[medicineman4040]

The antenna is now black to match the WeBoost and air conditioner.
The ball-latch is installed on the sliding cabinet doors=works a charm.
Small door by microwave installed for hiding paper towels. I hate seeing
paper towel rolls, strange I know

 

[Roblee]

I'd like to more about the TV antenna. How does it perform? How do you stow it while driving? Thanks.

 

[medicineman4040]

Rob, we get 13 channels OTA sitting at home in the driveway and our house/neighborhood is way down a big hole.....13 channels after Poof spray painted the antenna black AND didn't cover the coaxial port! So paint evidently didn't go down the little hole far

We don't stow it. It is there until something clobbers it. The WeBoost antenna on the other side is taller still, but it is on a giant spring and can probably take a hit better than the 1byone TV antenna.

 

[Winston]

Even the Big Boys Retract Their Antennas

We don't stow it. It is there until something clobbers it. The WeBoost antenna on the other side is taller still, but it is on a giant spring and can probably take a hit better than the 1byone TV antenna.

MM,

It takes our breath away thinking of all that protruding hardware in the face of 100+ mph winds (the sum of forward velocity and our recently experienced Oklahoma/Texas-sized headwinds). All that wind resistance, wind noise . . . oh, and the occasional bird strike . . .

We'll be monitoring your experiences . . . but won't be too surprised if you ultimately opt for a less exposed wind profile.

Winston

 

[medicineman4040]

Hmmm.
OK frontal assault of wind.
Looking at surface area of the PM itself
what percent of the total wind face do you think the 1byone antenna and the WeBoost antenna present?
Throw in the VanTech mounts too and the air conditioner.
Maybe Gary (he's so good with number crunching) can give us an impartial estimate.
In a straight on head-wind my humble guess is that both antennas at most 2 percent of the whole face presented.
The air-con (and solar panel) maybe 3-5 percent more.
The face of the PM is a lot of area compared to the faces of either of these wind offending components.
I say it is clinically insignificant plus they are all round---that's got to help some.

Now striking an overhead object! That is a whole 'nuther issue. When we opt for the lessened wind profile it will most
likely be after some low hanging fruit has stripped our high hanging fruit from their mounts.

Now attitude. I consider the 1byone sacrificial. Sacrificial in that it's plastic body will give up long before the VanTech mount will....and
that's a good thing.

If we do lower it....and that would be a simple project I'd still want to be just above the aircon to get as much signal as I can.

Speaking of faces presented to the wind.
I've driven a big rig across North and South Dakota and had to grip with wheel with white knuckles for hours...it reminded me of ferrying
across a big current in a river=wheele turned 30 degrees just to keep straight!
But again when I look at the wind profile of a PM from the side my little antennas are just drops in the turbulence bucket.

Well that's my 0.02 contribution

 

[GaryBIS]

Hmmm.
OK frontal assault of wind.
Looking at surface area of the PM itself
what percent of the total wind face do you think the 1byone antenna and the WeBoost antenna present?
Throw in the VanTech mounts too and the air conditioner.
Maybe Gary (he's so good with number crunching) can give us an impartial estimate.
In a straight on head-wind my humble guess is that both antennas at most 2 percent of the whole face presented.
The air-con (and solar panel) maybe 3-5 percent more.
The face of the PM is a lot of area compared to the faces of either of these wind offending components.
I say it is clinically insignificant plus they are all round---that's got to help some.

Now striking an overhead object! That is a whole 'nuther issue. When we opt for the lessened wind profile it will most
likely be after some low hanging fruit has stripped our high hanging fruit from their mounts.

Now attitude. I consider the 1byone sacrificial. Sacrificial in that it's plastic body will give up long before the VanTech mount will....and
that's a good thing.

If we do lower it....and that would be a simple project I'd still want to be just above the aircon to get as much signal as I can.

Speaking of faces presented to the wind.
I've driven a big rig across North and South Dakota and had to grip with wheel with white knuckles for hours...it reminded me of ferrying
across a big current in a river=wheele turned 30 degrees just to keep straight!
But again when I look at the wind profile of a PM from the side my little antennas are just drops in the turbulence bucket.

Well that's my 0.02 contribution

Hi MM,
Frontal area of the PM is about (8 ft) (7 ft) = 56 sf. The 1 by one antenna about (12 in)(4in)/(144) = 0.33 sf.
So, 0.33/56 = about +0.6% increase in frontal area. But, aero drag may increase by less as the antenna probably has a lower drag coefficient than the van -- I've see Cd of 0.34 quoted for the van, and I'd guess the antenna shape (which is good) is 0.2 or less. There would be some interference drag between van and antenna and the base of antenna is pretty dirty, but seems like net effect on drag would be fairly small.
And, a 0.6% increase in drag won't cost you a 0.6% decrease in mpg as rolling resistance is significant and won't change with the antenna.

Surprisingly aero force on antenna at 100 mph is pretty low.
Dynamic pressure at 100 mph is 29 lb/sf, so (0.2 Cd)(0.33 sf) (29 lb/sf) = 1.9 lbs.

Agree that solar panels are a lot dirtier and bigger and would likely have larger effect.

But, have to agree with Winston that it really looks big.

I've been looking for a TV antenna for both the van and my house, and when I read your earlier description of the 1 by one I decided to try one. Put it up on the house roof and it does well (17 channels) -- about the same as a set of rabbit ears in the same position. But, decided it was a bit to large for me to leave on the van roof -- more of a "that thing looks to big" decision than that it would cause a problem.
Looking for a solution that I can easily slap on the van roof when stopped and take down for traveling -- has anyone seen anything?

Gary

 

[medicineman4040]

Somewhere in a campground I saw the 1byone set up on a tripod on the ground-dish about 4-5 feet off the ground with the coax leading to a coax port on the side of an RV. Owner said it was working fine but I didn't ask how many channels.

Thanks for the detail analysis!! That is awesome.

Now about that solar panel. Do you know the fairings made by Thule? Think one would help? I can't see how it would hurt.

 

[proeddie]

Just mount whatever antenna to a magnetic mount for a CB radio...

I actually use a ham radio antenna as delivered from the factory. I bent it 90 degrees so it is parallel to the roof... TV signals are horizontally polarized - that's why the dish of the one by one is parallel to the roof. The antenna is a 144/440mhz FM antenna.... I get about 27 channels here in CT... about 14 in PA.

2 or 3 in NH!

I stick it up there when needed.... in my recent window trim post, you may see the same antenna mounted by the side window inside the van, behind the kitchen cabinet... I use it that way when around home.

 

[medicineman4040]

Granted the TV is intermittent in use and a magnet mount would certainly do for it, just my laziness in climbing up each time.
The WeBoost however is always on when we're motoring and it sticks up a foot higher than the flying saucer
Like Winston said, time will tell.

Now I'd like to hear/see some hard statistical prognostications on how many bird strikes my antennae will suffer. Bet it's way less
than one of the giant windmills I saw on a mountain in California!

We've got a long long drive coming up later this week but I'll be sure to look for bird feathers/remains when we get into Ontario.

 

[ShaunB]

......

Now about that solar panel. Do you know the fairings made by Thule? Think one would help? I can't see how it would hurt.

I purchased a fairing specifically made for solar panels. I need two given the frontal width of my panel is 39". I simply cut an equal piece off of each side (in the centre). Mine is wedged between the panel and roof, and secured with Sikaflex 221, no screws. I can't compare to without the fairing but I hear absolutely no sound from my panel, nor the Maxxair mounted aft of it.

https://www.instapark.com/solar-pow...versal-solar-panel-glue-on-spoiler-mount.html

Shaun

 

[ShaunB]

Hi MM4040,
I'm considering using sliding doors to cover some of my cabinets. Where did you source the tracks? Any special hardware used to help the doors slide? Do they rattle when in motion? It appears that you used the ball/socket thingy to secure the doors, how is this working in practice.

Thanks
Shaun

 

[medicineman4040]

Shaun.
The tracks are available at 80/20.net
You cut to size the length matching the channel length then rubber mallet them
in=easy peasy.
The tracks come in bottom and top, the bottom has a rounded surface for them to
slide on.
No big trip with them yet, soon, Thursday a 10-11 hour drive (I'm hunting an owl),
will know by then on rattling.
The ball-latch is sweet, adjustable to 3/8 inch but we still shim it out a little bit.
I miss ordered the number of panels but had the piece of black plastic peg-board
and looks fine to us matching the overall scheme.

 

[ShaunB]

Thanks MM! I wonder if there are other non 80/20 options. I will search for it and report back.

 

[medicineman4040]

Shaun there are other options even at 80/20.
We used the 15 series t-shot on the cabinet, 10 series t-slot for out bed frame
but look at their quick connect series. I think in hindsight it would have been strong enough
for our cabinet, that or the 10 series (and much lighter). For the bed frame I think 10 series
was minimal but I used 6 of them bridging across the van.