tv antenna boost

boosters really don't work as well with digital tv signals anyways - modern receivers just don't seem to like the altered input from my experience - where in the days of analogue a booster may have given you a soft but watchable picture, it seems now it just overwhelms the tuner and you get screen full of pixelated blocks and choppy audio

My Monaco came with a switching box located near the TV where the DVD player, Satellite box, etc would go. The switching box would change the input/output to whatever TV or other device that you wanted to use. When you switch it to "TV ANTENNA" that turned the boost on. I did not have any outlet box that looked like the one pictured.

crasster wrote:
Boosters are "OK", but I've never thought they were worth the hype. They amplify, but it also amplifies the noise/interference. They will improve slightly and may just be the thing needed to "get the job done". (which is good)

One of the big NITS I like to pick has to do with this.
IF you have either a Winegard Sensar, Roadstar or other booster equipped antenna system. Or one of the King Controls (jack) systems.
DO you know where your booster is? I do I know exactly where it is

IT IS INSIDE THE ANTENNA HEAD.

This means it gets the strongest signal in the system and makes it stronger. Yes it also amplifies the noise but unlike boosters located later (inside the RV) there is no signal loss and no noise gain between the antenna and the booster.

Side note: I am an acrophobe.. (Fear of heights)
One of the rarest photos ever taken is me... Installing a mast head amplifier in a Channel Master antenna on top of a 100 Foot tower.

Suffice to say I had great faith in my safety harness.

The idea is to boost the signal BEFORE you get coax line loss that way both signal and noise come up together. Modern TVS' (Digital) are rather good at ignoring the noise.

Side note 2
As a ham radio operator I operate both analog (AM/SSB/FM) and Digital (PSK-31, RTTY and other) modes.. I've had my computer decode PSK signals where I could neither see the signal on the spectrum scope waterfall display NOR hear it on the speaker, The signal was 100% buried in noise to both my eyes and ears.

But the digital decoder software had no problem. Solid copy. I made the contact.

Well I will strongly disagree as to a booster working. I can sit with booster off no or a couple channels on scan, turn on and have 30 or more. I have two newer TV's and they work the same. Turn off boost when on cable as this can interfere with signal. As to where the switch is some are on the BOMB, Box Of Many Buttons.

LEN

I think it is a good time for you to reiterate exactly, step by step what you have done to find the magic little button, including anyone else you may have contacted and their recommendations.

All that is going on in this post is the reiteration of your previous post.

I have a question for you, actually two questions, one is have you ascertained that your batwing does have a PC board in the plastic part of the head? Another is, have you downloaded the schematics for your rig from Winnebagoind.com?

A lot of interested and very knowledgeable people are trying to help you and you seem to be ignoring their suggestions. This is not about us giving you absolutely perfect directions to one of several thousand parts of your rig but about trying to help "YOU" find it.

Finding the booster, if you have one is very simple, time consuming maybe but simple. I would suggest that after you answer my questions that you take pen, paper, flashlight and screwdriver in hand and starting at the antenna, make a line drawing of the coaxial cable and all the items inline to the back of the TV. If you find it is hidden as some have suggested, you should find it, if not there are two more suggestions but not without some effort on your part first.

OLYLEN wrote:
Well I will strongly disagree as to a booster working. I can sit with booster off no or a couple channels on scan, turn on and have 30 or more. I have two newer TV's and they work the same. Turn off boost when on cable as this can interfere with signal. As to where the switch is some are on the BOMB, Box Of Many Buttons.

LEN

If you are referring to pushing the button inside that switches you from Cable to OTA, that is NOT a booster. This is called a power supply and A/B switch. When it is on it sends 12V power to the antenna turning on the amplifier (booster) in the head of the antenna but the wall plate itself is not a booster. There are boosters that can be added to most any signal which may or may not be of any value.

At one RV show, looking at a firth wheel, I asked the salesperson where the TV antenna boost switch was. He showed me. BEHIND the TV (enclosed cabinet). Once the TV was installed, no access. Guy said one could leave the switch "on" all the time. Needless to say...no sale. Whoever designed this one was not an RVer....neither was the salesman.

The (now called) BOMB...is nothing more than a large A/B switch for all your toys. OTA, Cable, Satellite, DVD machine. The booster switch is a wall mounted unit with a push-button/red or green light(on/off).

Yes...if the OTA signal is strong enough or near enough, no reason to use the booster. However...most of the time it will be needed.

FWIW, I have a "passive" switchbox. No plug-in external power. Works just fine.
Bought it from Camping World years ago.

Again, that thing on the wall that you describe is NOT a booster. It is a power supply that turns on the electronics built into the head of the antenna and the antenna is nearly useless without power. In most coaches it is also the A/B switch that allows you to watch the OTA antenna or connect to campground cable.

Bill.Satellite wrote:
Again, that thing on the wall that you describe is NOT a booster. It is a power supply that turns on the electronics built into the head of the antenna and the antenna is nearly useless without power. In most coaches it is also the A/B switch that allows you to watch the OTA antenna or connect to campground cable.

I think it's being described as a "booster swtich", and that seems to me to be a perfectly fine description. A light switch is not a light, but controls the light by turning the power to it on or off. Likewise, the booster switch controls the antenna booster by turning its power supply on or off.

That's correct. I make the clarification based upon the number of responses about whether a booster is of any benefit or not. They are not understanding that the power supply is required for the antenna to operate properly. Any sort of an external or additional booster would be a completely separate discussion.