Zero Knievel

Well, I mounted it outside, and it works like shit. I put the amplifier back on (outside component I left off), and I get worse performance with it. So, I’m looking at a combination of failed amplifier and/or bad/deteriorating wire. The antenna didn’t work in the house without the booster attached, so one is needed, but there was like 3’ of cable between the antenna and booster at the time. It will be simpler to mount it in the attic than to re-run wire out to the antenna pole. FYI, the Radio Shack booster was a 2 part system. Booster in the house, amplifier on the antenna mast. That it got very good reception in the house indicates that obstacles are not an issue unless there is considerable mass involved. In the attic, I can place it higher than it was outside and where there is less mass in external obstructions (trees) in the direction I must aim it. The key is to find mounting options intended to bolt to roof framing. I’ll likely have to go to the hardware store and ask around. Searching online is useless because you need to know the name of what you want to find if they have it. Anyone have a link on how to run cable through a wall that’s already closed in? I know it’s done, but I’d rather learn up before drilling holes, and NO, I don’t want to put holes in ceilings and walls Willy-Nilly.

You mean vertically, right? Horizontal would have it facing up or down.

Antenna is here. Setting it up in the house, it works well. Considering mounting it in the attic. Any suggestions for what kind of mount to use?

Hope the guy realized that aluminum consumption has been linked to Assheimers.

They do make gaskets for my differential. A question on lube. Haynes says it takes API GL-5 SAE 90 Hypoid I don’t see a lot of SAE 90 on auto shop pages…most all cover a range. What do you suggest?

Is there a way to clear cache on Safari but not cookies and vice versa? I hate it when the solution is to clear the cache, because I lose everything when all I want to do is clear out old cached files that may be causing issues in the browser.

Would I just drain and fill…let it sit open for X minutes to let gravity drain as much as possible…rinse the gears with a proper cleaning agent to remove as much old grease before closing up and refilling? I know “motor flush” products are prone to make things worse when it absolutely needed and are not recommended.

Both spin the same direction…whether I spin forward or backward.

Okay watch this clip and tell me how you read it. One wheel on ground while in neutral with parking brake off.

Define "freely." I don't think I can freely spin the rear wheels when both are off the ground, but I think that's more to do with all the drive components moving along with the wheel as compared to just having to spin the wheel on a hub.

How else do you explain a 30-year-old booster doing a better job than the latest designs?

I could use extra eyes on this… This is the best image I could get of the tag on the differential. Based on the following site, this is the essential information…. https://www.therangerstation.com/tech/ford-7-5-8-8-inch-axle-tag-door-codes/ 7.5” ring gear The “L” in the “L73” indicates a limited slip which requires adding a friction modifier when refilling.

Finally ordered the replacement antenna. So far, every replacement booster works worse than the 30+ year old one we’re currently using. I attribute this to crappy build quality compared to 30 years ago.

Sorry about that. I keep thinking the garage is for bike-related issues. I shall. Keep in mind this thread started on Sunday. It’s now Tuesday morning. I’ve not even been to town yet, and the truck gets used maybe once every couple of weeks…to take the trash to the collection center.

Nice. I take a large. You do realize the issue in question would likely fail long past the expiration of the warranty, right?

I may be dating myself, but some systems do go without maintenance under NORMAL use. You don’t replace steering fluid or change the lube in CV joints just because of age or mileage. I normally expect that items needing maintenance have indicators like drain/fill ports or grease fittings. Otherwise, you don’t fuck with it. The truck was a daily driver for 95%+ of its life. It’s not having issues at present. The idea of spending some coin to take care of it comes from realizing it’s not worth the $$$ to get a new(er) truck versus doing some needed TLC. Considering the Haynes manual says to replace the fluid every 60K, I’m surprised there isn’t a drain port on the differential.

That has more to do with build quality. The Prius says little about coolant and transmission fluid changes. Owners say to do the transmission every 50K and coolant every 100K as a preventative measure. I figure if they intend routine fluid changes, there would be a drain plug and fill plug…like the transmission case. I’m not having any performance issues, but the age of the truck is what made me question. The general rule I’ve been told is to not open things up unless absolutely necessary. So, no drain hole tells me to not fuck with it.

The truck has 216,000 miles and is a 1998 model. Normally, I do nothing about the rear differential unless something seems amiss as it isn’t listed as a “regular service” component. Still, should I take it in and have a “drain and fill” done by a mechanic given the age and mileage or does it not matter. There is a fill port, but they’d need a way to suction out the old stuff or open up the differential to drain the old stuff out. I did it myself on my old S-10, and that was a pain.

Oh it makes sense. Mom ordered two signal boosters to try. If they don’t do the job, I’ll order that one. I took a closer look at the mast aerial we have. I’m thick sometimes. It’s a square tube mounted in the ground with a round pipe inserted…which can rotate. I drilled a hole in it to use a nail to prevent it from rotating from the wind. Rather than climb up, dad likely assembled the antenna on the ground, mounted it to the pole, then raised it up and lowered it into the square tube. I’m hoping I don’t need to replace the antenna wire. The wire runs underground through PVC piping. Where it comes up at the mast, dad didn’t use an L joint to connect the horizontal and vertical sections…so for 30 years who knows what has been getting into the horizontal section underground. Unfortunately, I don’t think coax is flexible enough to manage tight 90 degree bends from a distance, so new wire would likely mean cutting the old conduit and laying new conduit with the new wire. All I can do is if the antenna gets replaced, see how well it works with the existing coax and replace if needed.

Thoughts on this one? I’m hoping it would work if mounted in the attic, and since it’s not unidirectional, I’d not need to worry about constantly reaiming it. https://www.channelmaster.com/collections/outdoor-tv-antennas/products/extremetenna-80-outdoor-tv-antenna-cm-4228hd It’s also possible the issue is a worn coax cable, but the cable run from the antenna to the house is underground. If I check it, I might as well replace it.

I'd only consider it because of the AGE of the existing one...but from what I can tell, they haven't radically changed the design of outdoor aerials. Still, I don't have the equipment to get up to it and change it out. Last time we needed a wire tightened, my neighbor used his pickup and balanced a ladder in the bed. No way I'm trying that. I have enough issue keeping balance when I'm on solid ground.

Gah! Mom still isn't happy. I'm telling her to just hire someone to come out and fix the issue. Maybe we need a new antenna. Maybe the tree growth has gotten to the point where the antenna needs to be even higher or relocated on the property. I'm not doing it.

I wouldn’t expect INTERNAL wiring to become loose from just sitting there.

Well, booster arrived…didn’t work. Only got one channel band (all the channel 39 variants). I noticed the coax connections were loose (tension type, not screw on). Used channel locks to make them tight. No improvement. Put old 30-year-old booster back on. All the channels are back…even the ones mom was complaining about. 🤯 I’m calling it a win and quitting while I’m ahead.

Why? Because I don’t want to spend a dime more than is necessary for something I don’t need or want?