Supplemental antenna
We purchased a beautiful campsite only about 15 miles from home and one side is on the river. Last week it was covered with water when the river came up but it is probably back down by now. The form...
Forum Discussion
2112 wrote:
WOW, someone needs their meds
If you are installing an external antenna not to be mounted on your camper any antenna will do. It doesn't need to be an RV specific model. Use a 75 ohm cable and turn your red light off.
Is there a Radio Shack still alive in your area?
Not sure about the MED's line as I did not see any post off the deep end.
But one other thing I will add HEIGHT IS MIGHT. Now I have tested this theory several times and in various ways HEIGHT (Up to a point) Is NIGHTm for RG-6 Cable that Point is .. Well we are into very tall commercial towers.. OH, I do recommend RG-6 over RG-59 for the "Drop".
(For RG-59 the "Point" is around 200 feet as I recall)
Tests I have done
Ham radio the 2 Meter band is in between channels 6 and 7, NOTE that the modern Digital TV still uses the same old 68 Channels, only not all of them, that the old Analog did, so you use the SAME antennas.
Due to a "night game" (Tigers baseball home game at night) I was unable to leave work at the end of my shift so I got my new toy (A 2Meter Ham Rig) and hit the top button on the elevator. about 250 Feet later I decided to see what it would do.. Wound up taling to some hams in Toledo Ohio from downtown Detroit via a repeater station in Adrian MI. Repeaters are often atop tall towers as well. NOW.. Remember I'm pushing 1 watt into a not very good antenna perhaps 1/4 watt Effective Radiated Power.
Across the river, nearly exactly the same distance another ham tried to join in, From where I was standing I could SEE his house we were that close. he's running 10 watts into a high gain antenna about 30 watts ERP at 40'.. I"m running 1/4 watt at 250 feet. He was not making the trip. I was. HEIGHT IS MIGHT
From my parent's house in UNION CITY, Michigan (Google maps will give you distances) I was able to watch Detroit Stations, South Bend Indiana, and the Lansing/Jackson collection and the Gun Lake Collection (Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and Battle Creek)
All from a 100' Tower
Per the TV coverage maps that house is in a "Dead zone" NO receiption possible.
Yet I did 'em all. I suspect we could have hit Toledo OH as well but never tried.
Finaly note: That was a Channel Master antenna I think their #2 with a mast head pre-amp. the pre-amp came in after the antenna so one of the rare photos is of me, an Acrophobe, atop that tower installing the pre-amp... Suffice to say I had great faith in my climbing harness. (I would not climb without one).
One final note about Climbing towers to work on the antenna.
As a Ham Radio Operator I get to read stories of other hams who had an incident while atop the tower. Generally a wrench slipps and hits 'em in the head knocking 'em out.
One climbed with a harness, as I do. took the Fire Dept 3 hours to get him down to terra Firma and then he was treated and released at HOspital and went back up and finished the job.
Another did not believe in a safety harness. took him 3 seconds to reach the ground. and 3 days later "We are gathered here to day to remember our dearly departed".
