I started this thread because the top of our fiberglass trailers are so thin that they won't hold some types.

Second I didn't care for the bat wing that Casita uses because you can't turn them to improve reception. The Delta they offer as an option is high and ugly.


Someone installed a Winegard 3090 that folds down on theirs and it looks good. He had to add a board to the inside to build up the minimum of the inch required and to help support it.

I really like the looks of it. What do you think?

I will try to post a photo of the antenna that came with our trillium. I've never seen another quite like it. Yay! my first successful photo, thanks irfanview.

After one cold winter here in NE I finally got my Audiovox VE-500 installed and working. The Audiovox VE-500 is what they call a low profile TV with a 5" LCD drop down screen, with internal stereo speakers, auto channel programming, 12VDC input. It is mounted under the shelf that holds the AM/FM/CD/Tape Stereo and the 40 channel CB with 9 channel NOAO weather mounted next to it. All are powered by either (switchable) 110 VAC thru a 12 VDC power supply or from the trailer deep cycle battery. The Audiovox antenna fed is also switchable between an external roof mounted Gull Wing antenna by Wintenna and the internal amplified one mounted below on the side wall above the counter extension. There is also an external jack on the rear of the trailer for cable input (125 channels). Using only antennas, 69 channels. Incidently, I modified the Audiovox so that it can be easily dismounted from the shelf and stored inside in tne winter and also removed when traveling. Incase you don't know what a Wintenna looks like, here it is.

Nevin- any idea of make on your boomerang?? Does it give good reception and how tall might it be??

thanks- Phil

Hi All
I was looking at TV antenias also.I found that with my TVs the built in unit worked good enought for me.To get lots of channels I use my inverter and sat receiver and now have best of both worlds.This is not for everyone but it is something to think about if you have a dual Sat system as I have.
:wave

At the risk of ruffling a few feathers, why is anyone watching TV when you are camping and traveling? :steer

There is so much to see right outside your door! :duck

-- Dan Meyer :chased

Hi Dan
You are right and i agree with you.For myself its more of a challenge to be able to know I can get/do . I find it fun.:)

PS----There is the odd time that entertainment is needed and this is one source.

Dan,

It is nice to know what the weather is doing and get some news. And if the weather requires you to spend more time inside, TV helps. The weather reports is the most important and TV is good for that. I think a weather radio is next to worthless.

Ron

Phil: My Boomerang antenna is only 6.5" high, however mounted it is about 7" as I had to custom shape a spacer that matched the front contour of the trailer top. Reception is excellent. I ordered mine directly from Wintenna down in Georgia and as remember it was around 75 bucks.. They make a whole series of these including some with neon lights, intergral brake light, low profile etc. Check them out at <www.wintenna.com> NL

Dan, Sometimes having the OPTION of watching 2 or 3 hours of a sporting event on t.v. makes the difference in being able to go or stay home, so I am all FOR having the t.v. and satellite dish along.

After all, the whole rest of the trip we do the camping stuff!

:cblob

Nevin, did your antenna come with everything you needed to mount it other than the spacer you made? Did you use the spacer on the inside or outside. Do you have close up pic you can post or e-mail of how it looks where you added the spacer? We have a Casita and did not want the antenna they offer however this one may be the answer. Yours looks very good and it is good to know reception is good.

Nevin,
The Boomerang antenna looks good but I can't see how it would be any better than the standard one that Casita offers. Since you can't turn it toward a station, it must have weak directions. How far away are the stations that you can picking up without snow? And do you get interference from other stations?

Every place I have stayed it has been between 50 and 100 miles to the closest station.

Maggie,
I have seen antennas similar to yours and am thinking of attaching one like it to the bumper when I watch TV. It could be carried in the rear bumper when not being used.

Do you know which model of Wintenna yours is?

I just received a catalog from You-do-it Electronics, where I was referred by Wintenna, Inc. The catalog is rather confusing in that they have several different models of Wintenna boomerangs, not even considering the options for ''lighting'', amplifiers, etc. For instance, among others, there are the ''Classic'', the ''Low Profile'' and the ''747''. The latter, they say, is a ''new model for SUV's and minivans.'' I don't want to reinvent the wheel, so thought that your recommendation would be helpful. Also, there were no price lists in the catalogs, so I guess I'll have to call the retailer for prices.

As Ron and Bernice said, the Casita-installed one (at least what they were installing in late 2001--also a boomerang shape) had a reputation for being highly directional--you needed to rotate the trailer to point toward the TV transmitter. The Wintennas are described as ''omnidirectional.'' They would possibly be a good solution. Probably should consider one with the built in +25 db gain signal amplifier, presuming that there can be a method to turn off the power to the amp when it is not in use.

I just got the 757 phantom?? lo pro which sticks on top of the trailer with 2 sided tape. I have not yet tested it against the wing on the Casita but I would think anything would be an improvement.

I talked to a knowledgable engineer at Wintenna a few days. I was hoping to order one model of their Boomerangs, but he discouraged me. Learning that we have fiberglass trailers, he said that the Boomerang Wintenna might perform only a little better than the similar Winegard that Casita was installing until sometime in 2002. They are very similar in design. The problem is, they are designed to work in conjunction with the metal roof of a conventional trailer or vehicle, but don't get the needed ''boost''--he had better terminology than that--from the fiberglass. We know the old Winegards were highly directional.

Later I was talking with Laura at Casita. She said they were now installing a rotating antenna from Barker Mfg. Co. From web site research, I think these are possibly manufactured by H. & H. Braund Mfg. They look like a rather difficult retrofit (at least the electric model.)

You newest Casita owners (2003 and perhaps late 2002): How are these antennas performing? Is it the electric model or the hand-crank model? (Wish I had asked Laura what the model number is!)