TV reception

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Brent
Posts: 314
Joined: Tue May 16, 2006 4:53 pm

Post by Brent »

Charlotte,
Thanks for the post, I wondered if someone that had the Delta and then changed could clearly see the difference. I think I'll try to have it done by BF too.

Just curious in my quest for good ideas, what other upgrades did you have done?
Bornfree (1999 Rear Kitchen)
Traveling with Chester (The Boxer) - at least in spirit
Nathan Cook

Wow!

Post by Nathan Cook »

I was especially impressed with the clean, shiny roof. I was just up there today cleaning mine and appreciate what I saw in the photos! The antenna was nice too.
:)
Nathan Cook
Dave&JanPotter

Post by Dave&JanPotter »

Larry and Sharon: Thanks for explaining things. One more question. I have the 22' BFT so I am not familair with the roof layout on the larger models. The purpose of the two pieces of aluminum tubing that support the feet is not immediately apparent to me. They seem to lift the batwing up but it appears the feet would also so that. My previous batwig rested on the roof of brand XRV without a problem. Would you please clarify this point? Thanks for your patience.
CHARLOTTE

Post by CHARLOTTE »

Brent....in answer to your question...I had the following repairs/upgrades completed at the factory...
New mattress, the new drawer that has the cutting board top which for my floor plan gives me the counter space that helps make my kitchen area far easier to work in, I had my ceiling area 'buttoned'...some of the 'cloth' (don't know what else to call it) was becoming loose & not adhered to the roof...so they gave me the option of re-gluing it or 'buttoning' it. I chose the 'buttoning' as not only does it solve the problem but it looks absolutely great & I won't ever have to worry that the material will come loose again, then I had the fiberglass repair done along the rear panel where it had cracked after a rear tire failure and another area on the rear where there was a small indentation. These damaged areas were there when I purchased my BF and to me were no big deal. But I wanted to take advantage of having them repaired while at the factory. I also had the new stove installed and some other minor door fixes, etc. I can only say that the entire staff was so helpful and so professional that I was over-whelmed. I have never been treated with such concern and consideration with anything I've ever purchased...and I've had some really great experiences with other firms in my life...But the Born Free staff are beyond that...they really care, they do excellent work & they treat you like you are really important as a customer...It was a really long trip for me to make but it was worth every minute plus my coach is like new now & I really don't need to do much else to it. I will say this tho, if I find in the future that I want to make any changes or upgrades....I'll go to Humboldt & have them do it...It was a wonderful experience....
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BornFree_n_Now
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Post by BornFree_n_Now »

Dave&JanPotter wrote:Larry and Sharon: ~~ The purpose of the two pieces of aluminum tubing that support the feet is not immediately apparent to me. They seem to lift the batwing up but it appears the feet would also so that. My previous batwig rested on the roof of brand XRV without a problem. Would you please clarify this point? Thanks for your patience.
David and Janice: What the pictures don't show real well is the fact that to take advantage of using the original hole through the roof, the base is actually mounted on the gradual incline portion of the roof, which has the effect of pushing the antenna’s head and trailing wing tip into the roof when in the lowered position ~~ the two metal tubes and the rubber bumper on the top of the front most piece, simply keep the wing tip and plastic off of the roof while providing a stable platform for all four feet to rest upon ~~ hope this helps, although a reread of it now confuses me :lol:
Larry & Sharon
2002 26' RSB
Suzuki X90 4x4 Toad
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BornFree_n_Now
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Re: Wow!

Post by BornFree_n_Now »

Nathan Cook wrote:I was especially impressed with the clean, shiny roof. I was just up there today cleaning mine and appreciate what I saw in the photos! The antenna was nice too.
:)
Nathan Cook
Nathan: Your comment make my sore muscles (wax on, wax off) feel better ~~ thanks for noticing :D
Larry & Sharon
2002 26' RSB
Suzuki X90 4x4 Toad
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BornFree_n_Now
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Post by BornFree_n_Now »

CHARLOTTE: With regard to your buttoned ceiling, do you have any pictures? Also, is the new mattress you mentioned the innerspring version, and is it considerably more firm (our preference), than the foam version?
Larry & Sharon
2002 26' RSB
Suzuki X90 4x4 Toad
robert

Bat Wing model

Post by robert »

Deleted by RDD
Last edited by robert on Tue Jul 11, 2006 1:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
CHARLOTTE

Post by CHARLOTTE »

Born Free_n_now....(don't know if I got that right ???) Anyway, the mattress I have is the innerspring and though it is firm, it is far more comfortable than the original mattress I had which I'm not sure what it was made of....all I know is it felt like I was sleeping on the ground. I am glad I made the change and the cost was extremely reasonable...not counting that I could never have managed getting the old one out and the new one in...
5865

Post by 5865 »

BornFree_n_Now, Just to get things straight, did you use the same hole as the Delta, that was on a slanted roof? Did you use a wedge the straighten the shaft that goes thru the roof? Or did you not use a wedge and the antenna is on an angle all the time? Does this cause a problem rotating it, does it hit anything? Would you take 1 more photo from above?
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BornFree_n_Now
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Post by BornFree_n_Now »

5865 wrote:BornFree_n_Now, Just to get things straight, did you use the same hole as the Delta, that was on a slanted roof? Did you use a wedge the straighten the shaft that goes thru the roof? Or did you not use a wedge and the antenna is on an angle all the time? Does this cause a problem rotating it, does it hit anything? Would you take 1 more photo from above?
The base was mounted flush on the slanted portion of the roof, and it does not cause a problem with the functionality of the antenna, except that the aluminum tube spacers needed to be placed on the roof to allow the antenna to rest in the lowered state without the trailing edge of the antenna touching the roof. The original hole through the roof was utilized ~~ If I can get up to take another picture, what would be most helpful to you?
Larry & Sharon
2002 26' RSB
Suzuki X90 4x4 Toad
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whemme
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Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2005 8:05 pm

Winegard Batwing vs Delta TV Antenna Peformance

Post by whemme »

While parked near several other BF motorcoaches at the Humboldt County Fairgrounds during the Born Free factory Homecoming Celebration, I was able to compare the TV reception performance of my Delta antenna vs a couple of coaches that had the Winegard Batwing Sensor III antenna system and the Winegard definitely receives better. So I thought I would make the change sometime in the future.

When I arrived home (just 78 miles from the factory), I drove into the wash bay at our local car wash that I always use to wash my coach. I forgot to retract the antenna radiators on the Delta antenna and proceeded to 'crunch' one of the telescoping radiators. So back to the Born Free factory just 4 days later to have a new Winegard Batwing installed - cost installed $203. Uses the same mounting location and hole as the Delta but the antenna preamp assembly is changed out to a wall mount unit without the preamp since the preamp is built-in on the antenna itself in the case of the Winegard antenna.

However, this antenna is even more susceptable to damage as it sticks up much higher on the coach if not retracted before traveling with it.
Last edited by whemme on Wed Jul 12, 2006 2:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
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Mike Jean Bandfield
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Re: Winegard Batwing vs Delta TV Antenna Peformance

Post by Mike Jean Bandfield »

whemme wrote:However, this antenna is even more susceptable to damage as it sticks up much higher on the coach if not retracted before traveling with it.
...and you see them going down the road in the upright position all the time.

Tip: Many years ago when we got our first RV we used a preflight checklist religiously. Over time we got the routine down and we fell out of the habit when the old checklist fell apart. The antenna was an exception since we didn't use it that often, it was easy to overlook. We put a clothespin on the Winegard crank. When you remove the clothespin to crank up the antenna put it on the ignition key slot. A brightly colored small flag attached to a clip also works (I think Camping World still sells them). Hang it in front of the speedometer when the antenna is up and on the crank when it is down.

It's an easy routine to follow and if you are diligent about moving the clip immediately to the proper location when changing the antenna's position it's a worry proof and foolproof aid.

Mike
Mike & Jean
2005 26' RSS Diesel
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bcope01
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Re: Winegard Batwing vs Delta TV Antenna Peformance

Post by bcope01 »

Mike & Jean Bandfield wrote: ...and you see them going down the road in the upright position all the time.
And I thought that was some sort of fancy add-on "spoiler". :lol:
Barb & Bill
2004 Born Free 22' Built for Two (Sold)
no longer towing a 2008 Smart ForTwo

Escondido, CA
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bcope01
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Post by bcope01 »

How about some kind of electro-mechanical contraption with one end that hooks to the antenna sensing when it is up or down and the other end to a rubber covered plastic hand that slaps you in the back of the head when you insert the key in the ignition with the antenna in the up position?

No "atta boy" credit needed (or expected) for this one.

Bill
Barb & Bill
2004 Born Free 22' Built for Two (Sold)
no longer towing a 2008 Smart ForTwo

Escondido, CA
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