status aerials

[CliveJ]

We have recently changed our van,on this one has a status omnidirectional aerial, and on most sites the reception is not very good,I was wondering if anyone had replaced this type of aerial with a status directional one, and could give me any advice on the subject. any help would be very much apreciated.

Clive J

 

[RogerL_5041474]

The Status omnidirectional mushroom needs a strong signal to work properly. The Status directional aerial is a log periodic type and is very good at rejecting unwanted signals / interference but still needs a fairly good signal.

Maxview do a 25dB amplifier which can be used in series with any aerial including the two Status - this will improve things somewhat.

Strong signal areas are limited so you need to be fairly close to a transmitter for either Status to work effectively.

Most of the UK is some distance from a transmitter and really an amplified extra gain aerial is needed. These have elements like X's, the more elements the better. These extra gain aerials aren't heavy but are bulky for caravanning.

Digital TV needs a higher signal strength. The analogue switch-off starts in 2008.

Some better equipped sites, ie more expensive, have installed an aerial booster system with an aerial point at each pitch.

An alternative is a satellite system, ie a full Sky subscription, Freesat from Sky or the upcoming Freesat from ITV/BBC.

It comes down to personal choice - how important is TV to you when caravanning. This will determine how much you need to spend on equipment and time spent erecting / aligning it!

 

[rob_jax]

Clive,

Can't argue with Roger's advice, it's all good stuff.

If you have the opportunity, it's better to have a bigger, more directional aerial rather than a smaller aerial and an amplifier.

A smaller aerial will be more prone to interference, and whilst the electronic amplifier will bring the signal level up to that of the bigger aerial, it will also amplify the noise by the same amount and add it's own noise from the internals of the amplifier.

Robert

 

[Clubman1]

I have the Status directional ariel fitted as standard to my'van and have had no problems in this country or Europe in picking up signals, but before I went to the expense of swapping my Status omnidirectional ariel for the directional one (

 

[RogerL_5041474]

rob_jax's advice is sound BUT there is a limit on the size of aerial that can be carried in a caravan. Once you reach that limit any improvement in signal will have to come from an amplifier.

Don't bother buying the aerial itself from a caravan shop, try Maplins, Argos or B&Q - but make sure it's a "wideband" type, not group A,B or C/D. You'd probably have to get a 12v amplifier from a caravan shop.

 

[Tim2]

Hi Clive

I changed my Status omnidirectional "mushroom" to a Status 530 directional. I had this fitted by Campbells of Preston when the van went in for its annual service a couple of years ago. It cost me c

 

[Paul8]

This weekend- got to site, CC book says good TV reception! Great I think- may even get freeview!

Status does the usual- no picture! Check to see if it fell off during the journey- still there, booster on? yep! Oh well out comes the Argos

 

[CliveJ]

This weekend- got to site, CC book says good TV reception! Great I think- may even get freeview!

Status does the usual- no picture! Check to see if it fell off during the journey- still there, booster on? yep! Oh well out comes the Argos

 

[milliemop]

The Status omnidirectional mushroom needs a strong signal to work properly. The Status directional aerial is a log periodic type and is very good at rejecting unwanted signals / interference but still needs a fairly good signal.

Maxview do a 25dB amplifier which can be used in series with any aerial including the two Status - this will improve things somewhat.

Strong signal areas are limited so you need to be fairly close to a transmitter for either Status to work effectively.

Most of the UK is some distance from a transmitter and really an amplified extra gain aerial is needed. These have elements like X's, the more elements the better. These extra gain aerials aren't heavy but are bulky for caravanning.

Digital TV needs a higher signal strength. The analogue switch-off starts in 2008.

Some better equipped sites, ie more expensive, have installed an aerial booster system with an aerial point at each pitch.

An alternative is a satellite system, ie a full Sky subscription, Freesat from Sky or the upcoming Freesat from ITV/BBC.

It comes down to personal choice - how important is TV to you when caravanning. This will determine how much you need to spend on equipment and time spent erecting / aligning it!

I always use a directional aerial as my status is pretty usless, however sometimes when using the directional, the picture on BBC is not as good as ITV for instance---I thought of disconnecting my status lead from the amplfier, and then run the directional aerial through the amp---think it would work??