looking for a new antanae (sp) whats the best way to go they have to be better than the 86 model on my coach .. thought about satallite but well dont want to sit in front of the tv to much.

quote:

Originally posted by robert and kimberly delucia:
thought about satallite but well dont want to sit in front of the tv to much.

Something else to consider: Both Direct and Dish have a whole bunch of music channels, too. We just switched from Dish to Direct and really notice the improvement in sound quality. Our Barth does not have a TV, but we are considering taking a dish on long trips just for the music, running it into the stereo.

running a zune for music!

If that is the Winegard crank up antenna you have, it probably is the best you are gonna get. They haven't changed them that much over the years and they work fine with the "new" digital broadcast signals.

With the metal roof, you need to get the active section as far away from the metal (ground plane) as possible.

I looked at Winegard's low profile circular antenna and it didn't work as well as the crank up that I have there already.

Of course with satellite, you would have to set up the antenna at each location and would have to know the general area to point it, you could get an automatic satellite antenna, BIG $$$, and if you parked under trees, would still have to set up an antenna that would have a clear view of the sky where the satellites are.

With Motosat and Datastorm, no need for set up. Just push the button on the computer but you do need an open view to the southwest. Connects to both internet and TV. Not inexpensive but well worth the investment. We had ours installed
about six years ago and it's been terrific.

I installed the King Dome In Motion system on my Barth and it works great. Use one of the Direct TV receivers out of the house when traveling.

I have the KVH Tracvision R5 (in-motion, which I don't need or use), and it's great.

Rusty, you mean that you don't let the "kids" watch Animal Planet while you are traveling?

Try the VuQube, available atwww.kingscontrol.com or www.campingworld.com
around $599 and PPL got them on sale for $579. The install kit is $ 268 and it can be clipped on your RV stairs easily (now I know what them are good for except falling of the roof).
VuQube finds its own signal, no need to point and find the signal, it is about the size of a giant shoe box (octagonal shaped).

After the latest 1300 mile round trip that ended yesterday, I have to say that the entire concept of digital, including converters and HDTV boxes over the air, has been a massive failure. We couldn't find a single channel, aside from the occasional public broadcast, anywhere in the southeast. I used to get 17 channels on the batwing at Dega. Now nothing! And it's not just me, I talked to everyone in our area and if you don't have high dollar satellite, you aren't watching TV. The entire converter box program appears to be another joke perpetrated on us by the manufacturers. [Look at the box to see where they were made]

There may be something wrong with your antenna or converter. With the old TV, I used the batwing and the LG DVD recorder (which had a digital tuner) and got 20+ channels at my sister's in NW MO. Got 24 channels at Nick Cagle's.

Winegard has a $30 yagi array that snaps onto the antenna, and that improves reception.

I also have had good luck with the digital reception and probably have to say it is in fact better then the old analog system. Here is the main issue, most RVs from the late that were built >'70s had a distribution amplifier that is in line with the crank up antenna, the little red light??? that is the amp being on.

HOWEVER, the band width of that amplifier is very limited and probably does not have enough gain at the frequencies that the new digital signals are being broadcast at. I took mine out and replaced it with a two output PCT Multimedia Drop Amplifier, model PCT-MA2-2P that has a cutoff at 1000 Mhz and a gain of 11 db, (the old one was dead at 400 Mhz.

I receive channels now where I never had any reception at all and as you all know I am in some fairly desolate country quite often.

The TV I have in the back is a LCD 19" that has a built in digital tuner and the front is still the old 21" and have a digital converter box, both work well.

I also got the clip on Winegard thingy but that has not made any difference, I have tested that in marginal signal areas and it didn't help.

Thanks Ed. I'm sure my antenna booster is original,[81], so you may be on something here. How much was the new booster and where can I get one?

I got mine at Fry's in LV, the 2 output one is around $20 IIRC. the link at the bottom should get you more info.

One other thing I didn't mention, you will probably have to install a "A"/"B" switch before the amp to select whether it is from the antenna (input "A") or the external cable connection (input "B") That switch was part of my old amplifier that I removed.

The new amp that I installed has a 120 VAC adapter that is rated at 15 volts but I run the amp off the 12 volt house supply without the adapter and works just fine, had no drop of signal level with the reduce voltage.

Link to PCT

If I never use an external cable connection,[never have], I wouldn't need the switch?