Kingham TV Status aerial

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I'm  sure this topic will have been covered elsewhere but I've only found it concerning other motorhomes. Our Kingham is just over a year old so I'd have thought the aerial up on the roof, fitted as standard, would be ace. 
What a load of Scheissenhauser it is. Every flipping time I come to use it ( about six times now) it finds maybe 9 stations max and often zilch. I know the Avtex TV needs its aerial power voltage setting to 'off' as the little box in the wardrobe is already powering it. I know the box needs turning on so the red lamp glows. There's a dial that I have no idea what to do with. I'm using a standard co ax cable fromrhe socket on the bed side of the wardrobe. 
The puzzle is this: every time I've got rubbish results from the Status fitted aerial, I've then tried using the  Avtex powered portable aerial and have been getting brilliant reception. Sometimes over a hundred stations. 
Just tried now and got nothing on Kingham's own aerial but got loads with the little Avtex portable. 
Am I missing something here ?

Yes - dare I say "the obvious"! 

If the little Avtex aerial works so well, stick with it. 

Unfortunately A/S seem to be notorious for lack of care and attention when connecting the co-ax cabling. Many members have reported problems, but in your position I wouldn't bother as you already have a very good solution.

Not quite as convenient I'll grant you, but still not much trouble.

I probably have the same set up as yourselves J&I, with a 21" Avtex, but it's not very often I have zero reception from the van aerial. Depending on my location, I can have from a handful of channels, to well over a hundred and I've never needed an extra aerial.

Where reception is weaker, I nearly always lose the BBC signal first and when I'm on the a Crystal Palace site, which sits under a BBC transmission tower, I can get most stations, but nothing from the BBC.

Hi Julesandian, if you know how to use a basic multimeter check for continuity between the inner pin and outer screen of the aerial plugs after unplugging them from all sockets. Our van had been wired by the factory  by someone who had not the slightest clue as to how to make off the plugs and all cables were shorted out between centre core and screen of cable . 
    Once I had remade all the connections and sorted the cross in wiring , picture is perfect an almost all sites we have stayed at . When I complained to the factory they said it was not  unknown to leave the factory in that state! Unbelievable response!!

Thanks ever for your comments. I feel a bit better now ! 

Dave - you're right , I've got the solution already with the portable aerial. 
Kingham - we might see you up at the Bowness site again and we'll have a competition to see who gets the most TV channels lol. We remember you cos we lent you an iPhone charger, did you ever return it ?! (Just joking)
Kaspian - we'll have a go with the tester when we get back home, thanks for the tip. 

Ps. I still don't know what to do with the dial that's on the little box in the wardrobe ? Does it do anything significant?!

I've noticed that the little dial on my amplifier sometimes moves off the maximum setting, this has a major effect on the signal. It took me a while to realise this was happening, I guess it's vibration. Otherwise I'm happy with the signal. The van is a 2017 Warwick XL.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]OMG. You’ve saved my marriage!!! It’s worked. Like you said, just turning the dial up has brought in a 126 programmes. That’s 40 more than messing around with the portable aerial. Whoo Hoo. I’ll buy you a beer. Two if you like. Cheers.

Julesanian wrote:
Kingham - we might see you up at the Bowness site again and we'll have a competition to see who gets the most TV channels lol.

At the Bowness site you are about half a mile from the transmitter across the lake but it has a vertically polarised aerial and the omnidirectional aerial currently used by AS has no vertical element. If you connect about 9" of wire to the aerial socket on the TV and let it drop vertically you should get a full set of stations.

On the Keswick C&CC site you are again close to a repeater with a vertically polarised aerial. With my directional status aerial in its vertical orientation I have to turn the amplifier off to get a BBC signal as otherwise it's too strong.

Having criticised A/S earlier, I'm not about to retract as they are often careless about co-ax connections, BUT to be absolutely fair . . . .

On one occasion when I was struggling to get a picture an ex Telecom engineer came to see if he could help.

His explanation was very interesting, although I didn't understand most of it. The gist of it was that what appears to be a simple job is far more complicated than it sounds when wiring up a motorhome or caravan.

He talked about loops and junctions, and rooftop aerials that are sometimes no more effective than a short length of wet string (his words) and suggested that in most situations there would either be a decent signal, or there wouldn't!

He finally said there's no point in messing about for ages - if there isn't a signal after a couple of minutes trying to find it, give up and read a book.

I am notoriously thick when it comes to electronics, so I can't shed more light, but his final comment seemed to fit in well with my experience.

Peter Brown wrote:

Julesanian wrote:
Kingham - we might see you up at the Bowness site again and we'll have a competition to see who gets the most TV channels lol.

At the Bowness site you are about half a mile from the transmitter across the lake but it has a vertically polarised aerial and the omnidirectional aerial currently used by AS has no vertical element.  If you connect about 9" of wire to the aerial socket on the TV and let it drop vertically you should get a full set of stations.

On the Keswick C&CC site you are again close to a repeater with a vertically polarised aerial. With my directional status aerial in its vertical orientation I have to turn the amplifier off to get a BBC signal as otherwise it's too strong.

  Thanks Peter, that will come in useful the next time we're up there ..
Erm ... How do you know about these transmitters that have vertically polarised transmission? Is there an app or website that you us ?
Thanks. Ian.

Julesanian wrote:

Peter Brown wrote:

Julesanian wrote:
Kingham - we might see you up at the Bowness site again and we'll have a competition to see who gets the most TV channels lol.

At the Bowness site you are about half a mile from the transmitter across the lake but it has a vertically polarised aerial and the omnidirectional aerial currently used by AS has no vertical element.  If you connect about 9" of wire to the aerial socket on the TV and let it drop vertically you should get a full set of stations.

On the Keswick C&CC site you are again close to a repeater with a vertically polarised aerial. With my directional status aerial in its vertical orientation I have to turn the amplifier off to get a BBC signal as otherwise it's too strong.

  Thanks Peter, that will come in useful the next time we're up there ..
Erm ... How do you know about these transmitters that have vertically polarised transmission? Is there an app or website that you us ?
Thanks. Ian.

I know from training and experience but there is (at least) one good app: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I'm sure there will be an apple equivalent.

Julesanian wrote:
Erm ... How do you know about these transmitters that have vertically polarised transmission?

I have long had the belief that in general, main transmitters are horizontal and the smaller relays are vertical.
Not sure if it is true for every transmitter though.

Also there is this from the C&CC [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

We had a problem with our aerial on our 2017 Kingham. There was no signal feed to the front tv socket at all and very poor reception to the rear socket, while at AS they replaced booster unit. Find the performance now far better than directional aerial fitted to previous Autocruise. So much easier to set up on site, no more getting alignment right, lifting and tilting etc. just turn on booster and adjust booster gain and hey presto loads of channels!

J&I, I’m pleased you’re sorted with the aerial and tbh, I didn’t realise there was a dial on that ‘thing’ in the wardrobe. It’s never been touched since I got the van !
I’ll be back at Bowness for winter kayaking no doubt, as the North Sea tends to get a bit wild. I’m actually spending Christmas there again, so there’s always a chance of being on site at the same time again.

Ive never rated the Status  frisby and it’s not much good  as a frisby either. Like all multi directional aerials. I saw a comparison test on motorhome aerials in MMM a good few years ago and the Teleco Teleplus X2 came out on top and I would say they were probably right. I’ve had three on three different vans and can pull in a signal in most places even French and Spainish TV.