Thinking about upgrading our over the air antenna. After looking at what is available,we are confused as to which one to purchase. Have any of you changed out your. Ota antenna?
Lynn, I bought one that looks like a small airplane wing "suppose to be cats meow " We got worse reception with it than the original
so my plan is to go back to original. Others may have had better luck.
Chris
We have marginal signal at our home.Tested a bunch, put the "Jack" on the old arms, works as good, if not better then the bat wing. Was pleasantly surprise with it.
Doesn't rattle as bad in the wind when down. You can also shorten your arms before installing it.
https://www.amazon.com/KING-OA8300-Replacement-Directional-Antenna/dp/B01N59MJQ2
Just changed out a customers FT with this one. Worked awesome, but he is now getting loud wind noise from it
KING Jack™ Directional Over-the-Air Antenna with Mount & Built-In Signal... (https://kingconnect.com/product/king-jack-antenna/)
I changed antennas and have been super happy with the new one. A CL deal at $30 and since the photos, I have added a VHF bar to the top of the antenna. Reception is almost as good as our deep fringe antenna on the house. The signal strength is behind a big hill with the Sacramento stations about 60 miles away. I turned the OEM antenna 90 degrees before the new installation to clear the solar panels so didn't have to change anything. Only one aluminum arm now as the new antenna does not need to pivot 90 degrees. I did make a small aluminum slotted angle iron for the antenna to rest in when in the down position so it could not move fore and aft while underway.
Pierce
I replaced the crank up Winegard with a KingJack amplified antenna with signal finder. Works great after I pulled new coax cable up to the roof...the original coax cable antenna end was gonzo from corrosion. Also replaced OE signal booster with King's. Zero wind rattling now going down the road or when parked.
Pyolet make an excellent point. Good to replace the coax if reception is poor before buying a new antenna. RG-6 is the stuff to use today if replacing the RG-59. I also got rid of the front to back to front coax runs.
Pierce
I build ham radio antennas and spent days researching this. The Winegard Sensar IV may SEEM old, but was SUPERIOR to other antennas because:
- Performs better. Both VHF and UHF bands get more decibels of gain and more channels. Other antennas are UHF-only so they do not receive channels 2 to 6. Channels 2-6 are in the VHF band (54MHz and above) and penetrate foliage better than UHF. So the Sensar IV is better for wooded campgrounds.
- Inexpensive $120. No subscription.
- Well supported
- Easy to use signal finder and rotator
See Sensar IV RV VHF/UHF HDTV Antenna | Winegard Company (https://winegard.com/products/hdtv-digital-antennas/outdoor-antennas/sensar-rv/sensar-iv-rv)
Get the signal finder at: SensarPro | Winegard Company (https://winegard.com/products/accessories/signal-meters/sensar-rv/sesarpro-black)
Works great in my rig.
I had this one installed a couple of years ago. It works "OK", but not great. It died once and I got a replacement from Winegard.
It is easy to use , but I don't feel like it get good distance reception. If the tower is more than 30ish miles forget about watching that channel.
https://www.amazon.com/Winegard-Automatic-RZ-8500-Ultra-HD-Amplified/dp/B00T36ODKK/ref=asc_df_B00T36ODKK/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309881068962&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17368401300619172365&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9030133&hvtargid=pla-684371766632&psc=1
The one I have on the IH45 has an error message and when I looked it up is say to replace unit. To replace it the cost was not cheap so I have done nothing, it is still working but I guess not great.
When I was at the Grandvention this year Winegard was there and they talked about the new Air 360+ (Make sure of the +) Cost for this is $89.00 and you can get a module that will let you get cellular internet wifi with this unit. They said come June 2020 they will have a Togo module that will work with this unit. Togo is ATT wifi, unlimited data and only $360.00 per year You have to pay upfront for the year and if you cancel before the year is up they do not refund any money.
I have the King Jack antenna and so far very happy with it.
Thank you for your time and help. I have several ones to look at and do a bit more research on. Will definitely check out the coax cable prior to purchase of the new antenna. Linda
Have him coax the better half into rotating it a bit while traveling at speed to find the sweet spot.. then mark it for future reference..
Did the same as Gracerace, works terrific. I still need to shorten to avoid shadowing solar, next summer.
Did the same as Gracerace, works terrific. I still need to shorten to avoid shadowing solar, next summer.
KING OA8300 Jack Replacement Head HDTV https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N59MJQ2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_5oq1DbGTTMQDK
Go with DISH Playmaker Antenna and normal DISH package. Use it at home and then take the antenna, walley receiver on the road. At home antenna sits on edge of roof(reachable from ground, no latter) and on the road just on the ground. Don't forget the remote, since it is a RF remote walley receiver is in the top of closet. Works on both TVs(new flat screen), it is plugged into the Power Amp in place of the VCR. Walley receiver comes with a DVR. I ran a new coax from closet to wet bay so as to be able to place antenna any where in a 50' radius. Now I have OTA(original antenna works great), local cable, and DISH Satellite with DVR on original coach coax.
Two things:
1. I updated my prior reply to correct the Winegard model: Sensar IV. This has the "Wingman" UHF antenna and booster.
2. Antennas are a more like a religious belief than reality because we are dealing with:
- A complex and unseen phenomenon. My Extra-class ham radio license makes me realize they we still do not fully understand wave propagation with regard to how reflections affect TV reception.
- Vendors who do not share their "proprietary" specifications. This is deliberate because they have poor performance.
- Variability of installations. Metal vs fiberglass roofs reflect radio waves differently.
- People "swear by" a certain brand / cool-looking design, which has nothing to do with actual performance.
- Any hunk of wire will amazingly pick up signals.
However, Winegard engineering sent me a spreadsheet with the specifications for their antenna, with DB (decibel) gain figures at all the VHF and UHF frequencies. The fact that they shared their data means their antenna performs well enough and they have nothing to hide. The Winegard Sensar IV is a combination of a dipole and a Log Periodic antenna. All RV TV antennas are a compromise of gain vs size vs user interface.
The Sensar IV is:
- Rotatable. This helps with sorting the weak and strong signals
- Retractable. This elevates the antenna above the steel of the AC units on the RV roof.
- Tunable gain with the signal finder/amplifier.
- The best gain antenna for most frequencies.
- A compromise between size and ease of use.
- Cheap: $149 for the best-gain antenna is a bargain. And no subscription or monthly fee.
It is not:
- As easy to use as omnidirectional antennas.
- Bullet-proof. It uses light-weight parts. The steel rivets Winegard used are rusting. If not retracted during travel, it can be damaged.
High winds can cause it to shimmy and make noise.
I told him to do that, haven't heard back. Will update when I find out. It can point any direction anyway.
Chris