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Old 06-27-2017, 08:14 AM   #1
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tv reception

Recently when camping, my other fellow campers received several more tv stations than I did. I had my signal enhancer on, as they did. Has anyone found that some enhancers are stronger / detect more stations than others.
We were in heavy tree area, but within 50 feet of each other. I turned my antenna a few degrees and did channel search with each turn. Can trees make such a difference in such a close vicinity to one another?
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Old 06-27-2017, 08:26 AM   #2
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Trees, antenna model, TV, (tuner quality) can all make a difference.
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Old 06-27-2017, 08:34 AM   #3
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There is a huge difference in the performance of tv antennas used on RVs. Just because it looks like a reasonable antenna does not mean it will perform like one. The Omni directional bat wing thing ( see attachment) that FR puts on some of its models is virtually useless. If you want better reception, I would go with a King Jack or a crank up Wingard . The amplifier you are referring to as a signal enhancer is pretty much a necessity as many systems will have little or no signal without it. I rarely watch tv, so rather than changing my installed ant, I stick up an external amplified ant when needed.
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Old 06-27-2017, 08:56 AM   #4
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What type of antenna do you have? Also, use an app like "DTV Antennas" to help find the direction, in which you need to point the antenna.

Go outside and look at the direction the antenna actually points, relative to the inside "arrow." Most do not point in the direction of that arrow. Once I found out the direction it actually faces, I placed a mark on the inside ring, so I could point that mark in the direction needed to hit the towers.

Omni-directional only works for a clear path and short distances (20-30 miles). For anything else, you pretty much need a directional antenna.

Adding another amplifier can help a little, but you still need to point your antenna in the direction which gives the best reception. The amplifier needs something to amplify.
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Old 06-27-2017, 05:24 PM   #5
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can be something as simple as a squished/kinked length of coax or a bad/corroded/loose connector....
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Old 06-30-2017, 09:08 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dmlranhc View Post
Recently when camping, my other fellow campers received several more tv stations than I did. I had my signal enhancer on, as they did. Has anyone found that some enhancers are stronger / detect more stations than others.
We were in heavy tree area, but within 50 feet of each other. I turned my antenna a few degrees and did channel search with each turn. Can trees make such a difference in such a close vicinity to one another?
I just took my Cruise Lite to the dealer because I couldn't get any reception. When I checked the King antennae on this forum, all seemed happy with their King. My service guy checked it and said the wires had shorted out(not installed correctly). He stated around 80% of the Cruise Lites have this problem. I now can pick up stations. You would think they would solve this problem before sales to avoid people returning for service.
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