TV reception in a remote area

[Drake-SUN]

My wife and I have had so much to do around our patch of land where our trailer is located that we've been too tired to care about entertainment at the end of the day...a glass of wine, and it's been pretty much "lights out," but now that we've got things squared away a little bit, we'd like to maybe catch the local news and a tv show if possible. My old 88 Seville has an "antique" tv ariel on it, so I am not even going to go there...I just want to know what I have to do to bring in ANY tv reception from local channels. I have a new flatscreen tv, but the old ariel rig would need a converter and lord know what else, and I don't want to mess with that...is there a good antenna/booster out there that would bring in a station say 40 miles or so away?

 

[pwb01]

You'll need a good external and directional antenna with a built in electronic booster to get good reception. It also needs to be made for the newer digital signals. 40 or 50 miles in very good conditions and terrain would be the absolute limit for range.

Of cource you could go for satellite but that pretty much needs 120v power. 12v satellite tuners are out there but are costly plus a satellite service is needed.

We don't often camp where TV is available so we use DVD's for entertainment. For news and other entertainment we have satellite radio. I get reception almost everywhere and the electronics is all 12v. There's a wide range of venue from news to music, comedy, and even old classic radio plays like the Lone Ranger or The Shadow.

 

[mainah-SUN]

If it has a camper antenna it's most likely a Winegard they are ok but it could benefit from a Wingman add on antenna for the new higher frequency TV channels. The stock antennas had receiver amps in them that actually work pretty good you do not need a converter box the TV takes care of that. Some where there is a cigar lighter outlet with a small panel there should be a switch to turn on the antenna amps with a little red light and an antenna connection.

 

[Gene-SUN]

When I am in Bar Harbor I get stations whose transmitters are 30 to 40 miles away using my Winegard. In my yard at home I get Boston stations 45 miles away. As Mainah said, only the old analog TVs need a converter and a Wingman may help with the higher frequency stations.

 

[Drake-SUN]

Okay...so I'm thinkin' that this ole boy ain't gonna see no local tv in the camper...because the nearest transmitter is a good 50 miles out, those antennas are probably pretty expensive, and satellite tv is way too expensive for no more time than we can spend there...so "Hi-Ho-Silver and Away," or "Lucy... you got some 'splainin' to do," it will have to be!

 

[luvrque]

Okay...so I'm thinkin' that this ole boy ain't gonna see no local tv in the camper...because the nearest transmitter is a good 50 miles out, those antennas are probably pretty expensive, and satellite tv is way too expensive for no more time than we can spend there...so "Hi-Ho-Silver and Away," or "Lucy... you got some 'splainin' to do," it will have to be!

You could try the LAVA HDTV2605 Antenna. $58. or $67.with shipping.
I tried it on a 85 Mile run, See results below copied from my old Tread.... It should be much better for a 50mile run.

OK here are the results in Long Key FL after installing the LAVA antenna on a 16 foot adjustable mast............
#1..At times a got up to 35 diff. stations, about 30% were in spanish.
#2..Some days (Appox.25%) I could watch for hours (CBS,NBC,ABC,FOX,PBS,Weather,Sports etc).with a perfect picture.
#3..Other days I could not get a perfect picture EXCEPT for some spanish stations like: (41.1 & 41.2)
#4..BOTTOM LINE...It seems (like I read before) that Excessive Humidity (moisture) in the air or Fog ...Makes the BIG difference!!!!

Here are 3 photos of the Antenna Down, partly up,and fully up.........
Attached Thumbnails



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[mainah-SUN]

The digital frequencies are much higher than they used to be this makes it a good bit easier to build a small high gain antenna also cheaper. I would at least try your antenna that you have if you get a signal the little Wingman add on may just do it for you they are not expensive. The set up Iuvrque has is definitely an option for you being parked. If you have a clear area something like that should work for you. Leaves on the trees and stuff in the way has a detrimental effect on digital signals so if you are in the clear there is a shot at watching the ball game.

 

[Tweety]

If it has a camper antenna it's most likely a Winegard they are ok but it could benefit from a Wingman add on antenna for the new higher frequency TV channels. The stock antennas had receiver amps in them that actually work pretty good you do not need a converter box the TV takes care of that. Some where there is a cigar lighter outlet with a small panel there should be a switch to turn on the antenna amps with a little red light and an antenna connection.

This is what we did when we had our Sunline. We actually added it while at Claytor Lake State Park because we had stopped at Camping World in Roanoke to buy it. We went from a couple channels to many channels. You may pull in the same Roanake channels depending on your location and terrain. It's very inexpensive, so worth a try.

 

[pwb01]

Hey Drake, here's a suggestion to build up a DVD collection for the camper. We watch the dollar stores and Wally world for $1 DVD's with old tv shows like 50's and 60's westerns, Lucy, The Nelsons, Donna Reed, and even those old 50's sci fi's (what a hoot). Some we find in the winter are difficult to not open before the camping season.

 

[Drake-SUN]

Okay friends, keeping all your good suggestions in mind, I will start the search...since I am not mobile, I may erect my own 30' or so, pole and mount an antenna on it and run a wire into the trailer from that. The trailer is in a cleared space but there are lots of trees around that space, so I think I am going to have to get up and over them to get reception.

 

[justatourist]

We were camping at Naples, in South Florida, and a hurricane came up. The weather people recommended we head North so we went to St Petersburg and setup camp there for one night. The hurricane again headed our way so we started running. The heavy traffic of the evacuation on the interstate highway was bad all the way into South Georgia. I had had enuff running and so we pulled of at a nice Gerogia campground. The motorhome next to us and the campground hosts had satellite TV and watched The Weather Channel while we waited util the locals could push weather between their commernials. After that trip we got DirecTV and have kept them for all year viewing ever since about 1985. Our TV on the road is the same as what we watch at home, unless we turn to local TV for local news when available. Getting TV reception everywhere we go, unless under trees so thick the signal can't get thru, is nice and we don't have to figure out their local TV because our own local TV goes with us. I simply transfer my receiver from home to TT since I have extra dish, tripod and coax onboard and ready to go. Yes, it costs but we have enjoyed the TV all year long no matter where we are.

 

[jim44646]

After that trip we got DirecTV and have kept them for all year viewing ever since about 1985. Our TV on the road is the same as what we watch at home, unless we turn to local TV for local news when available. Getting TV reception everywhere we go, unless under trees so thick the signal can't get thru, is nice and we don't have to figure out their local TV because our own local TV goes with us. I simply transfer my receiver from home to TT since I have extra dish, tripod and coax onboard and ready to go. Yes, it costs but we have enjoyed the TV all year long no matter where we are.

X2 on satellite. Use box from house also.