Aero Cruiser Club's Exterior Tips - JACK Digital Antenna

Aero Cruiser Club's Exterior Tips

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Replacing the Boomerang Antenna
with a
JACK^® Digital Over-the-Air HDTV Antenna
by
Frank DeRemer

I finally found a good replacement for the old Boomerang antenna. It is a little bigger, amplifies, swivels around a full 360 degrees, and has a digital signal meter to make it easy to find stations. This is a good solution if you have replaced your old CRT TV with a flat panel TV that can be swung away from the opening where the old TV was mounted. This is required if you want to mount the new antenna where the old boomerang antenna was mounted; because, the knob that rotates the

antenna is located directly below the antenna and would be inaccessible. Therefore, if you keep your old TV you must find a different location to mount the antenna. (See the note below.)

Camping World now sells it, but I got mine at adventurerv.net/. King Controls

makes the antenna. You can get more information and see the installation manual at kingcontrols.com/jack/.

Here’s what the hole looks like below the Boomerang. I first filled the slot with epoxy putty, then drilled a 2" hole a little farther back, about ¼ inch in front of the metal support beam to which the TV enclosure is attached. I also made a block of wood just thicker than that beam to attach to the ceiling.

This shows the part that goes on the ceiling inside. It is lying on the top just above where it will go and in the same position. You can see the outline of the base of the antenna drawn in pencil.

Next is the antenna laid back with coiled coax running through the roof and sealed with silicone, ready to apply sealant to the base, set upright, and screw in place. Below the antenna is pointed at the stations in my area.

I mounted the control behind the TV, which swings out on an articulated arm.

A panel with the ON-OFF switch is mounted to the right of the TV, and the coax is shown taking the signal to the TV.

Editorial Note: I like the look of this antenna. It looks like a little Space-Ship to me. If I ever break my Boomerang, I think I will get this one, mount it about a foot or so back from the old one and patch the hole or put a white GPS "Shark Fin Antenna" in place of it to cover the hole for $6.99! To power the system, I would use the "Big Red Switch" that powered the Boomerang antenna's TV amp. Hmm, do you think the Shark-fin will help with stability on the road?
Keep on Cruisin', Tom Heald

Update: I like your note, Tom. I think the epoxy putty was also about $6.99, and you could hardly tell it wasn't back to the way it started, even without paint. Still, I have also wondered if one of those modern, shark fin, "whip-type" radio antennas might be a better antenna than the old one. (ahh yes, my grandson and I call those puppy dog tails. Good Idea. One that supports GPS, Satellite Radio and standard Radio signals in a single package would be good. Somebody must make one. Tom)

Another note on mounting it back farther: the antenna has an exit at the base for the coax to come out. I filled that with sealant because I drilled the hole under the base for the coax to go in. If you mount it farther back, you might want to use their exit hole and run the coax along the top and enter through the old hole, under your shark fin.
Frank DeRemer
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