Hi, I've just finished messing about setting up a standard housing ariel on my van. Mainly becuase my most recent van doesn't have a Status on it, and I haven't got £200, to spend on having a new one fitted at present.
I set up a 9 Meter Pole with the ariel, fixed the clamp onto the A frame, took the ariel under the van and into one of the breath holes and straight around to the back of the digital reciever. Full cost £30.00
I live at the bottom of a hill and the picture quality isn't amazing, but this thing gives a better picture than either the ariel on the roof of my house (which admitedly has been up their years and presumably, not neing purpose build for digital may not be as good) and the Status ariel I had on my old van.
The status ariels look much better than a 10 foot pole with a digi ariel on it, but I'm not convinced it's as good on the picture.
Does anyone else have a similar or different experiences with these??
ill be honest our van has a status ariel,but we get a much better picture using the small digital inside aeriel we bought of QVC.
failing that try sites that have an aeriel connection on the hook up post
------------- Who needs travel agents,we have our static
With a 9 metre [30 foot] pole be careful in a wind it could capsize your van
A good outside domestic aerial will out perform a Status directional aerial; anything is better than the Status Flying saucer. Probably that's not fair but they are pretty poor and easily outperformed.
The Status directional aerial is a good compromise giving acceptable performance and near zero hassle.
We have found our directional status aerial ok so far, but a good house aerial should outperform it. A satdish is probably easier to set up than a thirty foot pole though. we always take some DVDs as well to keep the kids amused at night.
set up a 9 Meter Pole with the ariel, fixed the clamp onto the A frame, took the ariel under the van and into one of the breath holes and straight around to the back of the digital reciever. Full cost £30.00
Quote: Originally posted by D Mansworth on 14/2/2011
they dont make a 9mtr pole
My angling pole is 9m but somehow I think the original poster means 9 ft as 9m even if made from carbon fibre is heavy.
I think some of the problems around the status aerials are a result of them being close to the roof and receiving a scatter effect from signals bouncing off the aluminium. I have always used an extendible pole to get the aerial as far above the roof as possible and it does seem to work. I have no scientific evidence for this and it may just be the extra hight that helps but it keeps me happy.
------------- 'A sure cure for sea-sickness is to sit under a tree'
There's no such thing as a digital aerial. Freeview uses the same frequency range as the old analogue transmissions, hence the aerials are the same. Some analogue aerials were tuned to a paticular group e.g A/B and the like.
Aerials suitable for digital TV tend to be wideband, as the freeview channels can be outside the old analogue groups, but Caravan aerials have always been wideband to my knowledge. Calling an aerial "digital" is just marketing.
Just had a look at the box, also other mags and online, all listed as digital ariels. However, when I put it together it did look and fit together like any other ariel. So probably just the packaging trying to make it clear for all that it will take a digi signal.
Sorry, 9 foot, not meter Lol. Blimey, with a 9 Meter Pole, I really would expect a good picture.
I could get a picture fine on my Status aerial at home even most digital channels but when we were on site you have no chance with it. We sometimes got 3 out of 5 analogue channels but that was our lot. Maybe when the signals are boosted you might get better results but personally a home omnidirectional aerial works best for us.
Hi,
Our round type ariel on our van is rubbish I am thinking of getting a standard house type aerial and mast, I am gonna sound stupid but where did you get the aerial and mast from and how do you attach it to the van?, We always seem to have issues clamping washing line/flag pole to the jockey wheel as its sort of built into the middle of the a frame rather than right on the end.
Sorry to sound a bit dim, but I am a DIY disaster!
------------- Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
Thank you JTQU
Have just ordered. Will try it out next week, Its the radio we miss more than anything (our van doesn't have one built in like the last one) so if we can pick that up through the freeview I'll be happy.,
Also if I can keep the kids quiet with cbeebies in the morning while we get ready to go out (if its raining) will keep them amused.
------------- Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
Hi Gaz, I purchased a house type digital ariel which comes with brackets and a good length of Coax cable from my local cheapy DIY. A bit cheaper at £15.99 than the bigger stores. I looked around on the net for a pole, but, as I was on a mission to complete this last weekend, got one from my local dealer for £21.00.
The pole comes in three bits and with a clamp which fits onto the A frame at the front with two clamp screws. There was also a version which came with a jocky wheel clamp, but my thinking was that the A frame clamp would be more steady, it's less likely to move, and I didnt like the idea of the whole thing becomming unsteady in the wind and taking a chunk out of the front of the van. There is a spike for the bottom pole which when used gives you the second secure point, however, I dont really trust this and am looking for a small section of slightly larger tubing which I could tap into the ground on site to use as a ground anchor if you see what I mean.
I managed to mount the ariel on top of the pole with the clamp and a couple of screws, and then just took the areal lead attached down the guides supplied with the pole, under the van, through one of the breath holes, and up to the back of the digital box.
The ariels are really straight forwards to put together, split the copper cable from the sheaf wire at one end of the Coax cable supplied, there's two screws under the cap on the top of the arial, you attach the copper cable to one and the sheaf wire to the other, put the cap back on, and run the cable down the pole.
Pretty straight forwards, about an hours work.
Got to say though, I've always been happy with the Status ariel on my old van, and plan to put one on the latest shed as soon as I can afford it, much easier to pull up and just plug in. However, some of the sites we go on have got pretty poor reception especially in bad weather. I suspect reception with on poor reception sites might well be better. Really pleased with it though, I've never had 100% on any channel before with the Status, let alone in a bad area.
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Topic: Digital house ariel vs Status ariel.
