Here is the solution we came up with to remotely fold up and down an antenna on the roof of our campervan. It allows us to tilt our WeBoost antenna up or down (90 degrees) by the press of a button inside our van, neat! This electric motorized system would also work with HAM radio antennas (or any Series-C coax cable antenna) and on pretty much any vehicle (Van, Jeep, Car, etc.). Let’s get to work!
Table Of Content
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Time
2 hours
Cost
~$200 USD
Weight
1 lbs
Material
| Item | Description | Quantity | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| K9000 Motorized Antenna Tilt | To remotely fold the antenna up or down. | 1 | Amazon |
| Mounting Plate for Roof Rack (Optional) | Simplifies and speeds up the K9000 installation. Clean and low profile. Compatible with any roof rack that utilizes 10-series or 15-series aluminum extrusion crossbars (80/20 T-Slot profiles). | 1 | FarOutRide |
| Cable Entry Pad (or Cable Seal) | No-Drill / No-Screw Cable Entry Pad for Ford Transit. (Scanstrut Cable Seal) | 1 (1) | FarOutRide (Amazon) |
| WeBoost Drive Reach RV | (Or any antenna with Series-C coax Cable Assembly). | 1 | Amazon |
Tools
- 5/32 Allen Key
- Plastic Scraper
- Clothe & Isopropyl Alcohol
Resources
- Diamond Antenna K9000 Installation Instructions (DiamondAntenna.net)
- WeBoost Installation Guides (WeBoost.com)
- Roof Rack Installation (FarOutRide.com)
Good To Know
About Roof Racks
We didn’t opt for a roof rack on our 2016 Transit and we installed the solar panels with VHB tape (still holding strong since 2016!). As such we have to say that a roof rack is not mandatory, but it’s definitely a nice upgrade and provides a more secure and easy way to attach accessories such as solar panels, antenna, LED lights, storage box, etc. We went with a Flatline Van Co Low Pro roof rack on our 2021 Transit and we have a detailed write-up about it:
Back Torque Limiter Mechanism
The K9000 motorized mount features a “back torque limiter”. This internal mechanism acts as a spring and allows the antenna to fold down to absorb any impact (roof, branches, etc). Be aware that the spring only works in one direction:
Installation
1. Install the mounting plate to the k9000
NOTE: The K9000 comes with universal mounting brackets. These can do the job, but we wanted a cleaner and simpler installation. So we made an Aluminum mounting plate that’s compatible with roof racks that utilize 10-Series or 15-Series extrusion crossbars (such as FlatLine Van Co Low Pro Roof Rack):
The K9000 Motorized Antenna Tilt comes with a universal base fitment bracket. Remove the four screws and discard the old bracket:
Install the new mounting plate to the K9000 Motorized Mount (reuse the screws from previous step):
2. Mount your antenna to the k9000
Route the antenna through the antenna mount and fasten with the hardware provided with the WeBoost:
3. Install to your roof rack
Loosely install the t-nut(s) and the screws (provided with our mounting plate) so it’s ready to load into the crossbar:
Remove the crossbar, load the t-nut(s) from the crossbar end, reinstall the crossbar:
Fastened the screws to secure the mounting plate to the desired position into the crossbar:
4. Adjust the tilt motion operating angle
Power the K9000 into a cigar plug. Set the antenna to be fully raised by pressing and holding “UP” on the remote:
If the antenna is not vertical, loosen the nut and adjust the antenna’s angle to your liking:
Then, adjust the tilt lower limit (0-45°) to your liking (e.g. to clear solar panel or such) by rotating the grey knob on the body of the K9000:
5. Soft Bumper Installation
There is significant up/down movement at the tip of the antenna when it’s in the horizontal position (fully lowered). This is due to flex, freeplay and to the back torque limiter mechanism (spring to absorb impacts and prevent damage) in the motorized mount. This movement will be amplified with a longer and heavier antenna. To prevent the antenna from bumping onto the roof, we made a soft bumper that holds with VHB tape. The soft bumper is included with our aluminum mounting plate:
The soft bumper is made of TPU (rubber) and has VHB tape preinstalled underneath:
Clean the surface to be bonded with Isopropyl alcohol and peel the release film:
Place the soft bumper to prevent the antenna from bumping onto the roof:
6. Pass the Cables Through The Roof
Most cable entry glands and cable seals require either drilling or screwing into the roof. That’s OK, but we try to avoid it when we can. So we came up with our very own No-Drill/No-Screw Cable Entry Pad that takes advantage of the factory pass-through holes that are hidden under some of the roof plugs (#2 in the image below):
* NOTE: We don’t recommend using the last row of pass-trough holes located at the very back of the Transit with our Cable Entry Pad, because there is not enough space to install the lock nut from inside the van (see On Second Thought).
Remove the roof plug. You can start with a plastic scraper, it’s a bit easier to get the plug to go at first:
Pull slowly to remove the plug completely, then clean the sealant left behind with isopropyl alcohol:
All clean! The Cable Entry Pad will cover the primed surface:
Unscrew the lock nut from underneath the pad and put aside:
Peel off the release film from the VHB tape:
Make sure the surface is still clean and apply pressure for 5-10 seconds:
Install the lock nut inside the van, hand-tight firmly with your fingers then use a 24mm or 15/16″ socket to add about one extra turn (do not use tools and overtorque, this will damage the plastic threads) :
Unscrew the sealing nut from the gland (without removing it) and route the K9000’s powercord through the gland (one connector at the time):
Route the weBoost antenna extension cable through the gland and connect it to the weBoost outside antenna:
Glands are waterproof when using a single round cable. Here we cheated a bit and routed two cables, which may compromise the waterproofness. To mitigate that, we added Silicone inside the gland (between and around the two cables) and then we screwed the sealing nut:
7. Connect the K9000 Power Cord
The K9000 motorized tilt can be powered via the provided 12V cigar plug, or it can be hardwired to your electrical system via a 0.8A fuse (e.g. 0.8A GMA fuse + Inline Fuse Holder).
Our van conversion is still a work-in-progress at the time of writing these lines, so we’re temporarily powering the K9000 via the factory 12V socket at the back of the van. We’ll update this page when we hardwire it to our electrical system!
8. Complete the WeBoost Signal Booster Installation
Remember that it is crucial to maximize the distance between the outside antenna and inside antenna. If the antennas are located too close together they will pick up each other’s signals and create a feedback loop – you won’t get any boost… That’s why we installed the outside antenna far back on the roof of our van.
More info: What is Antenna Separation and Why it’s Important | weBoost
8.1. Connect the Outside Antenna to the Booster
8.2. Connect the Inside Antenna to the Booster
8.3. Connect the Power Supply to the Booster
Our van conversion is still a work-in-progress at the time of writing these lines, so we’re temporarily powering the booster via the factory 120V outlet on the side of the passenger seat. We’ll update this page when we hardwire it to our electrical system!
On Second Thought…
Lesson Learned
We initially used the pass-through hole located at the very back end of the van. Turns out the interior is “hollow” at this location (two layers of sheet metal) and making a nice installation was very difficult (no room to tighten the lock nut). We decided to plug the hole (we 3D printed a plug that holds with VHB tape and a bead of Silicone) and use the one a few inches forward.
First Impressions
The Diamond K9000 Motorized Antenna Tilt does exactly what it’s suppose to! We were a bit surprised by the amount of freeplay when the antenna is folded down, hence the soft bumper addition. But after an off-road test we’re pleased to report that there is no rattling with the soft bumper, so no complains! 🙂
After a short while we decided to add the Spring Base that’s provided with the weBoost, just for our peace of mind. We also removed the mast extension to reduce the total height of the antenna. With this setup, no soft bumper is required. We can always put the mast extension back if we feel we would benefit from it:
Long Term Review
Wait for it!
Would your “Cable Entry Pad”
be good to use on some of the lighting wires into the van? We want to mount a 50″ light bar, side and rear light pods onto our roof rack.
Hi!
The Entry Pads work for single round cable with outside diameter between 4.0mm and 10.2mm.
Like shown in the antenna cable we installed in the description (scroll down): https://faroutride.com/product/cable-entry-pad/
Cheers, antoine
And this a comment more on the WeBoost than the motor mount: Be careful to not get a used/older model; many of the older units use 9V not 12V, so you can’t wire easily into a 12V-14V system. Second, the WeBoost uses about 1 A of power; all those cooling fins on it are there for a reason! So, to save your stored power, make sure you have an easy way to see if it’s on and an easy way to turn it off. I powered mine with a lit switch similar to what you used for your propane solenoid, only rated to 5 A.
Hi Isabelle and Antoine,
Nice find!
Did you notice the instructions, do not raise or lower at temperatures near freezing or below? So I guess in the winter you just leave it up?
Also, that WeBoost spring is VERY heavy duty, did you rare to test the motor mount it by pulling the antenna back? My spring is so stiff that I am almost afraid to bend the mounting plate I am using!
Cheers, Don
With our latest arrangement (shortest mast, see “On Second Thoughts”) we can leave the antenna UP most of the time, as it is not that high. So we might leave it up in winter; snow may prevent from raising/lowering the antenna anyway.
Yeah the spring is quite stiff! I did try to bend it a bit (like 15-20 degree) and it was fine, but I didn’t go further… The spring is more like a last-resort solution!