Cheap T.V. Antenna Booster
Printed From: R-pod Owners Forum
Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=6665
Printed Date: 19 Jun 2025 at 5:16am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.64 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Cheap T.V. Antenna Booster
Posted By: dsmiths
Subject: Cheap T.V. Antenna Booster
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2015 at 3:06pm
Donna and I did a two nighter at our local 40 minute away Hoosier National Forest. One of the sites we prefer is down in a low area and we can only get 1 and sometimes 2 t.v. channels ( I like to catch news and wx ) So I used my limited knowledge of Electronics and Signal propagation learned when I got my F.C.C. Radio Telephone 2nd class license a hundred years ago. I took two pieces of 1 ft square aluminum foil and put double sided tape around the edges and stuck them to the ceiling of the pod on the inside directly below the amplified antenna. On a Rp-172 this is where the upper cabinets are. One side is inside the cabinet and the piece to the right is exposed above the netted storage area. This is basically a passive improvement of the non exsisting ground plane below the antenna. Whammo , I went from 2 channels to 10, I know this is not a fluke as we have used this site on and off for 4 years and never got more than 2 stations at night and sometimes none in the day when signal propagation is different and the power is reduced. Give it a try its cheap. I guess you could use colored foil if you don't like silver.  ------------- Dane and Donna Smith 2011 RP-172 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer 4X4 lift kit prodigy wireless brake controller |
Replies:
Posted By: hammockmadness
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2015 at 4:22pm
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Gonna try that while we're out this week camping! ------------- Dana & Regina Fleetwood & Jasper 2014 181-G 2014 Silverado 4X4 |
Posted By: Q7-retired
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2015 at 5:45pm
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You increased the size and effectiveness for the ground plane of the antenna! Next thing you'll be tuning in Rangoon!
------------- Best regards, Jim 2015-RP178 TV 2015 Audi Q7 TDI and 2017 Ford F150 At home in "Our Pod" |
Posted By: dsmiths
Date Posted: 20 Jul 2015 at 6:41pm
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Q-7, I thought about running a small 16 gauge wire to the common in the pod and then to both of the pieces of foil to really increase the ground plane , but it worked so well I thought leave it alone. You are right about increasing the ground plane therefore increasing the signal strength, I bet I got 9db or better gain. I kind of found this by accident as one time we were watching the weather and it kept fading, I took a roll of foil and moved it around under the antenna and tried different positions and it would help if located in the right spot, trial and error. ------------- Dane and Donna Smith 2011 RP-172 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer 4X4 lift kit prodigy wireless brake controller |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 22 Jul 2015 at 9:29pm
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Sweet. Next step would be to string a cheap outdoor television antenna 20 feet up in a tree. Or replace the pod's antenna with a Yagi. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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