# Satellite Dish Installation on Starblazer 2006



## Starblazer09 (Oct 21, 2009)

:roll: 
I have just ordered a Maxview Crank up from Snellyvision and intend to install myself onto my Autocruise Starblazer. Has anyone out there already done this? what issues did you come across. I am particularly intrested in where you sited the dish. Also how you over came the max 25kg loading on the roof :!: , ie how did you get to the middle of the van?

Any help greatfully appreciated. 

David (Starblazer09)


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## bowlty (Dec 28, 2009)

hi 
i fitted a maxiview crank up to my auto roller 700 , all you need is a hole cutter the right size, for the shaft the plate it come,s with makes the roof a lot stronger ,because of all the screws, place the plate on the roof and mark around it,but make sure the dish will not over hang the motorhome.add lots of silocone to roof where marked and screw down
i put my dish so it come inside a cubboard the job takes about 1-2 hours 
make sure you aline the template to the under side or you will fined it hard to line the plastic handles make sure not to cut square shaft to short mark level with ceiling and add 5mm
hope this is of some help
bowlty


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## bowlty (Dec 28, 2009)

hi
forgot to say i was told to fit satellite as near to the side of the motor home as possible as the roofs are stronger they

but make sure the dish will not over hang
( inside the wardrobe is ideal)
the satellite must point to the rear of motorhome when locked down


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## ruffingitsmoothly (May 1, 2005)

Hi I fitted the crank up to my Monaco on the front of the roof, only problem was the roof was thicker that the square drive and box section supplied so had to lengthen those!



















Regards Pat


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## averhamdave (May 21, 2005)

I have nothing to add other than say what a good and accurate posting from Bowlty.

I fitted a crank up from Snelly last year and although daunting - particularly drilling that hole in the roof! - it is a relatively simple job.

I also bought and would recommend, a Maxview receiver as they are so much better and easier to use than a Syy box and they are 12 volt. Mine has the magic eye remote so is completely hidden in a cupboard.

The whole thing is a neat and efficient installation that takes about 90 seconds to get up, running and tuned in in the UK and maybe 3 minutes in Northern Spain.


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## motorhomenicky (Feb 1, 2006)

Hi

The maxview comes with good fitting instructions so if you follow them you won't go wrong, the square shaft is measure + 11mm and the inner shaft is +32mm.

I always take 1mm off so the handle clips in, if it is too long it will not locate, hence the problem of handles falling off.

I have just fitted 8 for Autosleepers so if you need any advice feel free to ask on here

Nick


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## ingram (May 12, 2005)

I can't help with installing the aerial but I walk on my Starblazer roof to clean it .... just don't step onto the part ahead of the join to the front dome. As I understand it the weight restriction on roof load is *carrying* stuff and it is ok to stand on the roof for cleaning purposes etc. as long as you are careful and not *too* heavy. Have a close read of your Starblazer handbook: it says something to that effect I am sure.

Harvey


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## neilbes (Oct 16, 2006)

motorhomenicky said:


> Hi
> 
> The maxview comes with good fitting instructions so if you follow them you won't go wrong, the square shaft is measure + 11mm and the inner shaft is +32mm.
> 
> ...


How do you cut the headlining and how do you make it good?


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

neilbes said:


> How do you cut the headlining and how do you make it good?


CAUTION - I can only report on our AutoSleeper Nuevo!! 8O

I was also concerned about that, but there wasn't any headlining as such. The internal finish was (sort of) painted on, or at least glued so effectively that it cut cleanly as the hole saw went through it.

I did stop drilling from above as the centre bit of the hole saw broke through _(loud shriek from Mrs Zeb who was watching from inside!) _ and drilled the last bit upwards, very gingerly, through the "headlining".

As I said, it cut cleanly and without any rucking or distortion.

_*DON'T ANYBODY take this as an OK to go ahead though*_. I'm only passing on my own experience, and you do it at your own risk!

Dave


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## ruffingitsmoothly (May 1, 2005)

Zebedee said:


> neilbes said:
> 
> 
> > How do you cut the headlining and how do you make it good?
> ...


I did exactly the same drilled down first then up from inside after making sure there were no cables/pipes/obstructions etc in the way, I was able to remove an adjacent speaker and light to check, the base plate is quite a bit larger than the hole in any case and will cover up any small mistakes so that will make good!










Regards Pat


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## bowlty (Dec 28, 2009)

hi
motorhomenick has fitted a lot more than me but can i just say i tryed the 11mm and it would just not fit, the handle would not clip home so i used a copper wire to fined the depth which truned out to be 5mm, and the handle cliped in perfect, will this not depened on which motorhome you have because the insulation might be thicker in the roof i have only fitted one so i do not know
i also have a maxi unit with the eye and its easy to use it comes with a compass which tells you where abouts the satelites are before pressing info and number one on the remote if you get a lot of naked women on your on the wrong satelite (or may be not) the uk one is just mm away


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Silicone was suggested earlier as an adhesive to fix the mounting plate.

I would not trust it myself, and used Geoflex, as recommended and supplied by Snelly. It would take three strong men with crowbars to prise that stuff loose!!! :wink: 

Dave


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## Starblazer09 (Oct 21, 2009)

*Satellite installation thanks*

Thanks to all of you for your comments. Look out for the installation blog in the next 2 weeks......

Dave - Starblazer09


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## twinky (Aug 11, 2008)

Im going to be fitting a crankup to my van soon and read this thread with interest.

One question regarding hidden cables in the roof. If you cant remove fittings to see into the roof cavity you are about to drill into , did you guys have any tips or ideas to try and make sure you dont drill through anything? ie a pilot hole first from inside?

Or can I assume that the manufacturers arent stupid enough to route cables in the roof where its likely to be drilled? :lol: :lol:


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

twinky said:


> . . . a pilot hole first from inside?


A pilot hole from _*outside *_- after much careful measuring and offering up the erected dish to be sure it will not foul on the Heki or whatever. (That's a vital consideration. Arguably more important than the _precise _position of the internal bits.)



twinky said:


> Or can I assume that the manufacturers arent stupid enough to route cables in the roof where its likely to be drilled? :lol: :lol:


Silly Twinky!! 8O :lol: :lol:

I know nothing about your van, but if it's similar to ours it will have a double skin with expanded polystyrene insulation sandwiched between.

Having drilled the pilot hole with fingers crossed ( :roll: ) I carefully drilled through the outer skin with the hole saw, and removed the fibreglass disc. Yours might be aluminium, but same idea.

Then I firtled around with a blunt table knife and got most of the polystyrene out so I could see there were no cables waiting to be severed.

Then I re-introduced the hole saw and . . . .

A cable detector would have made life easier, but I enjoy the adrenaline rush!! 8O 8O

Dave


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## twinky (Aug 11, 2008)

Zebedee said:


> twinky said:
> 
> 
> > . . . a pilot hole first from inside?
> ...


But surely it would be better to take the plunge with a pilot hole from the inside, not penetrating the outer skin? Obviously having first measured where you'll exit on the roof!

Then if when youve opened up to the big hole and found youre about to drill through a cable you have a internal hole to fill rather than a gaping hole in the roof?


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

twinky said:


> But surely it would be better to take the plunge with a pilot hole from the inside, not penetrating the outer skin? Obviously having first measured where you'll exit on the roof!
> 
> Then if when youve opened up to the big hole and found youre about to drill through a cable you have a internal hole to fill rather than a gaping hole in the roof?


Arguable - but let's not, eh! 

I worked on the principle that even if I made a pig's ear of it on the roof, and got the 40mm (_I think - can't remember_) hole in the wrong place, it wouldn't matter because the stainless steel mounting plate is something like 60cm square and would be certain to cover the cock up with ease!

Plenty of Geoflex (or Sikaflex) over the whole underside of the mounting plate would ensure that no leaks could occur.

If I drilled a hole in the wrong place from the inside I would have a far greater problem as it would be so obvious, and unlikely to be concealable under the quite small internal gubbins.

That was my thinking - hope it helps. 

I also consoled myself with the thought that if I got a professional to do the job and he drilled the hole in the roof wrongly, he would cover it as just suggested and say nothing . . . so I would be none the wiser and perfectly happy. :roll:

I didn't get it wrong, and the rest of the job was quite easy after changing into clean underwear!! 8O 8O

Dave


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## twinky (Aug 11, 2008)

I can see your point regarding the size of the base.

I will be following your lead and going in from the top   .


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

twinky said:


> I can see your point regarding the size of the base.
> 
> I will be following your lead and going in from the top   .


Glad I could help Twinky.

Plenty of others have helped me, so it's nice to give a bit back. 

Dave


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## CliffyP (Dec 19, 2008)

I have had a price of £635 for a maxi-view crank up, fitted and complete with decoder. Is it worth trying to fix one yourself ???.

For the sake of a few quid, I for one wont be drilling holes in the roof of mine, as an old workmate of mine used to say 'If you want beef go and see a Butcher'


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

CliffyP said:


> I have had a price of £635 for a maxi-view crank up, fitted and complete with decoder. Is it worth trying to fix one yourself ???.
> 
> For the sake of a few quid, I for one wont be drilling holes in the roof of mine, as an old workmate of mine used to say 'If you want beef go and see a Butcher'


It really isn't difficult Cliffy - though (_as I said before_) it was more comfortable after changing my underwear!!  

Drilling the hole in completely the wrong place is the only way to make a real fist of it, and if you measure ten times, then drill a tiny pilot hole to confirm that you've got it right, the rest is plain sailing.

I wish I had your faith in the "professionals", but having watched some of them work and seen the results, I would much rather butcher my own van!! :roll: :roll:

Just my opinion of course . . . but I saved 300 quid too!! 

Dave


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## CliffyP (Dec 19, 2008)

Zebedee said:


> CliffyP said:
> 
> 
> > I have had a price of £635 for a maxi-view crank up, fitted and complete with decoder. Is it worth trying to fix one yourself ???.
> ...


I'd rather spend £300 than have a hole in the roof and ceiling to many  .
And when I sell the vehicle I can say it was fitted by a Specialist Company with a guarantee. The firm I will probably use has been recommended to me by several people so that will be my route. Where did you get your Maxview, Finder and Decoder from though, as £335 seems a real bargain to me. 
Regards
Cliff


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Hi again Cliff

I got the equipment from Snelly. He's as cheap as anybody and excellent to deal with.

Misled you a bit on the saving.  I was quoted a little more than you, so the saving was correspondingly greater. £287 to be exact I think, but the ancient memory is not what it was!!

Didn't bother with a finder. You won't need one with a Crankup after a bit of practice. I could get a lock in less than a minute most times . . . except when I hadn't noticed the bloody trees!!   

Dave


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## twinky (Aug 11, 2008)

Maplin had Crank ups 2 weeks ago for £329. They were grade B - not sure what that means. Ive just had a look and they dont seem to have any left.

Anyhow bought mine second hand for £245 and a new decoder for £30 so I'll take it easy, take my time, do a good job and still save some cash.


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## Snelly (Aug 20, 2005)

Evening people!

If you ever has a question regarding crank up install, dont hesitate to drop me a pm. I'll pass on my limited wisdom to all that ask 

As for headlining. If its a fabric lining, I always cut away a section so the hole saw comes into contact with the ply board underlining instead of making big pulls in the nice fabric roof lining. The ceiling control rose is 18cm diameter, so covers the small section of material you've had to cut away.

As for the 32mm hole... measure once, twice, three times if need be... make sure its right before you commit yourself. Also, offer the ceiling rose up where your going to place it and check it will not foul bathroom/wardrobe doors etc... Remember the crank up sits rearward when in travel position and the dimensions are as follows when in travel position:

total front to back - 92cm
widest point (dish at its widest, near to the rear of the installation) - 82cm
base plate - 50x50cm
on base plate the hole is perfectly central (25cm from the edge of plate)

As someone else mentioned, start on top the roof, if you dont have a good quality stud detector, drill a small pilot hole first to check your in insulation and not a stud. Then I go through the top ply of the roof and lift drill as soon as its through the skin to check for wire conduits etc. If im happy, I continue through the insulation so the mandrel pilot drill pops through the inside ceiling. Then I get off the roof, go inside the mh with the drill and using the hole the mandrel guide drill bit made, I cut the 32mm hole in the ceiling, now the whole cut out section should drop out. You now have a hole :lol:


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Just to add one point, which may or may not be important.

I put the glue on the base plate in a series of concentric circles. That way it has to be all but impossible for any water to find its way past about 8 closed circles of glue and in through the hole in the middle.  

Dave


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## Snelly (Aug 20, 2005)

Zebedee said:


> Just to add one point, which may or may not be important.
> 
> I put the glue on the base plate in a series of concentric circles. That way it has to be all but impossible for any water to find its way past about 8 closed circles of glue and in through the hole in the middle.
> 
> Dave


I do similar, but not as many, one circle a few inches outside the foam ring and one 'square' of sealant adhesive arond the screw holes on the outside of the plate. Then stick it down and bang a screw in every other hole. Cap each screw off with sealant adhesive. mmm I can smell the geocel now! :lol:


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

I always did build brick errrrrmm "_outhouses_" Shane. :roll:

Dave :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Snelly (Aug 20, 2005)

belts and braces! six times over


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## tony50 (Oct 16, 2007)

Zebedee said:


> Silicone was suggested earlier as an adhesive to fix the mounting plate.
> 
> I would not trust it myself, and used Geoflex, as recommended and supplied by Snelly. It would take three strong men with crowbars to prise that stuff loose!!! :wink:
> 
> Dave


 As Zebedee Dave said . Do not use Silocone I Know of a "Skilled installer" ??? who used Silocone to stick it to the roof,and the cable attached wasn't LONG enough when the Dish came off and hit the road !! 
Ps. and the dish assembly wasn't a lot of good after that either .


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## bowlty (Dec 28, 2009)

hi
i used silicone on my satellite this was a GRP silicone and used only as a sealant ,not to sick the satellite down you must screw the plate down they are a number of these around the plate and i put every one in. 
they is a wind factor to consider when travelling, this is why the dish points to the rear of the mh as well as crosswinds to consider
with GRP you should away use a pilot drill when screwing to stop any cracking around screws

bowlt


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

bowlty said:


> hi
> i used silicone on my satellite this was a GRP silicone and *used only as a sealant ,not to stick the satellite down*
> bowlt


Crucial distinction - should have made that clearer. 

Thanks Bowlty

Dave


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## bowlty (Dec 28, 2009)

sorry dave your right ( must be getting old)
bowlty


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

bowlty said:


> sorry dave your right ( must be getting old)
> bowlty


You misunderstand Bowlty!

No criticism at all. I was thanking you for adding the crucial distinction that I left out of my description. 

Silicone will _*seal *_perfectly well as you quite rightly say, but I wouldn't trust it to _*secure *_the plate without adding a few screws.

Cheers

Dave


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## bowlty (Dec 28, 2009)

no problem dave 
as long as where all glued and screwed every bodys happy
cheers bowlty


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