How to receive digital over-the-air TV?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
fijidad said:
I just read reviews about the Wingman and found a significant number who said it made no difference and wouldn't recommend it. One referred to the Jack antenna (http://www.kingcontrols.com/product/king-jack/). Any thoughts on this vs. the other?
Click to expand...

There have been a couple of tests done by people with professional test equipment and the findings were that it does indeed double the signal strength. What some people may not realize is that it becomes a uni directional antenna with the Wingman rather than a bi directional antenna for a Sensar without Wingman. It also won't help the signals that are in the VHF band.
 
fijidad said:
I just read reviews about the Wingman and found a significant number who said it made no difference and wouldn't recommend it. One referred to the Jack antenna (http://www.kingcontrols.com/product/king-jack/). Any thoughts on this vs. the other?
Click to expand...
In the order of performance:
BEST: Batwing w/ Wingman attachment, or any newer Sensar IV antenna
BETTER: Jack
Barely OK: Any Omni-Antenna

I'm not sure what reviews you've read, but I think if you look around you'll find that I'm the only one thats done real world field testing in a real RV with lab-standard broadcast test gear. The Batwing beats the Jack hands down, and anyone who says that their new Jack performs better than the Batwing they replaced has a broken Batwing in some form, and unfortunately there are more than a few. There have been several that want to pick a fight over these findings, but the numbers simply don't lie... it is what it is.

Additionally, the Jack is in trouble due to its exceptionally poor VHF performance since the new Broadcast TV auction/ re-alignment will encourage broadcasters to move back down to the VHF band. At some point King will have to replace this antenna with one thats significantly better with VHF performance, and I guarantee its going to be a LOT bigger than it currently is.

If you care to look at the test, see here:
http://forums.woodalls.com/Index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/27171026.cfm
 
My RV has the Jack antenna and works great. Gets a lot of channels but I do on occasions have to adjust direction for clarity or signal strength.
 
SCVJeff said:
In the order of performance:
BEST: Batwing w/ Wingman attachment, or any newer Sensar IV antenna
BETTER: Jack
Barely OK: Any Omni-Antenna

I'm not sure what reviews you've read, but I think if you look around you'll find that I'm the only one thats done real world field testing in a real RV with lab-standard broadcast test gear. The Batwing beats the Jack hands down, and anyone who says that their new Jack performs better than the Batwing they replaced has a broken Batwing in some form, and unfortunately there are more than a few. There have been several that want to pick a fight over these findings, but the numbers simply don't lie... it is what it is.

Additionally, the Jack is in trouble due to its exceptionally poor VHF performance since the new Broadcast TV auction/ re-alignment will encourage broadcasters to move back down to the VHF band. At some point King will have to replace this antenna with one thats significantly better with VHF performance, and I guarantee its going to be a LOT bigger than it currently is.

If you care to look at the test, see here:
http://forums.woodalls.com/Index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/27171026.cfm
Click to expand...
Great info...thanks. I'm in.
 
So adding the wingman to an existing antenna for say 30dlls vs replacing it completely for over 100dlls is a no brainer. as i mentioned earlier i have the Jack and since it does not stow it has been hit already with several branches undamaged yet. but wondering if the stow antenna is safer for these situations.
 
Sam! said:
So adding the wingman to an existing antenna for say 30dlls vs replacing it completely for over 100dlls is a no brainer. as i mentioned earlier i have the Jack and since it does not stow it has been hit already with several branches undamaged yet. but wondering if the stow antenna is safer for these situations.
Click to expand...
Good point. I ordered the Wingman and a signal strength meter today via Amazon and will report back once received and installed.
 
SCVJeff said:
In the order of performance:
BEST: Batwing w/ Wingman attachment, or any newer Sensar IV antenna
BETTER: Jack
Barely OK: Any Omni-Antenna

I'm not sure what reviews you've read, but I think if you look around you'll find that I'm the only one thats done real world field testing in a real RV with lab-standard broadcast test gear. The Batwing beats the Jack hands down, and anyone who says that their new Jack performs better than the Batwing they replaced has a broken Batwing in some form, and unfortunately there are more than a few. There have been several that want to pick a fight over these findings, but the numbers simply don't lie... it is what it is.

Additionally, the Jack is in trouble due to its exceptionally poor VHF performance since the new Broadcast TV auction/ re-alignment will encourage broadcasters to move back down to the VHF band. At some point King will have to replace this antenna with one thats significantly better with VHF performance, and I guarantee its going to be a LOT bigger than it currently is.

If you care to look at the test, see here:
http://forums.woodalls.com/Index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/27171026.cfm
Click to expand...
Yesterday I completed the installation of the Winegard Sensar Pro signal strength meter. On energizing it, the display looked nothing like I expected...just occasional blinking green lights; tried to reset it per instructions, but nothing changed. Today I called their support line and explained what was going on. The tech suggested I check to see if I had a shorted antenna, because that's what he deduced was the problem.

I put an ohm meter between the center conductor and the connector and got about 14 ohms. Essentially a short. I haven't tracked it further, but the tech said if that was the case, then the antenna would need to be replaced.

This is a 20-year old Itasca, so I suppose anything is possible.

Does this sound feasible to you? Looks like I may be replacing the antenna after all.
 
My 'guess' is that you will find a water impregnated (can you say that here?) connection somewhere. The only way to fire out if it's the antenna is to pull the F connector on the antenna and see what it looks like there? And while you're up there, do the same measurment on the roof coax that you just did down below. If the same, at least you know the coax makes it all the way to the roof, but still in trouble.
 
I'm guessing that you have a section o bad coax.  The winegard antenna system applies 12 volts to the coax for the amplifier in the antenna.  This attracts moisture into the  coax.  When I replaced my Sat antenna last year, I cut over a foot from the coach coax till I got to good stuff.  Hopefully you will have enough slack in the existing line to do so and not have to run new coax.  IF you are not sure of knowing when the coax is bad or good, get in touch with a tech at the local cable or sat company.
 
The wing does not fit some applications. I can't can't lower my antenna with the Wingman attached. It hits my A/C, there is no way around it, I have to remove it.

Bill
 
You didn't mention where you were measuring. If you were measuring from the power supply end to the antenna I would expect some resistance from the amplifier in the antenna. Disconnect at both ends and then check for a short.
 
driftless shifter said:
The wing does not fit some applications. I can't can't lower my antenna with the Wingman attached. It hits my A/C, there is no way around it, I have to remove it.

Bill
Click to expand...
Dude! '67-71 USS Hancock. Thanks for your service.
 
SCVJeff said:
My 'guess' is that you will find a water impregnated (can you say that here?) connection somewhere. The only way to fire out if it's the antenna is to pull the F connector on the antenna and see what it looks like there? And while you're up there, do the same measurment on the roof coax that you just did down below. If the same, at least you know the coax makes it all the way to the roof, but still in trouble.
Click to expand...
Good point. This Sensar Pro meter is going just about under the existing roof antenna....it just occurred to me that if I can get from the antenna directly to the meter, then I can eliminate all that old coax and have new runs in its place. Wow! That would be cool!
 
That'd be good if you could do that. Usually there is an F barrel around the base of the antenna squirreled away in the ceiling. I've had that one get flaky before.
 
driftless shifter said:
The wing does not fit some applications. I can't can't lower my antenna with the Wingman attached. It hits my A/C, there is no way around it, I have to remove it.

Bill
Click to expand...
If it'll give you enough clearance, you can cut the Wingman off just past the second element out from the wing. That will reduce its effectiveness some, but it will still be better than not having it at all. Another option is to remove the screws and rotate the base to get the needed clearance. Reseal the base of course.
 
fijidad said:
Yesterday I completed the installation of the Winegard Sensar Pro signal strength meter. On energizing it, the display looked nothing like I expected...just occasional blinking green lights; tried to reset it per instructions, but nothing changed. Today I called their support line and explained what was going on. The tech suggested I check to see if I had a shorted antenna, because that's what he deduced was the problem.

I put an ohm meter between the center conductor and the connector and got about 14 ohms. Essentially a short. I haven't tracked it further, but the tech said if that was the case, then the antenna would need to be replaced.

This is a 20-year old Itasca, so I suppose anything is possible.

Does this sound feasible to you? Looks like I may be replacing the antenna after all.
Click to expand...

I tracked the short to a piece of coax between the front TV location and the antenna. While stumbling around trying to follow coax runs, I discovered a loop that connected the antenna to the rest of the coach...in the overhead cabinet directly adjacent to where I'm installing the signal strength meter! So, I drilled a 1/2 inch hole between the cabinet and the area where the meter is located and have now connected the antenna to the meter bypassing the shorted wire. Dodged a bullet there. Unhappily, the meter unit itself is defective, so I'll be returning it for a replacement.
 
I bought a signal strength meter a few years ago and never use the thing.  For me it's a lot easier to just point the antenna toward a population center and then use the TV to scan channels.  Then I pick a channel and use the TV's signal strength indicator to rotate the antenna for max strength.  I'll repeat that for a few channels of interest.
 
John Canfield said:
I bought a signal strength meter a few years ago and never use the thing.  For me it's a lot easier to just point the antenna toward a population center and then use the TV to scan channels.  Then I pick a channel and use the TV's signal strength indicator to rotate the antenna for max strength.  I'll repeat that for a few channels of interest.
Click to expand...
That sounds like a great idea. I never knew TV's had a signal strength indicator. I'll be trying that for sure.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 1,050 (members: 20, guests: 1,030)

Forum statistics

Threads
131,980
Posts
1,388,580
Members
137,726
Latest member
CampMike2270
Back
Top Bottom