Residential tv antenna with powered amp?

[srt20]

Background; new camper, has worthless omni disk antenna picks up nothing. Already have Directv but want locals at camp site. Seasonal site, camper will not be moved.

I had asked previously how to get better signal. Best answers were to get residential antenna.

I'm ready to get an antenna now, but what to I do about the OEM powered switch by the tv? Do I leave it off? Or will that prevent signal from passing through? Or do I have it on, but where does the power go then? I don't think I want to send power to an aluminum antenna with no booster on it?

Thanks for any help.

[rk911]

srt20 wrote:
It's a TT/park model. 16 Keystone Hideout 38FKTS.
We are a ways out in the boonies, but everybody else gets radio and tv reception there. Of course I'm the only one with an omni antenna. The rest are all bat wings.

I'll get up on roof and get behind the stereo next time I'm up there.

We just got it in May so now I'm starting to fix/improve the stuff that bugs me or I don't like.

Thanks!

something else you should consider that may solve both your TV and radio problem. assuming you do have a separate antenna for the radio it's possible that the factory misconnected the antennas...the Omni TV is connected to the radio and the radio antenna is connected to the TV.

also if you have a video selector switch that allows you to direct video signals from multiple sources...OTA, cable, satellite, BlueRay, DVD, etc. to multiple receivers...main salon, bedroom, outside, DVR, VCR, etc. pull it if you can and check that all of those connectors are tight and actually connected. it wouldn't hurt to make a map and label those connectors while you're at it.

good luck.

[srt20]

rk911 wrote:

srt20 wrote:
One more question.

The radio reception is terrible as well. I thought I read someplace that the radio antenna is part of the omni antenna as well?
My last rv got excellent radio reception and this one doesn't even get a channel that's less than 20 miles away, which happens to be the channel I listen for baseball games.

If possible I would like to improve this as well vs just getting a portable radio.


Thanks again!

are you in a trailer or MH? my buddy has had a number of bumper pull trailers over the years and all of them have had a separate AM/FM antenna for the radio. I've owned 3-motor homes since 1986 and all of them have had a separate radio antenna on the roof. if you don't see another antenna on the roof of your RV and you can't hear anything then either the poor excuse for a TV antenna is also a poor excuse for a radio antenna; the factory forgot to install the radio antenna (hey, it can happen. the factory forgot to install the window by the sink on one of our motorhomes); or the cable isn't connected.

can you pull the radio and see if there is anything connected to the antenna connection in the back. maybe wiggle it a bit and see if something may have gotten crimped and is shorting out. worst case a simple automotive AM/FM antenna mounted where you can get a good ground (well, an OK ground will do)should produce results. if you're way the heck out in the boonies you may not be able to get FM but you should be able to get something on the AM band...especially at night when the sky wave takes over.

It's a TT/park model. 16 Keystone Hideout 38FKTS.
We are a ways out in the boonies, but everybody else gets radio and tv reception there. Of course I'm the only one with an omni antenna. The rest are all bat wings.

I'll get up on roof and get behind the stereo next time I'm up there.

We just got it in May so now I'm starting to fix/improve the stuff that bugs me or I don't like.

Thanks!

[rk911]

srt20 wrote:
One more question.

The radio reception is terrible as well. I thought I read someplace that the radio antenna is part of the omni antenna as well?
My last rv got excellent radio reception and this one doesn't even get a channel that's less than 20 miles away, which happens to be the channel I listen for baseball games.

If possible I would like to improve this as well vs just getting a portable radio.


Thanks again!

are you in a trailer or MH? my buddy has had a number of bumper pull trailers over the years and all of them have had a separate AM/FM antenna for the radio. I've owned 3-motor homes since 1986 and all of them have had a separate radio antenna on the roof. if you don't see another antenna on the roof of your RV and you can't hear anything then either the poor excuse for a TV antenna is also a poor excuse for a radio antenna; the factory forgot to install the radio antenna (hey, it can happen. the factory forgot to install the window by the sink on one of our motorhomes); or the cable isn't connected.

can you pull the radio and see if there is anything connected to the antenna connection in the back. maybe wiggle it a bit and see if something may have gotten crimped and is shorting out. worst case a simple automotive AM/FM antenna mounted where you can get a good ground (well, an OK ground will do)should produce results. if you're way the heck out in the boonies you may not be able to get FM but you should be able to get something on the AM band...especially at night when the sky wave takes over.

[srt20]

One more question.

The radio reception is terrible as well. I thought I read someplace that the radio antenna is part of the omni antenna as well?
My last rv got excellent radio reception and this one doesn't even get a channel that's less than 20 miles away, which happens to be the channel I listen for baseball games.

If possible I would like to improve this as well vs just getting a portable radio.


Thanks again!

[Dutch_12078]

srt20 wrote:


Thanks. Yes basically I'm just looking to see what to do with the factory antenna boost switch. On or off.

The switch also changes the TV connection between the antenna ("On") and the cable input ("Off"). To use the coax from the existing omni for the new non-amplified antenna without sending 12-volts to it, the best way would be to either pull the fuse for the power inserter, or drop the panel and pull off the '+' wire, and leave the switch on.

[srt20]

rk911 wrote:

srt20 wrote:

Bill.Satellite wrote:
OTA brodacast or satellite TV broadcast? Assuming you are within 5 miles of the satellite TV broadcast then you are golden. If you are outside that range you could always use your OTA TV antenna to watch the local 5 o'clock news and your satellite to watch everything else.

this is exactly what I am looking for. I just wanted to know the proper way to hook up a residential antenna to my factory camper coax that has a booster.

ok. since you're in a seasonal site just head out to your favorite big box store and get a residential antenna, X-feet of RG-6 antenna coax and a 10'-20' piece of PVC for a mounting mast. mount the antenna to the mast and connect the cable. lash the mast to the rear ladder or wherever convenient and run the cable to the TV through a window, fridge chimney, etc. locate the proper direction to point your antenna, scan for channels and away you go. if you want to add an amplifier there are amps designed for outside use and inside use...take your pick. TV signals are line-of-sight so, depending on the terrain between your antenna and the transmitters, height is your friend (hence the 10'-20' of mast).

if you want to use the factory coax then climb up on the roof. the coax from your RV antenna should terminate at a connector in the roof. run the cable from your residential antenna to that roof connector. or...just disconnect the RV coax from the back of the TV (or selector switch if you have one) and connect the residential antenna to the TV.

if you have more than one TV and you have a selector switch then connecting the residential antenna coax to the TV INPUT of the selector switch would be the way to go.

you can't use the RV amplifier since it is built into the RV antenna. the switch on the wall merely supplies power to the amp.

I hope this helps but gotta tell ya...it seems like a lot of trouble vs. just getting your locals via the satellite.

good luck.

Thanks. Yes basically I'm just looking to see what to do with the factory antenna boost switch. On or off.

What you have described in the scenerio with me hooking up the big box store residential antenna to the connection on the roof for the factory antenna is exactly what I want to do.
We plan at being at this site for years, and have been for years already. But recently bought a new camper with a crappy factory antenna. Also there will be times when I am up at the seasonal site and my wife will be home. One of us would have to give up the local channels if we were to do the local channels over the satellite. Sure maybe it's more work the day I buy and install the residential antenna, but then I'm done. Never have to worry about it again. Turn the tv on and watch whatever I want.

Thanks to all.

[rk911]

srt20 wrote:

Bill.Satellite wrote:
OTA brodacast or satellite TV broadcast? Assuming you are within 5 miles of the satellite TV broadcast then you are golden. If you are outside that range you could always use your OTA TV antenna to watch the local 5 o'clock news and your satellite to watch everything else.

this is exactly what I am looking for. I just wanted to know the proper way to hook up a residential antenna to my factory camper coax that has a booster.

ok. since you're in a seasonal site just head out to your favorite big box store and get a residential antenna, X-feet of RG-6 antenna coax and a 10'-20' piece of PVC for a mounting mast. mount the antenna to the mast and connect the cable. lash the mast to the rear ladder or wherever convenient and run the cable to the TV through a window, fridge chimney, etc. locate the proper direction to point your antenna, scan for channels and away you go. if you want to add an amplifier there are amps designed for outside use and inside use...take your pick. TV signals are line-of-sight so, depending on the terrain between your antenna and the transmitters, height is your friend (hence the 10'-20' of mast).

if you want to use the factory coax then climb up on the roof. the coax from your RV antenna should terminate at a connector in the roof. run the cable from your residential antenna to that roof connector. or...just disconnect the RV coax from the back of the TV (or selector switch if you have one) and connect the residential antenna to the TV.

if you have more than one TV and you have a selector switch then connecting the residential antenna coax to the TV INPUT of the selector switch would be the way to go.

you can't use the RV amplifier since it is built into the RV antenna. the switch on the wall merely supplies power to the amp.

I hope this helps but gotta tell ya...it seems like a lot of trouble vs. just getting your locals via the satellite.

good luck.

[srt20]

The only reason why satellite is mentioned is because it's hooked to my cable input. Otherwise it has no bearing on my questions.

Thanks

[srt20]

Bill.Satellite wrote:
OTA brodacast or satellite TV broadcast? Assuming you are within 5 miles of the satellite TV broadcast then you are golden. If you are outside that range you could always use your OTA TV antenna to watch the local 5 o'clock news and your satellite to watch everything else.

this is exactly what I am looking for. I just wanted to know the proper way to hook up a residential antenna to my factory camper coax that has a booster.

[rk911]

Bill.Satellite wrote:
OTA brodacast or satellite TV broadcast? Assuming you are within 5 miles of the satellite TV broadcast then you are golden. If you are outside that range you could always use your OTA TV antenna to watch the local 5 o'clock news and your satellite to watch everything else.

sometimes the spot beams for the locals (on DISH anyway) are pretty wide. last fall we had the same local channels on DISH between Rapid City, SD and Rochester, MN. and earlier this spring we had the same Phoenix locals in Lake Havasu City, AZ and halfway to Vegas from there.

[srt20]

rk911 wrote:

srt20 wrote:

rk911 wrote:

srt20 wrote:
Background; new camper, has worthless omni disk antenna picks up nothing. Already have Directv but want locals at camp site. Seasonal site, camper will not be moved.

I had asked previously how to get better signal. Best answers were to get residential antenna.

I'm ready to get an antenna now, but what to I do about the OEM powered switch by the tv? Do I leave it off? Or will that prevent signal from passing through? Or do I have it on, but where does the power go then? I don't think I want to send power to an aluminum antenna with no booster on it?

Thanks for any help.

if all you want are the locals just call DirecTV and change your service address. that should do it. that's what we do with DISH Network and i'll bet it works for DTV as well.

The problem for us with that is we are weekenders at our seasonal. We have the same service at home. So we'd have to change service addresses all the time, which I don't think they allow.

DISH will change our service address once a day if we want. and we change it frequently when traveling. i'll bet DTV will, too. why not call and ask? maybe see what a second rcvr would cost to place in the camper for the season.

The point is, I want OTA locals up there on antenna, not satellite. I don't want to get online, which the Internet is very poor at best up there, or have to call every time. I just want to hook up a decent OTA antenna. That's all.
I already have a receiver I leave up there permanently.

[srt20]

Bucky Badger wrote:

srt20 wrote:
Background; new camper, has worthless omni disk antenna picks up nothing. Already have Directv but want locals at camp site. Seasonal site, camper will not be moved.

I had asked previously how to get better signal. Best answers were to get residential antenna.

I'm ready to get an antenna now, but what to I do about the OEM powered switch by the tv? Do I leave it off? Or will that prevent signal from passing through? Or do I have it on, but where does the power go then? I don't think I want to send power to an aluminum antenna with no booster on it?

Thanks for any help.

Just curious how far are you at your seasonal site that you can't get locals?

I was planning to take my DTV box from Madison and bring it to Mauston, 70 miles away seasonal site. Was hoping to get local automatically up there

I am 170 miles from home and can get the Milwaukee locals on a very clear calm day. But I want to get the locals up there. Not for prime time, but for the local news for that area.

[Bill_Satellite]

OTA brodacast or satellite TV broadcast? Assuming you are within 5 miles of the satellite TV broadcast then you are golden. If you are outside that range you could always use your OTA TV antenna to watch the local 5 o'clock news and your satellite to watch everything else.

[Bucky_Badger]

Bill.Satellite wrote:

Bucky Badger wrote:

srt20 wrote:
Background; new camper, has worthless omni disk antenna picks up nothing. Already have Directv but want locals at camp site. Seasonal site, camper will not be moved.

I had asked previously how to get better signal. Best answers were to get residential antenna.

I'm ready to get an antenna now, but what to I do about the OEM powered switch by the tv? Do I leave it off? Or will that prevent signal from passing through? Or do I have it on, but where does the power go then? I don't think I want to send power to an aluminum antenna with no booster on it?

Thanks for any help.

Just curious how far are you at your seasonal site that you can't get locals?

I was planning to take my DTV box from Madison and bring it to Mauston, 70 miles away seasonal site. Was hoping to get local automatically up there

No reason to believe you will not get locals 70 miles from home. A couple of hundred miles can be a reall issue. Also, if you are already 100+ miles from the actual broadcast location, it would only take 50-100 miles driving away from that location to lose the signal. There is NO fixed number so no one can give you an exact number. The distance varies market to market as well as location to location. Generally, if you are within 100-200 miles of the center of the market you should be good. Keep in mind, that I said "generally".

Thanks Bill good info as usual. we are within 5 miles of all the broadcast locations