??How is Digital TV going to affect RVers??

[Craig A]

I've never found a straight answer to this and my $40 rebate cards expire in 2 weeks. I have a batwing antenna and two TVs in my 2006 Mountaineer. I do not use a dish, but usually have a cable hookup, except in state parks. Most likely both of my TVs have a digital tuner since they are less than 3 years old. Do I need a converter box for the TV's or do I nned to do something to the antenna to receive a digital signal?

[H. John Kohl]

All "over the air broadcasts" are converting from Analog to Digital Feb 09. If you currently use your outside TV antenna to watch TV then you need the conversion box. This statement also assumes you do not currently have Digital Televisions.

If you have two TVs and watch each on different channels then you need two conversion boxes one for each TV.

If you currently use Satellite or Cable then service should continue as is.

EDIT - You state you think your TVs are digital because they are less than three years old. Both TVs that came with our unit in Nov 2006 are Analog only. Get the television manual out and see if they say anything about Digital. Our stick house digital TV does. The channel designation for digital is a little different where there are two numbers, a dash, and three numbers (##-###).

second EDIT - If you go to the outside TV and do a scan you may find some digital "over the air" TVs now. It depends on your area.

[Craig A]

Thanks John. It sounds like there is no antenna change required. I guess it will still pick up digital signals?

[H. John Kohl]

Yes the antenna will pull either Digital or analog signals but if your TV is not Digital capable then you need the translator box to convert the Digital signal back to Analog for your TV.

[Glenn and Lorraine]

According to a seminar we attended, if your bat wing antenna has white "wings" you will be able to pick up digital. If they are silver you will need the box.

[Ishler]

I guess there are exceptions to the rule because our antenna has metal/gray wings and receives digital signals with no problem.

[Glenn and Lorraine]

Mike, That question did come up and the only answer they could give was we'll just have to waqit and see.

[Craig A]

Thanks for the information. This months Highways magazine also has an artiicle on what to do. I went to Wally World and got the converters for less than $10 each after coupons. Now I'm ready for 2/17/09.

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

Have no idea what color our Bat wings are, we have the OEM ones, 2004 unit.

Al called about getting the "digital" bat wings that Winguard now has. Pricy, like $150.???

So, we tried the ole bat wings with a new digital telie in the Valley. AMAZING.

Save the price to upgrade to the new bat wings, At least until you try the old bats! We do not feel we need to spend that $$

We will need the convertor box for the old telie in the front room of Tana, that one is NOT digital.

By the way, we are doing the same thing here at the stick built, have a telie that is digital, just using rabbit ears and we get great stuff, off the roof antenna, wowie. NOT a digital antenna either, the same one that came with the house in 1995. The older telies, if we keep them, will need the convertor thingy!

[ols1932]

Our televisions are old enough that if they don't respond to the new digital over-the-air signal we'll just have to purchase new ones--one at a time. Since we have DirecTV and already receive their digital signals we won't have to change sets--unless we can't receive the aforementioned over-the-air signal.

Orv

Edited: Don't have room for a converter box.

[Waynem]

Of course, with Government, everything is subject to change, however, in the U.S.A., Channels 52 through 69 will be reallocated for other purposes when the transition to digital television broadcasting (DTV transition) is complete.

What is most likely the difference between "white," and "Silver," antennas is the optimum frequency that they will receive. Whereas the older model may receive a strong signal, as you get out to the fringes, that signal will deteriorate whereas the newer antenna which is designed for the digital frequencies will get a better picture.

If you are close to a TV transmitter, you can put a coat hanger on the connector and receive a signal. I have done that many a time in the past when a Tv antenna was not available.

Just some thoughts to ponder when you are sitting next to your neighbor and his white batwing is getting a clearer signal than your silver batwing.

Of course, you could always paint your batwing white! (Just kidding, don't do it! You need special non-conductive, lead free, antenna paint)

[sreigle]

If you have the digital tuner as you said, then you will not need a converter box. Your tv already handles the digital signal. We know that because our tv in this 3400 had the digital tuner although not an HD TV. It received the digital channels just fine (like channel 13.1, etc.). That worked both when using our rooftop TV antenna and when on cable. We no longer have that tv but it worked fine. Our bedroom tv does not have a digital tuner, purely analog. We will get a converter box for that one.

If you are near any large city, check to see if you receive any of the "dot" channels, like 13.1 or 37.3 or whatever. If so, those are digital signals you are receiving. Have your tv do a search and it should find them if it does have the digital tuner.

I saw in the Letters section of the current Trailer Life magazine, in the very first letter, where a guy wrote in to "warn" converter buyers that if using the rooftop antenna they will not be able to receive weaker stations. He claims prior to the box he got two strong stations and three weak stations but after installing the box he got only the two strong stations. He interpreted this to mean the box doesn't handle weak signals well. Well, I guess this guy didn't stop to think that a DIGITAL converter box won't handle analog signals, which most like is what those three weak stations were putting out.

Our batwing antenna has silver wings. The center section is white but the wings are silver.