Over the Air Antenna

[retamaman]

My OTA was working just fine last night, now no signal. There is power since the red light is on at the antenna directional nob. Anybody have this experience, or, have any idea what may have happened?

Mike


Sent from my iPad using Forest River Forums

[wahoonc]

Did you move? Try reprogramming the television. Also did you try rotating the antenna? Otherwise I would suspect a loose coax cable somewhere.

Aaron

[Terier]

Is the green booster light on? Double check the TV mode to make sure cable is not selected.

Depending on where I am camping its not uncommon to have to move the antenna around. At the beach the signal in the morning can be different than at night.

[retamaman]

Thanks for the suggestions,however when I tried to re-program the TV there were zero channels selected. The OTA button was on, there was power to the antenna but it would not find any channels.


Sent from my iPad using Forest River Forums

[ben31]

Depending on your location, you likely will have differences between what you can get at night and what comes in during the day. Also, look for an app called "DTV ANTENNAS" to point your antenna. Remember, the actual direction of the antenna is about 90 degrees off from the arrow that lines up the antenna for folding it down.

We have been a few places, in which we couldnt get any channels during the day.

Assuming you have the direction of the antenna correct, you will need to check coax connections. Anything past that will require test equipment to test votage at the amp. There are websites, which have how to check the preamp, etc.

Lastly, I have a secodary amplifier, which I use to check reception. I can turn that on to get more signal. There are plusses and minuses to adding another amp, but it has let me pick up a couple of channels, when I am out in the boonies.

[DSurette]

This happened to me in previous MH that we had. Check your 12V fuses. The one that supplies power to the antenna on mine was blown even though the antenna power LED was lit. There is a LED across the fuse that lights when the fuse is blown. I suspect enough current was going through this led to light the power led for the antenna. Just a guess but replacing the fuse solved the problem.

[Asrabbit]

I have the small bat wing OTA that came with my camper, so it is not the best, but I don't watch much TV at home or when camping. I camped at Cleburne State park in July of this year in site 29 and had like 10 channels. My wife and I camped there last weekend in site 27, (2 sites away from July), and could not get 1 channel. Those sites do sit in a little valley, but I just cannot believe that things change that much between two sites. Also, those two sites face different directions, (slightly). But, I was believing that should not make any difference with the bat wing OTA. I do not know, but it made us find other things to do rather than watch TV.

Also, at that area it is very hard to get any network connect in terms of 4g. As a matter of fact, it is hard to get cell phone coverage at all. It really comes and goes. My wife thinks she is 21, (she is a few years past that), and therefore needs to be getting an additional degree, so she had home work to turn in by Saturday night. The only reliable WiFi option was Starbucks which was not too far away.

[Wolverine 1945]

There is a pic that some have added to there antennas,,, I do not remember what it is called,,, but I think you just screw it to your antenna ???
Maybe one of the user will chime in ???

[ProfChuck]

TV reception over the air is a bit finicky now that we have digital TV. Basically you either get a picture or you don't, just like the way digital works with ones and zeros (on or off). In OTA you also have what we in the industry call the "cliff effect" where you don't get a bad signal when the signal strength is low, it just drops "off the cliff" and you get nothing. This can happen if you are behind a hill or someone with a big rig pulls in next to you, etc. and blocks the signal, which in TV is "line of sight" meaning your antenna has to be able to have a direct signal line from the tower broadcasting the signal to it to work. As you reorient your antenna it can pick up more or less channels depending on which way it faces. But some channels will turn on or off like a switch. That is normal. When your set reprograms, it can miss some stations. Usually there is a way to add stations (after reorienting the antenna) without having to reprogram the whole thing again (pain). But, as was said, we are camping. We can watch TV at home. Enjoy the outdoor experience and get along with fewer channels - or go to a campground that has cable, or if you have a wifi hotspot on your phone, you can turn your computer into a TV. For me, I'll just put up with fewer or no channels and enjoy the camping experience. If your set has lost a connection (won't connect anywhere and you know there is a signal because others are getting one) then there may be something electronic going on and it will have to be tracked down.

[ben31]

Here is the add on for the Sensar antennas, to extend the UHF reception of the antenna. It installs with a couple of push in connectors. It does help improve reception.

[Wolverine 1945]

Amazon has them for about $32,,, UHF only I guess ???
Aren't most Network stations VHF ???

[Ddubya]

Sence the move to digital most stations are UHF.


Sent from my iPad using Forest River Forums

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by Ddubya

Sence the move to digital most stations are UHF.


Sent from my iPad using Forest River Forums

Here in our area all network stations are VHF,,, + we have a 2nd ABC that is UHF !!!

[Steeljag]

I too have been in areas where night TV reception was great, and the following day I had nothing!

Note the night time direction of the antenia so you can go back to that, and experiment with it for day time use. Google DTV antenna finder for the zip code your in to assist with pointing your antenia.

[Wolverine 1945]

Last year when we were @ Platt River Nat Park,,, the only TV station we could get was from Green Bay,,, on the other side of lake Michigan !!!

[ben31]

The basic Sensar does well with VHF, but not so well with UHF. This add-on improves the UHF reception.

[ProfChuck]

Yes, the Wingman attachment does help bring in the signal. Most VHF stations are now broadcasting digitally and that is actually a different channel than their old designation. However FCC lets them use that channel number anyway.

[Wolverine 1945]

I have seen in several cases where It seams like the lower VHF numbers are weaker signals that the higher numbers ???