AM-FM Radio Roof Antenna for 2008 FunFinderX189FBS

chama60 · 06-22-2011, 03:22 PM

The rubber plastic am-fm radio antenna on my 2008 FunFinderX189FBS cracked and broke off. The base remained srewed on. I have tried to find a replacement with no luck. I contacted Cruiser RV who referred me to the dealer who referred me to back to Cruiser.....etc...etc. I tried Radio Shack with no luck. Any ideas out there?. It is a basic little stubby black plastic antenna that screws on to the rooftop base. Simple but no one seems to know where I can find a replacement.

Many thanks,

Mike

**LJAZ** · 06-22-2011, 03:27 PM

Have you tried auto parts supply houses, something like JC Whitney. Or maybe a car audio outfit. That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

webslave · 06-22-2011, 05:48 PM

Those antennas are actually fairly common in the boating scene and the serious off-road group. Commonly called a "rubber duck" antenna (from my old boating days).

Amazon actually sells the same one that is on the top of my 210WBS. Not sure what was originally on yours, but, here's their link:

Rubber AM/FM antenna as on the '08 210WBS

You can do a search on Amazon, or, take the stub of your broken one to a boat dealer or off-road specialty shop and they should be able to get a match or suitable substitute for you.

Dooley · 07-11-2011, 07:20 PM

I bought mine at advanced auto parts. Looked the exact same

fischnet · 09-11-2011, 06:14 PM

Webslave, I saw this thread and it seems that, like everyone else, Cruiser keeps changing what they are using for antennas. The junk on our new 214 has really poor reception sitting in our driveway, both radio and TV, although radio is worst. Instead of the 'universal' digital saucer disc we have, the Trailmanor we traded had a crank up Winegard for TV and a radio receiver very similar to this:

http://www.amazon.com/Boom-TM-Audio-...785390&sr=1-23.

It was mounted on a back side near roofline and had a little LED that indicated the amplifier was running. As lone as the amplifier was on, we got reception almost anywhere there was a signal available. I may need to contact Trailmanor and find out just what they use! I'm wondering about adding one of these but am not too sure how I'd make the runs for the wires!

webslave · 09-12-2011, 03:43 PM

Some friends of ours have a new (2011) FunFinder with the "new and improved" solid state antenna like yours... I don't like it, he doesn't like it and my crank up gets much better reception, especially since I changed my Winegard wings for the Jack Off Air antenna.

I don't know how difficult it would be to "change over" to a crankup Winegard style. I don't imagine it would be that difficult as the solid state saucer that they are using still has to have 12volts for its amplifier and the signal cable for the television, so, the "stuff" is actually already there. You would have the crank sticking through the ceiling wherever the old unit is mounted if you went that route. If you wanted to move the entire roof footprint of the antenna, then, as you noted, you would need to route cable (the Winegard sends the 12 volt over the signal cable; no seperate 12 volts to the actual antenna and I suspect the saucer operates the same, i.e., 12 volts for the amplifier goes over the signal cable). The amplifier wall plate would go where your current wall plate (at the television) is located... It could be done

The FM antenna would present its own cabling problems...its cable, if done with white, could be routed around the perimeter of the ceiling and would be less noticeable and much easier than trying to route inside the ceiling with its insulation and bracing.

Since I don't have one, I haven't really researched what options exist for "upgrading" the saucer antennas. I've been seeing more and more of them and surely there is a manufacturer out there either currently making or will be soon, a "new and improved" version "guaranteed" to bring in signals from Neptune

RiverBend · 07-29-2012, 08:37 PM

Webslave

How much trouble was it to install the jack antenna? We just purchased a 2008 x210 and I am picking up 0 channels.

Thanks

webslave · 07-30-2012, 10:54 AM

It (the Jack Off Air antenna) is a direct replacement for the Winegard Sensar antenna. Unscrew the signal cable, pull two pins and remove the Sensar...put the Jack antenna on using the same two pins and re-attach the signal wire. That's it. When we bought our new trailer, that was the first thing that I did...take off the Sensar and install the Jack.

If you aren't getting any reception with the Sensar, you may have other issues. While the Jack is much better than the Sensar (IMHO), installing it won't correct other problems, such as a bad connectors, broken wire, etc. The Sensar that you have should pick up something, of course if you are in Moab, UT, you won't get any signals, no matter what type of antenna you have!

As for the "swap", though, it takes longer for me to get up onto the roof than it does to make the physical swap. The Jack also has an "amplifier on" LED on the antenna itself...when the amp is on, there is a red light on the antenna that glows to let you know that the antenna is powered and the amplifier is working. That way you know that the amp is on in the trailer and the antenna is receiving 12v to its own internal circuitry and that the line, at least from the wall panel to the antenna, is good. While the Winegard system has the amp light inside, it (the Sensar antenna) has no indicator to let you know whether the cable is even connected, let alone working right.