TV Antenna Type?

[Rus Lwt001]

I bought a 2012 Shadow Cruiser 285RLS. What type of antenna is installed on these trailers now? I did not get any brochures or instructions on the antenna, but I did notice it does not look like I remember them looking. I store it away from home, so its not like I can just run outside and look. The best I can find is it looks like the "Jack Antenna". How actually do these work? Will I have to manually turn something to locate reception? Our first major trip is over Memorial Day and I plan on using it for the first time. Any help? Thank you.

 

[LJAZ]

The TV antenna is (I think) made by Winegard and is an amplified UHF/VHF antenna. During travel it lies flat on the roof and you have to crank it up into position to use it. (Don't forget to put it back down before you leave) There is also an adjustment at the crank for rotating the attena to get better reception. Pretty basic really.

 

[fischnet]

How did your antenna work? If it is like the one on my 2012 214WSD, it is a piece of c--p Jensen omni-directional "amplified digital antenna". The manual says it is so good you don't have to direct it. Well, it is Jensen, so you can't expect much. I'm having my dealer check on it's functionality, because sitting in my driveway, I get far better reception on rabbit ears on the little 13" TV inside my garage! The FM reception is just as bad with it.

I would like to replace it with a Jack antenna, all reviews I've read on them seem to be very good. My old Wine Guard crank up on my old trailer performed far better than the Jensen junk. But we're not big TV watchers when we're in the trailer, so I shouldn't get too wound up about it I guess!

 

[Rus Lwt001]

We were in Anastasia State Park over the weekend until we were evacuated due to the Storm. Our site was nestled in a canopy of trees. I did not expect much reception, but was able to sporadically get about 6-8 channels. In and out of reception. We then tried it at the next campground, which was close to a town, no obstructions and not much better. This CG though had a cable hook-up so we used that. Yea, the antenna was not that good.

 

[LJAZ]

The one I have seems to work ok. But then I don't really have anything to compare it to. Where I live since the changeover to digital I can't even get all of the local stations over the air on the TV in my house. My usual camping haunts are even further from over the air stations so I rarely can anything over the air mostly because there isn't anything to get. Do a Google map search on Roosevelt Lake, AZ & you'll see what I mean. If we watch the TV at all it's DVDs.

Once we hit retirement age I'm going to go the satellite route. Those Winegard Roadtrip recievers look pretty nice. And I already have the Direct TV reciever.

 

[webslave]

An awful lot of the newer trailers are coming out of the factories with the Jensen Omni Directional Pod mount antennas. They stick up about 10" and cannot be aimed. A host of problems with those types of antennas; from the circuitry (think cheap-that's why they are so prevalent now) to their rigid mounting, usually less than a foot off the roof and, also usually, right next to your air conditioning compressor. There's nothing like a large electric motor spinning a heavy duty compressor assembly to louse up a television signal.

For my money, the best reception is going to be "up". That's why a house's external antenna always does much better the higher they are. Going "up" on trailer gets the antenna out of the "clutter" on the trailer's roof. Aim-ability is also a good feature to have. There is little point in amplifying a non-existent signal source throughout 300 degrees of reception except to increase the noise ratio from those quadrants. The best combination for that, IMHO, is a Winegard crank up antenna mast with a Jack Off-the-Air directional amplified antenna mounted to it. You do have to remember to lower it for traveling and you do have to point it at the area where the transmitters are, but, when some friends and I were caravaning together, he with a 2011 244RBS with the pod mount Jensen and me with my 210WBS with the Winegard crank up mast with the Jack antenna head installed, I could always pick up twice the stations and with noticeably better reception (less noise).

 

[fischnet]

Good 2 cents .. makes sense too! My dealer said they would install (my expense of course) a Jack or Winegard but they don't want to take off the Jensen junker for fear of creating a bad 'leak possibility' where the bases don't match up on the rubber roof! Besides, the base of the Jensen is right in line with TV cabinet at the foot of the bed, so the control for the Winegard would be inside the cabinet!

Sounds like I'll need to get creative here. But its only 'TV' for pete's sake, it can wait!

 

[LJAZ]

so the control for the Winegard would be inside the cabinet!

Sounds like I'll need to get creative here. But its only 'TV' for pete's sake, it can wait!

For what it's worth, on my 210 that's exactly where the crankl for my antenna is. Inside the cabinet above the TV.

 

[fischnet]

So, another instance of engineers and 'interior designers' not talking or thinking through actually USING the RV. Appreciate your response, though at least my reconning was on !

Definitely in the "Kit with missing parts" kind of mode. I'll think about that 'down the road' if we really get hard up for live TV!

 

[Riverbend97]

antenna brand

Does anyone know if FF used other brands of antenna besides winguard in 2008. I just purchased an 08 x210 and wanted to install the winguard wingman but I'm not sure its a winguard. No manuals of course. The winguard videos show 4 holes where the wingman mounts but I only see 2 on mine. I am currently getting 0 channels.

Thanks

 

[webslave]

If memory serves me correctly, in '08, FunFinders came with a Winegard antenna, but, it isn't the Sensar II model, probably the Sensar I. The Wingman, I believe, has to have the Sensar II head in order to be able to use the mounting holes (the Wingman needs the empty holes on the Sensar II head to attach). Seems to me that I ordered the Wingman only to find out it didn't fit the head on my '08 210WBS. I ordered the Sensar II head and then was able to install both. Didn't notice any improvement and ordered a Jack Off Air antenna. Definite improvement. Up until a few months ago, I still had the Sensar II head and Wingman in the workshop on a shelf...finally got tired of looking at it and disposed of it in the trash.

 

[Riverbend97]

Antenna

Makes sense. Mine looks like a Winguard but only has 2 holes. I guess you are saying that won't be enough to hold the wingman. Right now the TV scans but finds 0 analog or digital channels. When the dealer when through the walk through he showed me channels so I know it was working then. Guess I need to climb up on the roof with my ohm meter and see if I have 12 v at the head. The jack seems like the best solution to me but others have said it made no difference for them.

 

[webslave]

If it was working when you did your PDI, is it possible that you've accidentally turned off the amplifier? Where the television connects to the antenna inside, there is a plate with a small button. When you use park cable TV, the button is turned off (there is an indicator light to let you know if it is on or off; on = small light on, off = no light) and if you want signal from the antenna, the button has to be "on" (light on). If the light isn't on, you aren't getting the amplified signal from the antenna... Short of damaging the wire since you bought the trailer, it would be "odd" for the system to just stop working if it worked well at the dealer. If the amplifier is off, you won't get signal from the antenna, if the amplifier is on, you won't get a signal from a CG's cable connection.

I've had very good luck with my Jack antenna. Liked it so well on the FunFinder, it was the first "mod" I made to my Cougar 5er. I found absolutely no difference when I added the Wingman and for the price difference (Wingman vs. Jack antenna), you'll wind up with a smaller "head" (less wind resistance, less weight on the antenna arms, easier to rotate), an indicator light on the antenna itself (to let you know it is "active") and better signal capture.

 

[Riverbend97]

No my last 2 rv's had an amplifier so that's the first thing I checked. I guess the dealer was closer to stations than my house is. I did finally get 3 digital channels so it is working just not very good. After looking further I don't even have a wineguard but an antenna tek which is a wineguard knockoff. I'm pretty sure the wingman is not going to fit the antenna tek so I will be sending it back and ordering a jack. Thanks for all the info

 

[Riverbend97]

update

Replaced my antenna tek with a jack antenna. The jack as a light that lets you know if you are getting power to the head. Light was not on when turning on amp. So I replaced the coax cable and that fixed it. Now I'm getting about 35 channels.

 

[webslave]

Sounds like you're set! I think you'll like the Jack's performance, I know I do.