Like most of you, I have a directional over-the-air television antenna on the roof of my RV. Mine is a newer type that is permanently mounted on the RV roof and sits about eight inches high. You don't raise it up but just turn it in the best direction for the best reception. The problem is, what may be a good direction for one channel is not the best for another channel. Of course, distance from transmitting signals and terrain play a role in reception but RV antenna companies have answered this problem with the Omnidirectional HDTV Antenna for your RV, trailer or even tailgaters.
What is great about an omnidirectional antenna is you do nothing.
It searches for the signal without any user assistance. The signal can be to the north, the south, left, right, it doesn't matter. The antenna is round and searches 360 degrees for the best signals. You can get this antenna in a portable unit or a permanently mounted unit.
I have had good luck with King RV products. I always found them to be very reasonably priced with good customer support. I decided to try the King OmniGo Portable Omnidirectional Over-the-Air HDTV Antenna. This is their model# OA1501. They also make a permanently mounted version called the King OmniPro model# OA1001.
The King OmniGo came with everything needed for setup. Included in the box were a carry bag, the omnidirectional antenna, a tripod, an optional magnetic mount, 25 feet of coaxial cable, a power booster and power supply cords for both regular 120v and 12v. Yes, if you're new to the RV or trailer world, OTA (over-the-air antennas) need a power booster.
Setup was super easy. Set the antenna on the tripod or magnetic base, attach the coaxial to the power booster and attach the power booster to the television. The directions included in the box with the OmniGo were just that simple. I did a video of my evaluation of the OmniGo that you can watch on YouTube. My results were actually quite impressive and exceeded my expectations.
To give some meaning to my personal results, I conducted this evaluation in my RV about 65 miles from the nearest city. With my roof mounted antenna, I was able to receive 23 HDTV channels. Unfortunately, the majority were pixelated and not watchable. With the King OmniGo, I received 42 HDTV channels. The difference being almost all 43 of those channels were crystal clear with little to no pixilation. I was impressed, I just about doubled the channels I received and the quality of the picture was exceptional. I would expect distance from a major city plays a large role in the quality of reception so results may certainly vary depending on your location.
Of course, this is one test in one location but it certainly outperformed my directional antenna. The 360-degree Omnidirectional antenna eliminates the need for the user to painstakingly find the best direction to point the antenna. This is worth it alone. This in addition to receiving more channels and better picture quality is a win-win. I encourage anyone who still struggles with your RV directional antenna to research and try an omnidirectional solution. Several links below will get you on your way and you can always stop by RVHabit.com for more information.
(Affiliate) Links:
Get the King OmniGo Portable Omnidirectional OTA HDTV Antenna on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2F5jL6L
Get the King OmniPro with Mount, Omnidirectional OTA HDTV Antenna on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2tbjsBU
Watch Youtube video on the King OmniGo at: https://youtu.be/l7_D06bKUPI
Go to the King website for more information: https://kingconnect.com/
Lou