TV Antenna

[philh]

Winegard antenna does ok close to urban environment, start getting a bit further out and it struggles to bring in a strong enough signal.

We're parked for several months just far enough out...

So, I bought this antenna off ebay and set it up temporarily to see if it would work any better. Sitting on a table, it was almost as good as the winegard, so I bought a painters extension pole and it's now about 20' up. Pulling in 99 channels, all strong with no pixelation at all.

Pole is just tie wrapped to ladder, would like to find a more better solution. Also going to set the amp up in a more permanent set up, right now it's laying in the utility bay. Think it's going into the pass through, just need to get 120v in the bay.

[philh]

Winegard is powered antenna.

I didn't think to look at broadcast frequencies to see if it's struggling with VHF vs UHF. Elevation is a big one. For short stays, the onboard antenna should usually be fine, but we're here for several months.

[Tom_M1]

RLS7201 wrote:
Ah, now we know why your new antenna out performed the Wingard antenna.
Most trailer manufactures do NOT put amplified antennas in as OEM.
You replaced an unamplified antenna with an amplified antenna.
My amplified Wingard receives 60-90 mile signals, depending on location and elevation.

Richard

From what I've seen, most manufactures are using the Jack antenna which is amplified. The OP is using a Winegard but doesn't say what model. The most popular is the Sensar series (aka batwing) which usually is amplified. If the OP's is not a Sensar IV his results make sense. I have both a Jack and a Sensar IV. The Jack works fairly well but does poorly for VHF channels.

[RLS7201]

philh wrote:
the antenna I posted sitting on a table next to the 5er got better reception than the winegard on the roof.

I do get the height advantage. My dad flying our plane out of FL, picked up WJR in Detroit at night and used that for direct nav to detroit, way back in the early 70's.

Ah, now we know why your new antenna out performed the Wingard antenna.
Most trailer manufactures do NOT put amplified antennas in as OEM.
You replaced an unamplified antenna with an amplified antenna.
My amplified Wingard receives 60-90 mile signals, depending on location and elevation.

Richard

[philh]

the antenna I posted sitting on a table next to the 5er got better reception than the winegard on the roof.

I do get the height advantage. My dad flying our plane out of FL, picked up WJR in Detroit at night and used that for direct nav to detroit, way back in the early 70's.

[TurnThePage]

I recently had to replace my roof top antenna, and found just how shoddy the original cable was. It was thin and in my case the sheath was rotting and holey in places.

[wa8yxm]

True story.
Back in 1978 I had a new radio. The first hand held 2 Meter Ham Rig that was fully synthized. a Wilson WE-800 (2 meters is between TV carrier's 6 and 7).

Due to the Detroit Tigers playing a night game there was no way on earth I was going home at 11pm (Road blocked) so I decided to see what one watt into a "rubber Duck" antenna would do (About 1/4 watt effective I'm guessing)

I'm in Downtown Detroit (lodge Freeway s/b side between Porter and Howard)

The Repeater was in Allegan.

So you know there is a "Limit" to height is might but using a Mast Head Amplifier increases that limit.

What is the limit? Depends on the coax. the better the coax (lower loss) the higher the limit but at some point the added loss in the coax is greater than the added height gain..

I found several threads on the topic but due to the number of different grades of coax out there I don't have a calculator I can use to figure out the optimum height.
A ham from Windsor (Across the river from me) Tired, and failed, to join in he is running 10 watts into a 6DB gain antenna (40 Effective Radiated or 160 times the power I'm running) at 30 feet.

I made it, he did not. I could see his house from the 21's floor of the skyscraper my office was in.

[Lwiddis]

The flag pole suggestion is what I do. Easy to raise, lower and store.

[ItsyRV]

As wildtoad said, height is your best fiend. Many cheapo antennas work as good as expensive ones when they are up in the clouds. Easy-up manufactures a telescoping mast that can be mounted to an RV similar to what ENG vans use. MGS makes a hitch mount that can accommodate telescoping mast.

[RetiredRealtorR]

Can't I just put aluminum foil or a pie plate on the rabbit ears??? :B

[CA_Traveler]

Google Flag Pole Buddy, easy to put up and down. I made one from PVC for a weather station.

[wildtoad]

Height has always been important for OTA television. Put the Winegard on top of that pole and you’d get equal or better results. Just like an antenna on top of a 30ft mast on top of a house gets better reception than rabbit ears on top of the tv. (Well that goes back a few years)