Read several posts on RV.net over the years about folks asking about television antennas, specifically for their HD - digital sets in their RV's. In order to simplify an answer, and maybe start a "tech-no" war about television reception, I've always said, all you have to do is stick a paper clip in the coax cable hole on the back of your television and you'd get reception on your HD-Digital set. I think just about everyone does not believe that.Well, we're getting ready to start remodeling another section of our house and before we can do that, it means moving furniture and stuff around, which included moving the television out of our living room. One thing led to another. But it left one television without an over-the-air antenna. So, in order to get an antenna, I did improvise the paper clip idea. But just to prove you DO NOT have to purchase any kind of "special" antenna to get digital-HD television, let the photos speak for themselves. The 3rd photo is the antenna! If you don't believe me, let the photos speak for themselves! But if you still want to spend a ton of money, I'll sure not stop you.d This is the end a section of coax cable where I'd cut the end off some time ago. The other end still had the barrel connector, but all I did was strip the rubber off. This works as you can see from the above 2 photos. You may call this "the poor man's antenna!" So I think the purpose for this is to state, YOUR BATWING antenna will work OK too!

Dutch... We have been singing that song for a long time.. A long long time.What makes it even better is one of the members here (At least one) has access to an electronics lab and has put the good old batwing up against it's main competition... and the batwing won.. Big time.

how far are you from those stations and what is the topography?bumpy

Well- it's good to know that tv antennas are just a huge scam, and that a wire stuck in the TV is every bit as good. Think of the millions of dollars that you have saved people (though forcing Winegard and Channel Master out of business is not very nice).

Bumpy, we are, probably, 40-50 miles (straight line) from down town Indianapolis; 70 miles from Lafayette, 30 miles from New Castle, 45 miles from Kokomo, 20 miles from Noblesville. Not sure where the actual towers are though.We live on some pretty flat ground here, surrounded by corn and bean fields, no high buildings. That simple wire pulled in 20 channels. The bat wing in my camper, parked in my driveway, will pull in 50-60 channels. I suppose that booster pulls in more, or maybe the signal does not have to pass through walls in the house.

This is a situation in which a bare wire can work fine, but a properly sized antenna usually, but not always, will work better. Electromagnetic radiation (TV signals) have specific wavelengths (around half a meter for the signals in the TV band). An antenna the receiving elements of which are approximately this length or multiples of it will have higher gain (ability to receive) than will an arbitrarily sized wire. The OP's improvised antenna will work fine as long as the signal strength is reasonably high.

Digital television antenna - a simple solution | Good Sam Community

20 Replies

punomatic
Explorer
Apr 06, 2014
The tuner is part of the equation, too. We live in a rural area and can pick up a couple dozen stations with an antenna in the attic. I rigged up a computer to use as a DVR with the same antenna. The tuner on the TV card in the computer doesn't pull in stations as reliably as the tuner in the Toshiba TV set. Frustrating when I want to record a program on one of the weaker stations.
1492
Moderator
Apr 06, 2014
Bumpyroad wrote:
how far are you from those stations and what is the topography?
bumpy

I would agree. It depends on the strength and data requirements of the DTV signal. I can pickup up OTA stations in my area by just connecting the coax cable with no antenna.
MNtundraRet
Navigator
Apr 06, 2014
Dutch:

I know your antenna can work, but give us an honest answer. What is the elevation of the transmitting tower (feet over sea-level)? What is your home's elevation over sea-level?

We do not need you misleading the "clueless" with slanted facts.
burlmart
Explorer
Apr 06, 2014
docj wrote:
This is a situation in which a bare wire can work fine, but a properly sized antenna usually, but not always, will work better. Electromagnetic radiation (TV signals) have specific wavelengths (around half a meter for the signals in the TV band). An antenna the receiving elements of which are approximately this length or multiples of it will have higher gain (ability to receive) than will an arbitrarily sized wire. The OP's improvised antenna will work fine as long as the signal strength is reasonably high.

if you're close to the faucet, you don't need a hose.

My USB tuner came with a 15" whip antenna and a coax connector. It couldn't pick up many local channels at all, while the bowtie coat hanger rig got most of them, and with the Radio shack amp, the 4 dipole bowties caught 'em all up in the attic.

And the winegard amplified batwing/wingman with the radioshack cable tv amp picks up signals from 70 miles off. I got NO from here in BR
cochise49
Explorer
Apr 06, 2014
Just after the DTV changeover, we were parked here in Sparks, NV. Digital TV worked OK on the stock batwing. Now, we are again at the same park almost same site. Fancy new DTV antenna on new rig gets same or less stations even though many more digital stations are available now. Good to hear from others that the antenna marketing is just that...an attempt to sell "new improved" antennas.
docj
Explorer
Apr 06, 2014
This is a situation in which a bare wire can work fine, but a properly sized antenna usually, but not always, will work better. Electromagnetic radiation (TV signals) have specific wavelengths (around half a meter for the signals in the TV band). An antenna the receiving elements of which are approximately this length or multiples of it will have higher gain (ability to receive) than will an arbitrarily sized wire. The OP's improvised antenna will work fine as long as the signal strength is reasonably high.
DutchmenSport
Explorer
Apr 06, 2014
Bumpy, we are, probably, 40-50 miles (straight line) from down town Indianapolis; 70 miles from Lafayette, 30 miles from New Castle, 45 miles from Kokomo, 20 miles from Noblesville. Not sure where the actual towers are though.

We live on some pretty flat ground here, surrounded by corn and bean fields, no high buildings.

That simple wire pulled in 20 channels. The bat wing in my camper, parked in my driveway, will pull in 50-60 channels. I suppose that booster pulls in more, or maybe the signal does not have to pass through walls in the house.
Chris_Bryant
Explorer II
Apr 06, 2014
Well- it's good to know that tv antennas are just a huge scam, and that a wire stuck in the TV is every bit as good. Think of the millions of dollars that you have saved people (though forcing Winegard and Channel Master out of business is not very nice).
Bumpyroad
Explorer
Apr 06, 2014
how far are you from those stations and what is the topography?
bumpy
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Apr 06, 2014
Dutch... We have been singing that song for a long time.. A long long time.
What makes it even better is one of the members here (At least one) has access to an electronics lab and has put the good old batwing up against it's main competition... and the batwing won.. Big time.

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Digital television antenna - a simple solution

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