Pointing TV Antennae?

LongIslandCamper · 05-02-2012, 08:51 PM

Our TV antennae is just a bar. How do we go about pointing the antennae? There's a pull down dial inside the camper used to rotate the antennae and that pull down dial has a little arrow on it. Is that what we are supposed to use?

Also, there's a plate above the pull down part with the same arrow. I believe you are supposed to line up the two arrows to put the antennae down, right?

Daxton · 05-02-2012, 10:01 PM

I believe you are correct. After you crank it up you can pull down on the dial and it will swivel around until you get the desired reception. The arrows must be lined up to crank up and down.

rwilley · 05-02-2012, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daxton

I believe you are correct. After you crank it up you can pull down on the dial and it will swivel around until you get the desired reception. The arrows must be lined up to crank up and down.

Thats how it works.

LongIslandCamper · 05-02-2012, 11:57 PM

And the arrow on the pull down dial points in the direction of where you think the broadcast comes from?

wiscampsin · 05-03-2012, 07:16 AM

Does your tv have a signal strength meter? If so I'd use that to point the antenna to get the best signal.

**norty1** · 05-03-2012, 07:47 AM

For starters, I look at the other rigs with antennas up and start with the same general direction they are in.

Here: http://transition.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps/
is a site that has some interesting info. You can find stations in your area and it gives you compass headings to point to them. You will need a boy scout compass. Most digital reception at a location will only come from 1 or 2 general directions and this map will give you some tips.

LongIslandCamper · 05-03-2012, 08:21 AM

The problem is that I don know what direction to turn the antennae once I know where the signal is coming from. Is the arrow on the pull down dial supposed to be aimed at the desired location?

dalenoel · 05-03-2012, 08:38 AM

With your antenna pointing any direction, note the arrow direction and the antenna direction.

Then go to this Website and find the type of antenna you have. Look at the arrow in the photo of your antenna and you can see if the arrow on the pull-down part is in line with the direction to aim or opposite. It may even be at a 90' angle to the arrow. Mine is that way

Good luck and I don't think we can help more.

David472 · 05-03-2012, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cm11599ps

The problem is that I don know what direction to turn the antennae once I know where the signal is coming from. Is the arrow on the pull down dial supposed to be aimed at the desired location?

The "bar" type antenna is known as a dipole antenna. The best reception is in the direction perpendicular to the line of the bar. In other words, it's bi-directional, 90 degrees from the line formed by the bar. Visually compare the inside arrow with the axis of the bar, and go from there.

**norty1** · 05-03-2012, 02:16 PM

As the last 2 posters have stated there is no set rule. The arrow is for you to know where the antenna has to be to sit on the roof for travel. When you raise it w/o turning it, look at it from the outside and see which direction it is pointing. The widest part of the antenna should point in the direction of the station. It receives from both directions.

It can be as scientific or as simple as you want to be with it.

RVhiker · 05-03-2012, 02:27 PM

I use one of these meters to help aim the antenna. It is really a rather crude meter, but it helps somewhat.

rwilley · 05-03-2012, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by norty1

It can be as scientific or as simple as you want to be with it.

I use the simple method. I turn the antenna till I get the best picture.

**norty1** · 05-04-2012, 06:37 AM

Simple is best for me too! Usually, I just look at the others and start there. Usually nothing on even if it is a good signal.

dg1971 · 05-04-2012, 09:44 AM

Where we go camping, there is no TV signal (yeah) .....but then the DW brings out the DVD's and I go watch the stars, being the old fogie that I am.

Diesel Donnie · 05-04-2012, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cm11599ps

Our TV antennae is just a bar. How do we go about pointing the antennae? There's a pull down dial inside the camper used to rotate the antennae and that pull down dial has a little arrow on it. Is that what we are supposed to use?

Also, there's a plate above the pull down part with the same arrow. I believe you are supposed to line up the two arrows to put the antennae down, right?

I assume you have a Winegard antennae- When the antennae is down, the wings point forward and back- The antennae will not lower properly unless the pointer on the rotating control is in alignment with the stationary part- When the antennae is up, the strongest signal is received from the face of the antennae which is the flat side- If possible, ascertain the physical location of the broadcast towers within your range and point the antennae in that general direction until you have the best picture- JMHO- DD

LongIslandCamper · 05-06-2012, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by norty1

For starters, I look at the other rigs with antennas up and start with the same general direction they are in.

Here: http://transition.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps/
is a site that has some interesting info. You can find stations in your area and it gives you compass headings to point to them. You will need a boy scout compass. Most digital reception at a location will only come from 1 or 2 general directions and this map will give you some tips.

Thanks. I finally got a chance to sit down and look at things. I went to that site and input my location and it gave me the channels that I could possibly get along with their supposed strength. It also gave me the compass heading too.

I now have a better understanding of the antennae. What doesn't make much sense to me are the two arrows on the dials. I understand that the two arrows need to be lined up in order to get the antennae down. No problem there. What I don't get is why they didn't put the arrows pointing in the direction where the antennae should be pointed to get reception. It would be a simple process of simply putting the arrows in the correct position. Doesn't make sense.

Anyway, I copied down some of the channels I could get and their compass headings and then went to the camper. When the arrows are lined up then the antennae receives a broadcast from the direct left side of the camper. If the front of your camper was pointing north then when the arrows on the antennae dials are lined up then you are picking up signals from the east. Sounds like you guys are the same way.

First thing I did was take a pencil and draw a little line on the pull down dial so I knew what direction to point the antennae. I took out my iphone and used the compass app to get my headings. Most of the major networks are in the same location at 271 west so I pointed my new pencil line at 271 west. I'm a little far away from these stations but I was able to get their station info shown on my television with the display of "poor signal" on the screen. I was able to get audio from time to time.

I'm happy that I finally got everything figured out. I will probably look into the Wingman adapter for the antennae to see if I could get better reception on those channels. Thanks for the help!

RoyBraddy · 05-14-2012, 01:59 PM

I get my compass out and align up the rotating compass scale to NORTH. This then will at least let me know where the towns might be located that is transmitting the Natl Broadcast Digital HDTV stations.

Then I go thru the process of logging in digital stations on the HDTV menu by selecting ANTENNA MODE and then scanning for stations. For my VIZIO 22-inch HDTV if I dont see any digital stations start logging into the scanner from the first 15% of scanning I will stop the scanning and move the antenna a few degrees one way or the other.

The I restart the search again of rscanning in digital stations. When you start seeing some pop into the scan window then pretty much no you are close aligned up woth the HDTV stations being transmitted.

We love our OTA digital TV reception capabilities. We normally here on the East Coast get from 6 -36 Digital High Def full screen TV reception. You dont get this when you are connected to site cable TV. You get all the sations but they are in analog mode. Much better to watch your local NBC-ABC-FOX-CBS-PBS stations in full HDTV mode. I do this at all the camp sites. Watch the OTA antenna HDTV signals for the local station then switch mode to CABLE and watch the other cable stations.

Works great for us doing it this way.

Nothing better than watching NCIS on CBS using the OTA crankup antenna in FULL HDTV FULL SCREEN mode when you are way back in the woods running off your batteries and inverters.

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