t.v.ariels

Noelene · Veteran Member

t.v.ariels

NeilandRaine · Guru

Saturn and wineguard are the two market leaders. You will get good and bad reports about both. We have Wineguard and no real problems

Noelene · Veteran Member

thanks Guru

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Noelene, I have had the Saturn and hated everything about it, I found it to be very directional even though they say it is Omni. I couldn't pick up a signal on many occasions.

I now have a "Jack" fitted and have had great signals from central VIC and right up the east coast as far as Townsville. Very happy with it at this stage.

TommyG · Senior Member

Doug, You are a lot luckier than me with a Jack. I bought one at a rally and found it to be 1 step up from useless. With the booster it will only pick up signals from about 5 Km, without the booster it hardly works at all. Even when almost in the middle of a town.
I have a mate with a home made T antenna that outshines my Jack at double the distance. That's why I always use the Satellite dish. I can set it up faster than the Jack and get great reception every time but I have to choose where I park.

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Not normally the lucky one Tommy but just maybe in this case. My Jack is permantly fitted on the roof and I just need to rotate to get signal. I have an APP called "Antenna Mate" and always tells me where to go biggrin Point the Jack that is biggrin Others tell me where to go though.

wendyv · Guru

We had an old Winegard on the Coaster. Because of digital TV, replaced it with the model that is better for that. Driver and his mate had to modify the bracket etc because the width of the new one had it hitting the air con. But it worked and has been great. (Driver can't do without his tv!!). Recently he decided he wanted a "better" air con and explored this with a nearby motor home place. The new unit would be bigger and thus the Winegard would have to go. They were going to fit a Jack unit. I did some research, checked Forum comments and the like - and showed him a picture of the Jack, which sits low and is height fixed. He decided quite quickly that our current air con is not too bad after all!!
The Winegard has a handle inside, on the bus roof, that allows us to wind it up and down, and a kind of dial arrangement around it for rotating the aerial.
After some 13 years in the van, with an aerial that was clamped onto a long pole inserted into a holder on the A frame, with a lead that came in through the pressure hatch (along with bugs), and the regular sessions with himself outside playing with aerial and me inside calling out bulletins on the state of the picture, believe me when I say that I adore the Winegard!!!!

I did buy a little warning sign that clamps onto the driver's sun visor and reads "aerial up - do not drive" - it is meant to be fastened on when we put aerial up and put away when we have wound it down. Useful reminder.

-- Edited by wendyv on Tuesday 23rd of June 2015 11:11:23 PM

PeterD · Guru

Noelene wrote:
we have lost one arm off it very old ariel,

What was the old antenna (make and model if possible.) If it gave good service it may be possible to repair it. If it is one of the old Winegard models you can get new heads for it.