Our crank-up antennas.

[Ozz]

I was wondering about the old RV’s some of us have (mine is an 07') and whether the original equipment crank-up antennas worked well with the new HD signal.
According to Winegard, there is no benefit to upgrading to the newer heads for the antenna, if you are getting signals. Their brand name for the Batwing is Sensar.
How do you tell which model you have?
Old Winegard Sensar antenna units have 4 feet:
the II: (around 2007)
The next unit: (III), has 3 feet and a teardrop shape, then the newest: IV, has a built in amplifier, looks just like the III model.
The ‘Wingman’ accessory they sell improves UHF signal, where 75% of the HD comes in to the antenna. They say the option can give 100% better reception. (Edit correction; the amps are in the antenna)
It looks like the ‘Wingman’ accessory just fits on your old antenna and 4 push-bolts hold it in place on the center section. Easy-peasy..
The outer wings of the antenna serves as the VHF signal collector, the bulky center section is the UHF-HD antenna component.
On my 2007 unit, the amplifier is in the closet for the system, (Edit correction: this is the power supply to the amp, which is in the antenna) push the little button for over-the-air antenna use, this amplifies the system, sending 12 or 13 volts (whatever your batteries are putting out) to the antenna amp. This is a check if you are receiving poor reception: on the roof, disconnect the coax at the batwing and check to see there is 12-13 volts from the center pin to the outer screw-in-connector. If you don’t have voltage there with the button pushed in and a Red light showing, you have a problem downstream of the antenna. If no Red light, check the fuses in the trailer’s fuse block
If connected to cable at the RV park, don’t push the button in, that button is just for the Batwing.
The connectors on the back of the amplifier you have are as follows: The front where the 12 volt power access is has a cable connection for one TV: the bedroom, there are 3 cable connectors on the back. The left connection is the antenna input, the center is for Cable: Park input, the right cable is for TV2.
The power connection is the outside male spade, ground under the cables.
I hope this clears up confusion and adds knowledge to your understanding of the ’Batwing’, and my mistakes are few, in this little treatise.

[lfw]

I added the Wingman a couple of years ago.. It seems to help..I find the direction of the station I want to watch and then point the Wingman that direction.. Seems to help sometime.. The station came in good for about 2 months.. now we do not get a signal from that station at all..I did not change the antenna during this time...I just love Digital ....What is going on with the signal???
lfw

[Ozz]

I would check to see that 12-13 volts is getting up to the antenna. Is the red light on when you are having trouble?

[lfw]

Will check that this a.m. The red light is on..It happens to a couple of the stations.. not all of them.. I also have added a couple of amplifiers to the system.. They seem to help..
lfw

[Ozz]

I stand, or rather sit corrected.

[mhs4771]

Ozz, one note: The amplifier is in the antenna head on all the Sensor antennas. What you have in the closet is the power source and signal splitter. Now the newer models use digital splitter tech vs the old balum method, might have a little less loss, I've been into both old and new. The biggest problem and this might be model dependent, is the additional signal splitters Keystone installs. On my unit there is the splitter in the control box (where the on/off switch is), a second one to split off to the basement outlet, and a third splitting the signal between the LR TV and Stereo. Each splitter cuts the signal in half. I've added a small in-line amp from Radio Shack to help overcome some of the splitter loss. The Wingman works, not sure if it lives up to all it's claims. Had it on my previous TT and moved it over to the Montana and it did help, but when I had the 2nd AC installed I had to take it off as it hit the AC and wouldn't let the antenna come all the way down. May have to see if I can rotate the whole antenna assy so it clear the AC.

Looks like several of us were posting at the same time, See what you started Ozz

[Ozz]

Thanks Michelle, it seems they try to improve and cause other other problems, good call on the addition of the amp.
I knew that the amp was on the roof, and the box was just the power supply, just put it down wrong when I was compiling the info.
Just trying to help the Peeps here on the Forum with a little info on the antenna, but got's to get all the fax right, appreciate the corrections.

[Captain Joe]

With an analog system, each splitter will cause signal loss. I was informed that in a digital system, splitters do NOT cause signal loss. Is this correct?

[Ozz]

Joe, I don't know, I bet one of our learned members can shed light on that. Good question.

[01RAMer]

I had teh batwing with the Wingman accessory and I did get some channels but not as many as I thought I should. Upgraded to the "JACK" head. You just pull the two mounting pins and install the new head. Very easy. At the shore where I only got one, and if lucky two, channels that broke up a lot, with the Jack, I get 9 channels clear. I'm sold on the Jack.

[mhs4771]

Doesn't matter, analog or digital, both are transmitted via an RF signal, either VHF (channels 7-13) or UHF (14-69). Any time you split an RF signal you will insert loss. A typical 2-way splitted is approx 3dBm loss, a 4-way splitter is approx 6 dBm. So if you have two 2-way splitter in the line (as was originally in my Montana) you have 6dBm loss in splitters. Each 3dBm of loss cuts the signal in half, thus the reason if you have too many splitters in the line the last TV gets no or very low signal.
Just for ref: I worked for a TV Cable Company for a while, and then worked for a large Military Radio mfr so I've was in that line of work for 40+ years.

[Ozz]

Here is some info on the Jack

http://www.jacktv4free.com/products_rv.html
http://www.rvnetwork.com/index.php?showtopic=84174