TV antennae questions

[kend40]

Bought my new Kodiak earlier this year. Have had great fun putting 9600km on it already and think i have a good handle on most aspects of using it. BUT I am not often a TV watcher and to date have not been able to figure out the scoop on the recent changes in Canada where I think all transmission has gone digital. Should the crank up antennae on my 2013 Kodiak be able to bring in TV? or does it need either a digital converter/receiver box, or maybe a whole new digital antennae like the Jack antennae I have seen advertised?
It seems like there are lots of people on here that do watch TV in their TT's, I would appreciate any info you can share with me.

[SCVJeff]

thomasmnile wrote:
---snip---

You could add a Wingman antenna (made by Winegard) to the Sensar to improve reception if you have a problem, or replace the antenna with a Jack Antenna. The Jack is available from a multitude of places online, and can be bought as a replacement head only for the mast mounted Sensar or as a roof mount model that completely replaces the Sensar antenna and mast.

The Wingman addition if far superior to the Jack across the board: UHF or VHF. Unless there is a space constriction on the roof where you can't fit anything else, a Jack simply does not perform as well.

[SCVJeff]

wmoses wrote:
If you have an Android smartphone there is an app called "TV Antenna Helper" on Google Play that tell you the direction in which the antenna should be pointed to catch what stations. It needs to know your location, of course. No such app for iOS (iPhone / iPad).

Actually iOS has several apps that do this nicely with zero intervention from the user because it knows where it is (GPS), and how its pointed (flux gate)

- TV Towers
- OTAMap
- Tower Radar
- And if you are looking for radio stations in the area, look at RadioRadar

[CavemanCharlie]

I have a 20 year old TT using the original bat wing winegard antenna I can get at least 4 stations (or more) around here in rural SW MN. I do have a switch that I need to turn on to activate the boost for the antenna or else I get nothing. Now, if the wind is blowing the signal may freeze up or not come in. I think a batter antenna would solve this problem but, I don't watch enough TV to make it worth the cost to spend the money.

[Seattle_Lion]

I have a 2014 Kodiak. It did not come with a monitor. I did install 2 32" flat screens and they are connected to both the dvd player and the 72 ohm antenna. I also have a Tailgater satellite dish going to the HDMI input.

So far, I have only managed to receive one terrible off-the-air signal at the state parks where I camp. There are no big cities within reasonable distance from any of them. I suppose on the east coast there are many more transmitters. There is no "button" to press on my Kodiak. As far as I can tell the stock Winegard antenna is not powered. Before buying the Tailgater I explored off-air options, some have been suggested here. I came to the conclusion that without a park cable connection, there is little chance of me getting significant reception where we camp.

The Tailgater costs less than $500 and requires no real installation. I simply connect the dish (it is a box) to the satellite input on the trailer and then connect the satellite output (on the panel where the manufacturer suggests mounting a LCD) to the Dish network receiver.

Dish has a program where you only pay for the time you actually use their network. It costs from $39 - $150 a month depending on the programming you want. We just returned from our first trip with the new service. It took some trial and error to find the right location for the dish. Once we did, it was perfect. Just as good as our DirecTV at home.

Before getting the dish, we watched DVD's. I admit that I like TV and having the 200+ channels makes evenings more pleasant. I am pretty sure that you can't get this deal in Canada, but there must be some equivalent there.

[thomasmnile]

If you have the Sensar batwing antenna only and the TV in the TT is digital, you should receive signals, provided your location is close enough to the transmitters of the stations. Also, keep in mind digital signals are exquisitely sensitive to antenna orientation (antenna pointed in the direction of the transmitter). And to some degree, an over the air digital signal can be impacted by heavy precipitation, not unlike a satellite signal is lost or degraded by dense cloud cover and/or rain.

You could add a Wingman antenna (made by Winegard) to the Sensar to improve reception if you have a problem, or replace the antenna with a Jack Antenna. The Jack is available from a multitude of places online, and can be bought as a replacement head only for the mast mounted Sensar or as a roof mount model that completely replaces the Sensar antenna and mast.

[westend]

RoyB wrote:
Your 2013 trailer should already come with a digital HD ready TV.

The BLACK BUTTON on the antenna panel will also have to be pushed in (Lights comes on when pushed in) to provide power to the crankup OTA antenna. Since the changeover from analog to digital you really have to point the antenna to the town that is transmitting the BROADCAST signal.

You also have to goto the TV menu and select ANTENNA and do the search for signals scan everytime you setup at a new location.

We get 6-36 full blown high def digital TV signals here on the East side of the US just about everywhere we go... Great TV quality when you are able to tune them in...

In my POPUP I only have the Antenna panel that has the black push button so that is where I plug my HDTV into... We use the BATWING antenna that has the UHF addon dipoles. Does great... My BATWING TV antenna was added and is on a pole mounted on the side of my trailer. To turn my antenna I reach thru the window flap and turn away hehe...

We watch HDTV everywhere we go when camping... Being in the POPUP one likes to know what the storm situation is around where you are camping. The live RADAR 24/7 channels are a big help...

Roy Ken

Hey Roy,
If you have a free afternoon, you ought to build the single array of this antenna: Gray-Hoverman
I have one on a mast attached to the outside wall of my TT and the reception is unbelievable. I really haven't tested it for range but all indications are good.

[2edgesword]

Before switching out the antenna I'd follow the suggestions others have made to insure it's not something other than the antenna causing the poor reception...location, correct source selection ("antenna" instead of "cable"), antenna boost is "on", antenna direction, etc.

If you do all of this and still aren't getting reception check with another camper to see if they are getting anything to confirm that it's most likely the antenna and not simply location.

The new antenna I just installed (Jack) has a signal finder to make it easier to find the best direction to point the antenna. There are some 3rd party manufacturers that sell signal finders that can be attached to your existing antenna line in to assist in getting the antenna pointed in the best direction to pull in those signals.

[wmoses]

If you have an Android smartphone there is an app called "TV Antenna Helper" on Google Play that tell you the direction in which the antenna should be pointed to catch what stations. It needs to know your location, of course. No such app for iOS (iPhone / iPad).

[Beverley_Ken]

As others have said, right setting, TV set to antenna not cable, booster switch on, scan.
BUT digital transmissions are quite dierectional, point antenna in direction of major city, scan and fine tune from there. Also depends where you are. At home south of Barrie ON, I only get 1 station, Niagara Falls will get 15 to 20 and where we stay in central FL about 50,

Beverley&Ken

[RoyB]

Your 2013 trailer should already come with a digital HD ready TV.

The BLACK BUTTON on the antenna panel will also have to be pushed in (Lights comes on when pushed in) to provide power to the crankup OTA antenna. Since the changeover from analog to digital you really have to point the antenna to the town that is transmitting the BROADCAST signal.

You also have to goto the TV menu and select ANTENNA and do the search for signals scan everytime you setup at a new location.

We get 6-36 full blown high def digital TV signals here on the East side of the US just about everywhere we go... Great TV quality when you are able to tune them in...

In my POPUP I only have the Antenna panel that has the black push button so that is where I plug my HDTV into... We use the BATWING antenna that has the UHF addon dipoles. Does great... My BATWING TV antenna was added and is on a pole mounted on the side of my trailer. To turn my antenna I reach thru the window flap and turn away hehe...

We watch HDTV everywhere we go when camping... Being in the POPUP one likes to know what the storm situation is around where you are camping. The live RADAR 24/7 channels are a big help...

Roy Ken

[kend40]

Only time i tried was in the canadian rockies.....there I DID do a digital channel search with the tv set to receive from antennae, but got absolutely nothing at all for signal. Tried this with the antenna in about 12 positions (rotating it)! Guess I will have to try it in a city location next.

[Mandalay_Parr]

Like said above your present antenna will work just fine. Your TV is probably digital as well. Did you do a channel search? Is your TV menu set for Antenna?

Let us know.

[bmj11]

In the USA you are also only using digital for TV and Canada is the same . Your Antenna will work exactly the same in North America