Power awning self retracts - why?
While camping, my Dometic Weather Pro power awning retracted itself three nights in a row (in the middle of the night). Really surprised me the first time it happened, makes quite a racket when you're...
Forum Discussion
First. the Dometic awnings (Carefree as well) have a wind sensor, I do not know what Carefree is using today but when my rig was new they used a 3-cup anemometer (Thing that spins in the wind) far as I know it worked well.
At that time Dometic used a "Lighthouse" sensor, this is a little "Chimney" that sticks up on the roof. More on that in a bit.
I know dometic (And I think Carefree did this too) Switched to a motion sensor in the awning arm.. or so I'm told.. Supposedly this works much better.. But since I don't have it, i can not be sure.
now the lighthouse.. Piece of ... {Deleted by poster} never worked right, never will far as I can tell, bad design. And you have described the symptoms.
Rolls her up on a very calm (Dead air) day.
How it works
Two theories. one is the sound of wind through the lighthouse the other is two PTC resistors one burried deep in the plastic one near the surface.
You hit 'em with a regulated CURRENT and measure voltage, or a regulated voltage and messure current, and the one near the surface is cooled by the passing breeze and thus passes more current (or same current at lower voltage) and when the difference is great enough roll'em up.
Of course. sunlight shining on the top affectrs it,, So do other things. and it fails if it freezes. Vewry bad design in my opinion.
At that time Dometic used a "Lighthouse" sensor, this is a little "Chimney" that sticks up on the roof. More on that in a bit.
I know dometic (And I think Carefree did this too) Switched to a motion sensor in the awning arm.. or so I'm told.. Supposedly this works much better.. But since I don't have it, i can not be sure.
now the lighthouse.. Piece of ... {Deleted by poster} never worked right, never will far as I can tell, bad design. And you have described the symptoms.
Rolls her up on a very calm (Dead air) day.
How it works
Two theories. one is the sound of wind through the lighthouse the other is two PTC resistors one burried deep in the plastic one near the surface.
You hit 'em with a regulated CURRENT and measure voltage, or a regulated voltage and messure current, and the one near the surface is cooled by the passing breeze and thus passes more current (or same current at lower voltage) and when the difference is great enough roll'em up.
Of course. sunlight shining on the top affectrs it,, So do other things. and it fails if it freezes. Vewry bad design in my opinion.
