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Hi, I've just finished messing about setting up a standard housing ariel on my van.  Mainly becuase my most recent van doesn't have a Status on it, and I haven't got £200, to spend on having a new one fitted at present.

I set up a 9 Meter Pole with the ariel, fixed the clamp onto the A frame, took the ariel under the van and into one of the breath holes and straight around to the back of the digital reciever.  Full cost £30.00

I live at the bottom of a hill and the picture quality isn't amazing, but this thing gives a better picture than either the ariel on the roof of my house (which admitedly has been up their years and presumably, not neing purpose build for digital may not be as good) and the Status ariel I had on my old van.

The status ariels look much better than a 10 foot pole with a digi ariel on it, but I'm not convinced it's as good on the picture.

Does anyone else have a similar or different experiences with these??

Tony B

Quote: Originally posted by Tony B52 on 13/2/2011

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set up a 9 Meter Pole with the ariel, fixed the clamp onto the A frame, took the ariel under the van and into one of the breath holes and straight around to the back of the digital reciever.  Full cost £30.00

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Quote: Originally posted by D Mansworth on 14/2/2011

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they dont make a 9mtr pole

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Quote: Originally posted by birder99 on 14/2/2011

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Quote: Originally posted by D Mansworth on 14/2/2011

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they dont make a 9mtr pole

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My angling pole is 9m but somehow I think the original poster means 9 ft as 9m even if made from carbon fibre is heavy.

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There's no such thing as a digital aerial. Freeview uses the same frequency range as the old analogue transmissions, hence the aerials are the same. Some analogue aerials were tuned to a paticular group e.g A/B and the like. 

Aerials suitable for digital TV tend to be wideband, as the freeview channels can be outside the old analogue groups, but Caravan aerials have always been wideband to my knowledge.  Calling an aerial "digital" is just marketing.

Just had a look at the box, also other mags and online, all listed as digital ariels.  However, when I put it together it did look and fit together like any other ariel.  So probably just the packaging trying to make it clear for all that it will take a digi signal.

Sorry, 9 foot, not meter Lol.  Blimey, with a 9 Meter Pole, I really would expect a good picture.

Tony B

Hi Gaz, I purchased a house type digital ariel which comes with brackets and a good length of Coax cable from my local cheapy DIY.  A bit cheaper at £15.99 than the bigger stores.  I looked around on the net for a pole, but, as I was on a mission to complete this last weekend, got one from my local dealer for £21.00.

The pole comes in three bits and with a clamp which fits onto the A frame at the front with two clamp screws.  There was also a version which came with a jocky wheel clamp, but my thinking was that the A frame clamp would be more steady, it's less likely to move, and I didnt like the idea of the whole thing becomming unsteady in the wind and taking a chunk out of the front of the van.  There is a spike for the bottom pole which when used gives you the second secure point, however, I dont really trust this and am looking for a small section of slightly larger tubing which I could tap into the ground on site to use as a ground anchor if you see what I mean.

I managed to mount the ariel on top of the pole with the clamp and a couple of screws, and then just took the areal lead attached down the guides supplied with the pole, under the van, through one of the breath holes, and up to the back of the digital box.

The ariels are really straight forwards to put together, split the copper cable from the sheaf wire at one end of the Coax cable supplied, there's two screws under the cap on the top of the arial, you attach the copper cable to one and the sheaf wire to the other, put the cap back on, and run the cable down the pole.

Pretty straight forwards, about an hours work.

Got to say though, I've always been happy with the Status ariel on my old van, and plan to put one on the latest shed as soon as I can afford it, much easier to pull up and just plug in.  However, some of the sites we go on have got pretty poor reception especially in bad weather.  I suspect reception with on poor reception sites might well be better.  Really pleased with it though, I've never had 100% on any channel before with the Status, let alone in a bad area.

Tony B