Forum Discussion

ford_truck_guy's avatar
ford_truck_guy
Nomad
May 27, 2020

Strange Electric question...

I have a Winegard Connect 2.0 4G wifi device mounted on my roof.. I just broke down and got a SIM card for it so I could use it for my wifi while traveling...

I power it up, nothing... NO LED on the roof unit, checked volts at connection and I have 13.6... called Winegard told them.. They said bad device we will send you replacement under warranty..

Received the replacement, placed it up there, power it up,,,, NOTHING ???? checked volts and again I have 13.6... Called Winegard they told me to try hooking a battery direct to see what happens...

I took a battery pack up, checked volts and had 10.4, hooked it to the unit and it worked...
So, If I am putting 13.6 volts out, how does it not work ???

Waiting on response from Winegard, and I am pretty much clueless when it comes to electric....

what do you all think???
  • opnspaces's avatar
    opnspaces
    Navigator II
    May 27, 2020
    You said this started when you added a sim card? Did you try taking the card back out and see if it starts working again?
  • opnspaces's avatar
    opnspaces
    Navigator II
    May 27, 2020
    When you said you have 13.6 volts at the connector, where is the connector? Is it up on the roof?

    Did you use the same connector when testing with an auxiliary power source? If yes then you have a wiring problem. If no then you need to find a way to run the same test or take the same measurement at the same spot on the roof.

    One thing to try is go up on the roof and take a voltage reading while someone else turns the system on. If the voltage drops it's possible you have a severely corroded connection somewhere. There can be enough current to read with a meter, but if you put a load on it the voltage drops. You can do the same basic test with a 12v test light. Does the light come on bright up on the roof, or is it dim?
  • Seattle_Steve's avatar
    Seattle_Steve
    Explorer
    May 27, 2020
    I don't want to state the obvious, but mine has a power switch (standard 12 volt rocker) mounted inside the AV cabinet. Yours might be somewhere else.

About RV Must Haves

Have a product you cannot live without? Share it with the community!8,793 PostsLatest Activity: Feb 08, 2025