GoRV - Digital Magazine Issue #79 | Page 64

RV FEATURE
Omni-directional antennas , including the VanTenna , are also able to receive signals from multiple broadcast towers at the same time . If you are in a location that can receive a signal from two towers , an omni-directional antenna will pick-up the signal from both , and your TV will choose the best signal for each station .
While omni-directional antennas are not new , the VanTenna is the first omni-directional antenna designed for RVs that can also receive horizontally and vertically-polarised signals . Most omni-directional antennas are actually only horizontallypolarised , so this is a big tick in the VanTenna ’ s favour .
It ’ s also worth pointing out that this antenna is a discreet dome shape that stands roughly 300mm high , whereas conventional windup caravan antennas stand up to 1.3m high , potentially casting lengthy shadows on the roof ’ s solar panels when standing up , and taking up a lot of roof space when down – roof space that could otherwise be used for another solar panel . Even partial shading of a solar cell can have a significant impact on the panel ’ s output , so anything you can do to minimise shade on the roof is a good thing .
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