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  1. #1
    Setting Up Camp
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    Rooftop TV Antenna

    Okay, end of season mishap with my 2018 Reflection 337RLS, I lost the top portion of my rooftop antenna. Must have misjudged low hanging wire or branch because when I got home to top part of what I'm told by GD is a King Model OA8401-OE was gone. (No other damage, thanks.) King, the manufacturer said they don't make parts for it so I have to get a new unit. Not too expensive but the mount for the newer model is different so more work to replace then I need to do unless I replace it with something totally different.
    My wife watches a lot of TV and I use a fair amount of internet, so I'm looking for you ideas as to my best overall solution. Was considering adding portable antenna and extending my Dish subscription, but also thinking of getting something in the new streaming world.
    We are on the road about 7 months a year. Also I have Verizon for cell service and have a 16 GB plan. So, what say you, or what questions do you have for me to clarify to get the best of your opinions.
    Thanks, looking for ward to this conversation.

  2. #2
    Big Traveler boyscout's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LovingLife View Post
    Okay, end of season mishap with my 2018 Reflection 337RLS, I lost the top portion of my rooftop antenna. Must have misjudged low hanging wire or branch because when I got home to top part of what I'm told by GD is a King Model OA8401-OE was gone. (No other damage, thanks.) King, the manufacturer said they don't make parts for it so I have to get a new unit. Not too expensive but the mount for the newer model is different so more work to replace then I need to do unless I replace it with something totally different.
    My wife watches a lot of TV and I use a fair amount of internet, so I'm looking for you ideas as to my best overall solution. Was considering adding portable antenna and extending my Dish subscription, but also thinking of getting something in the new streaming world.
    We are on the road about 7 months a year. Also I have Verizon for cell service and have a 16 GB plan. So, what say you, or what questions do you have for me to clarify to get the best of your opinions.
    Thanks, looking for ward to this conversation.
    Depending on when you ask a question like this, you're going to get different answers. A year ago I would have proposed cellular data routers from Verizon and/or AT&T because that's what we had evolved to, but that was our third approach to good wi-fi/internet in three years! Things are changing so fast, and will continue to for a while.

    So for NOW the hot setup seems to be this one:

    https://www.mobilemusthave.com/Ultim...ing_p_168.html

    I don't have it yet (because we're not traveling thanks to Covid) but will probably go that way if things return to normal and this hasn't been superseded by something else. It's getting good reviews from those who have installed it, one of them a long video by one of those popular RV-expert couples (sorry I can't remember them or their YouTube channel, maybe someone else can).

    That system - with a location that gives you decent cell service - will reportedly give you great internet service while stationary as well as while traveling, which in turn can give you good streaming of television content.

    At home that's all we do now; we stream everything and don't watch any over-the-air content.

    However in the trailer we were still doing old-fashioned TV when we stopped traveling a year ago. I performed the exact same "modification" to our King Jack antenna as you did, so I replaced it with the omnidirectional antenna that Grand Design is putting on many trailers now, the Winegard Air 360. There's no fuss about aiming the antenna, its profile is less-prone to "modification" by trees, and we've found that it's performance is the same or slightly better than performance of the King Jack. However I should note that we haven't camped in remote locations - we're usually within range of 20-30 signals from big urban centers - and some who have stretched it more have found it wanting.

    Good luck with your choices, which are already many and will continue to change.
    Last edited by boyscout; 02-15-2021 at 09:52 AM.
    Mark - 2018 Solitude 310GK - 2017 F-350 diesel SRW short box - Pullrite Superglide hitch

  3. #3
    Site Sponsor
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    Jul 2017
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    16GB plan is virtually nothing for streaming. If she watches a lot of TV, she’ll go through 500GB in a month.

    There is unfortunately no easy solution. Dish needs a clear sky view, so many park campgrounds don’t have good service. Cell service is so location dependent you can’t always rely on it. Even with full bars of service, it may not be usable because everybody else there is trying to use it too. Check out https://www.facebook.com/groups/rvinternet/
    John & Kathy
    2014 F250 Lariat FX4 6.2L SBCC
    2014 Reflection 303RLS
    SW Indiana

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