RV Television Antenna Options
Our 2012 fiver came with the standard Winegard crank up antenna. At some point I saw where folks were saying good things about the King Jack replacement head and got one. It did improve reception some...
Forum Discussion
I will make this comment about Jack/Batwing tests...
GAIN: in an antenna comes from one of two things, Electronics or directionality.
(Beam Width)
Forgetting the electronics for the moment because, well it's easier, let us just assume King Controls is as good as Winegard in that area.. So now we are down to Beam Width.
Ok, in MOST markets all TV transmitters are going to be on or dang close to the highest spot of land around.. So Even though the studios and the "Station ID" may say (I will use Michigan as my example) Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo or Battle Creek... All the transmitters are at Gun Lake.
Now this is not always true (Not true in Detroit for example)
But in most of the country.. This is how it is done.
So a "Tight" beam antenna, has more gain, more gain means it sees farther Just like a Telescope
Opera glasses.. Not a whole lot of maginfication but you see the entire stage, Just a bit closer.
Field glasses.. Would bring that stage real close, but you'd only see half of it
A decent telescope,, You could count the pores on the Star's face.. What you coudl see of it that is, you'd have to re-aim to see it all.
And TV antennas work the same way.. IF all the stations are tightly grouped (Gun Lake) the Tight beam of the Batwing with wingman sees much farther than the JACK's wider beam.
But if you are in, say, Redford, MI.. One station is due north, another NNE another NE anther E, one I have no clue and a few more to the SOUTH.
Clearly that tight beam may need re-pointing as you change channels.
(That said all the "Detroit" Stations will be strong enough in S.Redford you don't even need to point)
GAIN: in an antenna comes from one of two things, Electronics or directionality.
(Beam Width)
Forgetting the electronics for the moment because, well it's easier, let us just assume King Controls is as good as Winegard in that area.. So now we are down to Beam Width.
Ok, in MOST markets all TV transmitters are going to be on or dang close to the highest spot of land around.. So Even though the studios and the "Station ID" may say (I will use Michigan as my example) Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo or Battle Creek... All the transmitters are at Gun Lake.
Now this is not always true (Not true in Detroit for example)
But in most of the country.. This is how it is done.
So a "Tight" beam antenna, has more gain, more gain means it sees farther Just like a Telescope
Opera glasses.. Not a whole lot of maginfication but you see the entire stage, Just a bit closer.
Field glasses.. Would bring that stage real close, but you'd only see half of it
A decent telescope,, You could count the pores on the Star's face.. What you coudl see of it that is, you'd have to re-aim to see it all.
And TV antennas work the same way.. IF all the stations are tightly grouped (Gun Lake) the Tight beam of the Batwing with wingman sees much farther than the JACK's wider beam.
But if you are in, say, Redford, MI.. One station is due north, another NNE another NE anther E, one I have no clue and a few more to the SOUTH.
Clearly that tight beam may need re-pointing as you change channels.
(That said all the "Detroit" Stations will be strong enough in S.Redford you don't even need to point)
