S Sullivan
California
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Joined: 09/19/2002
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This may have already been discussed, but I haven't seen it.
Our current 5ver doesn't have a TV (our choice - our home doesn't have one either.  ) - but I'm curious about something. I've been reading about this new deal where the old TVs (analog, I believe) will not work with regular antennas after next year. I guess everything is going digital. So - will the antennas on RVs work - or will everyone have to get one of those special adapters for use in the RV?
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JUrban
Delaware
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Joined: 06/28/2004
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Yep, they still will work. If there is an analog TV in it, it will need a converter box, but that's all. Of course, the cable and satellite setups are already digital, so no changes are necessary.
John
2008 Tiffin Allegro Bus 40' QSP
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JimInMA
Littleton, MA
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Joined: 07/27/2008
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S Sullivan wrote:This may have already been discussed, but I haven't seen it.
Our current 5ver doesn't have a TV (our choice - our home doesn't have one either. ) - but I'm curious about something. I've been reading about this new deal where the old TVs (analog, I believe) will not work with regular antennas after next year. I guess everything is going digital. So - will the antennas on RVs work - or will everyone have to get one of those special adapters for use in the RV?
The "adapter" (i.e. DTV converter) is for the TV set - not the antenna. As long as you have a typical VHF/UHF/FM antenna, your antenna will work. The UHF portion of the antenna is the most important part as far as the digital transition is concerned. All of the Winegard Sensar "batwing" antennas (which are the most common antennas installed on RVs at the factories...) are VHF/UHF/FM and will work.
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Gruffy
monominto mb ca
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Joined: 10/02/2003
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Batwing works fine but if your buying an antenna the old VHF portion is only needed for FM radio. After February it's only so much aluminum waving in the wind. If your selecting a new antenna get a UHF only if all your interested in is TV.
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wa8yxm
Wherever I happen to park
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Joined: 07/04/2006
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The antennas are the same. only the television needs an upgrade in most cases
Regular television is on one of 68 channels Numbered 2 through 69 Due to technical considerations you won't find markets that have adjacent channels (at least not very often) IE if there is a channel 3 in your neighborhood, there is no channel 4 and if there is a 4, there is no 5, (unless you are on cable)
Channels 2,3,4,5 & 6 are called VHF LOW BAND 7-13 is VHF HI-Band and 14-69 (used to be 83 by the way) are UHF.
Most RV antennas (The original Winegard is an exception here) are UHF/VHF antennas and pick up all 68 channels fairly well. Very well in fact.
That is today
next year when the digital transition is complete VHF-LOW won't be used by Television any more. it's already on the auction block and/or re-sold to other services by the FCC (Yes they sell frequencies) In most markets VHF-HI will also not be used.
Digital uses UHF, channels 14 through 52 IIRC (may be 59) in most markets,, In some markets they will also use VHF-HI (7-13) The 60's channels are also on the block and/or re-sold already.
With Digital they can put 2,3 or more "sub" channels on a single video slot. (Quality suffers if they go over 3 though)
Also, the channel number on your display (Example 7-2 here in Detroit) may NOT be the channel number you are receiving (Channel 7 uses forty somthing for their digital feeds here in Detroit)
So the bottom line is your existing antenna, unless it is a VHF ONLY model, should work just fine with digital. The folks selling the 20 dollar UHF ONLY bow tie array for 100 dollars as a special "Digital Antenna" are scam artists interested in the fast buck.. Please ignore them. (NOTE that being as it's standard UHF antenna it won't work well in the markets that use VHF-HI band so it really is junk)
* This post was
edited 08/24/08 06:42pm by wa8yxm *
Nothin adds excitment like something that is none of your business
Kenwood TS-2000 housed in a 2005 Damon Intruder 377
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SCVJeff
Santa Clarita, CA.
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Gruffy wrote:Batwing works fine but if your buying an antenna the old VHF portion is only needed for FM radio. After February it's only so much aluminum waving in the wind. If your selecting a new antenna get a UHF only if all your interested in is TV. Not true. Not only will there still be lots of digital stations on VHF, there will be the occasional LP that will (at their option) stay analog. See THIS list.
Jeff - WA6EQU
'06 Itasca Meridian 34H, CAT C7/350
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Bumpyroad
Virginia
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SCVJeff wrote:Gruffy wrote:Batwing works fine but if your buying an antenna the old VHF portion is only needed for FM radio. After February it's only so much aluminum waving in the wind. If your selecting a new antenna get a UHF only if all your interested in is TV. Not true. Not only will there still be lots of digital stations on VHF, there will be the occasional LP that will (at their option) stay analog. See THIS list.
I see that link sez for High definition TV. what about standard digital?
bumpy
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talonguy
Schertz, TX
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Jeff is correct. The FCC website confirms that not all Digital signals will be broadcast on UHF frequencies. Additionally, some analog signals will continue to be broadcast. To read about that go to the government's official DTV website.
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S Sullivan
California
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Joined: 09/19/2002
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Thanks for all your replies. I'm pretty technically challenged about this type of thing - I had just heard on the radio that if you were using "rabbit ears" or an antenna for your home TV, it would not pick up any stations after a certain time (don't remember the date). It just got me to wondering about antennas on RVs.
So - if I'm understanding it all correctly - it is the actual TV that will have a problem. And if you don't have a newer TV with the correct technology, you will have to purchase a DTV converter to plug in or attach to your TV?
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Gruffy
monominto mb ca
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Joined: 10/02/2003
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I tried to dumb it down for ya.... guess I should have known....
The plan is to eventually abandon VHF in favor of UHF but not right now so if you want to spend the $$$ and have a big antenna on the roof feel free.
"All television broadcasts, digital and analog, are in the VHF and UHF bands. Over 90% of the HDTV broadcasts are in the UHF, and less than 10% in the VHF band. What is important from the antenna perspective is that HDTV falls in the bandwidth of a regular VHF/UHF antenna."
On the TV set side.... old obsolete TV used a NTSC tuner.... HD uses a ATSC tuner. Newer sets have both but watch out for guys .... especially in Canada who try to peddle off a NTSC TV at a great price.
By the way... rabbit ears receive HDTV just fine.
As far as a converter you will receive a high def signal and put it on a low def display. It may be ghost free but still low def. Sort of like buying an LP and playing it on the gramaphone ..... why bother when the HD sets are on for $299.00 at CTC.
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