TV Antenna

[klr650goldwing]

We'll be heading out soon for several months. Our stock TV antenna often leaves us with no TV signal. Please suggest a better antenna that you use.

[BriaBeck]

We've got a Winegard Rayzar antenna... I think it works pretty well...

The Rayzar is a rotatable antenna... but you don't have to raise or lower it.

[MFL]

I also have a round omni antenna, that works good for closer towers. When I need longer distance reception, I use a Jack on a pole fastened to my ladder, and connected to the outside cable hookup. I have it about 4' above the roof, works great.

Jerry

[BillandCarole]

We have what we feel is one of those useless "saucer" antennas. Lousy reception. Is there an easy way to replace it?
Anytime we open a roof option, we worry about resealing it.
Regards and Thanks
Bill

[klr650goldwing]

Thanks for your help everyone. we just ordered the Winegard batwing with the Wingman addition. Hope it isn't too difficult to mount.

[TXiceman]

AS a ham radio operator, you want as much metal and as high in the air as possible. You cannot do better than the old Wineguard batwing with the Wingman addition or the Sensar IV.

The King does not do as well and the round omnidirectional antennas work equally bad in all directions. For the best reception of off air signals, it takes a big and tall conventional home antenna.

But if you really want to get TV in the wilds, get a Dish month to month plan and a Wineguard Carryout antenna...not the King Tailgater.

Ken

[BB_TX]

If you frequently travel in fringe TV areas and in parks without cable, then satellite is your best option for reliable TV reception. Dish offers a monthly pay as you go plan if you only intend to use it part time.

[RoyB]

I also tried several different antennas . The KINGS JACK was a very strong antenna setup but it lacks BEAM WIDTH. I had to constantly re-zero in on the stations as I found them. Going back the BATWING with the front dipoles picks up the same distant HDTV station but in most cases I do not have to re-zero in on the station location... To me that was more important than having just little stronger antenna the KINGS JACK antenna gave me. I live some 50-60 miles south of Washington DC where it has HDTV Station transmitter towers on both East and West sides of Washington DC. I can usually get my BATWING in just the right position to pick up the HDTV towers on both sides of town. With the KINGS JACK I have to always make two zero-in adjustments and sometimes three to be able to pick up all of the Washington DC towers from my location here in King George VA.



Google images

My best antenna in my tests was the 8 BOW TIE antenna where each of the half's could be slightly changed to spread out the beam width. This gave me very strong signals from the Washington DC metroplex area. However putting up and taking down and knowing when to move the individual panels slightly off center just wasn't RV Friendly haha... This antenna ended up on my house with both panels spread just right to pick up all of the Washington DC HDTV channels...


Google image

My camper is the OFF-ROAD POPUP TENT CAMPER and I have a PVC POLE up one side to mount my HDTV antenna we use. This works out great for me back in the woods somewhere. Installing my pole after we setup only takes a few minutes. The BATWING Antenna survives the constant putting up and taking down just fine...


Roy's image

If you have the BATWING without the front dipoles that looks like this you can really improve the reception of the new HDTV signals by adding a screw in place dipole kit.


Google image


Google image

DIPOLE KIT
This is just my observations...

Roy Ken

[wildtoad]

bob213 wrote:
I still believe the crank up Batwing with the Wingman attachment is the best you are going to find. New digital signal is much harder to receive than old analog signal. Trees, hills, buildings are all enough to disrupt the digital signal. The new stationary "saucer on a stick" antennas are worthless.

I’ve tried the King Jack, Winegard Automatic, and several others and by far the best overall is the one quoted above. But even the best will not be good enough in remote, wooded, hilly locations. OTA TV has been hit or miss since it’s inception.

[phil-t]

The Wineguard Sensar IV (the latest version from Wineguard) has been shown through testing to be the best over the air antenna available. Combined with the SensarPro (A replacement antenna amplifier); the combo is the best. If you have a Sensar antenna, add the Wingman (snap on, UHF addition, Wingman) it will make the antenna you have nearly as good as the newest Sensar IV.
Check all cable ends and connections. If you are having problems, the connections are the most likely to the cause.

[bob213]

I still believe the crank up Batwing with the Wingman attachment is the best you are going to find. New digital signal is much harder to receive than old analog signal. Trees, hills, buildings are all enough to disrupt the digital signal. The new stationary "saucer on a stick" antennas are worthless.