TV Antenna

[DCKiefer]

If you didn't get the King Dome and don't want to mount a TV antenna on the roof I found an inexpensive alternative at Lowes. For just under $50, they have an small square flat panel indoor RCA TV antenna. Doesn't require and power and it works suprisingly well. I mounted in the rear storage cabinet where the TV cables run. Actually mounted it to the plate the holds the lights for the Oliver third brake light.

[mountainborn]

Cool ! Do you think I might find it on Lowe's web site ? Or, maybe you have a photo ?

[bugeyedriver]

DCKiefer,

 

What a great idea! Fit my needs perfectly. With the solar panel up topside, there's no room for the KingDome. Until the last 15 minutes, the only way could get TV was by plugging into the RV Park's cable hookup (if they had one) After reading your post and hopping on the internet a few minutes, I blasted off to Best Buy and bought an RCA Digital Flat Antenna, model # ANT1400 for $32. It is a multi-directional antenna that does not require aiming. They have one that is amplified, the ANT1450, for $49, but it would have required A/C plug in and the inverter running if I was boondocking. This one needs no power.

 

Next, I stopped in at the nearest Radio Shack and bought a Gold Series 75-Ohm High-Isolation A/B switch for $16. I hooked the incoming cable antenna, the RCA Digital Flat Antenna, and the Jenson flat screen tv to this and POOF! I had 8 local "free" channels.

 

I nestled the antenna amongst the wire bundles that go to the third break light (no hardware required) and wedged the A/B switch at the top left of the same area. Total time for installation - 5 minutes.

[tumbleweed]

Pete, ya'll don't let no grass grow under your feet. Thanks for the info. Do they make an A/B/C switch for us that have satellite???? Assume it would work, right, right???

See ya at Lake Greeson!!!!

Chuck

[bugeyedriver]

Chuck . . . If you have TV beaming at you from outer space, you don't need a local TV antenna This is for us more simpler types

[tumbleweed]

Oh contrare mi amigo. Local channels available only in the zip code that the recvr is programmed for. Want this for local stations. FYI, it is available at Tiger Direct for $17.99 + 7.95 shipping. Gonna get a hookup with A/B switch for Geris' Casita, but think I would need a 3 way switch for the Olivers' antenna, satellite and cable. Being extremely technology handicapped, I could use a little advise.

Thanks,Chuck

[DCKiefer]

I don't see the antenna on the Lowe's website, but here are some pics. They might be a little blurry. You can see the antenna mount to the third brakelight plate. I used heavy duty double stick tape and a right angle bracket I had.

 

[technomadia]

I've been experimenting with TV antennas lately.

 

I tried several, including the RCA ANT1400. It was particularly disappointing.

 

The larger flat-like-a-pizza-box RCA ANT1500 worked significantly better, and it is easy to tuck away in one of the back corners of the storage cabinet.

 

The ANT1500 was $60 at Best Buy, but I found the even better ANT1550 on Buy.com for just $39 with free shipping so I have ordered that one and I am waiting for it to come in.

 

The ANT1550 is just the ANT1500 with an included amplifier, which should improve things even more.

 

BTW - sitting between our TV antenna and our 24" Dell flat panel is now a Mac Mini media server, equipped with an El Gato EyeTV Hybrid USB HDTV tuner. This setup will let our Mac Mini act like a Tivo once we have all the parts in place. It also tunes in FM radio. Nice.

 

- Chris

[tumbleweed]

We got the RCA 1500 and finally got it hooked up but trying to make it neater looking. It works pretty well but have no way to compare to the 1400. Didn't want the amplified one as it needed power.

[technomadia]

The amplified ANT1550 is just the ANT1500 sold with a separate external amplifier that I expect I can just bypass when we don't want to spare the power for it. For only a few dollars more, it was worth it.

 

Our ANT1550 should be arriving later this week.

 

The ANT1400 I tried was very disappointing, and the reviews on Amazon.com seem to echo this.

 

- Chris

[SeaDawg]

I'm curious as to how the antennae have worked out for all of you. We're getting ready for summer camping, and thinking about adding an antenna to the mix.

Thanks.

Sherry

[DCKiefer]

For not having many antenna mounting option on our trailer I think it is pretty good. I think the range is probably about 15 or 20 miles depending upon the terrain.

[technomadia]

No complaints here on the ANT1550 we installed. Of course, we may have watched about an hour cumulative of TV since installing it way back when. We're just not TV people.

 

- Cherie

[tumbleweed]

15-20 miles seems to the limit for our 1500 RCA antenna, also.

Chuck

[noneoftheabove]

Can anyone using the ANT1550 tell me what the output voltage of the power adapter for the amp is? Hopefully the answer is going to be 12 volts.

[SeaDawg]

DCKiefer, Bugeyedriver, Chris, Cherie, and all the others who have purchased various models of RCA flat digital antennae, thanks for the info.

How have the various models worked for you so far? With the digital conversion, there are a number of local sales on these antennae, and we're thinking about adding one to the Oliver. (Compusa, for example, has the 1450 for $19.99, and the 1500 for ten dollars more.)

 

Chris & Cherie, were you able to by-pass the power requirement for the 1550 as you originally thought, so it can be used as the 1500 when boondocking?

 

Thanks.

 

Sherry

[DCKiefer]

The RCA non-amplified unit I have does ok if you are close to a major town or city. We don't have cable or satelite so comparing the reception to our home antenna we get about half the channels in the Oliver as we do in the house. It's better than nothing for $19.

[bugeyedriver]

I went non-amplified to limit phantom draws on the battery. Checked out reception today and I had 14 channels coming into the Wonder Egg. Several were of questionable integrity but the rest were loud & clear. (I'm about 30 miles away from the city, with hilly terrain between)

[technomadia]

Yes.. we completely left the amplifier out of our system, thus it has no power overhead.

 

- Cherie

[SeaDawg]

Thanks for all your replies. I think we'll order the 1550, since we can eliminate the amp when boondocking.

Sherry

[technomadia]

Can anyone using the ANT1550 tell me what the output voltage of the power adapter for the amp is? Hopefully the answer is going to be 12 volts.

 

It is 12 volt, if I recall correctly.

 

The 1550 is just a 1500 sold packaged with a separate external amp. We have it on hand for future experimentation, but In my testing though the amp hardly helped at all, so so far we have ended up leaving it out.

 

- Chris

[freemanlorenz]

Hello. does Anybody had good results after installing one of the hdtv antennas? Have had one for several years at the farm, directional model with motorized rotation but no way to tell direction it is pointing w/o having someone stand outside to watch it turn. Sometimes it works good, other times poor reception, enough height is not a problem. Put up an omnidirectional unit last week, only got 3 channels off one tower at first, then got a bunch of channels from 4 market areas, then it went to crap again. so it went back to HD and the old antenna went back up. The farm is in a rural county and about 50+ miles from all but a PBS tower (ain't saying exactly where cause I can go hide there if Shameless tries to hit me with that machine). Can't really justify the cost of sattelite or internet there but would like to watch the news and sports at night when I am there. Thanks in advance.

[dewdev]

2 hours ago, freemanlorenz said:

Hello. does Anybody had good results after installing one of the hdtv antennas? 

I bought for my house a HD antenna with a amplifier (to plug into a 110 V outlet). It works great and I get about 20 channels.

Most good antenna companies on the internet has a spot for you to put in your address and they will give you a recommendation for which antenna they recomomend from their selection and will also show you  want channels you will be able to receive with that antenna.