Antena Mount

[Kip in Ga.]

Not having any luck with the search feature.

Here is the problem:

The Casita TV antena is not very effective. Sitting at my house it will pick up only one TV station, and that one comes and goes. At campgrounds it hasn't worked at all.

I don't want to drill holes through the camper roof as most CAMPER TYPE antinas require. I bought a small house type antena from Amazon which can be attached to a mast. It opens to about 30" long by 24" wide. Mounted it on a nearby post and attached it to the Casita via the outside "cable" connection, which is at the streetside rear corner. Now I'm getting about 15 stations real strong and clear and a few that come and go. The antena is about 7 feet off the ground.

So...! How do I attach it stably to the Casita, without drilling holes in the fiderglass, even it if has to be removed for travel?

Ideas, thoughts and pictures are all welcomed.

Thanks,
Kip

[cpaharley2008]

If you go to the T@b @ Yahoo group, myself and several other members bought the Winegard Hide-a-Way antenna and mounted it on a 8' piece of plastic pipe, cut and threaded in half. I use it now with my Egg. I mount it up front and bungee to my tongue box.

[Ron F]

Kip,
I'm not sure if this would work for you, but I mounted an amplified Winegard Sensar on a painter's pole. The pole is U-bolted to the spare tire mount. The painters pole telescopes and allows me to raise, lower and rotate the antenna for aiming. I leave it lowered for traveling. The sensar does a pretty good job of pulling in channels. The only disadvantage is that the amplifier needs 18Vdc. There's a 120VAC adapter that plugs in to produce the 18Vdc, but it would be handier if the amp needed 12Vdc. I think there are some amplified antennas that use 12V.

Ron

[Tim Wood]

Both look like good idea's to me.

[Kip in Ga.]

Good ideas!
Thanks,
Kip

[Radar1]

Kip,
I just used an old VHF set-top antenna and mounted it on a PVC pipe setup, with all the vertical sections unglued so they can come apart for storage and easy transport. I used an "H" shaped concoction as the stand, and place as many PVC pipes in as I need for whatever height I want. At Gulf Shores I only used enough to reach the top of the camper and got 26 channels there. In my driveway the signal is not as strong so I have about 13 ft of pipe sticking up. I get 18 stations in my driveway with this setup (some are Spanish and some are weather channel) but I get ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and PBS.
I can set this either on the front or the back and bungee it to the frame or bumper if needed, or move it away from the camper if a tree is in the way.
One thing I like is that no booster is used, so no extra power consumption when boondocking, and my tiny 7" TV runs off 12 volts DC.


John

[Kip in Ga.]

Originally Posted by Radar1

Kip,
I just used an old VHF set-top antenna and mounted it on a PVC pipe setup, with all the vertical sections unglued so they can come apart for storage and easy transport. I used an "H" shaped concoction as the stand, and place as many PVC pipes in as I need for whatever height I want. At Gulf Shores I only used enough to reach the top of the camper and got 26 channels there. In my driveway the signal is not as strong so I have about 13 ft of pipe sticking up. I get 18 stations in my driveway with this setup (some are Spanish and some are weather channel) but I get ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and PBS.
I can set this either on the front or the back and bungee it to the frame or bumper if needed, or move it away from the camper if a tree is in the way.
One thing I like is that no booster is used, so no extra power consumption when boondocking, and my tiny 7" TV runs off 12 volts DC.


John

Thanks John. I would not have thought an antena of that type would work so well.

Kip

[Carol H]

I have an old tripod that I was thinking might work as a base for creating a holder of some sort for a TV antenna. Was thinking I could just set it on the roof when needed and it would be easy to move around for reception. Already have a the cables to the roof from the TV amp box in the trailer - just not sure what type of antenna to get or how to attach it to the tripod. Anyone seen a tripod used for an antenna mount?

[GeorgeR]

Originally Posted by Ron F

Kip,
I'm not sure if this would work for you, but I mounted an amplified Winegard Sensar on a painter's pole. The pole is U-bolted to the spare tire mount. The painters pole telescopes and allows me to raise, lower and rotate the antenna for aiming. I leave it lowered for traveling. The sensar does a pretty good job of pulling in channels. The only disadvantage is that the amplifier needs 18Vdc. There's a 120VAC adapter that plugs in to produce the 18Vdc, but it would be handier if the amp needed 12Vdc. I think there are some amplified antennas that use 12V.

Ron

I like the idea of the painter's pole. I placed it on my projects list. How do you manage the cable between erected and retracted positions?

[Ron F]

Originally Posted by GeorgeR

I like the idea of the painter's pole. I placed it on my projects list. How do you manage the cable between erected and retracted positions?

I have the cable loosely spiraled around the pole. There's enough slack to allow it to be fully extended and rotated. It works very well and there's no storage problem when traveling. I just retract the pole and it travels right there.

[Txlmt58]

Thanks this is great

[Joe Romas]

Here's my setup. I started with a 10' top rail for a chain link fence. It has one reduced in size so it will fit into the next section on a fence. I cut it in two.
the diameter is perfect for the King Omni go antenna and I used a U clamp to secure it to the bumper. It works well just above the AC unit. I previously tried PVC pipe but found it flexed too much. Top rail at Lowes was about $10.
For storage I mounted it on the rear bumper cross wise.

Joe