TV Antenna question

[Trailer Trash 2]

I have seen on several RV and 5ers a TV Antenna that was about 12 inches in diameter and about 4 inches thick it is mounted to a rigide base that is about 6 inches above the roof line, looking at this antenna to me it has to be omni directional, so no turning of the antenna is necessary, I was thinking of removing the bat wing and install this antenna seeing that it dont have to be turned to receive a TV signal, it will also, I think, be good with with the new converter D/A box, do they run a amplifier with them like the bat wing , are they any good? and who makes them?

Thanks ahead. TT2

[ARJ]

Here is one that is a little bigger than you thought!

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/t...antenna-tv.htm

[H. John Kohl]

I believe you are correct that antenna is Omni directional while the batwing is bi-directional. Now the sea story. I told the GS "Oh My Gosh" that we need an Omni Directional antenna with more Gain. 20 minutes later he finished eduMAcating me on the contradiction of that statement. So my short answer is, "I feel you loose GAIN (signal strength) with the Omni directional antenna." The Bat Wing should almost double the signal strength and then adding the Yagi piece discussed in another post will give you more directionality and therefore more gain. The down side of gain is you are more directional and have to tune in stations when you change channels just like the old days.

If you only camp in an area that has extra strong signals you should have no problem. If you get the omni directional and notice signal fad my first recommendation would be to go to the Bat Wing and then for more add the Yagi.

Good luck.

[Exnavydiver]

I might toss in another little tidbit about the Yagi unit for the batwing. Wingard who I believe is selling that little gem didn't do their research on how the bat wing lays on the roof. It lays right along the side of the front AC unit if you have one. The yagi goes on the AC side of the antenna and will not lay flat on the roof if you have a front AC. It will work fine for those that don't have a front AC. I was looking at one and saw a neighbor at a CG we stayed at and he put the yagi on his antenna and then couldn't stow his antenna along side of the AC. I was thinking about reversing the whole antenna head so it would stow flat on the roof with the Yagi pointing toward the drivers side but would have to drill new holes in the mount with no guaranty that that would work. Like John said, you would get a stronger signal but it would be even more directional... Dave

[dieselguy]

I've noticed the HD signal seems more finicky tuning in than the old analog ... instead of fading into snow, you either have the signal or you don't. I'd guess an omnidirectional antenna would possibly make a marginal signal inaccessable if a fine tune was needed.

[rames14]

Not meaning to hijack this post, but do the new HD TV's have a greater range of reception? With DirecTV, we only get local channels within about 200 miles. After that, it's no local channels or utilize the antenna. Kinda' curious how it will be with the new Big Sky and the LCD.

[H. John Kohl]

For all practical purposes the local TV signals are transmitted with the "line of sight" principal. That means if you "theoretically" can see the TV transmitter antenna then you should get a signal. The digital signal format does allow more channels in a smaller frequency spectrum without interference.

Since Direct TV is Satellite they just put a 200 mile circle around major cities and do not work out side that area with their spot beams which has the local channels.

[ols1932]

quote:Originally posted by H. John Kohl

For all practical purposes the local TV signals are transmitted with the "line of sight" principal. That means if you "theoretically" can see the TV transmitter antenna then you should get a signal. The digital signal format does allow more channels in a smaller frequency spectrum without interference.

Since Direct TV is Satellite they just put a 200 mile circle around major cities and do not work out side that area with their spot beams.

Well said, John.

Orv

[bw2]

Do keep in mind, that many of the local tv stations around the country are NOT transmitting the new digital signal at full power. With the delay from February to June, they are still broadcasting both analog and digital. So, there will be some areas where the signal will improve somewhat with the final increase in the power for the signal.

[Waynem]

Try Radio Shack

Also, remember that come June, the frequency allocation changes. Some cities will broadcast digital signals on UHF and some will be switching and broadcasting on VHF. Knowing what type of yagi to purchase could be a difficult thing for people who travel around with RV's. Don't be fooled by any words that stipulate "digital antenna." With those signals in the VHF spectrum, it is not as critical as it is for a UHF signal on line of site. But of course your signal will be stronger if you have a more direct line of sight. I would suggest for those that are staying in one spot for 3-6 months to get your "portable" antenna as high as possible if the batwing is not working well for you. In that case, a directional antenna (yagi, log periodic, etc.,) would be a nuisance to run out side and turn it to get a good signal. I can just hear Betsy or Anne yelling, "Keep turning, keep turning. Ok! Nope! You'll just have to stand outside and hold it until my program is over!!"

As pointed out, the better the antenna, the better the reception. I also saw the Radio Shack antenna at a CG and asked the owner about it. He swore by it, and he had it on a 20 foot mast, guide wired to the trailer. He had the $80 variety in the link above.

Edited: you would want an amplified antenna.

And, if you search for "metrostar ms-2000" without the quotes, you can find them for many varying prices - many cheaper than RS. It's sometimes just easier to walk into RS and pick one of if in stock.

[stimpy123]

Gang,
With regard to the batwing antenna. isn't it supposed to be bi-directional? When tuning in stations by moving the antenna, the antenna moves roughly 340 deg. Doean't the antenna receive from either end? I have positioned the rig in our RV spot only to find that some of the channels that are available in the area are at one "stop" of the antenna, and some of the other channels are at the other "stop" of the antenna, meaning that I have to rotate the antenna the entire rotation to obtain the other stations. Looking at the other rig's antennae in the park, would suggest that I should have the antenna barely off the stow position to receive the majority of stations. But I have now signal at this point, I have to rotate the antenna all the way, one way or the other to receive channels. I have looked at buying the "wingman" to improve reception, but with the many discussions of clearance troubles, I don't think that I want to invest in that external device if I don't have to.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Steve

[8.1al]

It is just a fact of life if you want an antenna that will receive stations from a distance that it will be directional and the antenna may have to be rotated to different positions. We have had to do that all our lives. We installed the Winegard Wingman and are pleased with it's performance. It is up to the individual to determine whether of not it will interfere with anything on their roof.