antenna broke, recommend replacement?

[solismaris]

My tv antenna broke and it's time to replace it. It was the old-style rotating kind with a crank to raise and lower i, with the long horizontal bar elements (Winegard?) Looked like this (before it broke):

http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.asp?p=rv3095&d=winegard-rv3095-sensar-iii-amplified-directional-rv-tv-antenna-manually-operated-%28rv3095%29&utm_campaign=base&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=google_base

My question is, what do I replace it with? Recommendations? I'm thinking that now with the switch to digital (and all on the UHF band now) there are no longer any VHF signals to receive, so the large size isn't needed. Is there a new style that is designed specifically for the new digital UHF signals?

(Yes there is - I found lots on my web search, but was overwhelmed. I do want rotating, not omnidirectional. I found some but they seemed to be a fixed height above the roof and don't lower. I'd worry about snagging a tree branch if it can't be lowered.)

[RoyB]

If you want to keep the BATWING antenna then all you need to do is purchase a new BATWING with UHF add-on assy, It will mount to your existing crank-up assy with two pins. Takes all of five minutes to mount.

Just make sure the new BATWING antenna has the UHF dipoles added. The older batwing antennas did not have the UHF dipoles added.


I would also inspect the existing RG cable real good to make sure the F-TYPE screw on connector has not been damaged.

Roy ken

[Jim_Cindy]

We have had the Jack replacement head for 2+ years now and are happy and amazed with the difference in reception. Of course Carriage did not use the Winegard to begin with, so we can't compare.

[MNtundraRet]

Thanks for the reply, and good news on your part.

[solismaris]

Tom_M wrote:
If the crank assembly and support arms are intact you can replace just the head unit. It's hard to beat the Winegard Sensar IV for all-around reception. If you will be in areas that don't have any VHF channels the King Controls Jack is a cheap alternative. If you need to replace the crank mechanism stick with the Winegard.

Great news! It looks like the crank and arms are ok so I should be able to get a replacement head (with the UHF enhance assembly). Should be better then before!

I didn't know they were still using VHF for tv channels.

Great news because it costs 1/2 as much as an all new antenna, and I don't have any roof patching to do!

[RoyB]

I have played with some different type of HDTV antennas on my two RV trailers.

My fifth wheel is fixed at home and has the BATWING with UHF add-on and does a great job on picking the new digital HDTV signals.

My OFF-ROAD POPUP trailer did not have any antenna on it so I added a easy-up antenna pole on the sided of the roof which is supported by the roof edge and the trailer frame. This two section pole is easily put in just a couple of minutes after we park the trailer. It extends some three feet above the trailer roof.

My first antenna on my POPUP was one of those dual DIPOLEs type called a disguise antenna which did work to some degree but lacked in having any gain to speak of after going to digital TV signals... I still keep it around for a back up...


Then I went with a LOWES $80 full blown house type VHF/UHF YAGI antenna that worked very good. Probably the best of all worlds picking up the HDTV signals you could have. It lasted about one year as I finally destroyed it beyond repair by folding it up for travel for the camping trips. This yagi antenna extended out beyond the roof and sometimes tree would be in the way to rotate it around haha...




Then I went with the BATWING antenna with the UHF add-on for the POPUP and it is working out great. The BATWINg has the built-in preamp. Easy to transport and works great giving us 6-36 local digital stations just about anywhere we go to here on the East side of the US. We still pick up some high channels VHF digital stations that are still out there but the majority are in the UHF bands.

I have tried the JACK antenna with built-in preamplifier on my POPUP setup and it seems to have more gain picking up the digital local channels but being small footprint it is very directional to use. I found you really have to be right on the digital signal to pick it up. I also had to keep moving the antenna to pick up different digital stations coming from the same local town but from different towers etc. The BATWING is somewhat broader in beam width and doesn't seem to be bothered as much with this as compared to the JACK antenna.

You mentioned the JACK antenna that doesnt not lower. They make two versions one being just the rotated type or one that will fit your present raise/lower crank-up assy. The JACk antenna that is rotated only usually sits in the near vicinity of the air conditioner which probably helps it alot from low hanging trees when in travel mode.


The best antenna to use for the digital HDTV signals IMO would be the eight dipole bow-tie type DB-8 model with preamplifier module. These are just not practical to use on the RV. It would work like gang busters however on my OFF-ROAD POPUP antenna pole setup.


Just some of my thoughts....

Roy Ken

[rk911]

MNtundraRet wrote:

rk911 wrote:
there is no such thing as a digital TV antenna (or an high def antenna for that matter) and while many of the stations have migrated to UHF there are still some on VHF frequencies (CBS 2 in Chicago for example). the new Winegard Sensar IV antenna is getting good reviews (despite it's somewhat misleading marketing as receiving all "HD" channels).

BS ALERT!

Channel 2 is actually RF channel 12. As I stated channels 2 to 6 were in the RF spectrum released for other use.

yes and channel 12 is part of the VHF spectrum (2-13).

[MNtundraRet]

rk911 wrote:
there is no such thing as a digital TV antenna (or an high def antenna for that matter) and while many of the stations have migrated to UHF there are still some on VHF frequencies (CBS 2 in Chicago for example). the new Winegard Sensar IV antenna is getting good reviews (despite it's somewhat misleading marketing as receiving all "HD" channels).

BS ALERT!

Channel 2 is actually RF channel 12. As I stated channels 2 to 6 were in the RF spectrum released for other use.

[Tom_M1]

If the crank assembly and support arms are intact you can replace just the head unit. It's hard to beat the Winegard Sensar IV for all-around reception. If you will be in areas that don't have any VHF channels the King Controls Jack is a cheap alternative. If you need to replace the crank mechanism stick with the Winegard.

[rk911]

there is no such thing as a digital TV antenna (or an high def antenna for that matter) and while many of the stations have migrated to UHF there are still some on VHF frequencies (CBS 2 in Chicago for example). the new Winegard Sensar IV antenna is getting good reviews (despite it's somewhat misleading marketing as receiving all "HD" channels).

[Campfire_Time]

Replace it with this.

[MNtundraRet]

Your assumptions are wrong about ALL stations being in UHF. The information found on some advertised antennas is just BS. Only the channels below 7 disappeared.

Your best bet is replacing it with another Winegard Antenna. Second choice would be a Jack head on the raised Winegard arms. Jack will have shorter range on lower RF channels.

You still need height above the roof, and ability to aim at the transmitters for stations farther away from your site.

If you don't care if your get television signals, buy what you want.