HooRay!! It works!!! TV again

Dave Siegel · January 22, 2010, 04:52:45 AM

Well it took a while, but I finally got the Winegard Sensar antenna hooked up on our bus and it works great. We live about 35 miles from the closest TV towers and I get great pictures including the HD offerings the local channels have. (I bought the HD option antenna for the Sensar)

I have still to hook up the signal strength amplifier that came with the antenna. What do you suppose that will do? Especially if I am getting a great picture now?

I would like to thank everyone that responded to my original post as to How To Do It. You advice was very helpful.

And thanks Jack for all those years of helping me hook up that satellite dish that always had me befuddled. Now I can pull in and raise my own antenna and enjoy TV without bothering anyone. Oh the simple joys of life.

Dave

JackConrad · January 22, 2010, 05:02:37 AM

Dave,
Glad to hear you now have TV. Keep that Sat antenna in your coach. I will alsways top glad to help you set it up. Jack

PS: I am sending you an email about a different subject.

bevans6 · January 22, 2010, 05:21:20 AM

The amplifier might not do anything, where you are right now, or it might get you a dozen more channels. With a standard antenna at my house, I got about four signals, only one of them watchable. When I upgraded to the add-on thingy on the antenna and the amplifier, i got close to 30 channels. Your results will vary...depending on where you are and what signals are available.

Brian

Dave Siegel · January 22, 2010, 05:59:50 AM

As I read more instructions, I can see a bold line that says " NOTE: THIS UNIT IS NOT AN AMPLIFIER. USE ONLY WITH A WINEGARD AMPLIFIED RV ANTENNA". This unit appears to be a 12 volt cigarette lighter plug and a plug in for an external tv like down in a bay.

The box states that this is an amplified antenna, so does that mean the amplifier is NON POWERED and in the antenna somewhere?

For where we are I am happy with the reception. (As a matter of fact the High Definition picture is better in the bus than it is in the house and the house has Direct TV with high def receiver.)

Confused again.

Dave

belfert · January 22, 2010, 06:05:57 AM

The best HDTV picture quality comes from an antenna because cable and satellite compress the HDTV signal to be able to transmit more channels.

Dave Siegel · January 22, 2010, 06:24:58 AM

Cool information. Thanks.

bevans6 · January 22, 2010, 06:33:03 AM

http://winegard.com/kbase/upload/2451808.pdf

It seems to me that there are two different antenna heads - amplified and non- amplified, and probably two different wall plates as well - the one that comes with the amplified head, and one that is a stand-alone amplifier. Since you (and I) have the amplified head, the wall plate is the power supply that sends 12v up to the "pre-amp" in the head, and maybe is an amplifier as well. I confess that I just hooked up all the stuff in the box, including the wall plate and power, and it worked perfectly first time, so I didn't actually read the instructions all that closely, till now...

Brian

Dave Siegel · January 22, 2010, 06:44:54 AM

That would make sense Brian, but there is only a antenna cable no other wire. Would they send that signal up the antenna cable?

Dave

Len Silva · January 22, 2010, 06:51:33 AM

Dave,

It appears that the box is the power supply for the antenna amplifier. Yes, it does provide power through the coax.

bevans6 · January 22, 2010, 07:02:07 AM

Very similar to how satellite systems need to provide power to the LNB. It's easy to put a DC power feed on to the coax and it doesn't interfere with the antenna RF signal. This is why they warn against putting splitters or switches in the line up to the antenna - they can sometimes interfere with the DC power feed.

Brian

Dave Siegel · January 22, 2010, 07:26:59 AM

Thanks guys. I'll hook up that wall plate per instructions. It looks like I can turn it on and off as needed.

Thanks again.

Dave

Dreamscape · January 22, 2010, 06:43:30 PM

We fulltime, so the switch stays on, that way I don't forget!

Best pictures I have ever seen, better than our sat dome!

Paul

JackConrad · January 23, 2010, 05:01:54 AM

Dave,
Our Winegard "batwing" was one of the first things we installed on the roof of our coach, approx 10 years ago. Since that time the amplifier has never been turned off. Disclaimer: our coach is always plugged in (including when stored in our shop) except when we are dry camping. YMMV Jack

white-eagle · January 23, 2010, 05:10:52 AM

just make sure it's on when you watch TV. We always leave ours plugged in becuase it uses such a small amount of power.

also, make absolutely sure you have a fullproof method of remembering to put it down! Hang a tag on the wheel, or a string of dollar bills on the handle. It does not work well after making contact with a tree, bridge, or garage. Trust me on this.