Best Omnidirectional RV TV Antenna (Winegard, King, Jensen)
When you go on an RV vacation it can be a little difficult keeping up with new episodes of your favorite shows. That is because you need to install a good television antenna to pick up broadcast signals. Not all of these antennas are good unfortunately and all you receive is snow on the screen.
One best list picked the Lava Omnidirectional TV Antenna as the best option for RVs because of its extended range. Another list picked the 1byone 360° TV Antenna for the same reason. Except this antenna has a 50-mile larger range than the Lava model.
To learn more about the best omnidirectional antennas, just continue to read our article. It goes through the data so you have the best information possible concerning this topic and which will be best for your RV situation.
Omnidirectional RV TV Antennas
Are Omni-Directional RV TV Antennas Any Good?
In understanding what an omnidirectional antenna does all you need to know is that this type of antenna picks up television signals from all directions. That gives it a little edge over directional television antennas because you do not have to adjust them when you change locations.
The drawback to an omnidirectional antenna is that its power is spread around in a circle horizontally cutting the reach of that power. To get the best reception, you need to be camping in an area that has multiple broadcast towers nearby.
If you are far from those towers or even one tower, your omnidirectional antenna will not work as well and may need a booster. The booster will amplify the power and help the antenna pick up those television signals a little better.
There is no guarantee that when you own and use an omnidirectional antenna you will get great reception with or without a booster. The positive side of these antennas is that you never have to adjust them and you never have to know in which direction you need to point them.
These antennas should pick up the strongest signal no matter which direction it is sent from. These antennas free up your time for some other task on your honey-do list.
Amplified Omnidirectional RV TV Antenna
The key word in that subheading is ‘amplified’. All amplified means is that you get more power in whatever you are doing. For example, you can play an electric guitar without any speakers, etc.
No one will hear what you are playing unless they are only 5 feet away. But attach an amplifier to the electric guitar and people 5 blocks away can hear your music. That is because the electric guitar was given more power to boost the volume.
The same principle applies to omnidirectional antennas. Non-amplified antennas have a very short range for picking up television signals. Add an amplifier or booster and the antenna gets more power to pick up signals that are further away from your location.
That power enhances your reception. One good amplified omnidirectional antenna model is the Antop Dual Omni-Directional Amplified HD Digital TV Antenna. It helps you pick up signals from 65 miles away.
It is not the best option around due to its limited range but it is still a good antenna. Another option, but not as powerful as that one would be the Continu.us CA-1500 antenna but its reach is only 55 miles.
In the next section, we will be listing some better antenna models that triple that range. They are from brands you may not have heard of as this market is dominated by Winegard, King, and Jensen brands. Those brands will be discussed in separate upcoming sections.
Best Omnidirectional RV TV Antenna
When you do a search for the best omnidirectional antennas for RVs be prepared to sift through many results that include or are limited to directional antennas.
There are lists of the best omnidirectional antennas, you just have to be patient enough to find them. There is no specific order to this list:
1. 1byone 360° TV Antenna- its range is advertised as 150 miles but do not let the advertising fool you. That measured range is under ideal conditions and most likely without obstructions.
What else is good is that it will only add about 5 pounds to your cargo weight limit. Then it has UV protective coating along with snow and water-resistant construction.
You can connect 2 TVs to it at the same time and you should not lose reception if the weather turns bad. Can be very expensive.
2. Lava Omnidirectional TV Antenna- the range is listed as 100 miles for this model but there is a possibility that range can extend to 150 miles if you are parked in an ideal location.
UHF and VHF reception are supposed to be top-quality and it comes with an intuitive remote control. The drawback to this remote is that it is not made from the best materials and may not last for a long time. The rotation motor is controlled by the remote.
3. Lava HD-8008 Omni-Directional HDTV Antenna- a good antenna that comes with lots of nice features. It may not look sleek but it is lightweight and very portable.
It is advertised as collecting television signals up to 150 miles away but in real tests that best range was 125 miles with the average 65. Your range will vary. The dipole inside does a very good job of picking up both VHF and UHF signals as well as FM signals.
4. Channel Master Omni+ 50 Omnidirectional TV Antenna- its range is limited to only 50 miles but it makes up for that shortfall by being supportive of ATSC 3.0, 4K, and HDR content.
The biggest drawback is that it does not come with a built-in amplifier. But it does have a low-profile making ideal for RVs or trailers. With the variety of mounting options, you should be able to find the right spot to place this antenna.
5. ANTOP 360° Omni-Directional HDTV Antenna- if you want to watch a lot of sports on TV then this omnidirectional antenna is for you. It facilitates TV watching time by capturing many HD signals including FOX, PBS, ABC, NBC, and CBS.
Also, it will pick up signals broadcast in the following formats: 720p, 1080i, 1080p, and even 4K display qualities. As the name says, it should pick up television signals from all directions. Just make sure the power inverter switch is always on when you use the antenna.
6. Vansky Outdoor 150-Mile Omnidirectional TV Antenna- When you install this antenna you can use two television sets without adding a splitter. It also does not take up a lot of room as it measures 10 by 6 by 1.6 inches in size.
The drawback to this unit is its coax cable connectors. They are not as solid or strong as they should be. Without any obstructions, the range is said to reach 150 miles on a good day. Just do not count on that range all the time.
7. Mohu Leaf Glide Omnidirectional TV Antenna- This is more of an indoor antenna as its very paper-thin design does not lend itself to withstanding different weather conditions.
Its drawback is that it will not pick up all the channels you want to watch. It is best with strong signals only. The antenna makes up for this shortfall by only needing a window or a wall to mount to. No need to lift it high off the ground to get reception.
8. Tree New Bee WA2608 Omnidirectional TV Antenna- The best features included in this antenna is its stated 150-mile range and that it picks up VHF, UHF, and FM signals very well.
Installation and assembly should not take too much more than 15 minutes to do so setup is easy. Unfortunately, it does come with a few drawbacks. It has a tendency to drop signals from time to time.
Plus, its construction is not the best in the world and when you use the remote, there may be some lag time between pressing the button and receiving the result. One other drawback is that it may not be weatherproofed.
9. Magnadyne RVTV-B2 Omni-Directional Amplified TV Antenna- When you buy this antenna you should see distribution plates, TV connection plate, the coax cables, and all mounting hardware inside the box. It does weigh 15 pounds so weight may be a factor after installation.
No power is needed to run this antenna as it hooks directly to your television set. In addition to that it should pick up the following frequencies- AM: 520-1710K, FM:5-108MHz, VHF: 47-230MHz, UHF: 470-862MHz, DAB: 174-230MHz.
Since it is designed for an RV it comes with an aerodynamic design and is ATSC compliant. It is also weatherproof and UV resistant. However, it only has a short range.
Winegard Roadstar Omnidirectional RV TV Antenna
This is one of the top 3 brands that dominate the RV antenna market. This company makes both directional and omnidirectional antennas that are supposed to be top-quality and a step above the competition.
This model is very affordable at just under $100 at one retail outlet. After installation, you will need DC 12-volt power supply but you get in return UHF, VHF, and FM signals transmitted to your TV set. A built-in amplifier helps pick up distant signals.
Its aerodynamic design is weatherproof, UV resistant, high impact as well as stylish. Your RV won’t look bad once you install this antenna. While all this sounds good, there are some drawbacks to this product.
The first is that it comes with a very limited range between 35 and 45 miles. Second, the power control wall plate is not included in your purchase and third, it is not available right now at Amazon and other outlets.
But Winegard makes quite a few alternative models that have made the top best lists on more than one occasion. They just might be a bit more costly.
Jensen Omnidirectional RV Marine TV Antenna Kit
Unfortunately, this product may no longer be available. We have checked Amazon, the Jensen store at Amazon, and the company’s website and there is no listing on any of the product pages for this item.
Amazon simply says it is currently unavailable. When we found a description for this antenna kit, the web page was dated to 2010. When available it was UV resistant, used a single coax cable for both radio and television, and came in a low profile, aerodynamic housing.
It also came with a wall plate with a 3-position switch, was ATSC compliant, and had a corrosion-resistant coating on its metal parts. The drawback to this antenna, when it was available, was that it dropped stations from time to time and picked up about 2 or 6 stations depending on location.
That may be the reason it is no longer available.
King Outdoor Omnidirectional RV TV Antenna
Like Winegard, King antennas do dominate this market. The company makes several omnidirectional antenna models and they seem, from the reviews we have seen, to be very good antennas.
Because it captures UHF and VHF signals, you will also receive HDTV signals. These antennas should also pick up FM signals and at least one model does do that. Its 13 by 13 by 9-inch size makes it always ready for travel.
Another good characteristic that makes at least one King omnidirectional antenna ideal for RVs is that it only weighs 2.3 pounds. One antenna works on both 120 AC volts and 12 DC volts and uses a power injector that is wall mounted.
Not only is it easy to install, it is easy to use and all of this and more can be yours for under $120. One review stated that it could reach up to 90 miles to pick up those TV signals.
Omnidirectional RV TV Antenna Reviews
One reviewer stated that the best omnidirectional antenna would be ones that had a range of 100+ miles. But the same reviewer qualified his individual reviews by stating that that range was under ideal conditions. The average was about 65 miles approx. Take that recommendation with a grain of salt.
Another reviewer likes the versatility of the omnidirectional antennas. He said they could be used at home, in your car, RV, boats, and even the big rigs like semi trucks. Versatility is a great quality to have.
Other reviewers mentioned that this type of antenna is not as powerful as the directional ones but they like the fact that you did not have to adjust or move the antenna at any time.
The lack of power means your reception will not be as good, at times, as a directional antenna. Another drawback a reviewer pointed out was that omnidirectional antennas do not resist frequency interference or noise as well as directional antennas can.
One of the things that we noticed was that the different top best reviewers did not always select a Winegard or a King omnidirectional antenna as the best one. Some did and others placed multiple Winegard and King antennas on their lists.
There are some good alternatives out there but the cost may convince you to go with those two top brands.
What is The Longest-Range Omnidirectional RV TV Antenna?
We will qualify the following information by saying that the advertised range is done under controlled circumstances and does not reflect the actual range you may get. There are too many factors that will cut down your actual range from the advertised limit.
With that said, the best distance we have seen so far is 150 miles. There are other omnidirectional antennas that will compete with that or equal that long distance. Other range amounts we have seen have been 130, 125, and 100 miles.
The average that we have seen for the actual range has been between 30 and 65 miles, including those long-range models. You really have to be careful where you park or camp if you want to watch television at night.
Obstructions include buildings, walls, trees, and more and they all cut down the range of your antenna. You may like the shade but those nice tall trees will interfere with your reception.
Just do not take the advertised range mileage as gospel truth or a guarantee you will have the same results. Count on 50 to 65 miles at best due to those other factors.
Some Additional Words
As you can see by the numerous listings above, there are a lot of good brands to look at before you decide which omnipresent is best for you. You can follow the crowd and go with a King or a Winegard antenna but check out the competition as well.
There are some good antennas that may work better for you than those two top brands. Make sure to check the price. The most expensive is not always the best option to go with. Make sure to read all the reviews to get the best information before buying.
