A pic of the antennae that I said I would post. Haven't had the chance to see if it works yet.

Thnaks for posting the pic.




only a few more months and we won't have to worry about an aerial anymore anyhow <heavy sigh!!>

I wondered about that...

Installing an antenna on a trailer when boadcasting over the airwaves will come to a close in February of 2009 (next year).

Sarah,
Since you went thru all the installation of your antenna, do you have another way to get TV once this new digital broadcasting goes into effect?? If you do, can you share it?

That antenna or any other rv antenna will still work when we go digital next year. The only thing that is changing is the switch from analog to digital broadcasting. I've been watching several of the stations right now that have their digital broadcast going using just rabbit ear antenna inside trailer. The only thing you'll need is a newer tv or digital converter box when the conversion is done.

I didn't install it. I bought it this way 3 weeks ago.

Sarah,
I believe Frederick has the same antenna. Perhaps he'll chime in sometime soon with his observations.
Kurt & Ann K.

Yes, I have the same antenna that I mounted on my Fiber Stream.
Click to view attachmentStowed for Travel
Click to view attachmentExtended for Use
I mounted it to an upside-down "L" made out of aluminum bar stock.

I used my government coupon and bought an RCA DTA800 Digital TV Converter. It connects between the antenna and the TV set and operates like any set-top cable box. At my home here in San Diego I get awesome reception with it over my trailer's antenna, since there are about 13 channels here broadcasting digitally over-the-air in addition to the analog transmissions. Away from this city, I have zero digital reception, and go back to using the TV's analog tuner in the small market communities near where I camp.

Do any of you folks get your TV reception through a repeater? Up here we get some of the Anchorage stations best through the Kenai (peninsula) repeater, and some best straight from Anchorage. We got a DTVPal converter box for the straight Anchorage stations, but found out that the repeater broadcasts analog, and will remain analog after the February, 2009 switch. The DTVPal has an analog pass-through feature, and that might come in handy for rural/boonie (camping!) locations if the TV stations are being broadcast via repeater. ???

I just wanted to throw out that possibility. Don't know what the situation is down there in Lower 48.

The stations will certainly continue to broadcast over the air.(PERIOD!)

The method and frequenies will change but it may be easier to receive thm after the Analog is turned off.....then again it may not be easier.
Most stations will be using UHF frquencies only which are best received by UHF antanna which are much more compact than what we arte used to.
Around cities most antenna' will work anyway but there are a few nice UHF antenna around if you need one.

They are also simple to make and there are articles all over the internet showing how.

I have been going to nursing homes and trying to help some who will be most affected by this terrible government mandate and it is frustrating to say the least how much non-information is being put out,mainly by the broadcasters themselves.
The way they have been "Educating" us has left many very confused and the details are not really that complicated.

Change is just BAD here.

Oh and I almost forgot,Fred that RCA box is simple to convert to 12vdc power too.
Inside there is a seperate little switching power supply board that just unplugs from the converter and then it can be modded for 12v input.

They use a full 1 amp on A.C. and have to be more efficient on D.C. I figure.

Ed

Awesome! Thank You!

In a former life, when I was a Corporate Cubicle Convict, a la Dilbert, I noticed that the very best way to upset people is to change something they are used to (and I imagine it's worse as we grow elderly) -- If we made a change to the weekly time sheet input forms, even something as simple as switching two fields, an incredible amount of time would be lost as everybody discussed it and speculated why the change (this is where corporate paranoia would be at its finest!).

I started to watch an explanation of the change on public broadcasting TV the other day and they managed to confuse me to the point that I turned it off! Add to that the amoral marketeers who are implying that one now needs a digital antenna and it's no wonder that folks are rather confused.

Since I use (literally) a set of rabbit ears at home, I guess I should get a coupon and a converter box -- I'll use the money I 'save' with the coupon to purchase a converter to change my rabbit ears into a digital Energizer bunny or something...

I am pretty sure that people camping will hate digital TV. In town it works just fine. I can pick up 35 stations in Chicago with rabbit ears from 30 miles away. Because it's pretty much a clear shot to the transmitting antennas.
However each time I have gone camping I get Nada. Nothing ,Digital is extremely sensitive to everything. Especially leaves!
Yes, when camping at the edge of Rockford at Rock Cut State park I got nothing usable. Much pixilating and no sound.
Now I realize it might be better with an outside antenna, but I can still pick up good signals on Analog with the rabbit ears at the same state park. I will have to put an external antenna up but I doubt it will help much. I hope it does.
Lucky for me the TV has a DVD player in it and I have a ton of old movies from TCM that I recorded.

If you remember the old days when cell phones were analog you could get interference but still understand what someone was saying then digital came along and when interference came the signal dropped or became a mishmash of noise.

Same thing with DTV.

The whole deal with the change is that Public Safety radio , Police , Fire, etc.
are running out of space and they want those nice juicy frequencies that the TV stations are using. And really they do need them especially now in these times.

But sometimes change can be a bad thing.

Frederick, who makes that TV antenna? It looks really compact for travel. I'm rather interested in getting one if they're not overly expensive.
Thanks,
Pamela

As Ed said, the new digital channels are UHF. If you have the simplest rabbit ears, you may not receive much because this is a VHS amtenna. If you have rabbit ears with a loop or bow-tie wire at the base, you should be okay. And if the base has a dial for fine adjustments, make sure it is on UHF settings. The best solution may be a dedicated UHF antenna like the Phillips Silver Sensor.

Tom Trostel

It is the Winegard Hideaway, model HA-0130

I have found that their "Omni-Directional" claim is not entirely accurate; I can get better reception of specific stations by rotating the antenna within the sleeve and re-tuning (new channel search) the TV.

I paid $41.99 +tax for mine at a local RV parts store. (not Camping World)

Sounds good. Thanks for the info. (And I'll try to avoid Camping World when I'm ready to buy!)

I was meaning to say that Camping World does not carry it.

Our Casita didn't come with antenna, And I didn't have time to check out the external attenna's before leaving on our first trip. So just threw in a rabbit ear and figured if we wanted to watch Tv, it would work for that trip. Well I plugged it in inside and then my p-brain thought hmmmmm, wonder if it would work better being hooked up outside on the cable/antenna hook up. So I took my little rabbit ear antenna out and hooked it in. Got even more channels........ So for the rest of our trips this summer, we have been hillbilling it. Just a $12. Rabbit ear antenna, nothing more. Even in the remote places we have been, we have picked up several channels. Don't need no fancy antenna. Robin

On our recent cross-country trip we promised ourselves we'd make the effort to buy newspapers regularly, search for TV stations, etc. in order to not come back to an entirely different world than we started with.

It worked, but the over-the-air TV stations were almost never there for us. At one campground in Susanville, CA there was a line-of-sight view to the hilltop antenna, but no reception. We have an amplified Winegard Sensar monster the previous owner had had the factory install, and I thought it would do the job. When the trailer is stored at home there is some shielding from a giant tree and the neighbor's house, but not enough to be a problem it would seem. Really poor reception, lousy picture if we could even get it, and we are in the middle of a metropolitan area where our digital home TV works just great with a roof-top antenna.

I started to think that there was a problem with the Sensar or its connections, so when our digital converter boxes (one DirectTV brand, another an Apex brand) arrived I decided to run an experiment. I dug out an old rabbit ears antenna which also had a loop on it, placed it haphazardly on the bed, hooked up the converter box, and there it was, about 20 channels clear as a bell, great sound, and plenty of signal strength. Note that the antenna was not moved, and when I moved it around the signal strength did not change very much. Hmmmm......

Suspecting the Winegard I hooked it up, but same thing: super reception where the analog was next to totally useless. Pretty much the same regardless of the antenna orientation. So I lowered the antenna to drive position. Slight decrease in signal strength but reception just fine.

Next thing is to try it out in various camping situations, although it is virtually impossible for it to be worse than it has been on analog, so the prognosis is one of guarded optimism. If the results at home hold true it could be a significant improvement.

Best scenario: ditch the Winegard monster ("look at that little trailer under that monster antenna, Mabel!") and install something like a Boomerang low-profile unit in its place. Lower weight, less complication with no rotator mechanism, better gas mileage, less embarassment, etc. etc. Downside: holes to fill in the fiberglass, patching and painting. Stay "tuned."

I purchased a small one from Wienguard, designed for RVs.

the box

It is about the size of a paperback book, weighs nothing, and runs on 9v, as well as with a walwart.

A quick trip to radio hack to by a lighter plug device (DC-DC convertor.. 8 bucks) that converts from 12 to 9v, and the proper plug to use in the 9v receptacle on the box, and I can easily switch from 9v (Preferable, less current draw) or AC with the walwart when available.

It is so light (No AC transformer to deal with) that it is stuck up with velco, and not budging.

I got it at Camping World, and with my coupon from GW, it was an out of pockets expense of 20 bucks, I think. (Can't remember, got it so long ago)

We've been putting a fringe area antenna on our house and receiving the true "high definition" channels over the air for free. Super Bowl was over the air and the High Def Digital signal almost made some of the faces of the players a bit too real.... Getting ready to go "off the grid" for TV and tell cable to take a hike.

One thing I've found since playing with the new digital signals is that it is all about antenna positioning and moving the antenna just a bit right or left can bring in a whole bunch more. With digital signals, you either get it or you don't, there is no snow.

If you go to this site Compass Headings, if you know the zip code where you are at, it will tell you the compass headings to point your antenna for the stations that are available. Of course, you'll have to remember to pack a compass.

My RCA DTA800 Digital TV Tuner has a signal strength meter function, with an on-screen bar graph and audible tone. I can turn the Winegard Hideaway, model HA-0130 antenna outside, and listen to the TV audio through the open window. The higher the tone, the stronger the signal.

We have a Bigfoot, 25' rear queen.
1. We are wondering anyone has any experience receiving a digital signal with the built-in TV antenna, which I understand is up over the fridge someplace.
2. If the built-in is unsatisfactory, are there any issues about mounting an antenna like the one in this picture on a fiberglass body? It seems like there is nothing for the screws to bite into.
3. How is the antenna in the picture fed? Did you run a coax through the wall of the trailer or just pass it through the window?

Ron & Sandy Gove

Do it yourself HD Antenna.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWQhlmJTMzw

Reading through this thread it should be mentioned that after the changeover date, the older VHF antennas will not get the new UHF digital signals and to get a good signal, you'll have to spring for a new antenna. The upside is that it's easy to make a small effective antenna that will do the trick.

My rabbit ears at home have the VHF ears plus the UHF loop and all I did was put the converter box between the antenna and TV to make everything work just fine, in fact better than before (More channels and better pictures!).

I was referring to those who have external antennas on their trailers that are the more traditional VHF TV antenna type. No doubt UHF/VHF antennas would be effective, but here is a opprotunity to replace a large antenna array like the one pictured in this thread, with a simple UHF antenna which, as you state, now give a much better signal.

And for those creative types, a HDTV antenna can be homebrewed for pennies.

OK -- Now I've got it!

Now if you want to go for cheap on the digital antenna, there is a guy on You Tube that shows how to make one using six metal coat hangers. I tried it and it does work but don't know how it would compare to my roof top antenna since its been to cold to crawl up there. Anyhow, it was fun and didn't cost anything since I had several of the little matching transformers left over from years ago when we went from flat to round tv cable.
You Tube Digital Antenna

BTW, Scamps will likely NEED an outside antenna because the two layers of foil in the Refectix-like insulation will block or attenuate many signals, like cell phone, WiFi, WX radio, broadcast AM/FM radio, etc. The ceiling and walls have the foil, but not the door.

Back when I was using my cell phone with Wilson antenna to access the internet through the old Verizon 'back door', I would place the antenna and ground plane outside through the roof vent if I didn't have a strong signal inside through the windows.

Also, the foil seems to be working to block the alien rays...

We have an extra digital converter box coupon. (Ordered two and just used one).
We used the coupon at Walmart and saved $40.

I would be happy to mail it to anyone that can use it. It has an expiration date of March 16 - so let me know ASAP.

If you can use the coupon, click on my name on the left and send an email to me.

Just ordered two converter boxes from www.solidsignal.com. Zinwell ZAT-950A Digital Converter Box W/ Analog Pass-Through ZAT-950A (CECB). This unit has received excellent reviews and is "automobile friendly". Total price for two units including shipping was $22.93 after $40 coupon discounts for each unit. See definition of Automobile friendly power below. We also ordered the [font="verdanahelveticasans-serif"]Winegard HA0130 Hideaway Economy Folding Omni-Directional Antenna (HA0130) for $41.99 plus shipping. Will let you know how they function after they arrive. Sincerely appreciate the advice and friendly atmosphere present on this forum.

"Automobile Friendly Power" simply refers to the inherent ability of a converter box to use a direct DC power source. Such a source could be a cigarette lighter adapter for a car or RV, or some other DC power aparatus. Converter boxes that can use a DC source are marked as having automobile friendly power on our website. They all come with their own AC transformer so that you can use them immediately in your home, but they do NOT include a DC adapter. Please take care to use only a DC adapter rated for the voltage marked on the converter box itself before you attempt to use the converter box in your automobile.

Thanks for mentioning this. I just put it together and it works great. It looks kind of goofy, (okay, really goofy) but it works well in my area. In the comments to the video someone mentioned using a cable splitter to add the input from a rabbit ear antenna. I figured, why not, and that adjustment brought in another station that we wanted to get.

So we are pleased.

Judith