People love traveling by RV because it means bringing all the comforts of home with you on the road. But sometimes, those comforts run into a little trouble—like when your TV signal goes on the fritz. Thankfully, troubleshooting an RV antenna is relatively easy. Even if you are inexperienced with TV antennas, you should be able to troubleshoot yours without any professional help in most circumstances. Here are our tips for RV TV antenna troubleshooting.
Troubleshooting Guide One
This quick guide contains the steps that will fix the majority of RV TV antenna issues. Should you go through all the steps and find that you still have a problem, move on to guide two.
- Before you begin, speak to neighboring campers to see if they are experiencing the same issues you are. If they are, the problem may be with the signal in the area, not your antenna.
- If others have signal, start by examining all the cables that run to the antenna for any apparent issues. These include loose connections, cracked wires, and knots.
- If you find a problem, remedy it. For example, tighten loose connections or replace cables that are cracked.
- Should there be no issue with the wires, move to the amplifier. This usually is on the wall plate that the wires run through. The speaker should have a switch. Check to see if it’s off; if it is, turn it on and check the signal.
- After checking the cables and turning on the amplifier, you may find that you still don’t have signal. At this point, you can replace the cable or try our second guide, found below.
Troubleshooting Guide Two
- Take a second to ensure that the amplifier switch is still in the on position. Some antennas will automatically turn this off when not in active use, requiring you to flip it back on when needed manually.
- Find the coax cable and disconnect it from the head of the antenna. Be careful climbing up onto the roof of the RV. We suggest you don’t do this without at least one other person around so they can get help if needed.
- Examine the connections for the coax cable to see if there is any corrosion. If there is, replace the cable, and possibly the connection on the antenna, depending on the situation.
- Should you not find any corrosion, grab a 12-volt DC test light or DC voltmeter to determine the voltage of the coax cable. It should measure around 12-volt DC. If the voltage reaches the 12-volt range, the wall plate is functioning, but the antenna head’s amplifier likely is not. If it does not reach voltage, the issue is with the wall plate.
At this point, the issue is no longer one of troubleshooting, but rather of repair. Because this involves working with electricity and delicate elements of the antenna, it’s best to turn to an experienced mechanic for assistance.
Upgrading Your Antenna
If having a TV signal is important to you while traveling in your RV, it may be a good idea to upgrade the antenna you currently have to a more powerful option. If your current model doesn’t have an amplifier or booster, you could have one installed as well to increase signal strength.
Keep in mind that in some spots, it may not be possible to achieve a signal, no matter how good the antenna is. If your dream is to camp in spots that are outside signal range, you could opt for an auto-tracking satellite, which will move itself to get the best possible signal no matter where you are. This may be a good upgrade in general since some systems can also be used for satellite internet, allowing you to download and stream entertainment as well.
For Assistance With Your RV Entertainment, Turn to Farace RV
Troubleshooting your antenna is something you can do on your own, but if it gets too complicated or you just prefer to outsource the work, we are here for you. In addition to helping with your RV TV antenna, we can help you decide on upgrades to your entertainment system and install them for you. With our help, you never need to be bored while exploring the open road.
If you call Southern California home or are just passing through, we want to help you make your entertainment system the best it can be. Stop by our shop in Huntington Beach or give us a call at (714) 316-0692. We look forward to helping bring more comfort and convenience to your travels.
