If you’re about my age, you remember when there were nothing but local channels out there. You put up an antenna or paid some mom-and-pop cable company, and you got five or six of them. Back in those days, you could put an antenna on the top of your RV and get those local channels, even when you were driving.
Times have changed. You know it and I know it. Not only are there hundreds of national TV channels, but there’s the whole internet. It’s sometimes easier to find out what’s going on locally by looking at social media than it is to get the local news. And of course, since 2009 it’s been impossible to get over-the-air television if you’re going more than 15mph. That may change soon, but these are the facts today.
The benefits of over-the-air television
I’m a big believer in over-the-air TV, even if it’s not the same as it was. There are still a lot of top-rated shows on prime-time. I personally like local news more than social media. Most local broadcasters try to give you a decent perspective on the day’s events rather than blindly pointing a camera. And, honestly, there’s something I really enjoy about kicking back and just enjoying, rather than the stress of the “endless scroll” found in streaming.
Today’s TV antennas, like the KING line of antennas for RVs, are better than ever. They’re designed for today’s digital broadcasts as well as the ones that are coming tomorrow. A little time spent mounting them on your roof will pay dividends over and over as you park for the night and tune in, no matter where you are. But that’s my opinion, anyway.
What you need to know about over-the-air antennas and your RV
Before you answer the question I posed at the top of this article, there are a few things you need to know, though.
You can’t watch while the RV is moving, but that might change soon
Digital TV’s designs come from the 1990s. Back then you just couldn’t create a digital signal that would work while you were moving. Of course today we all have cell phones so they’ve obviously solved that. There is a new TV standard being proposed that will let you watch TV while the RV is moving. There are test channels in about half the country already, but the equipment to watch them is expensive.
The FCC has committed to working with broadcasters to try to fix the problem. They’ve made it a priority to help get low-cost equipment into people’s hands, and I think we all hope that they succeed.
You can’t always integrate over-the-air TV into your satellite guide.
If you have satellite TV in your RV, you know how great it is. It would be even greater if you had one guide where you could choose antenna or satellite at will. DISH lets you do this with a simple adapter. However, DIRECTV doesn’t. There was a device that worked with DIRECTV receivers, but it was discontinued almost a decade ago. Some people on the internet say it still works but there is certainly no guarantee at this point.
You can’t watch your home locals unless you’re in your home area
It seems pretty obvious, but if you’re more than about 60 miles from your home city, you won’t be able to get channels from there. You’ll get the channels from the major city you’re in. That can be good or bad depending on what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for local news or network programs, that’s great. If you’re looking for a program that only airs in your city, you won’t find it. Sometimes you can stream that content over the internet, but that’s not the focus of this article
But really once you know that stuff, it’s all good.
As I said, an over-the-air antenna provides a buy-once, enjoy-forever experience. Once you park for the night, it generally takes about 5 minutes to have your TV scan for channels in your new area. After that you’re free to sit back and relax. If you have DISH you can even generally record stuff once you’re parked and then watch it while you’re on the road. That way, you won’t miss anything.
Today’s antennas are smaller and more reliable, too. They’re designed to stand up to freeway speeds and the heat and cold of being outdoors. You can choose an “omni” antenna that never needs to be aimed or a directional one that will work better when you’re in the deep woods. It’s up to you. Both of them install quickly, give you the ability to run more than 1 TV, and even let you bypass the antenna if the RV park has cable TV.
But this isn’t about my opinions. It’s about yours. I’d like to hear from RVers out there. Do you use a TV antenna? If so, why? If not, why not? Leave a comment below and let’s get the conversation started.
Meantime, if you want to know more about RV antennas, or if you want to activate satellite, internet, or cellular service, give us a call! We’re here during East Coast business hours at 888-233-7563. Call, or if it’s after hours, fill out the form below. We’ll get right back to you!
