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Does A Winegard Crank Up RV Antenna Work With A Digital TV (DTV) Converter Box?

by Ben Burns
(Hemet CA. USA)

Rayzar AIR Antenna

Rayzar AIR Antenna

Can an analog to DTV Converter box work with a crank up Winegard antenna?

ANSWER Greetings Ben thanks for submitting your question on our Ask An RVing Question Page.

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Important Update: Since I answered this question Winegard has released a brand new antenna called the Winegard Rayzar Air antennaicon. This multi-direcional antenna was designed from the ground up by Winegard to maximize signal reception of digital TV channels, and expands the coverage area to provide maximum channel reception with less aiming or pointing. Watch the video below to learn more:

If you currently have a Sensar Antenna on your RV you can buy a Rayzar AIR Retrofit HD TV Antennaicon that you install on your existing system. If you have a different antenna or no antenna at all than you will have to buy the Full Rayzar AIR HD TV Antenna systemicon. The Complete kit includes the amplified antenna with the boom and lift assembly, the 12-volt power supply and interior control parts, 20’ and 6’ lengths of coax cable and the mounting hardware.

The SensarPro TV Signal Strength Metericon mentioned in the video is an optional accessory.

End Of Update


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Yes, Winegard Crank Up RV Antennas work well for receiving Digital TV Signals. Winegard has even come out with a new attachment (pictured at left) for their crank-up antennas that increases db reception gain up to 100% on DTV channels giving you even more reception range. The attachment is called the Winegard Wingman. The Wingman Optimizes the antenna's Sensar for DTV Channels, it is compatible with all Winegard crank-up Sensar antennas and it attaches to existing Sensar head with 4 simple snap-on screws. Watch the video below from Winegard on how easy it is to install the Wingman on your existing Winegard Crank Up antenna.


Amazon.com has the Winegard Wingman and a vast array of other Winegard Products at excellent prices.

If you want to get even better reception I would recommend installing the highly rated PCT 1-PORT BI-DIRECTIONAL TV SIGNAL BOOSTER. This TV signal booster improves both off the air Digital and Cable TV signal strength by up to 32 times (15 dB). Since it is bi-directional it also supports Pay-Per-View and Video on Demand (VOD) Services. If you want to install this TV booster, you can read the answer I gave to this question How Can We Improve The Digital TV Reception In Our RV? for the easy installation instructions.

As I said at the beginning of this answer; your current Winegard Crank-Up RV Antenna is quite capable of receiving digital TV signals, but by adding the two accessories mentioned above you will greatly improve the chances of receiving all the DTV channels available to you in the area that you are camping in.

If you have not already bought a Digital TV (DTV) Converter Box, let me recommend my personal favorite the Zinwell ZAT-970A Digital to Analog TV Converter Box which is very highly rated by its owners and it seems to pull in more channels than other DTV boxes I have tried. It also has analog pass through which is a must have option for any DTV Converter Box you buy.

Now you know all you need to know about getting great off the air Digital TV reception while camping.

Do you have any suggestions or comments on this topic? You can add them to this page by clicking on the "Click Here To Post Comments" link located near the bottom of this page.

Happy RVing

RVing Al

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Comments for Does A Winegard Crank Up RV Antenna Work With A Digital TV (DTV) Converter Box?

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Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Rv tv reception
by: Anonymous

I can't get any tv reception with my Winegard Rv Antennae. I bought a Wingman and still nothing. Any ideas?
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		T v antenna
by: Shirley

I cannot get tv using the antenna on my camper. The camper next to mine gets good reception. He has a switch on his to change from air to cable, mine does not have a switch. Mine will work with cable. I took my tv to his camper and it worked so I am not sure why mine won't. Please help
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		DTV & cable
by: Dave

To use your antenna and cable connection, I take the output of the winegard wallplate to a splitter. The splitter feeds the DTV box and one side of a coax video switch (2 position). The output of the DTV box feeds the other side of the video switch. The output of the video switch feeds the TV. Now I can switch between antenna or my RV video connection. I am not sure of all DTV boxes, but my DTV box (Motorola) would not pass a cable signal, so I had to set this up to use park cable.
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Antennas
by: Rod

I want to install a DirecTV satellite dish on my camper. I don't need a mobile antenna but one that works when parked. There are a few to choose from and I am confused. Which antenna is reliable and gives good reception? Thanks
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		converter box problems
by: Ben Burns

Thanks for the information. Our camper club here is having some troubles with the overall installation and then will it work once installed.

ANSWER Greetings Ben, we have a lot of information on how to get your RV receiving Digital TV. Please read the answers I gave to the questions below. These answers should provide you and your Camping Club with all the information you need.

How Do I Install A Digital TV Converter Box In My RV?

Hooking Up Digital TV Converter Box In Conjunction With Satellite Receiver In An RV?

The Digital TV Converter Box In Our Camper Will Not Work.

Hopefully this helps.

Happy RVing

RVing Al

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