TV Reception Solution

[Blinkey]

Hi All

After have a trawl through various forums to find out about TV reception in a caravan and solutions it would appear that an extendable mast (attached to the Jockey wheel) and a high gain (or log periodic), wideband aerial is the best bet, would you agree?!
I have a mains TV (as we're unlikely to go to a site without mains hook-up for the moment) which has Freeview. The van has an omni Status aerial with booster, which according to some forums is 'useless'!!
I did have a 'play' at Kelling Heath last weekend to see what I could see TV reception wise and unsurprisingly, nothing!! So it was a DVD for me!!
If you have any tried and tested ideas I would be very grateful to hear and also where best to purchase the bits I need.
Many thanks

 

[Surfer]

The above sounds like a lot of hassle as how would you know where the TV mast is located. We used a satellite dish on a tripod as it takes up a lot less room and is a doddle to set up. For more info see http://www.satelliteforcaravans.co.uk/

 

[DianneT]

As Uvongo does we have 80 cms Satelitte Dish (needed for Sothern Europe) and Tripod and take our home Sky plus box and card. We always get a good picture in the UK and Europe as far away as Southern Italy, Hungary, Southern Austria, Czech Republic and Poland. That website for caravan satellite is excellent.

 

[forestgump]

we use a directional airel maxiview and a freeview box it works ok but some site you will nit get a good picy no matter what. the status dose not pic up a signal all round like a dish we fix ours to the sid of van with the clips that are with the package.

 

[xtrailman]

Jockey wheel mast with log type Ariel, with mast head amp, is what i use.
In the past i used the status Ariel on the pole, but with the advent of digital, and the low signals that were being transmitted at the time, i had to go to the log Ariel.
Many areas now receive a stronger signal, so you could try the status on the pole, and see what you get.
Also don't forget you may need to re-tune your TV for different locations.

 

[brightmore]

Don't mess about....get a satellite dish etc.....its well worth it, you get a great picture anywhere......(except under trees etc)

 

[JTQ]

This link takes you to an informed and readable website on the whole aerial thing:

http://www.aerialsandtv.com/touringaerials.html

 

[wombat1]

Blinkey
I almost went to the hassle and expense of purchasing a pole and external aerial for my flying saucer equipped van this year when we visted North Devon, which had switched to digital, and I was expecting to get no reception.
BUT I thought, why not try it out first and see what reception I do get when I get there, and if nothing then it's two weeks of DVD's and board games.
Guess what, reception on FREEVIEW was fantastic using the standard flying saucer and amp that came fitted to the van, got all usual FREEVIEW channels I get home, and equally good reception, no blocking or stalling screens.
So before you spend loads a dosh, why not try it out, especially if the area you are visiting has switched over to digital only alraedy.
PS, I hate having those dishes on tripods choking up the sites, they have to be placed to get line of sight to the satellite and that has meant I have come across dishes sited right beside the road. So are the vans you might say, but a ruddy great white thing is easier to spot than a dark small tripod.
Wombat

 

[Surfer]

PS, I hate having those dishes on tripods choking up the sites, they have to be placed to get line of sight to the satellite and that has meant I have come across dishes sited right beside the road. So are the vans you might say, but a ruddy great white thing is easier to spot than a dark small tripod.
Wombat

If people have windbreaks set up then satellite dishes should be acceptable. They look a lot better than mile high masts and psoe less danger to people. Any one remember the incident where a woman was killed on a site when an aerial plus mast fell on her during high winds?

 

[Blinkey]

Blimey! So many choices!! I think I'll try out the FREVIEW option with my existing Status aerial and see how I get on. We're off to Rutland between Christmas and NY but I'll have some DVD's and bored, sorry, board games on standby

Thanks for all the replies.

 

[Merlin53]

Never had any reception problems with our caravan status ariel. It has been used for both analogue and the new digital channels since the switch over, both in the UK and in France.
Many of the 'problems' with the status ariels are due to the shoddy way some of the caravan manufacturers have connected the co axial cables up. I have twice helped fellow campers with so called status ariel problems, only to find out that the wiring into the boxset wasn't done correctly. On fixing the wiring correctly, the 'problems' disappeared. I am not an electrician, but if you can change a plug, you should be capable of checking that the co axially cables are wired up correctly.

By doing this check, you could save yourself a load of expensive, after all, if the status ariels were no good, they would not be fitted to the 'vans!

 

[OmOnWeelz]

We have the best answer, lovely caravan satellite system with Sky, never gives us any problems with reception. We always leave it at home

Just a load of messing around for mainly 5th rate viewing.

 

[DianneT]

The problem is mainly with the first small Status aerial I think we could get nothing with ours but when we changed the van it had the latest one fitted and we have occasionally picked up programmes. We mostly caravan in the UK in our immediate area of Norfolk and Suffolk which is has not gone digitial yet. As we do our main caravanning in Europe we need the Dish and tripod. + Sky Plus box.

 

[JonnyG]

Firstly, many caravan sites are unfortunately, not in the best place for getting a signal anyway, so regardless of what ariel you have it might just be the location.
I personally go for the mast type, as elevation is at times just or more important than having a good mask on the van.

We bought one of those in the box satellites, but have not used it for years now.
We are not really into the "get back to nature thing" but when out with the van, the TV is not something we worry about, if it works it works, if not then we go without.have enough of the crap on it these days whilst at home, so when holidaying for us is to be different from being at home.

 

[seth1]

Same as Jonny G ,we use a mast fixed on the jockey wheel.To be honest it looks a bit knocked around now but then it only cost £15 10 years ago.Up to now we have never had a problem getting a reception,as long as there is one there.

 

[robertholmes]

We have the usual Status aerial (new type) and have bought a signal finder from Amazon. It is an excellent piece of kit and locates the signal with no problems. I have been amazed at the number of people who do not realise that you have to retune the t.v.

 

[xtrailman]

You would think that todays TV's would automatically re-tune, maybe put an option box on the screen.
At home i can get two masts, which creates other problems such as duplicate stations. This plays havoc with Humax PVR's, so now i always do a manuel tune.

again you would think that the kit could detect the strongest signal and just tune in to that, but not so.

So the problem can still persist on holiday, unless a manuel tune is carried out......