Winegard Antenna -- Yes or No?

[SupersizeLIFE]

I am trying to decide whether or not to have thee Winegard Omni-Directional Antenna added to my build. I'm not sure I fully understand all that it is used for even after a Google search and looking at their website. I don't plan on watching television. I usually only watch movies and, at least in my sticks-and-bricks, I do that with physical DVDs. My plan is to do the same on the road though occasionally I may want to stream. I'm inclined to think that this is something I don't need to have added on. But wanted to ask here in case they have other features or uses that I am not considering. Thank you for your thoughts.

[MikeandGerri]

We have the Omni-Directional Antenna and to my knowledge we have never used it. We don't watch a lot of TV so we bought the Roku and subscribe to PlayStation View (Sony company) and stream what we want to watch.  We have AT &T unlimited data with a hot spot on the phone. Works for us.

We bought the Winegard Carryout G2+ and because we like the woods we have not been successful in locking on the satellite.  We plan to sell it.

 

Everyone is different and their likes and needs are different.  This works for us.   We watch TV on a limited basis.

[John E Davies]

You get tv and fm radio through the Winegard. If you don't have one, you get the funky self adhesive bar antenna that came with the entertainment system, glued to the inside of the left rear window. Radio reception is adequate and tv reception is pretty much nil with the little one. Sorry for the dark, it is hard to show a black antenna on a tinted glass surface...

 

 

We chose not to have the outside tv antenna since like you, we watch dvds or maybe downloaded Amazon Prime stuff on my iPad. We watch network tv for the news, but haven't watched any broadcast primetime show in way over a decade. Nor do we miss them.

 

Unless you really need the capability of the outside antenna, skip it. The less things poking up out of the roof, the better. The wires are there inside the roof, if a future owner wanted to install one.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[topgun2]

Looks like you already have a good read on this one.  Many commercial RV parks have cable so you don't need the Winegard for that.  You've already got the DVD player and you have the ability to stream movies via your cell, so you don't need the Winegard for that.  Depending on where you intend to do most of your camping - if it is in the boonies you will not have over the air TV signal - you just might not need it.  So, unless you think that you might want to view a "local" weather and/or news program it looks like you simply don't need or want it.  As John implied - you can always add it later.

 

Bill

[GaryJona]

Yes we have the Omni Multi directional antenna it works quite well maybe half the parks have cable, some to remote, but some are just right and I like to get the local news and weather once in a while. I have been in some parks and received 20 to 30 plus channels and other times scrambled eggs but you can't use it if you don't have it. I would not use a satellite unless it was free standing so you can take aim at the southern sky without trees. Been camping 9 years without one so maybe someday if i do some camp hosting in the future i'll consider the satellite. Thanks Gary

[Bruce W]

John, they run the wires and leave them between the hulls?

[John E Davies]

John, they run the wires and leave them between the hulls?

I do not know 100% for sure, but my understanding is that all the cables and wires are in a common harness which is installed between the outer and inner hull parts, and they use only those that are specified on the build order. I don't think there is any problem adding an antenna later, but you might want to double check with an Oliver sales person.

 

There is maybe an inch of air space between the parts, plenty to allow one to fish around and retrieve a wire harness or coax cable. Drilling the access hole might be a little tricky, to avoid damaging anything underneath..... But they have templates to locate everything correctly.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[hardrock]

I bought a "rabbit ears" antenna for $9.00 and a cable for $4.99.  When I am near a larger city that is likely to have a TV station, I hook up the antenna and sit it on a table.  I am careful to not have the Ollie between the antenna and the direction of the TV station. The aluminum insulation in the Ollie causes interference with the TV signal.  If there is a TV station in the viewing area, I can usully pick it up.  I have compared my antenna to the campground signal.  Unless you put a booster on the campground connector, you get better reception with your own antenna.  Otherwise, you are sharing a signal that is split with many others. The unit is very easy to store

 

Hardrock

[Mike and Carol]

We have the Winegard antenna and have used it whenever we're near a metropolitan area to pick up local news and weather.  Mike

[snowlakemike]

I have it on #64, and just yesterday was marveling at how useless it is. I was parked at a site in Southern Il. The antennae picked up nothing, even though campers around me could pick up multiple over air stations with their antennae. I would not buy it.

 

 

 

 

[STEVEnBETTY]

I have it on #64, and just yesterday was marveling at how useless it is. I was parked at a site in Southern Il. The antennae picked up nothing, even though campers around me could pick up multiple over air stations with their antennae. I would not buy it.

It is a powered antennae, the switch is in the back compartment on the left side, if you don't power it up it will not work very well. We like it, it's comparable to our hd over the air antennae at home, in my back yard in the St. Louis metro area they both get 35 channels.

[topgun2]

Mike - you will know that it is "powered" when the little green light that is right on that push button switch is lit.  Bill

[snowlakemike]

Thanks, guys, but yes, I do know it is powered and DID have the power (green light) on.

 

We were about 30 miles from Springfield IL, with stations, and nothing. Neighbors with those masts were able to pick up several overair stations. Not terribly important to me except the wife likes to watch Jeopordy and Wheel of Fortune and a happy wife makes a happy Oddesy.

 

 

[topgun2]

Mike - in that case, I'd place a call to Jason and ask if there is something that you can check yourself (wiring inputs for instance).  Or, the next time you are near Hohenwald be sure to stop and ask them to take a look at it.  Something does not seem right to me in that I've always been able to get at least as good reception (if not better) versus those near me who are using a regular "bat-wing".

 

Bill