EasyTune TV Antenna

Criteria for an effective and practical antenna for caravaners

It should be compact and easily transported

When 'on the road' we like to have as easy a life as possible and getting set up to watch TV is no exception. The Aussievan EasyTune is designed to be easy and quick to erect and stow, and comes in its own robust storage box (660mm x 370mm x 130mm) that holds all components and protects them whilst travelling. It comes complete with mounting clips for the side of the van which allow simple attachment and removal of the antenna mast.

It should be directional

The antenna should be directional and multi-element so as to maximise the signal capture from the direction of the source (TV transmitter) and reject signals from other sources that can cause interference. The Aussievan EasyTune uses a sophisticated Yagi antenna and dual dipoles antennas and is designed to be pointed at the transmitter for best reception, hence the ability to remotely rotate the antenna.

Simple dipole only antennas (such as the poly-pipe rabbit ear antennas) are directional to some degree, although the length of the antenna arms determines their suitability for receiving a particular frequency. An antenna such as this would need to be adjustable from approximately 200mm to over 3m tip to tip to cover channel 0 to 69, so in no way has the broad frequency and strong signal gathering abilities of the EasyTune.

Correctly designed multi-element Yagi antennas such as the Aussievan EasyTune offer much higher gain, and when used with a low noise masthead amplifier, offer far better performance than omnidirectional or dipole antennas on their own. Its like having two antennas in one!  Turning the EasyTune towards the source to obtain the best reception is easily done via remote control whilst watching the TV inside the van.

It should operate over the required frequency range

The antenna must receive a signal over the entire spectrum you wish to receive. In Australia TV is transmitted over the frequency range 45-820 MHz and is divided into 5 bands as per the table below. The Channel designation is that which has been commonly adopted by the commericial TV stations eg. 9 is Channel 9 in capital cities. Analogue and Digital broadcast channels are distributed throughout both the VHF III and UHF bands.

All antennas that are in use in our caravans are a compromise between size and portability verses signal gathering ability. The combination of the highly directional Yagi antenna and the dual adjustable length dipoles of the Aussievan Easytune provides optimum reception characteristics across all channels in the table above for an antenna that is portable enough to erect and stow easily.    

It should use a masthead amplifier and shielded coaxial cable

Antennas for use by Caravanners need to be of a manageable size and they are often used in poorly serviced areas, making a masthead amplifier essential. It is often said masthead amplifiers are only there to compensate for the signal loss caused by the coax cable to the receiver and because caravanners are dealing with short cable lengths, are not needed. However, a good masthead amplifier such as the one inside the Aussievan EasyTune, will increase the gain of weak signals in remote areas, and compensate for the compact dimensions of a portable antenna, without adding noise to the signal.

Amplifiers placed within the caravan itself, a long way from the antenna, amplify the noise generated through the cable run. So whilst the signal is amplified, the noise that affects the quality of the picture is too and they are not recommended. To keep noise to a minimum, it is also important to use high quality shielded coaxial cable from the antenna to the caravan. The EasyTune uses only high quality coaxial cable from the antenna to the base station and for the two cables that connect the TV to the base station.

It should be able to receive Horizontal and Vertical Polarised Signals

TV signals are transmitted in two planes relative to the ground. One is deemed horizontal polarisation, where the energy waves are transmitted horizontally, and the other vertical polarisation when they are transmitted vertically. To receive the signals correctly, the antenna must be oriented either horizontally (ie parallel to the ground) for horizontal polarised transmissions or vertically for vertical polarised transmissions.

The reason signals are transmitted in either plane is to limit interference from neighbouring broadcast stations. In Australia, the majority of TV signals are transmitted with horizontal polarisation, although there are some vertical transmissions. The easiest way to determine which is in use in a given area is to look at how the local townsfolk have set up their home antennas and copy the orientation when erecting your Easytune antenna, or refer to the Australian Broadcasting Directories publication which lists all stations. 

Most of the time you will use your Aussievan Easytune in the horizontal position (standard) which will allow you to rotate the antenna remotely. For those few areas that have vertical polarised transmissions, we include a special moulded bracket that allows you to mount the Easytune on its side quickly and easily.

It should provide for more than one TV connection.

Often some customers want to run more than one TV in their van, eg. one in the living area and one in the bedroom and to do this the antenna needs to be able to be connected to them both. Conventional antennas would use a 1 into 2 splitter, but these introduce signal loss and can severely affect the quality of the picture. The best way is to provide two amplified outlets from the antenna directly, as we do with the Aussievan EasyTune via the base station.

Special models of EasyTune Antenna 

We also have available the BD-11m model that runs exclusively off 12v DC power. Generally this is only bought by customers with a special requirement eg. those whom rarely anticipate using 240 volt power in their vans at parks, or those that don't have access to a power inverter to use 240v to power the antenna transformer from 12v caravan battery power.

The BD-11m comes with a cigarette lighter connector, and also a 240v AC to 12v DC transformer. The power is transmitted to the antenna in a separate cable to the coaxial cable, unlike the BD-11a which transmits the power to the antenna on the one coaxial cable. This means you must lead this cable through a Window directly to the antenna, it can't be used with the through the wall antenna connections found in some vans like the standard model BD-11a.

The BD-11m model also has some additional electronics on the base station which allows you to pre-set the antenna to remember certain positions. These can be a little tricky to operate unless you are used to using electronic gadgets, and so many people prefer the BD-11a for its simplicity.

We find that most people that want to run off 12v DC power when away from Caravan parks still buy our BD-11a antenna and use the 240v power pack it ships with, with a 12v to 240v inverter. The benefit is that the inverter can also be used to charge mobile phones, computers etc as well. The small Waeco can sized inverters work very well in this application.

Please bear in mind also that our standard BD-11a antenna can be used with a 12v DC cigarette lighter plug, but because the rotating motor is a 12 v AC motor, you will lose the rotating ability. The booster will still be powered however, it just means the antenna has to be rotated manually.

The BD-11m is more expensive to produce (because of the DC motor used, and extra cabling) and therefore sells at a price premium over the standard model. The performance of the two products is exactly the same in terms of signal received. Please see the Orders page for pricing.