TV Antenna

Is there a modern digital antenna that will connect to existing mount on a 2005 Itasca Meridian? Thanks.

There is no such thing as a digital antenna. Any TV antenna will pick up either digital or analog signals. The term digital antenna is a marketing hype to convince people to change their antenna when it necessary.

Sellerbird is correct, if you are using the original early 2000 TV set you will need to add a converter box to receive digital signals. 

A regular ol' Winegard batwing with the add-on Wingman is as good as it gets.

Thanks

Bigals1 said:

Is there a modern digital antenna that will connect to existing mount on a 2005 Itasca Meridian? Thanks.

Click to expand...

it is already up there.. Yup. as far as the ANTENNA is concerned there is no difference between analog and digital television. THough just now the Radio room in my RV is ... being updated (new floor. New operating chair) so the radio is offline I run both digital and analog radio. Same radio, Same antenna, Same Same Same

Analog I use microphone and speaker
Digital I hook in a computer (HP Win-10 Laptop)
WOrks great.

Next page.

YOu can however UPGRADE the antenna a bit

Assuming your existing is a Winegard Sensar II or III (Batwing) the "Wingman" adapter, about 30-40 bucks, improves UHF performance.. The antenna as it sits is a bit better on VHF but adding the WINGMAN brings UHF up to about the same range.

You point the wingman toward the TV tower.

NOTE: Some folks brag about one called the JACK.  When you put 'em side by side the difference depends on the carrier channel but at the CLOSEST the Winegard is 2x the antenna the jack is (this means 1.414 the range) at the best.. Much better.. NEVER worse.

Another upgrade (about 100 dollars more or less) is the SENSAR PRO.. this replaces your existing wall plate with the switch, Light, Outlet and antenna conneciton.

It adds still more signal improvement, Plus many additional useful functions, at the cost of the useless 12 volt outlet.

Right now I am able to watch ONE station (3 services .1.2 and .3) well, on the site I"m on. Without those improvements I'd be 0/0.  Still I get my morning news.

OH I mentioned my Ham radio. Same radio, Same antenna
Voice (Analog) I an reach around half the USA reliably all of CONUS on occasion Never even heard Hawaii, Have nade one overseas contact

DIGITAL. and running less than half the transmitter power.. About half the world. Solid copy

Thanks for the info John

John From Detroit said:

it is already up there.. Yup. as far as the ANTENNA is concerned there is no difference between analog and digital television. THough just now the Radio room in my RV is ... being updated (new floor. New operating chair) so the radio is offline I run both digital and analog radio. Same radio, Same antenna, Same Same Same

Analog I use microphone and speaker
Digital I hook in a computer (HP Win-10 Laptop)
WOrks great.

Next page.

YOu can however UPGRADE the antenna a bit

Assuming your existing is a Winegard Sensar II or III (Batwing) the "Wingman" adapter, about 30-40 bucks, improves UHF performance.. The antenna as it sits is a bit better on VHF but adding the WINGMAN brings UHF up to about the same range.

You point the wingman toward the TV tower.

NOTE: Some folks brag about one called the JACK.  When you put 'em side by side the difference depends on the carrier channel but at the CLOSEST the Winegard is 2x the antenna the jack is (this means 1.414 the range) at the best.. Much better.. NEVER worse.

Another upgrade (about 100 dollars more or less) is the SENSAR PRO.. this replaces your existing wall plate with the switch, Light, Outlet and antenna conneciton.

It adds still more signal improvement, Plus many additional useful functions, at the cost of the useless 12 volt outlet.

Right now I am able to watch ONE station (3 services .1.2 and .3) well, on the site I"m on. Without those improvements I'd be 0/0.  Still I get my morning news.

OH I mentioned my Ham radio. Same radio, Same antenna
Voice (Analog) I an reach around half the USA reliably all of CONUS on occasion Never even heard Hawaii, Have nade one overseas contact

DIGITAL. and running less than half the transmitter power.. About half the world. Solid copy

Click to expand...

Hi John,

Do I understand you correctly in that you are using your Winegard Sensar directional TV antenna for your amateur radio transmitter? (Albeit not at the same time as using the TV)

Thanks,
Randy

No I use a 50 or 80 foot long wire for the Ham bands..

But the point I am trying to make is the mode of transmission, DIgital (Several types) analog or CW. does not matter to the antenna. All it cares about is the FREQUENCY and when the country went to Digital TV.  many stations changed to UHF but .. the frequencies are the same 68 Base frequencies we have been suing for a long. long time (used to be 82 but some of those got dropped) So no matter how old your antenna is. back to around 1970.. (Some times back then they were VHF only) it should work. and work well.

The FCC released the original 68 UHF channels, 14-36 and 38-83, for TV use in 1952. After the various recent FCC mandated repacks, the UHF channel map has just 35 channels now, 14-36 and 38-50. Channel 37 has never been used to prevent interference with radio astronomy. A number of UHF channel licensees will be moving to VHF channels, mostly this year and next. Other stations are giving up their licenses but will stay on the air as a sub-channel under another licensee.

Agree with John, but many older (pre-2007) tv antennas were optimized for VHF reception and were medicore at best for UHF. That ws simply because the vast majority of areas were served by VHF (channel 2-13) stations.  With the channel shifting to UHF that coincided with digital tv, some people experienced degradation of their tv reception. Those can probably benefit from either a UHF add-on  or a newer model of antenna.

Now Dutch points out that there will be some further channel frequency changes, some of them back to VHF. Maybe wait and see if that helps.

There will be 400+ stations on high and low VHF, plus some of the stations moving to sub-channels, when the repack "dust" settles. The simplest and cheapest "best of both worlds" for older Winegard "batwing" antennas is the Wingman UHF yagi upgrade. It's literally a snap to install and needs no wiring. The ~$30 Wingman add-on makes the older Sensar III antennas the equivalent of the current Sensar IV antenna that has the Wingman elements built-in.  In total, 986 stations are changing channels and 152 are giving up their licenses.


https://www.rabbitears.info/repackchannels.php

Gary RV_Wizard said:

Agree with John, but many older (pre-2007) tv antennas were optimized for VHF reception and were medicore at best for UHF. That ws simply because the vast majority of areas were served by VHF (channel 2-13) stations.  With the channel shifting to UHF that coincided with digital tv, some people experienced degradation of their tv reception. Those can probably benefit from either a UHF add-on  or a newer model of antenna.

Now Dutch points out that there will be some further channel frequency changes, some of them back to VHF. Maybe wait and see if that helps.

Click to expand...

I agree with Gary. Do not know about what Dutch says.

The Winegard Sensar II and III are in fact better at VHF than UHF.  The Sensar IV has imnproved UHF performance. but.. Fear not. the Wingman (Which is the major difference) is about 30 bucks and other than a pair of common slip joint pliers which may NOT be needed (I used fingers only) no tools needed to install save a ladder.

I am told the Sensar IV is very slightly than an II or III plus Wingman but they key word is SLIGHTLY.

Have not seen a lab test of a IV or Winegard's spec sheet on it.

I have seen a III v/s a JACK.. NO WINGMAN Sensar III won on all bands and stations tested. ALl of 'em.

And that was without the wingman.

Some personal observations...

In 2011 with nothign but a Sensar III I visited Townsend/Darien GA and got basically nothign

IN 2014 I returned. in that time I had added the Wingman, and a Sensar Pro
I got I think 4 or 5 stations plus their sub channels of course Direct (The campground also has cable) some of them came in BETTER over the air than over the cable believe it or not.

My DVR's are.. kind of fancy.. They have the ability to select from 3 different sources

Cable (Analog only) Direct RF in
Cable, Digital via a "Set Top Box"
Satellite Via a Sat Receiver (OK since I don't do Sat I do Digital via a Set top Box)

THe program guide service and software I use lets me combine cable and OTA listings and set it up so if I tell the DVR's to record say NCIS.. IT will get all epsodes of NCIS (Including LA and NO) any day, any time, any channels automatically choosing cable or OTA based on the channel number.. Neat system. Works great.  Though I did not design the DVR's or write the softeare. I did  "intergrate" the system (Design and assemble it). Tons of fun. lots of coax.

Tried to reply to your message about my account leak. Can you email me at [email protected] I typed out what has been happening thank you for your time and efforts Betina

Betina n meows said:

Tried to reply to your message about my account leak. Can you email me at [email protected] I typed out what has been happening thank you for your time and efforts Betina

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Betina,

Just as an FYI, you will be unable to use the personal message system here until you have at least 5 or so posts on the Forum. You and your correspondent will have to use email, when available, until then.