We have a 2005 model Jayco Heritage with a winguard aerial to which I added the winguard extension a couple of years ago, as we are going digital within the next week and we will be relaxing in the van beside the beach on the Central Coast will our current aerial work or will we need to go digital.

If we need to change the aerial is it simple to fit a digital one to the existing mast

As Snapper says, you don't actually need a 'digital antennae' as the existing antennas will pick up the channels. It's the TV and/or set top box that determine whether you pick up the digital channels or not and as Oz has now switched off analogue signals, this is what you'll now find. As an aside, our Sprinter Jabiru MH has a UFOII aerial fitted to the back of 1999 vintage and picks up digital with amazing clarity. Your Wineguard will do equally as well; just auto-tune your new TV in (let it search for DTV channels only) and the aerial will pick them up.

Cheers,

Paul & Val - Far too young to retire!

03_troopy wrote:

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No mate, he was pulling your leg. The antenna pics up RF (Radio Frequency) energy, which can be modulated with either digital or anologue signals. As has been said, it's the device connected to the antenna that determines whether digital can be recieved.

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 Spot on advice.

John

aussietraveller wrote:

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Have just had new aerial fitted at home and the techo who fitted it said needed new digital aerial so thought may be same for van

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 As some of the others said, there is no such thing as a digital antenna. They are all just antennas.

If you were not getting a great analogue picture then maybe a new antenna was not a bad idea. During storms and the like your signal strength can reduce a bit and your digital picture could start to pixelate. The main reason that antenna systems may need upgrading for digital TV is the cable. Older antenna systems were installed with single shielded cable. The outer shield on those cables is very leaky, despite what some texts tell you.

One of the problems with digital TV reception is interference. This is often picked up through the co-axial cable shielding. Your "expert techo" should have replaced the cable with the newer triple shielded cable that the better installers now use. If you did not get the old style cable replaced he only did half the job.