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Old 03-12-2015, 11:14 PM   #1
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2013 25' FB Flying Cloud
Prescott , Arizona
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Pulling the Air TV Antenna Replace With A Satellite Antenna

I have an 2013 FC25FB AS. I want to pull the air TV antenna off the roof (I have never used it even once) and replace it with something like a King Controls KD1500 Rover Automatic Satellite antenna. Or a Wingard one, I've not bought anything at this point. Since it's a trailer, I don't need one of those nifty ones that tracks the satellite in motion, nobody is riding back there anyway.

I have to get power up there for the tracking system.

Has anybody done this? Obviously, the air antenna has a coax down into the interior. Does it go straight to the TV set on the bulkhead? If so, then I would have to put an extension on it to reach the Satellite TV box, either Dish or Direct TV, right? I could run it behind the refrigerator to the closet, put the box on the closet shelf and run the feed back to the TV, but I don't know how that would affect the remote for the box.

I'm looking for ideas here, as well as feasibility.

Thanks for your help.
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Old 03-13-2015, 06:51 AM   #2
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On the upside, once installed it is pretty painless -- plug in, fire it up and you are good to go. On the downside, no flexibility in placement -- if the antenna is blocked by trees or something, then you have to move the whole trailer to get a signal.

My neighbor has one on his mobile home and that is his only complaint so he keeps a tripod mounted antenna for those occasions. He did not have to run a power cable as the DC power is run through the coax. I don't know if this is standard.

Mike
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Old 03-19-2015, 04:35 PM   #3
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Ah, The Power Of The Owner's Manual

I have spent the last few days since the initial post researching antennas and connections. As a last resort, I actually got the owner's manual out and read the part about the electronics.

It seems (and I have not yet tested all this in real time) that if I use a carry-out satellite antenna and hook it to the satellite terminal on the right front corner of my FC25FB that the trailer is already wired for the satellite box in the upper front cabinet on top of the Blu Ray player, so my wiring project vanishes as if by magic.

It also seems that my previous problems with the air antenna were also the result of not reading the manual first - signal booster wired in and all that.

I read all that and my finger didn't even get tired. You would think somebody as old as I am would learn to read the instructions first wouldn't you?

So I guess I'll buy a carry-out (less expensive than the mounted ones) and a 30-days-at-a-time prepaid Dish hook up.

Thanks all.
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Old 03-19-2015, 05:02 PM   #4
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If you have a smartphone or an IPad, there is a handy little ap called Dish Align that makes setup a breeze.

Of course, if you are going Dish, you could just get the Tailgator and it is automatic...

Mike
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Old 03-19-2015, 05:21 PM   #5
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I have Directv and the Winegard Tailgater automatic antenna installed on the roof.
The Directv Version is pretty hefty and mounting has to be done on a sturdy large support bracket which is mounted to the roof. I love the Directv dish, it is fairly large and i don't have trouble getting signal through fairly dense tree coverage. So far I haven't been camped in place where my dish was unable to get reception. It is neat to watch the dish auto align itself to the Satellites. Works fantastic.
The dish network automatic antenna is much smaller and lighter and I don't think it pulls in the signal as well.
I mainly chose Directv because I have been a subscriber for over 15 years living out in the country with no over-air-tv and no cable. Plus the NFL Sunday ticket with all the NFL games is only available on Directv. I had a spare receiver that I had been using at home and now I use it in the Airstream.
In my install, power is injected into the Coax, and the coax runs to the satellite receiver in the same compartment with the Blu-ray player. I have an HDMI box that takes in the satellite out HDMI, the Bluray out HDMI, and then outputs to the HDMI in on our TV sets in the Airstream.
That way I can switch between Blu-ray and Satellite to both TVs in the Airstream.
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Old 03-22-2015, 11:34 PM   #6
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Thank you all for your input. I focused on Dish because they let you buy an antenna and a set-top box and then sign up for 30 days at a time. We travel in the Tin Twinkie 3 or 4 times a year, but generally for 3 or 4 weeks at a time and paying for DirecTV year around for 1/3 of a year of use isn't attractive. Maybe DirecTV will do that too (it's what I have in my non-mobile residence), if so, they make it impossible to find on their website.

Thanks again.

Chuhuniban
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Old 03-23-2015, 09:41 AM   #7
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If you have directv in your home, you can just take one of your set top boxes with you, buy a portable antenna and you are good to go. We have been doing it that way for 9years. I will say that you will lose your local channels once you are a couple of hundred miles from home as those are spot beams.

Why pay Dish when you already have a Directv subscription?

You can still buy movies or sports events by ordering online as well.

Mike
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Old 03-23-2015, 10:07 AM   #8
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The reason to go Dish is because DirectTV isn't in HD over the Winegard Carryout. We went with Dish and the Tailgater and it works perfectly. Beautiful HD sports channels for those rainy days!
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Old 03-23-2015, 11:48 AM   #9
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You have got better eyes than I do. On our trailer's 19" LCD, I can't tell the difference between the HD channels we get from the broadcast antenna from the SD channels we get from our Direct TV receiver.

Since I already have Direct TV at home, the service is free on the road. I am just too cheap to pony up a monthly subscription to get HD vice SD.

Mike
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Old 03-23-2015, 12:43 PM   #10
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I have 1080P HD from my Directv service with the Winegard Automatic Travel'er antenna. It automatically locates the birds and aligns itself when powered on.

Like I said, the install is fairly substantial because the rooftop dish is large and requires a strong base plate to mount on.

However it works much better than those small dome automatic antennas that Dish uses for HD and it rarely looses a signal even through fairly dense vegetation.
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Old 04-03-2019, 06:57 AM   #11
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So my question is can I just take the bulky antenna off the top of my 1972 Land Yacht(I think Tradewind) and just have a portable antenna to place where ever. I haven't really checked the top out but we have a couple of leaks, so when I take the antenna off will I seal everything. As you can tell I'm learning all this.
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Old 04-03-2019, 07:11 AM   #12
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Sure, but why? Are you talking about a portable satellite antenna? If so, apples and oranges and no reason to remove the broadcast antenna. If you are going to remove the broadcast antenna to use a portable broadcast antenna well, there is no benefit. The installed antenna is fairly broadband, can be aimed for peak signal and is boosted.

I am not sure what you hope to accomplish.
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