Poor TV Antennae Reception
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Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=2295
Printed Date: 03 May 2024 at 12:02pm
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Topic: Poor TV Antennae Reception
Posted By: mt868
Subject: Poor TV Antennae Reception
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2011 at 11:35am
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I have a round rooftop antennae. There's also a signal boost button inside that I turn on. The channels don't all come in very well. Some channels are ok but others will go in and out. When I install a rabbit ear inside without booster, the signal is a little better. I would think the external antennae with booster would be better than inside rabbit ears without booster. Any ideas what's going on?
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Replies:
Posted By: TerryM
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2011 at 12:09pm
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Your doing better than I am. Most times I can't get any TV signals. With Florida as flat as it is you would thing I shouldn't have any problems, but I do. Good luck with yours. Terry ------------- RP-175 W/Lift Kit 2011 Ford F-150 4X4 Saint Augustine, FL: The first permanent European settlement in the USA: 1565 |
Posted By: Tidalwave4455
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2011 at 3:12pm
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The Winegard round 'amplified' TV antenna found on the R-Pods has just about the weakest reception of any RV antenna! TV antennas really need to be pointed at the broadcast tower. But since the round antenna cannot be pointed, about all that can be done is try to amplify the weak signal pulled off the round antenna. The steerable batwing Winegard Sensar antenna needs a flat roof to fold down onto when traveling, so that antenna usually cannot be used on a Pod. You could install a cross-type antenna in a tube which is attached to the side of the Pod...but you would have to go outside every time to turn the antenna. No real solution. Also when digital broadcast started, there was quite a loss of reception distance. The old analog signals could be picked up quite a distance from the broadcast tower, if you were willing to accept a weak signal with static in it. The new digital signals are all or nothing. The receivers refuse to display if the signal strength is below a certain minimal level. And in addition, the broadcasters were allowed to put more than one sub-channel onto their signal (e.g. 5-1, 5-4, etc.)...they then cut the power for each sub-channel. This cut down the broadcast distance even more. I live in a rural area...before digital I could receive 10-12 channels even if some were somewhat sparkly. Now...I can only get about 7 channels...and 3 come and go as atmospheric conditions change. |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 09 Dec 2011 at 11:04pm
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One minor correction to Tidalwave's info, adding sub-channels to the transmission maintains the same overall power (its a single digital stream of data whether there is 1 channel or 3). However, it reduces the quality of each channel since each one must be compressed more to fit. Often broadcasters will heavily downgrade sub-channel quality or remove them completely during prime time or special events (Superbowl) in order to reduce compression on the main channel.
------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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Posted By: tpierce220
Date Posted: 10 Dec 2011 at 11:07am
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We've had horrible luck with the television antennae, but we've come to realize that we really don't want to watch television when we're camping. We end up checking DVDs from the Oswego library to take with us that we'll end up watching at night before we go to bed. Our library allows us to check out DVDs for free, so it makes for a low cost entertainment option that, in many cases, beats what's on television these days. ------------- Adventures with ¡Podtástic!--Life in a Forest River RPod 182G with Tim and Louis and our two cats, Desi and Lucy. Check our website at http://podtastic.info for information on our journeys. |
Posted By: Tidalwave4455
Date Posted: 10 Dec 2011 at 1:15pm
| What I miss most about the significant decrease in broadcast distances is the loss of Doppler weather broadcasts. Weather alert radios may warn you about an approaching storm...but the really dangerous portion of the storm may or may not be near your location. With Doppler you can see if the worst is coming toward your specific camping area. |
Posted By: dsmiths
Date Posted: 10 Dec 2011 at 6:59pm
Great Idea, I need to check our library before heading out, I like documentaries, history, outdoors, wildlife, that would be great to watch while winding down from the day, and not fill our heads with foolishness.  ------------- Dane and Donna Smith 2011 RP-172 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer 4X4 lift kit prodigy wireless brake controller |
Posted By: psaman
Date Posted: 10 Dec 2011 at 7:34pm
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I know it's not an option for everyone, but satellite solves the problem for us... ------------- 2011 R-177 "Sponge-Pod" 2011 F-150 XLT "Texas Edition" |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 10 Dec 2011 at 9:11pm
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Tidalwave, I use my cell phone internet connection when we camp specifically to check on the radar.
------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: tpierce220
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2011 at 9:54am
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I, too, use my cell phone if I need to pull up the radar. The two of us take our laptops with us, and we do have a hotspot that we can use as well to watch Netflix. There are times, though, when I look back at my childhood and all we would have is the radio most of the time. I thought that it was cool that we brought a black and white television with us, but I think that it was so that my mom could watch the Cubs games. ------------- Adventures with ¡Podtástic!--Life in a Forest River RPod 182G with Tim and Louis and our two cats, Desi and Lucy. Check our website at http://podtastic.info for information on our journeys. |
Posted By: Tidalwave4455
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2011 at 12:21pm
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I, too, have tried to use my cell for weather radar...but I camp just south of Canadian border in MidWest. More than 50%, there was no adequate cell reception. Some areas are known for totally dead reception (not enough population to justify erecting towers). I broke down in Northern MN last year. Absolutely no reception...passing motorist wrote down my location...drove 30 more miles before his cell worked. He could only reach '911'...local sheriff's department had to install their own cell tower just to provide partial emergency service to more than 1/2 the county! Sheriff called wrecker to come tow me in. So if no 911 service...certainly no weather reception! Same kind of problem in north central Montana. Only one telcom company had any service at all. Finally, I bought a Winegard portable-automatic 'Carryout' sat dish. I 'justified' the cost for the weather radar reception. But campsite still has to have line-of-sight' clearance to receive broadcasts and 120VAC. |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 11 Dec 2011 at 5:19pm
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Ok, I can see the problem! Unbelievable that the sheriff's office had to install a cell tower... You could get an inverter to power your system when you are boondocking. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: Chuck
Date Posted: 15 Dec 2011 at 2:46pm
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I have a "hotspot" on my cell phone so I can have not only phone but also computer, iPad, everything right. WRONG! I have AT&T so I have never, yes never been to a campground where there was cell reception. I always have to drive out of the campground to the interstate or main road and even then sometimes not. I have made a passive investigation into satellite but from what I can find the cost is just totally out of the question. ------------- Z-pod Chuck Janet & Bogie the dog '12 RP 177 1972 Shasta 1400 2005 Ford F-150 5.3L V8 |
Posted By: Keith-N-Dar
Date Posted: 15 Dec 2011 at 5:31pm
| We found several of the campgrounds that advertised wi-fi had it in the lodge but no where else. And the places we wanted to camp were often not on the cell phone grid. |
Posted By: Hansonz
Date Posted: 04 Jan 2012 at 4:24pm
| We purchased a Tailgater system that we plan on taking along. Dish Network sells it, but I bought ours off Ebay. The nice thing is you only pay for the time you use it (it will cost us 7.00 per month for the months we use it). Picks up all 3 sats automatically. Just got tired of not getting anything on TV in the evenings. |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 04 Jan 2012 at 10:10pm
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Sounds cool.
------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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