Indoor and RV OTA Antennas (not including ZSS)

[stampeder]

jjjay, I've merged your question into a thread that deals specifically with Indoor antennas. Please read through all of it, and also please read through the OTA Forum Knowledge Base & FAQ, which will also give you lots of answers regarding Indoor antennas.

[MDKIRM]

Hi,

Just joined looking for some good information.. Thanks this group has been lots of help to me.

Just was wondering.. I'm using my laptop to watch and capture OTA HD (haupauge HVR-950). When I'm traveling I use the included antenna.

I get about 7 HD channels in Toronto, and 2 in Montreal (when at work old Montreal). Does anyone know of a good antenna, that is compact enough to travel with.

I have yet to try to plug in at home as I live in the west Island of Montreal and I cannot get OTA with the included antenna.

I also tried an old Radio Shack VHF/ UHF antenna with a 7db gain.. I see they still sell this model, but still couldn't get any signal at home.

If I could get CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC from the states I would drop Videotron HD line up.

[stampeder]

Hello MDKIRM and welcome here! I've relocated your question into this thread about Indoor and RV OTA Antennas so you can read through it, and I also recommend that you read through the thread about Zenith Silver Sensor & Clones too. The ZSS is probably your best option if you can take one apart to travel with it.

Click on these links for my antenna recommendations:

[gstyle]

I am talking about specifically this model.

5MS9000 Mini-State HDTV/UHF/VHF/FM Antenna with Wired Remote

My friend works at the source, so I wanted to see whether it is worth the money.

http://www.thesourcecc.com/estore/Pr...roduct=1518237

[wannabfree]

Please do not laugh at me. I read with great interest the thread regarding Wacky,Tacky OTA Gear, BUT ! there must be something out there that is able to provide a decent signal for mobile applications. I am talking about something small and lightweight that could be used in a small camper while vacationing and yet be light enough to elevate it on an aluminum tube to a height sufficient for a decent signal and then fold it up for travel. Most of the RV equipment dealers still carry the collapsible aluminum antenna in a tube but it is actually made to fold up and store in a round tube fastened to your RV for travelling, and, is designed, I believe, primarily for VHF. Now that UHF has taken center stage, does anyone know of a reasonably good portable? Even highly directional would be fine since we would be aiming it manually anyway.

Thank You


http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=35083

[stampeder]

That's an excellent question and it makes me think of a few solutions for you:

• avoid ever buying any OTA gear at an RV store - their price markups are enormous!
• a UFO-style omnidirectional antenna can do very well on an RV but they're a bit pricey even from regular OTA sources - good thing is that they can be permanently mounted to the RV's rooftop
• a medium to small sized VHF/UHF combo can be taken along with a telescoping mast, but you need to frequently lube the folding joints and always wrap it before driving anywhere if it stays on the roof during travel - I see antennas like the Delhi Zip models being used for this
• there is a collapsible, flexible model of the Gray-Hoverman antenna that you can build

I've moved your post into this thread that discusses other RV OTA gear.

[wannabfree]

Thanx Stampeder

Didn't really know where I should have posted. I did do a search for portable and collapsible antennas but came up empty.
Probably should have included RV as a search term, but that doesn't even fit as RV's have a permanent antenna and I would like something very portable.

Thanx Again

[roger1818]

wannabfree, the CM-3010 might also be a good option for you as might the CM-2016HD (though I am not sure if it is collapsible).

[ontherooftop77]

I will vouch for the phillips mant940 amplified UHF indoor antenna it's only 30 bucks and it outperformed every other amplified rabbit ear antennas I had. I live 2 stories high and one time this antenna got me a bunch of rochester stations which is 120 miles from me, and this would pick up most Buffalo channels , but if you live in a 10 story apartment you would get tons with this antenna.

[wannabfree]

Thanx for all the suggestions.

I have several to consider now, but am leaning toward the CM-2016HD. I want to get my fat grubby hands on it just to see for myself how much effort is needed to compact it for travelling. I am really shying away from anything that mounts permanently to the rooftop of the van.

Thanks again for the suggestions.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by wannabfree

I have several to consider now, but am leaning toward the CM-2016HD. I want to get my fat grubby hands on it just to see for myself how much effort is needed to compact it for travelling.

I don't have any experience with this specific antenna, but it is most likely very difficult if not impossible to compact it for traveling.

[Hilts]

Hopefully someone can answer this question for me. I bought a house that has a mini-state 5MS740 antenna on the chimney. The controller has 4 lights on it for N-S-E-W. I assume that using the rocker switch will change the direction of the antenna and light with the appropriate direction. My question is this. What does it mean when all lights are lit. Thanks in advance for any help on this.

Hilts

[stampeder]

Hilts unfortunately if all four lights are lit the entire Ministate antenna is fried. The problem is that the hand controller, the main box, and the internal guts of the antenna are all interdependent so it is almost impossible to tell which of those is the culprit when something like that happens.

The one and only tip I have (I am not responsible if it further fries your system though... ) is to unplug the hand unit, power everything up, and carefully use a jumper wire to short out two pins at a time in the hand unit's socket to see if the antenna changes direction internally.

So, unless you've got the time and money to try different parts on it I suggest just taking it down and junking it.

[Hilts]

Thanks stampeder. The 4 lights aren't lit all the time, just some times. I can, at times get it to show only one direction.

[stampeder]

Do you notice any change in reception when the lights are changing like that? If not, there isn't much hope.

I've seen the exact same thing several times in the past with Ministate antennas that have fried. One that I took down a few years ago at a farm had a slight gap in the underside of the antenna dome and had actually become infested with spider webs and other insect nests so it burned out! Since then I advise everyone to caulk such seams before putting it up.