Wineguard Hide Away antenna

[JSK76]

So I was going to get a dish for the ice house this season but because work has been slow I'm starting to lean towards an antenna. My Ice Cabin has the factory round Wineguard antenna on it and it's worthless. I just bought the house this spring but camped on the shore of the lake I will be ice fishing and couldn't pick up a single channel. I was thinking about the pop up style umbrella type that a lot of ice house have but I've noticed almost none of the houses have been using them in the last few years. Not sure if that means they didn't work well or not. Right now I've got a RCA antenna on a 10' pole but finding a good way to mount it and then travel with it is the problem.

The price is good for the Wineguard, I have a good spot for it and the reviews on Amazon seem good and 2 of the reviews are from ice fishermen. Anyone that has one been able to get some clear channels on Red and LOW? I'm mostly looking at getting the Vikings game, well unless they play like last season.

[BigFish1]

I haven't been up to get any channels on red. Good luck!

[harvey lee]

I have the antenna pictured and could not be happier with it.

On my home area lakes, I get from 8-35 channels with a few cable channels. No ESPN or channels like that but a few movie channels.

Have not used it on Red or LOW yet, but with the booster I use and how well it works elsewhere, I have to believe it will work on Red, of course depending on how far away the broadcast towers are.

This winter it will get the Red lake test. At home in the drive way, I can get up to 39 channels with all coming in as well as my house except for maybe 3-5 channels that can be iffy at best.

What helped me to get the antenna in the exact position for the best reception is I purchased a $40 direction finder I hook up and then turn the antenna until it hits the best position for the most channels. Without a direction finder, you will have to tune or turn it until you find the sweet spot, I got sick of that as I fish alone a lot so I just went with the direction finder, now a few minute job and I pick up anything within range with the booster hooked up also.

Every lake is a bit different I guess depending on how far you are from the broadcast towers but this antenna has served me very well so far. Seems a bit underbuilt but I have had not one issue with it in rain freezing rain or heavy snow.

I had thoughts of going with a satellite dish but I have had good enough reception that I cannot see paying the monthly fee's for a few more channels. I can watch TV at home.

[Gus]

Does your antenna power up? I'm not sure how to tell for sure, but I know I have to turn on the power to mine to get any channels. I'm using the one that came on my ice cabin also. I get around 36-38 channels where there are that many available. Up north I get 1 to 3 depending on the area. I know that's all I'm going to get though. That's all the cabin gets as well.

[Hawg]

JSK-I have one of those sitting in a shed somewhere. It worked until most of the channels went digital(or whatever they did) and not many were available to us northerners. I had better luck with a cheap UHF unit, it would pick up the one or two available regulars and do better on a couple UHF. Most of the UHF's weren't anything you want to see though. If you get thru Brainerd or have a friend coming you're welcome to try it. I'll look for it if you want me to.

[JSK76]

Gus, yes my antenna does power up (greed LED when on) but I think I'm just to far out. The guy I bought it from said it worked on lake Bemidji, I read somewhere that there a 25 mile antenna and I'm under that as the crow flys by a few miles but still no channels.

I just found out the guy the bought my old fish house this spring mounted both the Hide-A-Way and a regular pole type, actually it looks more like a oven grate on a pole. He is only a few miles from the lake I fish with a couple mile field to the south of him. He said he gets 8 channels with the hide-a-way and 11 with the pole type. I'm guessing it has more to do with the height of the antenna because it's probably pushing 12 to 14 feet.

Hawg, that would be great, I'll have to get a hold of you next time I go down.

[harvey lee]

I would have to go to their HSOforum but I believe the range for the antenna in question is 50 or 60 miles. I think it has a built in booster but I added a better one.

I tried to find the listed range with zero luck so far.

I do know I pull off towers north of the Twin Cities metro and when I am fishing the lakes I normally do, the towers are to the NE approx. 80 miles or a tad more so I know in my home area, they do go that range. no matter what is listed. My house id 60 miles from those towers I believe in Shorewood, MN and at home 30-35 channels most all times in the driveway.

[elkoholic]

I have the hideaway on my older house, I put the sensar IV on my new house this year, night and day difference! No comparison the sensar is much better!! Best part is that u don't have to outside to adjust it, u just turn the crank while watchin the tv!

[harvey lee]

How many more channels do you pick up with the new one?

I do not mind going outside now with the direction finder as it is so much faster than doing it a turn at a time, that was a pain.

I am so happy with the picture I receive with my Hide away and the channels I receive, highly doubtful I will go to another brand. I am 100% sure I am receiving the best picture I possibly could with this antenna. I would say the pic is perfect.

[elkoholic]

Is tough to say, depends where u r, the beauty is that it's power so u can get channels from further away. I always hated once u got the house all set up and u wanted to watch TV, so u turn up the volume way up so u could hear the tv, go outside and spin the antenna!! Much better now!

[woodsmanmn]

elkoholic - I have the umbrella antenna and mostly, it works well for me. But some lakes, a booster would help. What kind of booster do you have? I love being able to watch the NFL playoffs with lines in the water.

[harvey lee]

Is tough to say, depends where u r, the beauty is that it's power so u can get channels from further away. I always hated once u got the house all set up and u wanted to watch TV, so u turn up the volume way up so u could hear the tv, go outside and spin the antenna!! Much better now!

Exactly why I went with the direction finder, cured those issues.

[FHFO]

Where do you fish mostly? I'm trying to figure how to watch from like LOW

[harvey lee]

If you were asking me FHFO, the majority of my fishing is in SC, MN. I will be up on Upper red as soon as the ice is good for the wheelhouse so I will know much more about the middle of Dec hopefully, least before Christmas.

Not sure what others use for a booster if any, but that did help me even at home when I added it.

With that said, I do not know how far away the towers are for the TV stations up there as that would be the issue if there was one. Over a hundred miles would start to be an issue for me.

[FHFO]

Thanks Harvey lee. What kind of booster ? I'm thinking of trying Red too for 1st time this winter.

[llcooljc]

I have one on mine and it gets anywhere from 1-13 stations depending on the lake I am on. It probably has something to do with viking games. ha

[eagle_3464]

Harv, is the antenna you have the Winegard HA-0130? I know you fish in the Alex area occasionally so wondering how many channels you get here and the quality of reception? Thanks.