I drove off with the antenna up...

Sport45 wrote:
The checklist is best if you religiously use it. Flags, wraps, and anything else become part of the background when you're camping. If you use the TV for day trips and such the the steering wheel wraps will either be moved to the console or will become invisible just like a flag on the crank.

My antenna flag is clipped on the key slot. It MUST be removed before the engine can be started. When the antenna is down, the flag is clipped on the rotation knob, where it must be removed to put the antenna up. We do use a checklist as well though.

The checklist is best if you religiously use it. Flags, wraps, and anything else become part of the background when you're camping. If you use the TV for day trips and such the the steering wheel wraps will either be moved to the console or will become invisible just like a flag on the crank.

Anyone that currently has a Jack antenna is going to be replacing it in a few years when all the stations realign and VHF is again king of the hill and completely full. The Jack is not a VHF antenna at all.

Having said that, there is nothing that competes with a Batwing, period... So it's up to you... You can install a considerably lesser antenna on the roof, lose performance and antenna height and what could possibly lose all your reception, or build a checklist and use it.

HERE is the link to those REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT tags.

I just replaced my crank up antenna with the Razor Automatic. It is just a dome up there that automatically searches. Great upgrade!

Before that, I put the reminder around the steering wheel.

It is funny you posted this thread. Just today, I was driving in town and stopped a class A going through town with their antenna up. It looked to be still in good shape and I saw it come down after we flagged then down and told them.

jerseyjim wrote:
I did that too...once. My fault.....so i bought one of those "Antenna is up" things from CW. Hang it on the crank every time. No more problems.

That's where I keep my truck keys.

HeWhoIs wrote:
Now I have a broken antenna. Are there alternatives to the crank up antennas? I'd rather have one stuck to a window or something else that can't be damaged.Thanks!

Just fix the antenna! It wasn't the antenna's fault it got broke! :W

THEN put these on your steering wheel when you pull in so it doesn't happen again.


Slap RVminders on your steering wheel and you’ll never drive off without being ready for safe travel.
http://www.rvminders.com/

Old Duck wrote:
I've had both the batwing and Jack. If you go with a Jack they have a flimsy mast that breaks pretty easy. I replaced an old batwing with the Jack, got to enjoy it for about 9 months before knocking it off so went back to a crank up Sensor IV. The Jack sticks up about 9"

Cummings, how do you like the round black tv antenna? I've been contemplating it on our current rig since the stock Omni directional is horrible.

I have the jack replacement head. It goes on the crank up mast. Ye it doesn't stay flush with the roof. But anything that stays in the roof isnt going to perform as well as one that is up in he air!

We just began our 16th year fulltime. We've driven countless thousands of miles and been in and out of hundreds of CG's.

When we started this adventure we created a checklist which has been modified a few times along the way. It contains things as simple as picking up the bird feeders. That one made the list after we left one behind in our 1st year out. The list is laminated and has an arrival side and a departure side and we use a dry erase marker to check things off.

Even after all this time, we still use it EVERY time we arrive and depart. As recently as this past year, it saved us a mistake. It's a very simple solution that has served us well through the years.

I don't know of anyone who has one, but the Razar Automatic is a somewhat pricey no-crank option which should be far better than an omni directional.

I've had both the batwing and Jack. If you go with a Jack they have a flimsy mast that breaks pretty easy. I replaced an old batwing with the Jack, got to enjoy it for about 9 months before knocking it off so went back to a crank up Sensor IV. The Jack sticks up about 9"

Cummings, how do you like the round black tv antenna? I've been contemplating it on our current rig since the stock Omni directional is horrible.