Antenna and Satellite Antenna

Just bought my used Class C (A 2006 Fleetwood Tioga). It was a former rental. The dealership couldn't/wouldn't address anything about the electronics in the RV like the TV. Someone had replaced the original set with an Emerson TV/DVD combo and had screwed it into the compartment right through the plastic stand. There was a DVD player and video control box in a lower compartment. If you played a DVD you would push DVD on that box and tune the TV to channel 3 for playback. It worked. I replaced the TV with a bit larger set. I built a frame inside the compartment to attach a flat screen mount to.

The question I have is the antenna. I read the instructions for the Winegard satellite dish and antenna and both are supposed to rotate. Neither would. I got up on the roof and discovered that they had calked both to prevent them from rotating. Not sure if they did this because the unit was a rental and they were afraid someone would screw something up? They both would still raise and lower. Now they rotate. I tried searching for digital TV channels and so far haven't discovered any either that or there is something disconnected where I'm getting no signal. All of the coax cables are hooked up. There's a button under the TV compartment that's pushed in (green light on) that I assume is an amplifier for the TV antenna? I pushed in the antenna button on the control box and did a search. Nothing. I rotated all the way around both ways each time searching again. Maybe I'm just too far from signals or there's something else I'm missing.

Any suggestions?

Do you have a plan with one of the satellite companies. They wont work if you arent subscribed.

I upgraded my three tv's in my 05. I had to replace my antenna to digital to get any stations. People will say you don't need to change  I did. The satellite box on older equipment tell the dish where to go. Newer one's the dish does. With no models numbers best info I can give.

You also need the correct satellite receiver for the dish. If it's a manual crank up dish, likely a Winegard RM-46 type, then not all Dish or DirecTV receivers will work with it, and no DirecTV receiver will get HD signals with it.

The OTA antenna amplifier is in the antenna head and requires 12 volts to it fed by the coax from the power injector with the LED. Disconnect the coax at the head, and with the button pushed in and the LED on, use a multi-meter to check the voltage on the roof end. If it's not there, a fairly common failure point is the connection where the coax from the antenna goes through the roof. It may be buried in caulk and take some digging to find it. The short coax from the antenna to the roof connection is easy to replace.

Ok, as others have said. For sat TV you
1: Need a plan with a service provider (Over priced rip off plan not worth it in my opinion unless you routinely camp where OTA TV is ... NOT)
2: You need a receiver, authorized under said plan
3: The antenna needs to match the receiver
4: You need to aim, fairly precisely  (Easy to do with an antenna like that)
Now some folks will yammer about satellite signal meters.. The one built into the receiver itself (SET TOP BOX) is likely better than most anything you can afford to buy.. Especially since you are adjusting from in front of the TV.

Beyond this I'll let others deal with Sat TV

Over the Air (What I am watching now)

On that control box.. Question are there a lot of buttons grouped as "Main TV" TV-2, TV-3, VCR" and the like.. Make sure the power switch is ON and the light is glowing

Now make sure you select TV ANT,, No power, no antenna

Scan again

Still no joy turn power off.. Go topside.. You have one antenna that is kind of flat, we call it a "Batwing" but the proper name is Winegard Sensar II or III.. Disconnect the coax from it and hook up a volt meter.. or small test light (And automotive test light is good, get it at Wal*mart auto dept or any auto parts place, or home brew,, I have several scattered about)

Caution.. Make very sure the center wire does not short to the nut/sleeve  I'd put the clip on the center wire.

have partner turn on power to switch box.. LIGHT ON  or battery voltage on volt meter.. GOOD

NOTHING, Turn power back off you have a cable fault.

Now, the cable,, is in two parts and the junction is suspect #1 in a cable fault

It is about 1/8" below the roof line, or perhaps sticking up THROUGH the roof, burried in caulk and possibly under a screwed down cover.. I had to replace the cable end and the joiner (Double female connector also called a barrel connector due to its shape).

If you get it to work.. Suggested UPGRADES

1: Wingman.. IF your antenna is indeed a WINEGARD the WINGMAN add on (You need nothing more than a pair of standard Pliars to install..... if that  (I used fingers only) improves UHF performance.. MOST Digital (not all) TV is on UHF.. Some of the modern "Digital Antennas" are UHF only..  The Batwing is UHF/VHF but without the wingman is better at VHF  With the Wingman the performance is about the same on both bands (Actually all 3 but let's not get that technical)

Second upgrade

I added the SENSAR PRO inside.. Now this is a lovely multi function device.. To add it I had to do a bit of "Modification"

I installed an OUTLET BOX (Standard household electrical box like you'd use for a Wall Switch or Duplex Outlet) in a handy place Damon kindly provided, basically a useless space near the antenna crank.

I disconnected the ANT lead from the box of many buttons (Matrix Switch or BOMB)

I ran a new coax "Jumper" from that jack (The ANT jack on the BOMB) to the TV-1 lead on the Sensar Pro

I re-routed the lead from teh antenna to the ANT lead on teh Sensar Pro

Since I use digital converters and an old analog DVR or two I ran TV-2 lead from the Sensar Pro to the rear converter direct.. You do not need to do this.. But it was easy for me and works well, means a stronger signal at my best receiver... But as I said, you need not do this, I only do it because I use the converters and DVR..

I also brought the CABLE IN lead out to the front so I can use it as an aux-in should I need to but.. likely never will connect to it.

Oh, and I fed it 12 volts from the 12 volt leads feeding the BOMB

What it does for me

One button selects modes  OFF, and several ON modes  (in the on modes the indicators light up.. for a period of time)

Push mode till it turns off then push once more.. Lights come on, it scans for the STRONGEST digital carrier, displays the carrier channel (See note) and strength.. rotate antenna for best strength

Next mode.. you can then press the UP or DOWN button and scroll through ALL the digital carriers it found..l You can re-peak on a DIFFERENT carrier if you wish (I often do)

Next mode: You can select a carrier channel manually, and peak on it if it exists and is detected

Next mode: You can adjust the pre-amplification (Gain) of the device,, IF, for example I'm parked at say 10 mile and the M-10 in Southfield MI.. I might wish to turn the gain DOWN (Like to zero) (Shadow of TV transmitter tower falls upon that intersection and no, I do mean literally)  On the other hand where I'm at now..20 (max gain)

Next setting: VOlume.. Now I mounted mine where I can see it ,, but in some cases that's not all that easy.. So just like those annoying sattelite users you can turn on a beep-beep-beep-beep er and tune for maximum beep

Next mode: OFF (park cable selected)

For a hundred bucks.. I really like what it does for me.

Finally the promised NOTE

In days of old when folks were bold and Television was Analog

If you tuned to Channel 7.. Well that was Carrier 7 as well 174-180 MHZ
Today,, You tune to say 7-1.. You might be seeing 7, or you might be seeing something else
For example the transmitter I mentioned above (happens to be a channel 7) is on, as best I recall, 632-638 MHZ  (41)  The Sensar Pro will display the carrier channel (41) not the TVs channel (7)

Now, if this sounds confusing, don't worry, the TV will figure it out and somewhere in the menus (if you need to figure it out) it will explain it,  Likely in manual TV channel edit list.

Wow! Thanks for all of the responses. I have satellite TV at home so I know I need a receiver and a provider for that. Right now I'm only interested in trying to get over the air TV. I'm a movie collector in my other life and have thousands of DVD's so no matter what happens I'm going to have entertainment. But my wife is a news person and likes to have the news on all of the time.

Cheers!

I bet your Winegard antenna is probably a Sensar -- maybe an older model like a II or III? They need to be able to rotate so you can get channels wherever you stop off.

Before scanning for channels, you should check out a site like TV fool or AntennaWeb to get an idea of where towers are near you. That way, you know which direction to point your antenna. If there is a problem with the amp or something looks broken off, you can probably just replace the head since you already have the crank, gears and amp already installed.

This article was helpful, and gave me some ideas for streaming this summer without needing any WiFi. Good luck! 

https://cordcuttingreport.com/2017/04/13/rv-antenna/

I also have an app on my smart phone called TV Antenna Helper Free

It takes the GPS from the phone then does a search out to xx (Adjustable) miles for TV transmnitters as listed in the FCC database.. NOTE transmitters can easily be anywhere from a few yards to a couple hour's drive from the studios.