Can only get public TV none of the major networks

[Barbara S.]

I have a new Winegard batwing antenna, a new Wingman, a new Winegard converter box, and a 3 year old TV set. Yes, the booster was on and the switch turned to TV. In Schulenburg and Columbus, TX I had miserable reception - maybe one channel and no national channels. I rescanned in my driveway at home and it said it found 8 channels, but most were in Spanish.

[diandtom]

Thanks, Wa8yxm moving the antenna 60 degrees and rescanning I was able to get one of the major networks. I found it at 9:00. I just want one station to see news and weather. I am parked under trees and that probably my problem. The lady at the campground desk said there are over forty channels in this area, but it for some one out in the open. I am not moving for TV
Tom

[TXiceman]

I believe that a lot of RVers will be buying regular off-air antennas and a mast to use when parked. The batwing antennas are a compromise due to size and ease of operation. You really need a bit more antenna when we are seeking digital signals.

I would hope that Winegard will be working to get a better designed antenna for RVers since we cannot all live in a strong signal area.

Barbara, when we rescanned the antenna on the RV we had 15 or 20 channels all total on digital from our driveway and we are not that far from you.

Anyway that is my nickels worth.

Ken

[lllkrob]

Try going to www.dtv.gov and put in your current location zip code. On the reception map feature it will list the digital stations in your area, click on the station, and it will show the compass heading for your antenna for best reception.

[W4RLR]

Originally Posted by diandtom

Yes, I am doing a scan at each location. The campground shows we should have channels, 4,5,7,9,11,13,25 and 42 public. We can only get channel 42

I will bet your campground is listing the former analog channels. The clue here is that channels 4 and 5 are no longer authorized for broadcast television. Only VHF channels 7 through 13 and UHF channels 14-51 are used for digital television.

[Barbara S.]

Originally Posted by TXiceman

Barbara, when we rescanned the antenna on the RV we had 15 or 20 channels all total on digital from our driveway and we are not that far from you.

Ken

Ken, you live a whole two miles away so I am sure we get the same channels and you have a few more trees than I do. I guess some of my problems might possibly be "operator error".

[hamguy]

Originally Posted by TXiceman

The new digital signals are much more directional than the analog signals. Also where in the past you would get a snowy picture, you will get nothing on digital. 35 miles on DTV will be a good range from the transmitter. 50 miles probably will be stretch for most of the batwing antennas. Our old trailer has a old style Yagi antenna and I added a 20 dB gain booster and went with a HD TV rather than mess with the converter box.

When we were in Johnson City, TX last month, we could get 8 or 10 DTV stations out of Austin, no problem.

I fired up my new digital TV on the old style batwing and scanned for signals. I live in Mesa, AZ and never saw Tucson TV before but with the digital I see more than I can count. I totally disagree that 35 miles is a stretch since Tucson is ~90 miles away. My sister uses rabbit ears on her set and gets 0ver 20 signals whereas before she got 5. She now gets Nebraska Public and never got that before on analog.

[Max Hubrich]

I am in a tree laden campground in coastal Maine. We sit about 50-60 miles from the transmitters in Portland and Augusta. All us folks (about 10) have marginal reception. We all ran out and bought the Wingman, $30 add on antenna to our Winegard Sensar Antenna's. It appears to have helped slightly. Wind, rain, clouds, time of day-- all effect our reception. Sometimes its good and other times, nothing. Usually I can find one station with a good enough signal to get through the local weather report. Aiming the antenna properly is critical. I write channel numbers on a small piece of masking tape and stick it on the ceiling so the sensar pointer can be adjusted easily. I also find I can rescan and get more channels on a clear, quite (no wind) day.

MPBN (Maine Public Broadcasting Network) always comes in LOUD and CLEAR!

Dmiles -- I also have an FCC communications license issued in March 1965. It was required for us to use aircraft radio transmitters, considered "broadcast stations" in those days. Then CB's came out and the Government lost control of the airways and gave up trying to regulate them. If I remember correctly, they were issued free--.

I also have DirecTv and have a lot of company lately-- Ha, Ha.

[CWHTRAINS]

Aren't the channels 4, 5, 7, & 9 all coming from Washington DC which is a long way from Winchester. They are the local channels carried by most cable systems in that area. It has been a long since I lived there, but pre-digital times, we could barely get those channels with an amplified tall roof mounted antenna on our mountain vacation house. Most of the time the reception was very poor at best.

[diandtom]

We I got home Camping World is offering a add on to my batwing to get digital reception better. Is it worth buying?

[Bill Adams]

Originally Posted by diandtom

We I got home Camping World is offering a add on to my batwing to get digital reception better. Is it worth buying?

Those that have tested the Wingman have said that it does improve reception but it also makes the antenna even more directional so you may have to tweak the antenna a bit more to get the best signal.

[Volunteer]

Wow! Third Class FCC license. I wonder where mine is? Had to have one when I started as an all-night DJ in Abilene, Texas, in 1962 because without one, the FCC said I wasn't smart enough to log the transmitter readings. You folks have really brought some memories back for me.

Regarding the digital TV stuff: I just went to WalMart and bought a set of RCA rabbit ears. I got my DTV converter free from HEB using the government "credit card." Since I'm a guy and don't read instructions nor ask for directions, I recently discovered by chance that I have a built-in "signal meter" in my DTV converter. I'm in Johnson City, Texas, and also get the Austin stations like TXiceman did. So if I want Channel 7, I punch in that number on my converter, bring up the signal meter, and turn the rabbit ears until I get the strongest signal. Thankfully, in Austin most of the televison transmitters are close together so I seldom move the rabbit ears.

Of course, standing on one leg, holding the rabbit ears out a window while looking at the TV screen CAN be a bit awkward. But I'm an awkward person anyway.

[Max Hubrich]

Ken (TXiceman),

We're in an RV park in the "thules" in coastal Maine.

We're about 50- 60 miles from the TV transmitters in Portland, ME. A definite fringe area.

I have gone lnto the cottages and apartments, that are rentals on this property, and helped tune the TV's antennas mounted on the roofs of these cottages/apartments since the switch to digital. They get no better reception than I get in my motorhome with the Winegard Sensar antenna with the Wingman attachment. Again, the trick is to fine tune the antenna --- and it is a lot easier with the control handle in the coach than climbing on the roof of these structures.

Maine Public Broadcasting Network is an exception--- It comes in loud and clear with the antenna up or down, in any direction, for all our campers in the park.

My two cents of input---

[BCook57]

I added the Wingman to our antenna and it helped quite a bit. Fortunately it helped pull in my wife's favorite two local channels. Whew!