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over the years i have had three caravans all fitted with status tv aerials , none of them have been any good . Am I expecting too much from them?   But at £100 + they should be some good ,I would have thought. Has any one else had any better luck with them. 

    Alan

Well you don't ever see them on top of peoples houses do you? I am new to caravanning but have been around radio's and antennas for the past 37 years or so (yes I do qualify for Saga insurance LOL)..

The problem with the normal status antenna fitted to caravans is that it is a 'low maintenance' compromise, i.e. you don't have to point it at a transmitter like you do a normal house TV antenna. The status is 'omnidirectional' which means it will receive a signal from 360 degrees around it but not make a very good job of it. Hence it will usually have an amplifier connected to it. This can be helpful if you have a reasonable signal before it enters the amplifier, however if the signal is really poor it is a case of 'noisy signal in / noisy signal out'. The thing is not totally useless but most of the time it is not going to be that good.

You really need a directional antenna with a reasonable amount of gain. That is a longish one that you need to actually point towards the transmitter and also allows you to swivel it through 90 degrees for when you are in an area where the TV signal is transmitted in the vertical plane rather than the more common horizontal plane. I have just bought an Image 530/18-2 antenna and side fixing brackets for my caravan which I know will be ideal. Check out the http://www.gradeuk.co.uk website to see what this is. Technically it is a UHF log periodic for my TV signal which incorporates a VHF yagi for my FM radio. All that c**p means that means if I actually point it at the transmitter I get a good picture and good radio reception. I have fixed up an external TV antenna socket at the side of my van and have run the cable form that internally up to where my original status TV amplifier is. I can still use the original status if that is going to be good enough. If not then I unplug the status and plug in my external directional antenna and still have the option of using the amplifier on that directional one or not.

Grade UK actually do a range of reasonable directional antennae for caravans, and in fact I notice they also now do a directional antenna that can be permanently roof mounted which is the status 530. The bottom line is don't expect too much from your regular status antenna as it is a compromise.

Just to add I bought the Image 530/18-2 Antenna and found it brilliant got all the freeview channels no problem, and its so easy.

Cheers

Asda have a cheap freeview box in now, works a treat with the 530, the advantage is that you only press set up button and all channels found and put in order !!, beats the hell out of setting BBC1 then checking TV listing, BBC2 then checking the TV listing, etc etc for this reason alone I would never go back to setting up one at a time!!

Maplins are doing a great indoor aerial at the moment £19.99 special bought one for kids TV brilliant reception (not tried it out camping yet but will soon, 2 TV's for the rainy nights in Clacton)

JJ