Geoff Collier
New Member
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2021
- Messages
- 1
Questions that might be answered by a techno nerd owner in Canada. Not really relevant for US owners where Cell plans are so much better 
We recently purchased a 2021 GD 310RLS Reflection, and are figuring out a few things. I have a bunch of questions about the Winegard technology and what options we have.
So, as I understand it, the Winegard 360+ unit attached to the top of our RV is an omni-directional antenna that can pick up the following signals:
- TV ‘over the air’ transmission and radio AM/FM signals – this feature is already connected to our TV A/V centre in the RV, correct? So nothing else we need to do there.
- Wifi signals – It can pick up these signals, and then can be attached to a gateway / router to amplify the signals in our RV and nearby, through a wifi hotspot it creates (ie – it becomes the wireless router) – I have some questions about that below. I believe there are connectors for that preinstalled in the ceiling of my unit. These would make it very simple to install the Gateway device.
- Cell signal – If I’m in the US, and have an AT&T or Verizon plan, I can get a sim card from them and put it into the Winegard Gateway (if I buy one), and connect it to my existing plan. This allows me to use my cellular provider to create a wifi network in my unit from my cellular service, in places where there is no wifi or bad wifi (that’s about 70% of the RV parks in Canada based on my experience to date.) Basic question here. In Canada, if we have Telus as our cell plan provider, can we also get a Sim Card from them and connect the Winegard to our cellular network here in Canada? I don’t think that’s an option from what I’ve seen so far?
- Of course I could get a cellular data plan through Winegard, but that seems dumb. I already pay good $ for a 10Gb monthly cellular data plan to Telus that works on both sides of the border, why would I get yet another plan and pay yet another provider every month for something I already have? We’re not full time RV’ers so certainly wouldn’t want to purchase a monthly payment cell service. Also, I’m suspecting the Winegard Canada plan would only work in Canada?
So IF I can connect the Winegard Gateway to my Telus plan, then getting the Winegard Gateway and attaching it to the 360+ seems like a very good investment, I can use it to create a much better wifi hotspot than my phone itself can create (given my phone has a much smaller antenna and will be inside my unit where the signal will be weaker.)
However, if all the Gateway can do for me in Canada is act as a Wifi signal extender / router, then it sure is a darn expensive option for that. It looks to cost almost $500 in Canada, and I can purchase a top of the line standalone wifi extender for maybe $200, and a bargain basement version (which we already have) for maybe $50. The drawback is, a standalone unit wouldn’t be attached to the 360+ antenna which seems like it would really boost the connectivity. So a couple of questions here:
- Can I purchase a wifi extender that is NOT from Winegard, and connect it to the 360+ antenna hookups already pre-installed in the ceiling of my unit?
- Or, does Winegard sell a gateway that is only a wifi extender that hooks up to the 360+, and doesn’t cost so darn much money?
Am I missing something here? Seems to me that if I want to use the 360+ antenna to help improve my wifi, then I need to pay for the overpriced Gateway. Unless someone has better options to suggest.
We recently purchased a 2021 GD 310RLS Reflection, and are figuring out a few things. I have a bunch of questions about the Winegard technology and what options we have.
So, as I understand it, the Winegard 360+ unit attached to the top of our RV is an omni-directional antenna that can pick up the following signals:
- TV ‘over the air’ transmission and radio AM/FM signals – this feature is already connected to our TV A/V centre in the RV, correct? So nothing else we need to do there.
- Wifi signals – It can pick up these signals, and then can be attached to a gateway / router to amplify the signals in our RV and nearby, through a wifi hotspot it creates (ie – it becomes the wireless router) – I have some questions about that below. I believe there are connectors for that preinstalled in the ceiling of my unit. These would make it very simple to install the Gateway device.
- Cell signal – If I’m in the US, and have an AT&T or Verizon plan, I can get a sim card from them and put it into the Winegard Gateway (if I buy one), and connect it to my existing plan. This allows me to use my cellular provider to create a wifi network in my unit from my cellular service, in places where there is no wifi or bad wifi (that’s about 70% of the RV parks in Canada based on my experience to date.) Basic question here. In Canada, if we have Telus as our cell plan provider, can we also get a Sim Card from them and connect the Winegard to our cellular network here in Canada? I don’t think that’s an option from what I’ve seen so far?
- Of course I could get a cellular data plan through Winegard, but that seems dumb. I already pay good $ for a 10Gb monthly cellular data plan to Telus that works on both sides of the border, why would I get yet another plan and pay yet another provider every month for something I already have? We’re not full time RV’ers so certainly wouldn’t want to purchase a monthly payment cell service. Also, I’m suspecting the Winegard Canada plan would only work in Canada?
So IF I can connect the Winegard Gateway to my Telus plan, then getting the Winegard Gateway and attaching it to the 360+ seems like a very good investment, I can use it to create a much better wifi hotspot than my phone itself can create (given my phone has a much smaller antenna and will be inside my unit where the signal will be weaker.)
However, if all the Gateway can do for me in Canada is act as a Wifi signal extender / router, then it sure is a darn expensive option for that. It looks to cost almost $500 in Canada, and I can purchase a top of the line standalone wifi extender for maybe $200, and a bargain basement version (which we already have) for maybe $50. The drawback is, a standalone unit wouldn’t be attached to the 360+ antenna which seems like it would really boost the connectivity. So a couple of questions here:
- Can I purchase a wifi extender that is NOT from Winegard, and connect it to the 360+ antenna hookups already pre-installed in the ceiling of my unit?
- Or, does Winegard sell a gateway that is only a wifi extender that hooks up to the 360+, and doesn’t cost so darn much money?
Am I missing something here? Seems to me that if I want to use the 360+ antenna to help improve my wifi, then I need to pay for the overpriced Gateway. Unless someone has better options to suggest.
