RV Antennas

[markopolo]

Good idea - I'll try it as it is in a few places to see if it works well enough without a rotator.

[Mike]

It's what I do, even though I have no idea what aspect of the van is the best side for TV reception. No idea if it even matters with the built into the roof antenna system. But, I've improved it marginally by pointing directly towards the nearest city (which I figure is where the transmitter might be) or towards a flashing red tower warning light, if I can see one in the distance. Or sometimes directly away from the target.

[markopolo]

Anyone have a Solé or Sole antenna? RT has been using them on all new models for a while now.

Solé or Sole Amplified Omnidirectional Antenna
http://www.soletv.com/SAHD400.html
http://www.soletv.com/images/Antenna.psd.pdf



If you have one:

Does it work?
What is your reception range?

You can use these GPS POI files to see which broadcast towers are near you: http://www.classbforum.com/phpBB2/vi...php?f=9&t=2424 so you know what stations or channels are in your area.

I'm really curious to know if they can receive broadcasts in the 40 to 50 mile range.

[Mike]

Interesting. Looks like a dual purpose item, TV antenna, and spare toilet seat lid.

When we went out to see the new trailer and get some orientation info last Tuesday, we tried the entertainment systems, including the TV and stereo system, and DVD player, and USB charger, and it's also got a (possibly universal) micro-card reader for viewing camera pictures stored on the various types of micro-storage cards and chips. it's all connected together and accesses the outside world via 2 roof mounted antennas. A whip antenna for the audio reception, and a crank up and rotate antenna for the video signals. The TV antenna is a Winegard-like T-type, and we were able to get several TV signals from inside the garage at the dealership. They brought the trailer inside because it was miserable and rainy outside that day. I was surprised we got anything at all being inside a large brick and metal building. I'll be bringing the satellite dish and receiver with us too, but it may not be needed for some local OTA reception. I'll use the POI files we set up, when we get out there, and see what towers I can hit, and from what distance, for what it's worth. Maybe simple is best in some cases, and the Winegard crank ups have been around forever.

[booster]

Originally Posted by markopolo

Anyone have a Solé or Sole antenna? RT has been using them on all new models for a while now.

Solé or Sole Amplified Omnidirectional Antenna
http://www.soletv.com/SAHD400.html
http://www.soletv.com/images/Antenna.psd.pdf



If you have one:

Does it work?
What is your reception range?

You can use these GPS POI files to see which broadcast towers are near you: http://www.classbforum.com/phpBB2/vi...php?f=9&t=2424 so you know what stations or channels are in your area.

I'm really curious to know if they can receive broadcasts in the 40 to 50 mile range.

This antenna just got mentioned on the Yahoo board in relation to a question of whether or not it was chosen by Roadtrek because it would give them enough room for solar installations. Joe Morales of Roadtrek posted it was chosen way before any solar considerations (which begs to ask why the didn't consider solar for their units), and that it was chosen because it's performance was better than the Windegard. I have not been able to find anybody that sells the Sole', or any reviews of it, so there is nothing to go by. But, I have never seen an omni directional antenna that would do as well as a dirctional (assuming similar amplification). Removing the Winegard is what made it possible for Roadtrek to use the roof area behind the roof vent efficiently. They can get a 41 by 41" panel on a C190P with the antenna gone, barely 1/2 that with the antenna there. I also would expect the Sole' to be cheaper than the batwing Winegard, as nor rotator and such. It would also be easier for them to install. Less cost and more space would probably be a good incentive to give up a bit of range, for Roadtrek.

[markopolo]

Searching through the forum here turns up the Sole antenna being mentioned last June (2012) when the Roadtrek Ranger was introduced. That info indicated that it was already in use on the 190P. I have not been able to find any reports of performance either. There's probably 1 years worth of Roadtreks with the Sole antenna.

I'm multiple posting the performance report requests because I really am interested in it.
These sites will let you know what stations are in range of you that you should expect to receive and tell you the distance they are away from you.

http://www.tvfool.com
http://www.antennapoint.com
http://www.rabbitears.info
http://m.rabbitears.info/ (mobile site)

or use the files made for use on a GPS http://www.classbforum.com/phpBB2/vi...php?f=9&t=2424

I'm hoping a few Sole Amplified Omnidirectional Antenna owners will be willing to report back what reception range they are getting.
40 miles or so would be fine.

I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of the Jack antenna I installed. The Jack antenna is directional though and should be pointed for best performance. An omnidirectional antenna would be ideal as long as you don't have to give up too much reception range. I didn't install the RV Jack antenna and instead installed the fixed mount model. I'd swap to the small omnidirectional Sole antenna if it performs well and is not too expensive.

A Sole antenna owner might be getting a great picture on their TV but might be only 5 or 10 miles from the transmission source. There could be TV broadcasts 25 or 30 miles distant that they are not getting and they wouldn't even know that they are not getting them. That's why I keep posting the online tools.

The Sole antenna is probably a great choice for Roadtrek and owners might be more that satisfied. I'm not criticizing it at all. I just would like to get more info about it.

For me, I want an omnidirectional antenna that receives broadcasts from at least 40 to 45 miles distant. That's why I am so interested in it and hope that someone who has one will eventually see these posts and compare what they receive against what is in their range and post the results.

[booster]

It would be interesting to see if 40-50 miles in the real world could happen. We have the crank up, amplified, Winegard in our Roadtred, and have been able to get to 40 miles, but not consistently. Campgrounds usually have trees and hills, which really knock down the range. Quite often the signal will come and go due to variations in atmosphere and wind? Don't know, but it seems to always happen at the end of a show when you want to know how it ends. I am surprised that the Sole' doesn't seem to be sold anywhere. Stuff like this usually shows up on an Amazon store or e-bay very quickly.

[Mike]

I wonder if Consumer Reports has done any comparatives within the RV/Marine roof top antenna biz?
It does seem odd that anyone would take a chance (as in, does any other RV or Marine OEM manufacturer use Sole products?) and go with an omni (for the reasons booster cites) built by a relative newcomer to the market, with no published track record that we can find, over a proven performer and industry leader like Winegard. I'd think price/performance would be the deciding factor for most RV companies. If it was half the cost of a crank up, even at half the efficiency, it would make sense to some, as very few people would probably notice (for the reasons marko cited, most people don't know they aren't getting a good signal from a nearby transmitter) the loss of range, unless they test their antennas in their driveway (which some do ).

We've always had similar results to booster out in the field. Nothing improves signal acquisition like unimpeded line of sight access. Very rare. Some places you get great reception and lots of local channels, and some places you turn in early.

[markopolo]

Here's a photo of my WiFi Antenna and my TV antenna:



My van's overall height is 9' 5" to the tip of the WiFi antenna.

I swapped out the 22" TV for a 19" LED Toshiba and added a second wall mount base so I can use the TV up front using the swiveled van seats or in the rear when in bed. The part of the mount on the TV remains on the TV. It slides down and clips into the wall mount base. Release the clip and slide up to move to the other wall mount base location.

[Mike]

Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Markopolo.........

[markopolo]

All I need is a satellite dish or dome and something that mimics a radar antenna ............. DW and I should dress alike for maximum effect !

[Dieps]

OK, here's an early report. I had a Winegard on my Roadtrek and replaced it with a Sole a couple weeks ago. I'm still evaluating but here are some initial thoughts.

Prior to switching antennas, I scanned for channels and checked the signal strength on my 19" Vizio TV. I did the same after changing and found very little difference. Same number of channels and similar signal strength...to be honest, it's probably slightly LESS but the signal strength meter on the TV is not real accurate. The real evaluation came from picture quality of stations that are about 25 miles away. I'm guessing 25 miles is about the maximum reach where I live which is mostly flat rural area between me and the TV stations. With the Winegard, I could tweek the direction and get a better picture for a few minutes until the signal wandered a bit then it would go back to digitizing and cutting in and out. With the Sole, you get what you get and there is no way to tweek it.

So, on the downside, there doesn't seem to be an improvement in performance. On the PLUS side, it is omnidirectional and picks up everything within range without twisting and turning. Of course for the forgetful or unorganized, there is the advantage of not having to remember to lower the antenna before leaving a campground in a hurry.

[markopolo]

Thanks for the info. Where did you get the Sole antenna? Was it through a Roadtrek dealer? I'd love to know the cost of it even a ballpark amount.

[mlts22]

The fact that one doesn't have to raise/lower it is the biggest advantage of the Sole antenna in my book. It helps with forgetful people like me, and also means one avenue that water can get in is closed off. The only real advantage of the crank-up type is that you can hang a pirate flag off of it when parked at a renaissance faire.

I wonder how it compares to a King Controls Jack for reception and durability.

[Dieps]

Originally Posted by markopolo

Thanks for the info. Where did you get the Sole antenna? Was it through a Roadtrek dealer? I'd love to know the cost of it even a ballpark amount.

I bought it when we attended the Roadtrek 40th anniversary rally in Branson. A couple other owners has switched and felt the reception as acceptable so I felt fairly comfortable that it would work for me. Wasn't cheap at $150 but other brands are in that area too. You should be able to order one from an RT dealer. Be aware prices are set by each dealer but my price is probably ballpark.

[Dieps]

Originally Posted by mlts22

The fact that one doesn't have to raise/lower it is the biggest advantage of the Sole antenna in my book. It helps with forgetful people like me, and also means one avenue that water can get in is closed off. The only real advantage of the crank-up type is that you can hang a pirate flag off of it when parked at a renaissance faire.

I wonder how it compares to a King Controls Jack for reception and durability.

There is a hole in the roof where the old crank was mounted but Roadtrek gave me a plate that was pre drilled to fit over the old Windgard mount area. I included a photo that shows the hole where the crank went through the roof but lot of caulk should seal the area. Here are some photos of my installation. http://www.flickr.com/photos/6637319...7634090694089/

[markopolo]

Thanks for the photos. The mounting bracket for the Sole antenna looks to be marine grade quality And the rooftop cover plate from Roadtrek looks really good as well. Great job on the install

Worth $150 or so for sure with the extras from Roadtrek.

By any chance did anyone else at the Rally compare the amount channels received to the Winegard? (open question for anyone who attended the rally)

[Dieps]

I think I know of three others who switched from the Winegards. I'll check with them and let you know. All new Roadtreks have the Sole because Roadtrek is putting a lot of emphasis on solar and the panels take up a lot of real estate on the roof. In other words, the folding Windgard was simply taking space that Roadtrek wanted to use for solar panels. Jim Hammill, President of Roadtrek has stated they tested many alternatives before settling on the Sole so I feel pretty comfortable that it's a pretty good choice.

Again, I'll try to track down the others and let you know.

[Dieps]

I sent out smoke signals and received replies from two of the three who installed a Sole. One is floating around Alaska and likely won't see my smoke for a while. Anyway, neither of the others checked the old and new antennas the way I did both are pleased. One sent me this information - "Hi Jim! I never used the raised antenna. I used a Philips HDTV/UHF/VHF/FM indoor amplified antenna. In the same location where I camp a lot the Sole brought in more channels but most important it seems to latch on and the stations don't go in and out. My sister camped at the same location and her husband used their Winegard and didn't pick up many stations without constant fine tuning of the arm thingie. So bottom line I am pleased with it and feel it was worth the money".

Hope this helps.

[markopolo]

That's good to know, thanks. A no fuss omnidirectional antenna is ideal for RV use. Omnidirectional antennas generally haven't been that good in the past so it is encouraging to know of one that does the job adequately.

Solé Amplified Omnidirectional Antenna
http://www.soletv.com/SAHD400.html
http://www.soletv.com/images/Antenna.psd.pdf