Antenna Idea??

[Iver]

The previous owner of our coach installed a newer TracVision dome on the roof and left the old satellite dish up there as well.
Our old "stick and staple" had a tv antenna which we used fairly often and we got decent reception of a few channels.
Because we don't have a satellite provider yet, and the wiring and crank up mechanism is still there for the old dish, how hard would it be to adapt a tv antenna on to the mechanics of the old dish?
I really don't want to make any more holes in the roof for an antenna.
      Just thinking......   Iver.

[redbus]

What brand is the crank up. If it is a Winegard crank up a Winegard antenna has the same footprint.

[JackConrad]

As was mentioned, all Wingard crank up antennas use the same mounting plate footprint.  A Wingard "Batwing" would be a good replacement.   Jack

[NewbeeMC9]

you may have to get some kind of converter to go the different ohm signals (i don't remember the numbers, cable is 75 ohm i think) 
you may also want to get your new digital converter or antenna at this time while your doing the job.

keep us posted on what you find out

[JackConrad]

you may have to get some kind of converter to go the different ohm signals (i don't remember the numbers, cable is 75 ohm i think) 
you may also want to get your new digital converter or antenna at this time while your doing the job.
keep us posted on what you find out

IF the crank-up sat dish is a Wingard, it will have a 75 ohm cable.  We have found that our Wingard Batwing antenna (which also uses 75 ohm cable) will receive the new digital signals with no problems. We do have digital flat sceen TVs in the coach.  Older TVs will still require a converter box to be able to view the digital broadcast fom local stations using a "non satelitte" antenna.  Jack

[cody]

Is the new digital tv dependant on the antenna recieving the new digital signal or is it dependant on the tv having a digital tuner.I was under the understanding that as long as your tv had a digital tuner you could get the new signal from any tv antenna and that if you didn't have a digital tuner in your tv, that you would then need the converter box.  Another thing I thought was that all tv's made after march of last year had to have the digital tuner in them already.  I'm thinking nick or tom has a lot of information on this, I'm trying to retrieve the information tom had at the busing rally but my dismal swamp isn't giving it up lol.

[kyle4501]

You must have the HD digital tuner to 'decode' the signal.

Different antennas have diferent performance. The quality & length of cable from antenna to tuner makes a difference too.

The old crank-up antenna on my Airstream works GREAT for the HD channels.

YMMV

[Iver]

Yes, my dish is a Winegard.  So can I just bolt on a batwing to the same bracket that the dish is on?
       Thanks,  Iver.

[JackConrad]

Yes, my dish is a Winegard.  So can I just bolt on a batwing to the same bracket that the dish is on?
       Thanks,  Iver.

I am not sure about attaching the batwing to the bracket that the dish in on. I don't think that will work because the batwing has 2 parallel arms that raise the antenna.  You may have to replace the entire assembly with the new assembly, but the holes in the roof should line up with the new antenna.  Jack