Improving TV Reception

gypsmjim · 10-09-2014, 11:04 AM

Our boondock campsite is quite far from the local TV stations, plus we're in a valley with a tall mountain between us and the stations. Reception is hit or miss. At times we can get 2 of the 3 local network stations, and none at other times.

I must say that the antenna on our new Jayco 195RB is much better than the old house antenna on our old TT. But still not like being in the city.

Are there any mods or additions that can be done to improve reception?

Cosmik Debris · 10-09-2014, 01:06 PM

Not much if a mountain is in the way.
I added a "wingman" to mine and it helps. Maybe there are other transmitters located in other directions from you, like out the valley.

gypsmjim · 10-09-2014, 06:13 PM

I googled the "wingman" and it sounds like a good deal. However, it is directed at UHF signals, which I don't have anyway. What I really need is a VHF booster.

wwsmith111 · 10-09-2014, 06:31 PM

Two options are to extend the height and/or get a bigger ant. You could buy a home style ant. and mount it on a pole. Some of the home type ant. will actually fold up flat when not in use. You can route the external 75 ohm coaxial cable from the ant. to the sat/cable in on the side of your RV if it has one or direct to the tv. Also get an amplifier for it. You could also try getting a bigger ant. and tie wrap or hose clamp it to your existing roof mount ant and hooking it to the existing coaxial cable.

Hitch Pin · 10-09-2014, 08:57 PM

We camp around a lot of hills, our jay flight came with a winegard antenna, I added a wingman on it and still had trouble picking up the local TV stations, sometimes I was not able to get anything.

I replaced it with a jack antenna, now I get all of the local stations and all of the UHF stations as well, in the same places where I couldn't pick up anything before. I get a total of 27 stations now.

Hitch Pin · 10-10-2014, 09:20 AM

Here is a list of the stations that I get, I went out and counted then today. May not be the same where you live.

3.1
3.2
8.1
8.2
11.1
11.2
13.1
13.2
14.1
25.1
25.2
25.3
29.1
29.2
29.3
29.4
29.5
29.6
30.1
33.1
33.2
38.1
38.2
38.3
42.1
42.2
42.3
61.1
___________
28 Total

Witt74 · 10-10-2014, 11:05 AM

I just replaced the antenna on our TT with the King Jack antenna. Here in the driveway after aiming the antenna and running the channel scan, I picked up a total of 41 channels, 35 of which are viewable without further adjustment, and includes 22 new channels I never even heard of before.Before ,we only got about 7 channels with the stock antenna Can't wait to try it out on our trip later this month.

Jeff61 · 10-10-2014, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hitch Pin

We camp around a lot of hills, our jay flight came with a winegard antenna, I added a wingman on it and still had trouble picking up the local TV stations, sometimes I was not able to get anything.

I replaced it with a jack antenna, now I get all of the local stations and all of the UHF stations as well, in the same places where I couldn't pick up anything before. I get a total of 27 stations now.

If you replace the wingard with the jack antenna do you have to do anything with the wingard antenna amplifier? Like get rid of it or replace with something else?

Hitch Pin · 10-10-2014, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff61

If you replace the wingard with the jack antenna do you have to do anything with the wingard antenna amplifier? Like get rid of it or replace with something else?

You just use the wingard antenna amplifier.

Here is the link to king controls jack web site, it tells all about it, and you can download the Owner’s Manual.

http://kingcontrols.com/product/king-jack-head/

havnfun · 10-10-2014, 08:33 PM

I put a Jack antenna on ours and it tripled the channels I was getting on the Winegard with added Wingman. Super easy install with only two pins to remove as I recall. Took all of about 4 minutes. Hardest part was climbing up the ladder. Lol
Happy RVing
Jeff

Hitch Pin · 10-10-2014, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by havnfun

I put a Jack antenna on ours and it tripled the channels I was getting on the Winegard with added Wingman. Super easy install with only two pins to remove as I recall. Took all of about 4 minutes. Hardest part was climbing up the ladder. Lol
Happy RVing
Jeff

Your right, only two pins to take out and put back in, plus the cable. all I needed was a small pair of pliers to change it out, It took me longer to get up on the roof than it did to change it out.

RoyBraddy · 10-11-2014, 05:41 AM

gypsmjim - The NATL BROADCAST TV SYSTEM went to DIGITAL TV some time back which starts in the HIGH VHF BAND and is mostly UHF BAND now... All digital now - no more analog TV signals.

This requires you to really point good with your antenna and of course you have to scan in the digital signals into the TV MENU before you can view them... You also have to use the HDTV READY type monitors. Ours is the VIZIO 24-inch HDTV from WALMART.

All of your TV signals will be viewed in high def TV now... Being digital format they either work real good or not at all hehe...

We use the BATWING antenna here which has the UHF dipoles on it. Looks like this google photo.. We get great reception with the BATWIG antenna here on the East side of the USA once you tune them in...

Roy Ken

RoyBraddy · 10-11-2014, 05:54 AM

Assuming you are using your antenna setup correctly. We goto the TV menu and select ANTENNA and push ON the push button on the Antenna WALL PLATE inside the trailer. A small light comes on telling you 12VDC is being sent up to the BATWING Antenna pre-amplifier.

Then we point the OTA Roof Mounted BATWINIG antenna towards the local town transmitting the TV signals.

Then we start the DIGITAL TV SCAN on the TV MENU. If we are picking up digital stations we usually start seeing the station counter start working within 15% of the scan. If we don't see any digital TV stations being counted then we stop the scan and move the antenna slight one direction or the other then restart the TV SCAN again. Our TV SIGNAL scan takes a long time to finish on our VIZIO TV. We also have to scan for TV signals everytime we setup somewhere different.

We usually get 6-36 Digital TV Signals just about everywhere we go here on the East side of the USA.

We camp alot in the mtns along the Blue Ridge 100 miles from here and find all kinds of digital TV STATION from the various towns all over Virginia. Of course they are transmitting the same CBS ABC FOX NBC PBS signals but at least you get to pick which one seems to be the best viewing... Love the local towns WX RADAR stations to keep tabs on the storms in the local area.

Roy Ken

Cosmik Debris · 10-11-2014, 07:12 AM

TV transmitter sites are not usually located center of town, but more commonly on a tall mtn nearby. I found a garmin POI file that someone had compiled of the locations based on the FCC database. I can fire up the garmin and see little tower icons and station callsigns around where we are, and distance out. Makes finding the azimuth much less trial and error. Its fairly old but I'm hoping that mtntop sites don't change often.

Hitch Pin · 10-11-2014, 08:58 AM

With the king, I pick up 19 out of the 28 stations that I get without turning the Antenna, then I turn it about 95 degrees and get all the others. I couldn't do that with my other Antenna, even with the wingman installed.

gypsmjim · 10-11-2014, 11:25 AM

I'm familiar with the digital TV setup and my equipment is all brand new. The signals that are the closest to me are about 80 miles away. Right next to our campsite is a "mountain", with the peak about 120' above my antenna. I have to rescan every time we go camping, and I get only 1 station about 50% of the time. One time we actually got 2 whole stations.....LOL. Building a tower, raising the antenna or moving the trailer are not options. I can't even get cellphone service there, but if I climb to the top of the mountain the phone works just fine.

I was just looking for a simple low cost solution, but I don't want to buy something unless I'm reasonable sure that it will be better.

I can (and do) watch DVDs, and if all else fails my wife and I can always talk.....

Witt74 · 10-11-2014, 01:03 PM

Oh no, the talk! LOL Usually the DW and I have our heads buried in a book

Hitch Pin · 10-11-2014, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gypsmjim

I'm familiar with the digital TV setup and my equipment is all brand new. The signals that are the closest to me are about 80 miles away. Right next to our campsite is a "mountain", with the peak about 120' above my antenna. I have to rescan every time we go camping, and I get only 1 station about 50% of the time. One time we actually got 2 whole stations.....LOL. Building a tower, raising the antenna or moving the trailer are not options. I can't even get cellphone service there, but if I climb to the top of the mountain the phone works just fine.

I was just looking for a simple low cost solution, but I don't want to buy something unless I'm reasonable sure that it will be better.

I can (and do) watch DVDs, and if all else fails my wife and I can always talk.....

If your able to get 1 and sometimes 2 stations with the winegard antenna, I'm sure you can do a lot better with a jack antenna. We camped at two campgrounds and couldn't pick up but one station when we had the winegard with the wingman, we have been back to the same campgrounds and on the same sites after I installed the jack, and was able to get 20+ stations.

gypsmjim · 10-19-2014, 07:02 PM

OK, you guys sold me. The last 2 weeks we couldn't even get 1 station, so we bought a JACK. After an effortless installation I turned on the power switch and the green light lit up on the wall panel (as it always has). Then I checked the red light on the antenna an it WASN'T lit. I seem to have power at the back of the wall panel.

Anyhoot, I scanned the TV anyway and I DID get one channel - not the one we used to get but a different one. It came in well and the picture quality, etc. was excellent. I didn't do the 4-direction scan because we had to leave.

Is it safe to assume that there WAS power to the anteena, and the red light is bad? Or will the antenna work without power?

Hitch Pin · 10-20-2014, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gypsmjim

Is it safe to assume that there WAS power to the anteena, and the red light is bad? Or will the antenna work without power?

If the red light on the antenna is not on and you are only getting one channel, the antenna is not getting power. The antenna will work without power but you will not pick up much, I can pick up two channels with the power off and that's it, with the power on I get 28 channels.

You may also like: