integrated into a cover plate roughly the size of a standard household outlet cover.  It has a bright red LED that indicates the booster is on.  Right next to the bright LED is the aforementioned push button.  Toggle it off, and the booster on the roof and the LED goes out.  
Photo might help a bit.  
If yours disappears into the ceiling . . .  then I wouldn't have any suggestions, as I definitely am a noob to the RV thing.  


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DSBryant


Posted By: tcj
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2020 at 9:33pm
Originally posted by Buffalohunter

Dsbryant interesting observation as I too have the little red light on the tv booster on the roof of my pod...a 2020 189. Mjlrpod’s solution sounds so easy for your pod and I do hope it works. Maybe with the 189 they built in frustration as I have no little red light or little switch anywhere that I can find that would do the trick. All the wires from my tv run up and disappear in a ceiling mounted box of mystery. Like you say probably not drawing a whole lot of power. Still it bugs me to see the light and not be able to turn it off. Did you turn yours off...I hope you did...still worrying about it here


Buffalo, my Rpod is a 2018 180.  I have the same situation with wires disappearing into a box of mystery.  I did find the push on/off button on the face plate that turns on the red light on the face plate but it does not turn off the red light on the roof antenna when in the off position.

I took the face plate off to see what's in that mystery box...see photos.  The only way I could get the roof light to turn off was to disconnect the gray coax cable inside the mystery box.  I connected the gray coax to the third unused coax fitting in the photo and the roof light would not turn on with the push button in the on position.  I am thinking about putting a on/off switch on the outside of the mystery box to turn off the power to the face plate switch.  I suspect it is the red/black pair.  I'll have to do some wire tracing and disconnect the battery before I cut them to install a switch though.

Wires disappearing into the mystery box.  Push switch in off position.

Push switch in the on position.

Back of face plate.  Red coax is attached to "Satellite" fitting on face plate.  Black and gray coaxes attached to circuit board on "TV" coax fitting.

Gray coax disconnected turns off the red light on the roof antenna.



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2018 R-pod 180 Hood River Edition


Posted By: Buffalohunter
Date Posted: 11 Aug 2020 at 6:54pm
Thanks for the great pictures and information. The 189 is a different animal in that the cable leaves the tv and disappears into a utility box mounted just above the set and attached to the ceiling. I do have the satellite/tv switch plate. However it is located over the bed in the forward area. The tv is aft as you first walk in the door. There is no tv in the forward bed area...nothing hooked up the that switch plate. If I push that button the light comes on and off but does not affect the tv booster box on the roof. The  utility box or mystery box above the tv by the door has other connections...solar/battery monitor, switch plate for the slide/awning/porch/interior lights and the furrion radio/ speaker selection switch. It is closed off, no access plate...just a hole in the bottom where the cable and the red/yellow/white input connections for the tv. I would send a picture but I don’t know how to size it down. Fortunately I have solar panels to keep the batteries charged. So that is my situation. The booster box is always on and probably will be until I tear into this mystery box to get to...the rest of the story. Thanks for all you suggestions...maybe another 189er will read this and offer something up.

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R-pod-2020 189
2013 Toyota Tacoma


Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 12 Aug 2020 at 9:07am
Just looking at the absolutely crappy crimp job they did, and the stuff all over the circuit board, there's alot of opportunity for things to be messed up. Something is possibly disabling the switch, and keeping current supplying the booster. I would say, turn on the t.v. and get a channel that works on. Then turn off the booster button. The t.v. should lose the picture when it's off. If it keeps playing, your switch is not working for some reason. 

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2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195
2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
I'll be rpodding


Posted By: tcj
Date Posted: 12 Aug 2020 at 12:32pm
Hey mjlrpod, that is a good suggestion, thanks.  I went out and did the test.  The TV gets good reception with the booster switch on but lost the picture with the switch off.  So, the switch is working.

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2018 R-pod 180 Hood River Edition


Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 12 Aug 2020 at 12:47pm
Maybe on your model, the light should stay on? Can't really think of anything else. 



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2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195
2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
I'll be rpodding


Posted By: Buffalohunter
Date Posted: 12 Aug 2020 at 3:44pm
Mjlrpod...you got it right thanks mucho...I pulled the plate from the wall then did as you said. The little red light goes off and on but the tv stays the same...no effect on the channel. Then I removed the grey cable and no tv action no channel and the red light on the booster was out. So the cable for the tv runs in the overhead across the bathroom to the front bed wall area. At least I solved that problem. So now I need to replace satellite/tv switch. Any thoughts...thanks so much for the help👍👍

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R-pod-2020 189
2013 Toyota Tacoma


Posted By: Buffalohunter
Date Posted: 12 Aug 2020 at 7:16pm
So it’s a winegard 7542...somewhere around $30...still searching for a cheaper price, but is it really worth it in the long run? This is a 2020 and they couldn’t even put in a switch that works...at least for 2 years?  Should have bought the extended warranty? Sold used...only 2 weeks off the lot then returned for a larger unit. Oh well the pod still serves its purpose and is fun. For now the light is out.

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R-pod-2020 189
2013 Toyota Tacoma


Posted By: BMJ
Date Posted: 31 Oct 2020 at 10:18am
Not sure why I have a battery drain with everything off...I just put main battery cut off... any other insights most appreciated


Posted By: JR
Date Posted: 31 Oct 2020 at 10:55am
There are many things that have a parasitic draw like: the CO2 alarm, the antenna booster (if not turned off), the tank level indicators, the radio, and tv. Also the brake break away switch if it tripped will drain the battery quickly.  Your newly installed main battery cut off will shut all these down if you installed it up front by the battery (ies).

Hope this helps.


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Jay

179/2019


Posted By: BMJ
Date Posted: 31 Oct 2020 at 11:20am
Thanks.. put a disconnect switch on the negative battery terminal. Didn’t even think of the other transient pulls mentioned...thanks!


Posted By: JR
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2020 at 7:17am
I would put it on the positive side of the battery and remember to get a switch large enough to handle the amperage you are using (minimum would be 30 amps).

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Jay

179/2019


Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2020 at 7:37am
On RVs I use the negative. On motorized vehicles I will use either, the Old NHRA rules said it had to be on positive side. Half a dozen of one and 6 of the other.

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Mike Carter
2015 178
" I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."


Posted By: BMJ
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2020 at 8:12am
Thanks!


Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2020 at 9:20am
No, disconnects, fuses, and circuit breakers should always go on the ungrounded conductors of any electrical system, never on the neutral (grounded) conductors. For 12Vdc systems that means the positive conductor get the fuses and disconnects. That is an National Electric Code requirement, which does apply to RVs. The reason is that if you disconnect the negative at the battery the whole negative side of the 12v circuit can be hot afterwards. Basically, you should wire up 12Vac systems just as you would a 120Vac system.

I think the confusion comes from the recommendation to disconnect the negative first when replacing or otherwise maintaining a battery. That is not inconsistent, once you lift the battery negative conductor you should also remove the positive.

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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold


Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2020 at 10:18am
Thanks OG, I'm happy the way I do things. The NEC is a fine "code", very iffy on RVs and jurisdiction is the responsibility of local authority, who can change or delete NEC guidelines. Basically I put the disconnect where it is most convenient and I don't have a preference.

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Mike Carter
2015 178
" I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."


Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2020 at 11:19am
There is logic behind the rules in the NEC. Lots of smart people from many professions have collaborated to develop it over many many years, and it has avoided countless fires and saved countless lives. You can do whatever you want of course but just know that in doing so you are assuming you know better than all those experts. 

In this case the logic is that by placing all disconnects, switches, fuses, and circuit breakers in the ungrounded (positive) conductor you can count on the circuits being dead when those devices are open. If you put some disconnects one line and some in the other it is very easy to inadvertently get current flow when you don't expect it.

There is nothing "iffy" about the applicability of the NEC to RV's because of jurisdictional differences. The Code gets updated every 3 years and then has to be adopted by each authority having jurisdiction. So you can find one AHJ on one cycle and another on a newer one. 

But, keeping the neutral connected and grounded and switching the hot conductor has been in the Code from before anyone on this forum was born, it is fundamental to electrical safety strategy in North America. The only exceptions are some industrial applications where the equipment won't work properly unless its on a floating circuit, and then there has to be special ground fault detection equipment in place. So, no matter what jurisdiction you are in and what code cycle you are on, you are non compliant if you are switching the grounded (negative) conductor. 


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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold



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