Community Forums

Riverratt · 07-10-2019, 09:21 PM

Just picked up a brand new KZ Connect C303RL which has the omni directional fixed tv antenna. On my old motorhome with the adjustable crank up antenna I could get about 19 channels which was good enough for me. Now I have a big screen tv and I can only get 2 channels with the new antenna. I do not want to go through the hassle of replacing the antenna and taking a chance of a roof leak. I park the camper along a pavilion for the summer. Can I buy some kind of antenna and mount it to my pavilion and feed the signal back into the camper through the cable inlet? I dont watch enough tv to warrant getting dish. Thanks

rk911 · 07-10-2019, 09:43 PM

sure. just get yourself any residential style antenna, mount it on a pole or pvc pipe, strap it to a post and connect the coax to the outside tv connector or feed tbe coax thru a window. choose an antenna that is rated to receive signals from x-miles away whatever x is for your location.

as for your new antenna...does it require an amplifier? did you turn it on? did you scan for new channels?

Riverratt · 07-10-2019, 09:47 PM

It does have a booster and it is turned on. I did a scan and it picked up 2 channels the first time and the second time it picked up 9 but they were pixalated. if I turn off the booster I lose it all so I know it is working. Most tv stations are atleast 60 miles from me. Would I need a separate booster on the antenna I add?

Old-Biscuit · 07-10-2019, 09:49 PM

I bought a single array tV antenna at Ace Hardware
Mounted it on a 5' piece of pipe
When we got into areas where my Winegard Crankup Batwing wasn't pulling in stations I would hoist it up the rear ladder on my 5th wheel.....had a couple of flag pole ladder mounts I would use
Cable from antenna then connected to the 'Cable' connection on back of 5vr

I have a 'BOMB' (box of many buttons)
Select cable input on BOMB for both TVs

TVs input still on 'Air/antenna' and auto scan for channels

Always picked up several stations
HEIGHT is the key

So YES you can....
Depending on how cable coax connects to TV you may have to play around with 'source'---Inputs

And you need to know which direction TV Tower is so you can AIM the antenna at the tower

rk911 · 07-10-2019, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riverratt

It does have a booster and it is turned on. I did a scan and it picked up 2 channels the first time and the second time it picked up 9 but they were pixalated. if I turn off the booster I lose it all so I know it is working. Most tv stations are atleast 60 miles from me. Would I need a separate booster on the antenna I add?

you might. depends on the quality of the antenna. most i've seen are rated to pick up signals for X-miles. but physics is physics. all signals are line of sight so the best you're gonna do is 60-80 miles but you're gonna need to get your antenna up 20-40 feet, possibly a little lower if you use an amp. height above ground and free of obstructions are your friends.

TV Antenna Range

Riverratt · 07-10-2019, 10:08 PM

I see they also make cheap inside antenna with booster for inside the house that are supposed to be good for 120 miles but not sure how they are going to work in a camper

jcussen · 07-10-2019, 10:10 PM

Not cheap, but picked up 90 channels on my old crank up directional and got 80 with this one. Don't have to worry about forgetting to stow it, just hit the button at your new campsite and it will rotate internally and find the local channels.
https://www.winegard.com/rayzarauto

rk911 · 07-10-2019, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riverratt

I see they also make cheap inside antenna with booster for inside the house that are supposed to be good for 120 miles but not sure how they are going to work in a camper

snake oil. don't fall for it.

docj · 07-11-2019, 06:08 AM

An omni-directional antenna will never get as good reception as a well-tuned directional antenna. That's pretty much a fact of life. People like omni-directional antennas because they're easy to use, but it doesn't mean their performance will be equal to what they had.

Joel (AKA docj)

RoadrunnerII · 07-11-2019, 06:32 AM

While in central Florida we where at the limits for ota tv and our wineguard antenna on our 2017 Eagle. Stations would drop out an pixelated. 70 miles in 3 directions to the station towers. I purchased another amplifier from Walmart. The kind you mount on a home antenna. Put it inline between the tv and the built in amplifier in trailer. That made the stations watchable.
I may buy an antenna and pvc pole for next year. Will see how it works at a different site.

YMMV

RoadrunnerII

SkiSmuggs · 07-11-2019, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riverratt

I see they also make cheap inside antenna with booster for inside the house that are supposed to be good for 120 miles but not sure how they are going to work in a camper

Yup, snake oil. Here is a link to antennas recommended by YouTuber Antenna Man who installs antennas in rural PA. https://www.amazon.com/shop/antennam...d=OORRNK7F8JXG
The ClearStream Max 2V would be the most convenient to store.

Riverratt · 07-11-2019, 07:12 AM

I am really hoping for something that I can mount permanently on a pavilion next to the camper and feed through either the satelite or cable jack. I wonder how something like this would work?

https://www.amazon.com/McDuory-Anten...09TSX4Q9DKPD4T

SkiSmuggs · 07-11-2019, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riverratt

I am really hoping for something that I can mount permanently on a pavilion next to the camper and feed through either the satelite or cable jack. I wonder how something like this would work?

https://www.amazon.com/McDuory-Anten...09TSX4Q9DKPD4T

Junk. You can permanently mount any from the list I provided. There are no 150 mile antennas because the earth is round. Antenna Man says those have a high failure rate. Get the Clearstream 4 or one of the yagi type from the list. If there are trees, consider the Channel Master 4228.

rk911 · 07-11-2019, 08:10 AM

agree in part. the 150-mile range claim is 100% hogwash. i’ll leave how well the antenna itself holds up to those who have used it.

your plan to use the external cable/sat connections should work as all three...OTA TV/Cable/Sat use 75-ohm cable (RG-59 or RG-6)...RG-6 is vastly prefered.