Another antenna question

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Another antenna question

Postby kartvines » Wed Feb 15, 2006 8:33 am

­Now that I have bought a 8" flip down TV on Ebay, I am pondering the need for a antenna, that would bring in clear TV transmission. I do not want any thing that create another hole in the teardrop, review a couple but nothing seems to jump out at me as the one to get. Then last night while watching TV I thought that most TV home antenna are made of aluminum, and wondered why I could not wire the outer skin to act as a antenna, I have asked a question about antenna before but I guess I am still in the need to know phase. I have no idea how much time we may spend watching TV while camping, but when we do I want a viewable picture.
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Postby cracker39 » Wed Feb 15, 2006 9:15 am

I've looked into antennas for my TTT, as my wife does not want to miss her soaps if we're camping on a weekday, and have decided to get this fold-down, amplified RV antenna made by Winegard. They are a well-known maker of antennas (antennae?), so I trust that it will work ok.

I haven't seen any antenna that you can use without putting a hole in your cabin (other than for a connector on the skin for the coax), unless you want to stick one on a pole outside and plug it into said connector. Here's link to a web page with all kinds of antenna info...what makes them work, how to build one, etc. Back in the 60s, I made a simple TV antenna using wood, aluminum foil, and a flat (300 ohm) antenna wire stuck on a 20' high pole. It was cheap, simple, but not very pretty, and it even worked pretty good for local stations.
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Postby emiller » Wed Feb 15, 2006 12:22 pm

:thumbsup:I just put one of these in my teardrop after having a flip down. http://lostbwanaoutfitters.com/detail.asp?product_id=23 I like the to have easy access to my antenna so I can plug in cable when a park has it available or my rabbit ears.
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Postby ARKPAT » Thu Feb 16, 2006 3:33 am

Cracker39 has a "LINK". Just look under "How I did it". The Roof Jack tripod on the ground; that is what I use when out in the boonies chasing VHF/UHF DX contacts ( HAM talk for talking to distant stations ). The same idea is involved as in receiving a T.V. signal. Most HD/Lowes/Walmart/Radio Shack have them and an all channel T.V. antenna will do with the cable (coax) to the antenna/matching balun(if you use 75 ohn cable)/T.V. combination. The old stand-by cheap "Rabbit-ears" set on the trailer might work. :D
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Postby cracker39 » Thu Feb 16, 2006 7:32 am

Pat, that tripod mount is a good idea for setting up a standard antenna. Maybe with some "guy wires" to keep it upright if it is windy. One could also put a couple of those small "clamps" that hold conduit in place on the side of the trailer with wing nuts on bolts to hold a temporary pole to put the antenna on. Rabbit ears would work in areas close to cities, but for remote areas an amplified antenna would be better. I chose to get the Winegard unit because 1) it is amplified, and 2) it can be raised, turned for reception, and lowered to travel from inside my TTT. By the time one buys an antenna, cable, amplifier, pole, stand, etc. I'd think one would spend almost as much as I will for my fold-away antenna. It comes with the mount, cable, connectors, etc. in one package.
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Postby Ira » Fri Feb 17, 2006 8:46 am

Here we go again!
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Postby Arne » Fri Feb 17, 2006 3:16 pm

i found a directonal rv amplified antenna at radio shack for 100... i did not buy it as i'm on the road, but will when i get home and have the tools to do the job right...... i had forgotten to bring a bunch of recorded vcr tapes, and also would like to see the olympics without the snow.....
www.freewebs.com/aero-1
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Postby cracker39 » Fri Feb 17, 2006 5:33 pm

arnereil wrote:i found a directonal rv amplified antenna at radio shack for 100...


I looked at their online site, and couldn't find it. I think I'll go to a store and look. I'd like to see it. Did this one mount outside or an inside antenna?
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Postby 48Rob » Fri Feb 17, 2006 6:46 pm

Hello Mike,

I can't explain why it doesn't work, we tried it, and I'm sure a few others have as well, but hooking the leads onto the skin/roof just doesn't make a good antenna :(

We also tried throwing a coil of wire into a tree...works great for a radio signal, and it sort of works for tv, but not as well as rabbitt ears.
The coil in the tree idea has a pretty interesting history.
Though not the intended purpose, wartime radio operators discovered a slinky made a great antenna :thumbsup:

Anyway, the best solution we ever found was a 30-40 dollar amplified rabbit ear style antenna.
Works okay inside, but is better outside.
Big problem is that you have to plug it in.
No doubt some of the satellite systems are way better, but thats going a bit beyond the basic antenna idea.

On this tear we installed a large antenna between the two layers of roof skin.
Seems to work okay in the drive, but will have to report back when we go camping.

Rob
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Postby kartvines » Fri Feb 17, 2006 7:02 pm

OK I have reviewed the Winegards, and to me they seems too large for a small trailer. I also do not like the idea of adding another hole in the roof of the tear that could cause me a problem down the Line. I also went to 2 Radio Shacks looking for TV mobile antennas and both told me that they do not stock them.
If I have to go the Winegard route, I can, If that is what it is going to take to get a station to come in.

So all of you that are now using the Winegard antennas , please provide me with your honest feed back.

I tried rabbit ears and nothing came it but static.

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Postby BrwBier » Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:32 pm

So Ira, tell me where are you going to get an ice house to mount that antenna on?
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Postby TomS » Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:48 pm

BrwBier wrote:So Ira, tell me where are you going to get an ice house to mount that antenna on?
Brwbier


No problem. They got millions of them in South Florida . :lol:
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Postby cracker39 » Sat Feb 18, 2006 7:40 am

kartvines wrote:
So all of you that are now using the Winegard antennas , please provide me with your honest feed back.

I tried rabbit ears and nothing came it but static.

Mike


I haven't heard any other builders mention the Winegard before I did, and I haven't used one yet. I'd really like to know too how well they work.
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Postby Larwyn » Sat Feb 18, 2006 8:30 am

cracker39 wrote:
kartvines wrote:
So all of you that are now using the Winegard antennas , please provide me with your honest feed back.

I tried rabbit ears and nothing came it but static.

Mike


I haven't heard any other builders mention the Winegard before I did, and I haven't used one yet. I'd really like to know too how well they work.


I have the Winegard on my 5th wheel trailer. It has barely acceptable reception in remote areas, and in a hard blowing rain has been know to allow water to enter the trailer. As the trailer is now in a semi-permanent location I am using a pole mounted home antena for now. I have used old fashion rabbit ears connected to the outside cable connetion and gotten better reception than from the Winegard.

In my opinion having this antena is not a good reason to put a hole in the roof. Another thought is that the antena will be much closer to the ground on a TD than it is on top of my 5th wheel trailer, probably providing even weaker reception.

I would check out other options.
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Postby Arne » Sat Feb 18, 2006 9:41 am

the antenna mounts outside, is about 4 feet wide, long and narrow, 2 pieces about 3 inches apart... it folds down for travel and is used on a lot of rv's e
specially the mid-small sized..... it needs a mast, but that can be any height.

i just did a search, there are a ton of them.. when i get home i'll look for a review and get one.
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