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Old 03-08-2023, 11:25 AM   #1
RK2500
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Over the Air TV Reception BOOSTER

When first getting acquainted with our new RV in our driveway I found fewer than half the available “Over the Air” broadcast stations that our house had - even with the factory electronic antenna. A re-scan with a simple “in-line” signal booster between the RV antenna connection and the TV added at least 15 channels. Very helpful when cable is not available.
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Old 03-08-2023, 12:29 PM   #2
chuckster57
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What year/model trailer? Does it have KeyTV? Which antenna?

There are lots of variables in RV tv reception.
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Old 03-08-2023, 01:40 PM   #3
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Old 03-08-2023, 01:41 PM   #4
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Your camper should have a booster built in. Where you attach the coax cable for the television antenna, there should be a little button you push. Normally, a little green light will light up. That is your booster.

If you have Key TV, it's built into the Key TV system. I've never used Key TV or have it, so no experience with it. But from all I've read and understand, Key TV has a booster also. I suppose you have to do something to turn the booster on also.

I do know, with mine, when the booster is off, virtually nothing comes it (at home). But push that button we we get 80 channels in my drive way, same as the house. Amazing, we'll get.... for example, stations 26-1, 26-2, 26-3 and then continuing to flip through the stations we'll get a second set of 26-1, 26-2, 26-3 stations and the programming would be different. It took a while to figure it out that the television was pulling in stations from two totally different stations from 2 different locations, but both used channel 26. (This is an example only). If I turn the booster off, I may get the local channel 8-1 only.

I replaced the Razzar antenna on the roof of my camper. It's not suppose to be "directional" but it is. I replaced with a Wingard 360 and that sucker is awesome. No more turning the antenna, and this is one reason why I'm pulling in repeat station numbers, but they are different networks completely.

I do live in an awesome area for over the air television watching. I took the time to list all the stations on a spreadsheet and have been working (off and on) trying to figure out where they are all coming from. Most I've identfied the locations thanks to this app:

https://www.antennasdirect.com/transmitter-locator.html (Antenna's Direct)

When it comes up, punch in the zip code at your location and it will bring up all the stations located around you.

Don't know your zip code (especially when traveling), then use

https://www.whatismyzip.com/ (What's my zip code)

If you use "What's my zip code" and "Antenna's Direct" on your cell phone, it will work marvelous, provided you have "location allowed" active on your phone.

I uses these two apps all the time when traveling.

Hey, have fun with your television viewing! If you don't ever find a factory installed booster on your camper, then at least you've got something working good for you know.

What make, model, year is your camper? Providing that will really help in assisting finding future resolves for you.
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Old 03-09-2023, 05:27 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RK2500 View Post
When first getting acquainted with our new RV in our driveway I found fewer than half the available “Over the Air” broadcast stations that our house had - even with the factory electronic antenna. A re-scan with a simple “in-line” signal booster between the RV antenna connection and the TV added at least 15 channels. Very helpful when cable is not available.
Which booster did you use?
thanks.
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Old 03-16-2023, 10:47 AM   #6
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I have a keystone cougar 26RBS, i have read that the booster switch should be on the plate. None of my plates have a on/off switch for the booster. Where else may I find this on/off switch for my booster?
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Old 03-16-2023, 11:30 AM   #7
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I have a keystone cougar 26RBS, i have read that the booster switch should be on the plate. None of my plates have a on/off switch for the booster. Where else may I find this on/off switch for my booster?
Welcome to the forum

What year is your Cougar? If you have KeyTV you won’t have a booster switch anywhere. The power is connected at the module, and there is a blue light that indicates if the module is getting 12VDC.
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Old 03-16-2023, 05:38 PM   #8
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Hey ,
Thanks for the reply. I have a 2023 keystone. Yes there is a blue light on
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Old 03-16-2023, 08:32 PM   #9
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This is actually a WINEGARD product, and this is the manual for it. https://winegard.com/content/pdf/Air-360.pdf
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Old 03-17-2023, 03:40 AM   #10
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I don't understand why they would put an on off switch on your signal booster since it's something your always going to be using. Only thing I can come up with is, it takes a lot if battery power to run the booster. Would this be a correct assumption?
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Old 03-17-2023, 03:51 AM   #11
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Booster causes interference when using cable. Also sucks batteries down when not plugged in.
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Old 03-17-2023, 05:59 AM   #12
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Just a thought! In almost every camper / RV being built for last few decades, there has been at least 2 coax jacks for the television. One is for the over-the-air television viewing using either the antenna on the trailer or for hooking up campground cable. (Let's just keep it simple and call it "camp gorund" cable" That's easy to understand). The other jack is for attaching an external satellite dish. This coax cable is usually just a run of cable with a connection outside the trailer and another connection inside the trailer as almost every satellite system uses some kind of receiver that the satellite need to plug into first.

Now, any contemporary television will pull in digital over-the-air signals by simply sticking a paper clip in the coax cable connection hole in the back of the television. But, it's range is not very far. You can also just attach a section of coax cable without an antenna and still get SOME HD stations. Again, this is limited because of range. It's when you attach an antenna that the range increases.

Is it possible the television is connected to the "other" coax jack? Not the one for the antenna on the roof, but the one designated for satellite? That would explain why you get so few stations, but not all like you do in your home. The satellite cable is not actually attached to any antenna.

Check that. Switch the cable to the other jack. See what happens. ??? Remember to re-scan the television when you do.
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Old 03-17-2023, 06:04 AM   #13
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I don't understand why they would put an on off switch on your signal booster since it's something your always going to be using. Only thing I can come up with is, it takes a lot if battery power to run the booster. Would this be a correct assumption?
In some of the "older systems" without the KEYTV box, there was a "signal booster" that was located "IN THE ANTENNA MAST HEAD" that was powered by a switch on the "wall plate often located on the wall behind the TV". You had to turn on that "signal booster button" to apply power to the "antenna mast amplifier". Doing that increases your "OTA signal to improve OTA reception"... It also "interferes with the "duplexing circuitry" in that wall panel and essentially "shuts off satellite/cable signals" by over-riding them.

So, you had two separate signals going into that wall panel box with a "manual power button for the OTA amplifier". Using that system was an "either/or" choice made by the wall panel...

So, no, the "OTA antenna mast head amplifier" does not "improve satellite/cable signals" rather it "shuts them off before they reach the TV receiver.

That little wall plate button was replaced by the KEYTV system, and some say it's better others say it's worse than the old method of "pushing the little button to turn on the green light for OTA TV".....
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