Check the signal where you are
Get the channels, antenna type and aim direction for your exact spot instead of the city center. Your browser will ask for your location. It's used only on this page to do the math, and this site never sends it anywhere or saves it.
Setup at every stop
The steps below come from the owner's manuals for common RV antennas from Winegard and KING. Your model may differ, so keep its manual handy.
- Raise or unfold the antenna. On crank-up models, raise it fully before you aim it.
- Turn on the antenna power. The Winegard and KING antennas we checked get their power from a wall plate or power injector inside the RV. Winegard's wall plate instructions say to "press switch to ON (ANT) position," and the light on the wall plate comes on (Winegard). KING's manual says to "turn on TV and power injector," and that the included power injector must be installed (KING manual).
- Aim toward the towers. Tap "Use my location" above to see which way the towers are from your campsite. Winegard's Sensar manual says to "rotate slowly when selecting station" (Winegard Sensar manual). KING's manual has you turn the antenna through a full circle and watch its signal meter lights.
- Scan for channels. Run a new channel scan on the TV. Winegard says to "run a channel scan monthly, anytime a channel is lost, and anytime you change locations" (Winegard Air 360+ manual).
- Fine-tune. For its Rayzar Z1, Winegard suggests fine-tuning by slowly rotating the antenna and running additional scans (Winegard Rayzar Z1 guide).
Before you drive: stow it
Winegard's Sensar manual is blunt: "Under no conditions should the antenna be raised while traveling." Its Rayzar Z1 guide likewise tells you to put the antenna in travel position. Make lowering it part of your departure routine.
Why the channels change from stop to stop
Every campground has its own set of towers at different distances and directions. Winegard says reception range varies with the "height of receiving antenna, weather conditions, and terrain." A channel that came in at the last stop may be out of range at the next one. That's why the scan has to be run again at each new location.
Before you arrive, you can check what's on the air. If the campground is near a city we cover, its page lists every station with distance and direction. For anywhere in the US, the FCC's reception maps show which stations are predicted at an address and how strong they are, "color coded by signal strength" (FCC Reception Maps Guide).
No channels at all?
- Check the power light. If the wall plate or injector light is off, the antenna's amplifier isn't powered.
- Check the TV input. The TV should be on its antenna input.
- Rescan. A scan from a previous location won't find the new stations.
Our antenna troubleshooter goes through the other causes, and our guide on how to aim a TV antenna covers towers in different directions.