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Old 01-07-2019, 06:07 AM   #1
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Default TV antenna

So my original antenna doesn't working in my 2012 214wsd. When I bought the camper it came with a king antenna new in the box, that has a different mount. Has anyone ever swapped this out for a different style and do you have any advice for a leak free, worry free install. Also, is king a good replacement brand? I see receipts where the antenna was replaced a few times and the previous owners claims that it would work for a few and then go out about a year later. It was always replaced with the same Jensen antenna that it came with.
thanks
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Old 01-07-2019, 09:15 AM   #2
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It seems rather odd that an antenna would work for a while and then quit. Makes me think there is a problem in the connection/cabling rather than the antenna itself. Or else in the amplifier. Do the receipts show purchases of coax cable?

If not, rather than replacing the whole antenna I would check that the amplifier is working properly and then make sure that all the connections are good. You might even try replacing the coax cable connectors in case one of them wasn't made up properly.
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Old 01-07-2019, 03:22 PM   #3
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We also have a 2012 214-WSD. It has the original Jensen antenna on top. The lady we bought it from said that it never worked well and we were never able to get anything OTA with it. Rather than mess with changing it out, I left it as is and made my own using a hitch mounted extendable flagpole and a residential antenna. I run a section of coax to the "cable in" jack by the water heater and use the "cable" option on the inside antenna amp. With this setup we can get OTA station over 50 miles away. The flagpole stores in a PVC tube under the bumper and the antenna folds up and stores in the front pass through compartment.





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Old 01-08-2019, 06:22 AM   #4
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I was also considering something like this. do you have any pictures?
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Old 01-08-2019, 05:42 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FF-214wsdf View Post
I was also considering something like this. do you have any pictures?
thanks
I posted a couple that I had so you can get a general idea. Are they not showing up in my post above?

We're heading out Sunday for a week - I'll try and remember to shoot some then while it's set up. Anything specific you want to see or just the antenna setup in general?

Daz
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Old 01-09-2019, 06:15 AM   #6
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ah, I see the pictures now. thanks! that's big! looks good! Is there anything else you have done to your 214WSD to improve it? I am currently working on an extension to attach to the dinette to make it into a 54x80 full bed. I think it is currently 41x80 and both of my daughters sleep there.
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Old 01-10-2019, 06:41 AM   #7
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We have made several modifications/improvements, the biggest of which won't work for you since you need to sleep more than two, but some of the others might interest you:

We found that the dinette seats just weren't that comfortable and didn't work well for watching TV/movies and or reading so we completely removed the dinette and replaced it with two chairs. I reused the original table top, turned it 90 degrees and added folding adjustable height legs so it can be removed and used anywhere. It really opened up the space and is very comfortable now. We did lose a little storage by eliminating the dinette so I added doors to the sides of the bed platform to give access to that storage area without having to lift the bed.

A major improvement was adding an electric tongue jack in place of the old manual that came with the trailer, we opted for a 4500 lb Husky with remote. Hooking up and connecting the bars is super easy and quick now - I don't even have to take the jack cover off or get out of the truck until it's time to close the ball latch and connect the bars.

To save amps and brighten up the interior I changed out all of the lights to LEDs.

I reworked the water system a little bit and moved the onboard water pickup point from the side of the tank to the bottom which now allows us to use the full capacity of the water tank. Also added an undersink filter system and dedicated drinking water spigot. Did a few other small galley things like adding a folding stove cover and installing a new faucet too.

We never use the shower (we generally stay either in parks with bath houses or boondocking where we can't spare the water) so I removed the shower fixture and door and turned that space into a storage area. It's perfect for hanging wet stuff and is a great spot for our laundry bin.

Most of our other modifications/improvements have been maintenance/repair related (rebedding windows/hatches, replacing awning, outdoor speakers, vents and covers, etc.).

All in all, we're very happy with our trailer and are getting good use out of it. We bought it in February of 2018 and have 80 nights in it so far and leave for another week-long trip this Sunday.
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Old 01-10-2019, 12:35 PM   #8
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I replaced the cheap fixed direction factory Jensen antenna on my XT276 several years ago with a King antenna. It was a pretty easy change over.
I had to enlarge/slightly relocate the roof mount location to get the signal indicator and rotator located inside a cabinet. My boy did the connections.
The King antenna has been on the roof for about 3 years , never any leak as sealed it good when installed.
Also, very happy with the reception. When parked at home, the Jensen would get one clear channel and 1 snowy channel. Now I can pickup 6 channels in the yard so yes, a big improvement IMO.
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Old 01-11-2019, 05:26 PM   #9
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Our factory antenna has worked well for us. Normally within 30 miles of a major market. We are going cross country starting in Feb till ? If the antenna is not receiving I carry a Tailgater. We rebuilt the SO flooring, replaced awning fabric, fixed some plumbing, and other problems. I carry pex tubing, fittings, and pex tool. Also caulk, butyl tape, misc tools, floor jack, and those things I can’t repair we have Good Sam ( used in UT and SC, all favorable) I have annual servicing done by a reputable trailer shop, run good tires (GY Endurance). We love our BTHRM, exterior KIT, and walk around bed. And I follow the forum, at least weekly to garner the sages’ advice.
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Old 01-12-2019, 09:18 AM   #10
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Also something to think about, do you have an old tv that only does analog signals? I don't remember the year they switched over to digital, but if you have an older analog tv it will not work with the standard digital signals that are now used. I thought the problem was the antenna, cables, or amplifier. After all of those checked out, I brought out a newer tv from the house and it worked perfectly. Used it as an excuse to upgrade from the factory 13" to a 19". This may or may not be your issue at all, but throwing it out there in case it helps out someone else.
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Old 01-12-2019, 06:32 PM   #11
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My 2007 189fbs had a digital antenna
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Old 01-12-2019, 07:16 PM   #12
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Quote:
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My 2007 189fbs had a digital antenna
My 2012 214WSD does too but it sucks and doesn't pull in much of anything.
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Old 01-13-2019, 08:36 AM   #13
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Quote:
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My 2007 189fbs had a digital antenna
but if the tv is not capable of receiving digital signals you on't get anything regardless of how good the antenna is. I think my FF is a 2006 and that is right around when the system was moving to digital over-the-air signals. My tv was analog only and by the time I bought it two years ago all broadcasts have been moved to digital.
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Old 01-13-2019, 11:31 AM   #14
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Default digital antennas

Don't be fooled by all the hype from companies trying to sell "digital" antennas - an antenna's an antenna. Just for kicks, from a hobbyist Internet plan, I built an approximately 2'x2' antenna out of stripped Romex house wire, some scrap 1x2s and a 75 ohm balun (antenna-coax adapter). It drew in exactly as many channels as one of those poorly built antennas we see advertised these days. And the channels were crystal clear. My sons ended up using it in their apartment for several years. Yes, your problem is likely due to a bad connection, a bad amplifier or maybe even coax that's been bent too tight and broken inside. If you expect to do much coax work I recommend getting an inexpensive coax tester. It screws on both ends of a length of coax and lights up if the wire's good. Plus, you can wiggle inline connectors to check them.
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Old 01-19-2019, 07:01 PM   #15
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Or you could just have a crappy OEM antenna.
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Old 01-29-2019, 02:04 PM   #16
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I had an intermittent antenna issue. It turned out the coax connectors weren't crimped properly and the shield was touching the center conductor. I replaced and it's been working fine since.
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