Looks Like The Mini Replaced by Sportdeck

[marshel308]

http://www.trailmanor.com/WebDocs/sp...tdeckhome.html

It looks like the Trailmini model is being replaced by 2 new models called Sportdeck 19RD and 16RD. The 16 losess the bathroom and is listed at 16'(including deck) and has a dry base weight of 1720 lbs. The 19RD is listed at 19' and being built off a 2619 frame and has a base dry weight of 2140 lbs. The respective MSRPs are $16,797 for the 16RD and $22,397 for the 19RD, that's a significant drop from the Mini. It looks like they're only offering dinette versions, they aren't showing any sofa (Lounge) versions

TM has also beefed up the deck itself over the mini model. At least that is what they told me at the factory...

[countrygirl]

I am interested in this new to me style television jack...the jack antenna. I have been doing a little bit of research on the product and I am like what I am hearning.

This antenna is displayed on the new TM Sportdeck.

[Bill]

The Sportdecks look great! I think TM has a couple winners here.

I am interested in this new to me style television jack antenna

I'd like to know more about that antenna as well - make and model. Color me skeptical on several counts.

I might be wrong, but I don't see any indication that it folds down like the Winegard batwing. It is taller than the air conditioner, so if it doesn't fold, the trailer's height might be an issue.

As for "more stations"? I'm dubious. The simple fact is that the physical size of an antenna is what determines its sensitivity - a bigger antenna can capture more signal out of the air, is more sensitive. (A good analogy is a fishnet that is 5 feet in diameter vs one that is 10 feet in diameter. Which will capture more fish?) And this one doesn't look as big as the batwing.

As for HD? Pure hogwash. From an antenna's point of view, a signal is a signal, and whether the signal carries analog TV or digital TV or HD TV is irrelevant.

I may have to eat these words, but I'd like to be able to look up the antenna's specs. My guess is that this antenna is cheaper, simpler to install - and less trouble-prone - than the Winegard batwing.

[EDIT] A little Googling suggests that the antenna is made by King Controls under the Jack name.
http://www.kingcontrols.com/jack/dig...nal_finder.asp
Jack makes two antennas that look like this one. The model OA-8200 stands 12 inches high, and rotates but does not fold down. This antenna has a lot of hype on the Jack site, and appears to be the antenna in the TM pictures. The model OA-8000 is simply a replacement for the Winegard head, and uses the existing Winegard base, legs, and crank mechanism. It has much less hype. No specs are available for either one, of course.[/EDIT]

Bill

There is little real performance data on the new antenna. Depending on what the manufacturer did it probably benefits from lower noise components than the original batwing has.

Bigger is generally better since an amplifier's performance is only enhanced by having more signal. More signal means less noise to amplify. I am guessing that the antenna also has some marginal improvements since it can be optimized for digital signal processing.

It is true that there really aren't digitial signals, the way digital broadcasts are constructed are different from the old analog TV (analog TV had video in one part of the spectrum with its audio in another.

I wouldn't beat feet to the new technology until I read a lot more independent data on the antenna's performance. Sometimes the low noise devices can be either or both sensitive to temperature or lightning. I would hate to lose jack when my Jack packs it in during the first thunderstorm...