HDTV antenna anyone???

[tsanjose]

i tried out an HDTV antenna (boosted) from a tv store and it only got me 4 channels. i started to look into them and found the jack antenna with good reviews. thinking about getting one for my pup.

anyone try this product? anyone in general cut into their roof to install any add ons? i'm curious if there are cross member rails on these pups since installing this would require you cut a 2.25" hole.

how about any other HDTV antenna types?

[RoyB]

This is a new antenna just come out for the HOUSE that has great reviews for picking up digital TV signals..

DB8 Multidirectional Ultra Long Range DTV Antenna by Antennas Direct which gives its range of 70 miles and a beam width of 35 degrees. Max Gain 15.8 dBi... Optimized for UHF channels 14-69... I didn't see a front to back ratio spec... Costs around $120


I would love to put something like this up here on my house and get away from the high monthly cable tv charges...

Roy Ken

[RoyB]

TSAN

I went with a PVC POLE up the side of my POPUP trailer. Goes up in less than five minutes... I can reach out my window flap and rotate it.

I am currently using the standard BATWING antenna on it which picks up 6-36 digital channels here on the East side of the US just about everywhere we go. The KINGS antenna will mount real easy as well. I have a KINGS antenna here now to use but have never mounted on my trailer. It works real good just laying on top of a step ladder here at the house picking up 8 or so local digital stations.

I have also used one the $90 LOWES big house yagi antenna for about a year until I finally destroyed it by folding it up for transport. That one did a bang up job pulling in the digital televison when camping.

I am not a FAN of drilling holes in the roof - It always bites me big time later.

Roy Ken

[bondebond]

tsanjose, I can't speak for your manufacturer's construction methods, but what I've seen when working with mine on a Jayco and now the Fleetwood is that they are NOT very thick. I didn't think to measure at the time, but it's between 1.0" and 2.5" thick at the most for most aluminum skin roofs. More, if it's the Coleman ABS roofs.

Check out this How It's Made episode for a video on how a PUP is constructed. Not ever manufacturer is the same, but when you see how the roof goes together, at time marker 3:16, you see that 1"x material being used with just aluminum top on one side and the vinyl covered 1/4" luan on the inside and you have a lot less comfort when crawling around up there. And that's just styrofoam for the rest of the filler/insulation.

[SCVJeff]

YC 1 wrote:
While the Jack appears to be a good antenna, there is no proof it's any better than the Winegard with the Wingman attached, but it is smaller.


I found the biggest improvement over the Winegard with the Wingman is the beamwidth. Meaning, it looks at a wider picture without being so directional. I changed the mast head out on mine mostly due to that. If you already have the batwing the Wingman is a good addition.

I’d agree with that simply because of the difference in the element count. So if there’s any additional gain to be had on the Jack, it’s probably a better, quieter pre-amp

[YC_1]

While the Jack appears to be a good antenna, there is no proof it's any better than the Winegard with the Wingman attached, but it is smaller.


I found the biggest improvement over the Winegard with the Wingman is the beamwidth. Meaning, it looks at a wider picture without being so directional. I changed the mast head out on mine mostly due to that. If you already have the batwing the Wingman is a good addition.

[tsanjose]

thanks guys. yeah im aware that it's basically a prettier UHF/VHF antenna. hey bondebond, do you know how thick the pup roofs are?

[bondebond]

Exactly. HDTV OTA signals still use the same UHF and VHF signals as was used for good old fashioned analog TVs. Google "What is the difference between an HDTV and a regular one" for more reading on the subject.

[SCVJeff]

So we are all clear....
There is no such thing as an HDTV antenna, an DTV antenna, or anything else represented to be digital anything, period. That's all sales hype from people that probably don't know any better.

What they are selling you, and what you should be looking for is a standard old UHF antenna, the same one used for the last 50+ years. While the Jack appears to be a good antenna, there is no proof it's any better than the Winegard with the Wingman attached, but it is smaller.

[tsanjose]

cool, ordered me one. anyone know how thick the roof is on at starcraft rt pup?

[YC_1]

It is a great antenna. I installed a brand new one on a command vehicle. I now have one on my crank up antenna instead of the bat wing. It works great. Call the mfgr though to be sure that thin of a roof will accomidate it. I suspect it will. You will need to get 12 volts to it so think about a nearby light fixture etc.

[lfloom]

At home we replaced our boosting HDTV antenna with this one that we bought from costco. The improvement was amazing. Clicky

[tsanjose]

do you have a pup? any pics?

[Jtermini30]

We just got a new to us RV which didn't have the digital antenna and the dealer removed the bat wing, left the arm and rep,aced it with the digital antenna. Although it was included with the sale I believe it was oly $69 for the part. It received about 50 or so channels over the weekend. :C