i'm putting a monitor in my truck for a camera and it also has a built-in tv tuner. anyone have any suggestions on a good antenna? i've seen some dipole types that stick on the inside of the windshield and they look ok i guess, but...
originally i considered doing some type of NMO disc-a-doo antenna until i looked at the broadcast tv frequencies... channels 2 thru 13 go from 54-216 Mhz. quite a spread. i don't suppose there's a good low profile disc or coffee-cup type antenna that does that range, is there?
thanks
mobile tv antennas?
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mobile tv antennas?
"In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce and brave man, hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot." - Mark Twain
Think horizontal.
Hello.
The average whip is on a vertical plane, 90 degree out of phase with the NTSC signals of north america.
The standard TV antenna does some neat tricks to cover most of the band, but even then, it is usually split into 2, VHF and UHF.
The other thing you will find, multipath is a real issue with TV, you will see this as "ghosting".
Even in the home, with a good antenna, the signal is better with cable or dish.
This is why the VCR, and later DVD, are so popular in mobile applications.
The average whip is on a vertical plane, 90 degree out of phase with the NTSC signals of north america.
The standard TV antenna does some neat tricks to cover most of the band, but even then, it is usually split into 2, VHF and UHF.
The other thing you will find, multipath is a real issue with TV, you will see this as "ghosting".
Even in the home, with a good antenna, the signal is better with cable or dish.
This is why the VCR, and later DVD, are so popular in mobile applications.
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mikegilbert
- Posts: 657
- Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2002 12:08 am
- What radios do you own?: All of them
DOH!!! yes that's an example of what i don't want. thanks mike. 
i found one from power acoustik that is an inside the window decal type. i'm gonna try it. the tv tuner in the monitor i'm getting is a diversity tuner so it uses a 4-channel diversity antenna. it's two separate decal antennas with four 1/8" mini jacks. supposedly the tuner picks the best signal. hmmm... a tv voting system. lol
oh btw, the monitor is not only a monitor for a video source such as a camera, but it has a multi-format cd/dvd player, fm transmitter to route audio to the stereo, and an ir transmitter for wireless headphones. other than the antenna, all it needs is power and ground.
i found one from power acoustik that is an inside the window decal type. i'm gonna try it. the tv tuner in the monitor i'm getting is a diversity tuner so it uses a 4-channel diversity antenna. it's two separate decal antennas with four 1/8" mini jacks. supposedly the tuner picks the best signal. hmmm... a tv voting system. loloh btw, the monitor is not only a monitor for a video source such as a camera, but it has a multi-format cd/dvd player, fm transmitter to route audio to the stereo, and an ir transmitter for wireless headphones. other than the antenna, all it needs is power and ground.
"In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce and brave man, hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot." - Mark Twain
We use TV antennas on our TV trucks all the time, so we can see what we're doing.
Nothing works in motion, too much multipath. For stationary use, though, the best by far is the amplified RV antenna. Winegard and Radio Shack make them. They're like a Disc-a-doo on crack, about 18-24" in diameter - not real stealth. The gullwing limo antennas work pretty well, but inside the fiberglass shell is nothing more than a 12" wire dipole. When the multipath is real bad downtown, we'll use a 24" - 36" piece of wire laying on the floor.
I'd have to agree with Jim about the 1/2-wave VHF. They make one of the best all-around receive antennas for any band. Don't bother trying to get something tuned. Sometimes it's all about aperture.
Nothing works in motion, too much multipath. For stationary use, though, the best by far is the amplified RV antenna. Winegard and Radio Shack make them. They're like a Disc-a-doo on crack, about 18-24" in diameter - not real stealth. The gullwing limo antennas work pretty well, but inside the fiberglass shell is nothing more than a 12" wire dipole. When the multipath is real bad downtown, we'll use a 24" - 36" piece of wire laying on the floor.
I'd have to agree with Jim about the 1/2-wave VHF. They make one of the best all-around receive antennas for any band. Don't bother trying to get something tuned. Sometimes it's all about aperture.
Sam
Dishnetwork and Direct TV offer a satellite TV service. It is like 4.99 a month with satellite service and 59 with out it.
http://www.kvh.com/tracvision/
http://www.kvh.com/pdf/DIRECTVProgpopup.pdf
http://www.kvh.com/Products/Product.asp?id=79
Way better than analog TV.
=)
http://www.kvh.com/tracvision/
http://www.kvh.com/pdf/DIRECTVProgpopup.pdf
http://www.kvh.com/Products/Product.asp?id=79
Way better than analog TV.
=)
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mikegilbert
- Posts: 657
- Joined: Thu Nov 14, 2002 12:08 am
- What radios do you own?: All of them
We use the Boomerang-Style antenna on our live van- talk about multi-path. It's fun to watch when one of the photogs leaves the transmitter and mast cam on and drives away from the shot. We can usually see a picture for a minute or so before we radio him to shut the transmitter off.eng5 wrote:We use TV antennas on our TV trucks all the time, so we can see what we're doing.
Nothing works in motion, too much multipath. For stationary use, though, the best by far is the amplified RV antenna. Winegard and Radio Shack make them. They're like a Disc-a-doo on crack, about 18-24" in diameter - not real stealth. The gullwing limo antennas work pretty well, but inside the fiberglass shell is nothing more than a 12" wire dipole. When the multipath is real bad downtown, we'll use a 24" - 36" piece of wire laying on the floor.
I'd have to agree with Jim about the 1/2-wave VHF. They make one of the best all-around receive antennas for any band. Don't bother trying to get something tuned. Sometimes it's all about aperture.
I can't wait for our COFDM to arrive- get the omnidirectional antenna on there and have some moblie live shot fun.
-Mike
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kc7gr
- Posts: 1031
- Joined: Wed Mar 13, 2002 4:00 pm
- What radios do you own?: Motorola, Icom, Sunair (HF).
Mobile TV?
Yikes... Please tell me you all are pulling over, or sitting in a parking lot, if you're watching regular broadcast or satellite TV in the car!
Doing so while moving is one of the most dangerous (and dumb!) practices I can think of (and very much illegal in every state motor-vehicle code I've checked to date).
Keep the peace(es).
Doing so while moving is one of the most dangerous (and dumb!) practices I can think of (and very much illegal in every state motor-vehicle code I've checked to date).
Keep the peace(es).
Bruce Lane, KC7GR
"Raf tras spintern. Raf tras spoit."
In Minnesota you can have such devices, televisions and dvd players, satellite receivers, whatever you want, but they must not be viewable by the driver! By law...
They made some changes to the laws on it because too many cops were ticketing drivers with laptops running GPS mapping, and also because the newer cars with the built in navigation screens. So they reworded it a bit to make mention of what is allowed specifically.
But, basically if i put in one of those lcd monitors and a dvd player for the kiddies it better be behind me or even with the back of the front seats to make sure that someone won't get the wrong idea.
They made some changes to the laws on it because too many cops were ticketing drivers with laptops running GPS mapping, and also because the newer cars with the built in navigation screens. So they reworded it a bit to make mention of what is allowed specifically.
But, basically if i put in one of those lcd monitors and a dvd player for the kiddies it better be behind me or even with the back of the front seats to make sure that someone won't get the wrong idea.
Duct tape is like the force, it has a dark side and a light side and it holds the universe together.
"I Reject Your Reality And Substitute My Own!" - Adam Savage
"I Reject Your Reality And Substitute My Own!" - Adam Savage