Broken Power antenna mast

I have been searching on all of the antenna topics that are on the forum for a couple of days now and I have at ask if anyone has tried to use the replacement mast from The Antenna Source part #A243. It sells for $79, and it says that it's the only one that is available for RMW application.

Link: https://www.theantennasource.com/BUICK/ROADMASTER/Roadmaster%20Wagon%201992-1996.html#1

Mine is fully broken in half and driving me crazy. The motor and the cable are still good on my unit, so I would hope to be able to repair it with this.

I would like to know if anyone has tried this one and how it worked out.
Thanks for any input
Ken

If they actually have it, it will work. According to them, they make it internally, so that may be viable. Other than that, you can occasionally get one from a junk yard. The finial is threaded onto the end of the top section. I clamp the top section in a smooth vice, and use a small wrench to remove the finial. There is a nylon plug in the bottom of the mast tube that you must remove to get the mast sections out. I pry the nylon mast holder out of the motor unit with a screw driver. Putting it back is a bit of a chore, unless you drill/grind out the rivets that hold the motor case together. 10/24-10/32 screws and nuts will hold it together. I use a piece of a threaded nylon spacer for a nut in the center of the gear/drum.

Their cables work for about 6-12 months before they break. I have taken the bottom end, and the last section, and after burning the nylon out of them, used JB Weld to hold a 37 inch by 1/8 inch steel cable in both ends. Follow the curve of the cable with the bottom end. I am currently using one in my 92 OCC. It has been there for about 2 months, and works fine. While you have it apart, making a new steel cable is a good preventive maintenance move.

Thanks for the info Fred, I appreciate it.

I have read the treads on how you modify/repair the cables and how to replace the parts in the housing. Very good instructions indeed. I'll have to look into the cable mod that you do.  

I just might bite the bullet and order the mast and hope it's the right one.  

I haven't been able to locate any wagons here locally recently. They usually crush cars that are as old as ours around here and most of them are rust buckets.

The Caprice sedans are the same antennas.

Problem hopefully solved! I just found an NOS mast on ebay today for $50.