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So the 1992 camper had a very old Winegard batwing antennae, and NO boost on the wall plate on the inside, just ports for cables ("antennae" and "cable"). Borrowing a new HD TV, I set it up and got 13 analog channels -- mostly public tv and preaching, but whatever.

I got fancy and ordered a Winegard Sensar IV replacement head (not the whole unit), thinking it would add channels -- NOT! Went down to 8 channels, lost all my preachers!

LOOOONNNNNG conversation with a very sweet young lady at Winegard, and it was apparent she was never the kid sent up the old attic ladder to rotate the antennae, as she couldn't grasp that there was no power to the wall outlet (she kept insisting there HAD to be power). And she had no idea why I got less channels. And when I asked if there was anyone else in the office who might know, it kinda ticked her off -- long holds while she "checked with her supervisor," which? may mean she was getting a cup of coffee, or a valium, or both.

I asked about the LNA-100 tv booster (), but she said it wouldn't work ("too much amplification").

I asked if the new antennae was defective, but she said no -- I guess they are pretty simple.

Finally she said I needed to buy this RFL 342 booster and install with "power" and I assume she meant 12 volt. ().

So what do all the OG's here think?

1.Try the booster that plugs in between the TV and the antennae, using the USB to power it from the 220 outlet plate next to the cable plate?
2.Return the Sensar IV, replace the old batwing, and give up?
3.Keep it and try to run 12 volt wires thru the upper cabinet from the undercabinet light fixture and install the LNA 100?
4. Read a book instead?

BTW I asked the guys at Camping World (the seventh level of hell, I know) and they were recommending an old face plate with a 12 volt receptacle RA 7296 ().

Thanks,
Sue

Either of the cheaper ones will help. ?I bought the expensive Wingard digital one, but it is very confusing to operate, so I wouldn’t recommend it. ?(It shows higher digital numbers when the signal is stronger, but you can pretty much tell that anyway by just looking at the TV!) ?

First though I would remove the faceplate where the current coax connection is and see if there isn’t already some 12v wiring behind it. ?If there is a 7 amp fuse holder behind it, then it already has an amplifier. ?But if the fuse is burned out, then of course it won’t work, and the little green light won’t light up. ?If you find a fuse, try replacing it. ?If no fuse but you have 12v wiring, then?buy the one that is a faceplate with amplifier.

There isn't any wire to the faceplate, just two cable connectors. I figure I can steal 12 V from the undercabinet light? Or the stereo speaker? There is a false bottom to the cabinet which I hope won't be too hard to remove. Does the cover over the cabinet speaker just pop off? I was hesitant to just yank on it until I was sure.

I did go ahead and order the booster that goes between the antennae cable and the tv, just to see if it would work!

Thanks Tika!

Yes, the false bottom of the cabinet comes up, and you can tap into the wiring for the light; but there is no 12v to the speaker -- only the wires feeding the sound.?

Humbug. Tried the little booster that goes between the tv and cable, and saw no difference in number of channels or picture quality. Guess I'll have to figure out how to wire in one of the old style booster wall plates.

Can I just pop off the speaker cover?

Thanks,
Sue

No, the access is behind the "wall' inside the cabinet at the end.? However first you need to be sure that the reason you don't have a better signal isn't because the wire from the antenna is disconnected.? It is simple in principle to test but awkward in practice.? You need to disconnect the coax cable that is attached to the antenna head on the roof.? Then you need to clip a separate wire on the end of the cable only touching the center wire.? It needs to be a long wire because then you need to test the other end with a multimeter set on Ohms; put the second probe of the meter touching only the center of the coax connection on the wall plate.? The meter sends an electrical signal through the wire and it comes back again through the wire in the wall.? If there is no discontinuity, the meter will show a low reading (almost zero resistance) because the electricity is flowing freely through the completed circuit.? That verifies that the wire from the antenna through the wall is not broken.??

If it is OK, then buy a better antenna amplifier for behind the wall plate.

You could also hire someone with fancier more expensive electrical test tools to more easily figure out if the wire is broken.

also while there, check for center conductor to outer braided shield wire.? should be infinite resistance
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rz

Yes, the resistance between the center wire and the outside should be infinite -- and if it is, then take a bit of aluminum foil and stuff it in at one end of the cable so the inner and outer wires are connected together there, then go to the other end and check the resistance between inner and outer connections: should be very low if the cables are intact. If high, one of the wires, probably the inner one, is broken.