TV Antenna Question-Update

[BFL13]

Update 26 Nov

Got one of these:

https://www.princessauto.com/en/search?Dy=1&Nty=1&Ntt=outdoor+HDTV+antenna

Can I do without the big "net" and the long VHF dipoles and still get OTA digital TV with the shorter UHF dipoles? I want to do without the "net" to reduce wind problems.

Thanks.

(The "net" as they call it seems to be a reflector like with WW2 British gunnery radars that had Yagis poking out of them.)

https://maritime.org/doc/br224/img/dia33.jpg

[wa8yxm]

One mounting option......

For assorted reasdons I have a Sunsetter Telescoping flag pole. This not the best for antenna mounting but it works well (There is one better.. Just one)

You take the antenna down and stow it INSIDE when moving.

Here is one other option. NOTE this is a not a US company

Compact mast

I have seen like masts at some Ham Swap Fests (US Government surplus type)

[BFL13]

rk911 wrote:
thanks. please update your report in a few months once you've had it up and down several times.

Went camping and tried out the new antenna (see photo). As expected by some, the routine got old real fast because we don't have a toad and use the MH as a run-about. This meant going up and down too many times. It got perfect reception though.



So now the new antenna is on the stick house for "cut the cable" reasons, and the Jack is back on the MH. It is how it is. Luck of the draw if we park where the stations are in the blind arc for turning the Winegard.

BTW, I found that you can add a standard coax amplifier to the "TV" end of the antenna amplifier, and get more signal to the TV(s), which can help a lot either in the RV or in the stick house. (Mostly in the stick house due to longer cable runs than in the RV.) You can't double up on amplifiers to the antenna.

So that's how that all worked out.

[BFL13]

rk911 wrote:
thanks. please update your report in a few months once you've had it up and down several times.

🙂 No need, I expect to win the Lotto by then, and have a new RV custom-built with the latest and greatest features.

Don't watch TV while camping anymore hardly. Used to watch it for the news and weather, but now get that on the Internet.

"Cut the cable" at home too. Get TV on the Internet and also OTA for the five "oldies" channels from Bellingham. "Stingray" Music channels that were only on the Cable are now (finally!) on the Internet too, so you can play those on your proper speakers from a laptop. So cutting the cable does not mean losing the music channels either.

For the RV we mostly use the TV set for DVDs. I have this antenna ready to use if needed or wanted. We'll see. TV seems to be the new 8-track!

[rk911]

thanks. please update your report in a few months once you've had it up and down several times.

[BFL13]

Might as well report how it went to finish this up.

Got it on the RV perched on the end of the Winegard batwing mast with an adapter I built. Mast can be raised to give antenna more height same as with batwing. No need to rotate the mast from inside like with a batwing.

Issues:

1. This is indeed too flimsy to use as an RV antenna, but I will use it by mounting it only when parked and taking it down when RV moves.

2. The coax that comes with the antenna is connected inside the housing with the rotation motor etc up there, so you can't disconnect that end and use the coax in the Winegard mast down into the RV.

I don't dare cut the coax and add standard connectors so it can all be more flexible for set-ups. This coax is thinner than normal TV coax--not sure normal connectors would even fit. So I am leaving it all as is and working with it that way. Lucky for me, it works for me as is with this RV

(Gets perfect reception, so thin coax not a problem for that)

So I have the coax down from the antenna going inside the RV by a window I can close on it and it goes to the controller from there. (Not supposed to slam a door on the coax and kink it, but the window has enough rubbery sealing to allow it to close enough to keep the mosquitoes out and not kink the coax.)

3. The rotate button on the controller stays inside so you can't see the antenna rotating. The remote they give you with a rotate button on it doesn't seem to do anything, outside or inside--no idea where you aim it to get any action. It indicates power light when button pushed so batteries ok. If it only works when aimed at the controller, then might as well just use the controller since you are inside and can't see the antenna anyway. Useless remote!

4. I need a place to stash the antenna in the RV (along with its long coax attached), but that is easy in this RV. Might be a problem with anybody else's.

5. You have to be spry enough to get up that back ladder onto the roof 🙂 (You take the coax with you up the ladder and then haul up the antenna by its coax. Reverse for getting it down.)

So really, this is not for an RV, but I like it better than the batwing or Jack, where you have to aim it by hand inside and it won't go all the way around. That was ok before with TV, but with digital you have to aim it just right. That blank arc in the Wingard mast rotation can be a problem for aiming digital.

[Dutch_12078]

Ed_Gee wrote:
Since most digital TV stations have been moved to the UHF spectrum, and assuming you are not too distant from stations, that antenna should work well.

That's no longer the case... The latest FCC repack is moving even more channels down to the high and low VHF channels to join the 400 or so that were already there.

Repack Plan

[BFL13]

Yes, the idea of mounting it after arrival has merit.

I like the 360 rotation. My Winegard has a blank zone on either side of where it gets to, and sure enough, I always seem to park so the place to aim the antenna is in the "no-go" arc! 😞

The Batwing died, was replaced with the Jack, now on the stick-house. I still have the Winegard mast and Batwing base-plate thingy.

I have to invent an adapter to get this antenna on a short pole up from the Batwing base so I can raise the mast and not have to turn it manually, but turn the antenna with its own rotation gear.

Then when lowered, keep it out of the wind going down the road, or attach it after arrival, raise the mast, and good to go. Seems like a good project! (That must be what the ladder on the back of the RV up to the roof is for 🙂 )

[wa8yxm]

George3037 wrote:
The antenna in question will work without the net (reflector) but not as well as with it. I'd say assemble it with the net as they are very light and don't have much wind resistance. I have two similar OAT antennas with reflectors. One for use with my camper and one on top of the garage on a 10' pole. Been up there for past 3 years without wind problems.

What I was going to say. plus his expierence

The "Net" (reflector) is part of what "Catches" your signal.

The long dipoles for VHF. Depends on where you are parked.

[Ed_Gee]

BFL13 wrote:
It works! 🙂


I have not figured out how to use this with my RV exactly so it does not blow away going down the road at 60 mph. That was one reason to ask about the "net" windage. It looks like there are a couple of ways--worry about that later.

Don't overlook the fact that 60mph into a 30mph headwind is 90mph, or more! That cheap thing may work well, but was not designed to hold up in that kind of sustained winds....nor motion vibration when mounted on an RV roof.

[rk911]

BFL13 wrote:
Got one of these:

https://www.princessauto.com/en/search?Dy=1&Nty=1&Ntt=outdoor+HDTV+antenna

Can I do without the big "net" and the long VHF dipoles and still get OTA digital TV with the shorter UHF dipoles? I want to do without the "net" to reduce wind problems.

Thanks.

(The "net" as they call it seems to be a reflector like with WW2 British gunnery radars that had Yagis poking out of them.)

https://maritime.org/doc/br224/img/dia33.jpg

ignoring their deceptive/untrue advertising (there is no such thing as an HD TV antenna) and the mediocre reviews (didja read them?) you will likely do OK..but just OK...and you won't be out a bundle.

you are planning to put it up when camped and take it completely down when moving or so you want to put it up and leave it attached to the RV when moving? is that why you're worried about wind? i'll tell you that height-above-average-terrain (HAAT) is your best friend. the higher up you get the antenna...any antenna (and a 25-yr old standard residential antenna with new coax will likely perform as well or possibly even better than this one) the more signal you will capture. me? if I was looking to do this I'd leave it off the camper while moving and then when parked I'd get this puppy up at least 10' above the roofline of the RV. but as I said it's cheap enough to give it a whack.

good luck.

[BFL13]

It works! 🙂

Gets as good if not better than my Jack aimed the same direction. (Swap comparison) EG, gets KVOS in Bellingham perfectly ( mostly for "Laugh-In" re-runs)--about 55 miles.

I have not figured out how to use this with my RV exactly so it does not blow away going down the road at 60 mph. That was one reason to ask about the "net" windage. It looks like there are a couple of ways--worry about that later.

I stole the Jack antenna off the RV for the stick house roof when I "cut the cable", so this one is for the RV.

Two things to warn about:
1. The long coax down from the antenna that goes into the amplifier/ rotation controller has a funny end on it that fits in the controller. A regular coax with its thin pos wire does not connect with the end of the OEM coax with its fatter pos prong.

EDIT--I have not done this, so I am assuming (!) that the OEM coax has the thin pos wire inside it like regular TV coax does.

So if you want a longer run between antenna and controller you must snip the OEM coax, add a connector to each snipped end, then insert regular coax as long as you want. That leaves the funny OEM connector end still going into the amplifier/controller.

2. The controller rotates the antenna all the way around then stops and comes back the other way around. If you want to fine- tune a direction, it seems you can't go back and forth trying to find the best spot. You have to keep going all the way and then come back --if you can remember where that was. Anyway, it takes longer to get it just so. I can't find a reverse on the thing anyway.

You get a remote controller that rotates the antenna too, but of course you have to be able to see the antenna to aim it. Hard to be in two places at once for seeing the TV set inside for best picture, while being outside looking at the antenna. Have to get DW to help with that I guess.

So thanks everyone for the good tips on how this thing should work. So far so good! 🙂

[RJsfishin]

Good luck w/ any part of that antenna. They are very fragile very cheaply made, mine won't even rotate when any wind is blowing. And in most cases, a batwing will out perform it.

[Ed_Gee]

BFL13 wrote:

Ed_Gee wrote:
Since most digital TV stations have been moved to the UHF spectrum, and assuming you are not too distant from stations, that antenna should work well.

Yes, but can I do without the "net"?

BTW this antenna has a neat feature, which is why I got it. It rotates with the power for that also coming up the coax along with the usual amplification power.

Pardon my misunderstanding....I have been in the industry many decades and did not know to what you were referring when you said "net". That is apparently a reflector for mainly the UHF part of the antenna.....and yes, removing it will degrade the gain of the antenna. The long element is for VHF.....and likely not needed for almost everywhere. I would not drive an RV with any of this antenna up, so don't understand why you want to remove part of it.

[BFL13]

"Some assembly required" to say the least. So there are wires to the big V dipole and other set of flat metal ribbon sort of "wires" to the U dipole. I guess that makes them active, as stated above. Seems like I can do without the V dipole if I want to, with the U one having its own "wires".

The net is porous, so might be ok in the wind--we'll see!

Have to try it out for the next episode in this saga.