Terrible Reception

[Pat Cassity]

Just returned home from a 7 day trip in which I could only receive 1 over the air channel. I have a 2015 Serenity with the new omnidirectional Winegard. The guy camping next to me had the old style crank up antenna and received 15 channels! I may go the satellite route in the future but for the time being I need a solution for the terrible reception I am getting from my current setup. I would like to attach a small antenna on a tripod outside of the trailer. Would it be possible to use the satellite connection on the trailer to connect to an antenna?


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[Msmoto]

As I also have a new Serenity, and am with several other trailers at Alumilina, I can attest to the poor performance of the omnidirectional antenna supplied. The owner of a new Classic replaced the supplied antenna with a King Jack antenna with signal strength meter and was receiving a much more reliable signal. While mine was breaking up, his was clear and consistent.

I would not waste the money on an outside antenna connected to the satellite input, but instead spend about $125.00 for the King Jack antenna...... Which I am about to order later today.


Ms Tommie Lauer
Greensboro, NC
2015 Serenity 30 RB / 2008 Dodge Cummins 4 X 4
WBCCI #4165 AIR #31871

[FishinHatteras]

One of the key differences in todays HDTV signals is the "packets" of data that are being transmitted. It's an "all or nothing" show these days. Remember when you could tune in that "far away" channel, but it would be a grainy picture? You could watch it, but there was "snow" all in the picture. That's an analog signal. Those days are long gone. Now, it's packets of data. You will now get a "pixelated" picture on your screen, which are tiny "blocks" of data. Unfortunately, if you are not receiving the entire packet of data, this pixelated picture is all you're going to get.
The best thing you can do inside your rig is to know where on the compass that the signal is being transmitted. Orient your antenna in that direction, and turn your antenna one click at a time. Your tv will need to "load" the packets of data it is receiving, so give it a minute when you make a change in direction. Welcome to "streaming" digital tv signals.
The times they are a changin'. Not sure if AS is installing some kind of booster to their new antenna's, but they do help. Just make sure you orient the antenna towards the source of the signal, and allow the packets to load. Pixelation is far worse than the old "snow" as you really can't watch a digital signal without a full stream of data. With snow, heck, you could at least watch the show, just not like we wanted. I wouldn't toss my antenna on a new rig just yet. Just make sure that it has a booster, and that you are patiently orienting it towards the source of transmission, one "click" at a time. It's a digital world of ones & zero's these days. There are no 2's iin the equation.
Gavin

[Firedog1]

also thinking about King Jack, Msmoto are you installing it or you having dealer do it?

[dznf0g]

Boy, I was thinking about replacing my old batwing with the add-on wingman, just because of the looks....but i don't think so now. It works great.

[bunni]

Originally Posted by Pat Cassity

Just returned home from a 7 day trip in which I could only receive 1 over the air channel. I have a 2015 Serenity with the new omnidirectional Winegard. The guy camping next to me had the old style crank up antenna and received 15 channels! I may go the satellite route in the future but for the time being I need a solution for the terrible reception I am getting from my current setup. I would like to attach a small antenna on a tripod outside of the trailer. Would it be possible to use the satellite connection on the trailer to connect to an antenna?

Did you press is "antenna boost" button next to the TV? Is there still one on the 2015's? We don't get many channels without it on.

[lewster]

King Controls makes the Jack digital amplified TV antenna as a directional stand-alone unit or as a direct replacement for the top sensor on your crank-up Wineguard.

I use the stand- alone unit in almost every large solar installation that I do. ALL of the owners say they are far superior to the Airstream supplied units, especially on the 2015 models.

Installation is straight forward, but you will need to drill a 2" hole in the roof for the rotational axle. Done properly, it won't hurt a bit !!!!


Lew Farber
RVIA/RVDA Nationally Certified Master Tech
Master Tech Energy Systems, Inc.
AM Solar Certified Installation Center
Lifeline Batteries**Magnum Inverters
541-490-6357

[AWCHIEF]

This site can help you find those elusive HD transmitters.

The Digital TV Transition: Reception Maps

[Silver Otter]

Alternative option: Make do without TV, at least while camping? We built our mountain home in 1999-2000 and just never got around to installing TV. We've been so happy without it. Tension reduced. Absence of hype. Reading books. When we go to hotels on business we flip through the channels. That reinforces our decision to skip it, and all the costs associated with it. An occasional Netfilx movie disk allows us to use the the old TV monitor to stay current with a movie or TV series like Downton. Joy.

[dznf0g]

I use TV antenna helper app. works well. You need a compass too.

[Msmoto]

My plans, after reading up on the King Jack antenna are to install it myself. Having done multiple other mods to the Serenity, I see no issue with this one.

As to the suggestion about pointing the antenna properly, the one supplied with the 2015 Airstreams has no adjustment being "omnidirectional " or as the saying goes, "a jack of all trades, master of none". And this is with the booster on. Booster off = nothing on my set.


Ms Tommie Lauer
Greensboro, NC
2015 Serenity 30 RB / 2008 Dodge Cummins 4 X 4
WBCCI #4165 AIR #31871

[Pagey]

We ordered a King Jack yesterday after getting home from Alumalina. It will be ready and waiting to be installed in our new Classic when it arrives. After seeing how well it performed on BAB's Classic and discussing the fine points of the installation with him, we decided it was worth it to make that upgrade.

We are not going to install satellite for now. Once we head west, we figure we are going to be too busy enjoying the night sky.

[BAB]

I demonstrated my King Jack install to at least 20 people at Alumalina last Saturday. As Lewster points out, it is an easy install. After you pull off the POS that comes on the trailer, you just extend the same hole into the interior and wire up the Jack. They do sell a cool install plate that goes between the antenna base and the roof. It costs a few bucks more, but it makes the install much cleaner and gives a great surface for butyl tape and/or Dicor or Sikaflex. The electronics: 1:1 replacement for the wall switch. They supply the one for the Jack and you swap out the 12V and antenna cables and you're done. Trust me. Very simple hookup.

[Gsmblue]

Any chance of a few pics of the King Jack? I want to go down that route too..

[AWCHIEF]

Here's a couple.

[Gsmblue]

Thank you! Anything inside the trailer? Crank handle?

[AWCHIEF]

Originally Posted by Gsmblue

Thank you! Anything inside the trailer? Crank handle?

This is just very simple swap of the antenna head. Unscrew the wire, pull two pins and retainers and reverse. In my case did not have get on the roof.

[Gsmblue]

Now I am a little confused. I thought he King was a swing up and rotate device.

On the 2015 we have a static disc thing that does not move.

As such I assumed I would need to remove the old one and cut a whole into the main cabin for a crank handle/rotating arm thing.

Am I confusing things here?

[Gsmblue]

This seems to back up what I thought, there does need to be a hole cut through to the main cabin for it to work.

Better Broadcast TV Picture Quality

Looks like I will put this on the list for the dealer to do. The one thing I will not do is cut holes in the Airstream, it was a request from the wife!

[DaveFL]

Besides turning on the amplifier switch I have found using the signal strength meter located in the menu of the tv lets me improve the direction of stations to get a better signal. Thanks for the heads up on the new antenna from wineguard, I was thinking of upgrading to it as the worst part of the new technology is that the smart tv only records channels with enough signal strength in the pointed direction but misses the stations in a different direction. By waiting to use the find stations program in the evening, I usually discover more stations.