Best Rv antenna

samve33 · 1-Oct-2019, 2:52 AM

Guys, I'm in the process of rebuilding my rv and was wondering which antenna you think would be best, the King Jack or the Winegard 4?
I'm thinking the Winegard 4 since the antenna is physically larger and that it can raise to a higher height. Opinions please. Thanks.

ADTech · 1-Oct-2019, 1:39 PM

Does the RV have an existing antenna or are you starting from scratch (and no hole in your roof).

jrgagne99 · 1-Oct-2019, 2:24 PM

The KINGJAKs are way more better than those crummy WINGRUDs. (inside joke)

In all seriousness, based on the size, they are probably pretty comparable in terms of signal gain. Looks like the Winegard Sensar IV has some VHF-low capability that the King Jack may lack, but there are very few VHF-low stations on the air now anyway.

I think I would focus on the other physical attributes to make your decision. For example, the ability to lower the Sensar IV all the way down might put less stress on your roof while you are under way, as opposed to the King Jack which is always at the same (operational) height all the time. On the other hand, if you forget to lower the Sensar before heading out, you risk doing damage to the the mount and your roof. Knowing how forgetful I am on such things, I would go with the King. The fact that it sits a bit lower is probably not a big deal in terms of reception, unless you have some other assets up on your roof that you need to get above (e.g. AC unit). In which case the taller height might tip the scales back to the Winegrud.

ADTech · 1-Oct-2019, 5:12 PM

The Sensar IV is very good on low-VHF, pretty good on high-VHF, but blind as a bat on UHF. Adding the Wingman UHF attachment helps it to perform less poorly on UHF. Since there are only a couple of dozen low-VHF full power stations in the country, not a whole lot of demand for that. About 3/4 of all full power stations are UHF so that's where most of the performance need is likely to occur, depending, of course, on where you actually plan to use the antenna.

There's not much inside the KJ models. I've got some photos and test data around here somewhere from some testing I did last year on RV models.

jrgagne99 · 1-Oct-2019, 6:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADTech

The Sensar IV is ... blind as a bat on UHF.

Curious, since pictures of the Sensar IV that I have found seem to show 3 UHF elements...

https://www.amazon.com/Winegard-8551...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

https://winegard.com/industry/recrea...v/sensar-iv-rv

JoeAZ · 1-Oct-2019, 7:48 PM

You might also consider the Winegard FV-HD30.
It's compact, well built, inexpensive and is decent
on UHF and Hi VHF.

ADTech · 2-Oct-2019, 3:27 AM

You're right, the IV is the combination of the III plus the Wingman. Been a while since I looked at them and I got the model names mixed up.

samve33 · 2-Oct-2019, 2:33 PM

Thanks for the replies. As you can see it's a pretty tough choice.
It did have a Winegard III, but it's very old and the coax is shot, plus stripped gears, so I removed it and had to do some roof repair too, so basically starting from scratch. It will be located very close to an ac which I wondered could be an issue with the King Jack. Kind of on the fence about remembering to lower the Winegard before moving.
So, you think the King Jack is better for UHF over the IV?

OTAFAN · 3-Oct-2019, 11:46 PM

You may want to consider this option if you're looking to get reliable reception across VHF/UHF:

https://www.antennasdirect.com/clear...v-antenna.html

JoeAZ advice above is also worth considering.

https://winegard.com/products/hdtv-d...ion/freevision

I would also consider adding a preamp/amp to the FV-HD30, similar to what the Clearstream 2 RV offers.

Just my 2 cents and all the best.....

phone man · 5-Oct-2019, 10:59 PM

ADTech can you comment on the Clearstream 2 RV antenna? I had no idea Antennas Direct had modified a clearstream 2 to fit on the standard RV boom and work with the preamp inserter already onboard.
I just got on my travel trailer roof to see if I had enough clearance on each side of the boom. I've got 13" to the side before it would contact the air conditioner housing and from photos it looks like the top of the Clearstream 2 would extend beyond the end of the boom enough that the VHF elements would clear. If there were a clearance problem could they or just one side be shortened without sacrificing much high VHF?
We don't tow over 68 mph but I have to wonder if the Clearstream 2 can take the wind pressure from driving. The pre amp looks a lot like the PA-18, is it ?

rabbit73 · 6-Oct-2019, 1:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phone man

The pre amp looks a lot like the PA-18, is it ?

It looks like the PA-18 in the instructions:

They don't show the power inserter in the antenna description, the antenna instructions, or the video, but they do mention to connect the power in the video.

phone man · 6-Oct-2019, 2:54 AM

That's a pretty clear bit of evidence! Thanks for the clear photo of that label. The factory Winegard antenna in most every RV has a 12v preamp so the inserter is already in the chain.

What an improvement this could be over my current antenna! I've been looking at the small outdoor residential antennas with the RV in mind for a while. Strapping one to a "gopher pole" (20' telescoping fiberglass pole) tied to the RV ladder was what I had in mind but I know the Mrs would not see the beauty in it. LOL

rabbit73 · 6-Oct-2019, 4:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phone man

The factory Winegard antenna in most every RV has a 12v preamp so the inserter is already in the chain.

The Winegard power inserter and power supply might work with the PA-18, but the PA-18 usually comes comes with its own power inserter and power supply. Maybe ADTech can tell us.

OTAFAN · 6-Oct-2019, 8:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phone man

If there were a clearance problem could they or just one side be shortened without sacrificing much high VHF?

In an earlier thread on this forum (I can't find it right now), I recall ADTech saying the VHF Diploes were cut (or made) right in the middle of the VHF High frequency.

So IMHO, I would suggest NOT modifying the dipoles because you probably would compromise reception.

Perhaps ADTech will chime in shortly and confirm this and other related issues you raised.

Hope this helps for the moment.....

ADTech · 7-Oct-2019, 4:57 PM

Yes, we came out with the C2V-RV earlier this summer. It's intended to retrofit onto an existing Winegard-type crank-up RV mount.

Quote:

If there were a clearance problem could they or just one side be shortened without sacrificing much high VHF?

The dipoles may, if necessary, be folded down for traveling which would, of course, require a trip up to the roof.. I would not recommend shortening them haphazardly.

Both the PA18 and the Juice operate on 12-15 volt DC power sources. Our supplied power supplies for both are regulated at 12 volts. The existing Wingard power inserter works fine for this purpose.

phone man · 7-Oct-2019, 10:42 PM

That makes perfect sense and I sort of knew that as soon as I posted it. Duh!
Thanks everyone for the replies. Truthfully we're almost ready to winterize the camper and park it for the winter but I'll keep the C2V-RV in mind

samve33 · 18-Oct-2019, 12:16 PM

Sorry guys, been away for a bit.
I like the looks of that Clearstream, it's looks impressive and I suspect would outperform the old bat wing.
I believe that's the one I'll end up going with.
Thanks for the input.

phone man · 21-Oct-2019, 11:44 PM

My C2V RV antenna is supposed to arrive tomorrow. The clearance issue with the VHF elements and my roof air conditioner was addressed by a support tech who said I could move the VHF mount over a couple inches and zip tie it to the reflector as needed.

I was curious about the weight difference between the Sensor III and the C2V RV. Surprisingly the C2V is lighter by a few ounces.

phone man · 22-Oct-2019, 9:23 PM

From our driveway in the same position, the Winegard Sensar III received one channel. A PBS affiliate 39 miles away. The C2V-RV is picking up four additional channels (ABC. NBC, CBS, FOX) and their sub channels 43 miles away. All are within 10 degrees of each other. This will be interesting to try at campgrounds where I'm familiar with TV reception.
Moving the VHF over a couple inches worked well and clears the roof AC as I'd hoped. Due to short coax on the boom, I had to mount the pre amp on the back side of the antenna screen. AD Tech, am I causing any problems by doing this? I can make a longer cable and mount in below the screen if it matters. I do not have any dicor self leveling sealant on hand so I didn't want to replace the factory coax at this time.

Stowed position. The provided rubber bumper wasn't quite enough so I strapped a piece of rubber hose to the bottom boom. Also added a zip tie to minimize movement of the reflector screen on the mount. Sits pretty solid on the roof now.

phone man · 4-Nov-2019, 10:04 PM

UPDATE

Before I parked and covered the travel trailer for the winter I wanted to try the C2V RV antenna from another location away from the valley we live in. I drove 2 miles west to a restaurant parking lot. Distance to the broadcast towers is the same, just higher ground and fewer trees. I was able to pick up the four major networks plus our CW affiliate which is in the same direction but further away at 65 miles per TVfool. We have one weak VHF channel from the north, opposite direction of all the others, 2 edge reception. I can get this at home with the CM4228 most of the time. I drove north 9 miles to a church parking lot on high ground with no trees nearby and was able to get ch12 along with some others from the north I don't get at home. Just for fun I turned the antenna to the SSW and got all the major channels from Columbus including the CW at 74 miles. Very good signal and no pixelation at all.