Winegard Sensar IV - reception symmetrical?

Check the pdf document here: http://www.winegarddirect.com/pdf/spec_SENSAR.pdf

Too bad we can't read the points..
I just went back and looked at the testing I did and it's .2db @170 degrees. The antenna ran against the stops.. :(

Radiation pattern for Winegard Batwing:



Image is from this site: Winegard Sensar III

At the end of the day the Batwing IS a directional antenna no matter how slight. To the OP's question, yes there will be a couple of points different because you are still pointing the back of the antenna at the transmitter, it's not a perfect '8'. But if it works, great.

Ok, the old Winegard Sensar's were bi-directional, The pattern is what we call a figure 8 (there is a serious null off the ends of the wings) but reception is more oval like (I won't go into why but just ask you to trust me)

On VHF frequencies the new Sensar IV with as well as the older Sensars WITH the wingman, also exhibit this pattern (The wingman has no effect to speak of on VHF)

ON UHF the wingman points toward the target (Transmitter) though there is still SOME reception from the backside.. Just as there is off the sides... It is far reduced from what is in FRONT of the antenna.

And, by the way, thank you you have answered a question for me. (Does the Sensar IV have full 360 degree rotation?,,, NO).

There are a few folks who have modiied their Sensar antennas to get full 360 or better yet 370 degree rotation, Why Winegard did not design them that way I will never know.. But .. Well,,, They did not. Some day I'll fix mine.

The VHF performance of the Sensar is pretty much bi-directional, but the peak performance is off the front in the direction the Wingman points. If you can get a slightly higher signal in one direction than the other, then of course, go for the stronger signal even if the antenna is off target by a degree or two.

We have an Android phone and have found TV Antenna Helper Free to be very helpful in locating the directions of stations. It has a map view that shows direction lines to each station and is color coded for signal strength.

It tells more information that I am able to use also. It includes: TV channel signal strengths, compass bearings to signals (direction), distance to signal towers, TV channel numbers, RF channel numbers, elevation, and frequency bands (UHV, Hi-V, Lo-V).
Barney

joebedford wrote:

Is there any way to figure out the actual channel of a station from the virtual channel other than by looking it up on the web?

There is an app I use on my IPhone called TV Towers. Shows all the stations near me. If I click on one of them it will show me the real and virtual numbers. I don't know if there is a app for Android.

The BATWING antennas are NOT very good antennas when you consider the FRONT TO BACK performance. The VHF only verson (NO DIPOLES ADDED) was real bad about front to back performance and worked almost equally well whether using the FRONT or BACK of antenna.

This is good for where we live here in Northern Nech Virginia. We point NORTH to pickup the WASHINTON DC station and then we can also pick up the RICHMOND stations off the back side of the ANTENNA.

Adding the UHF DIPOLE helped some of but we still get pretty good reception off the back side of the antenna.

A good antenna to use is the 8-BAY BOW TIE array panels which has great FRONT TO BACK isolation. This array however is like a 2 foot by three foot panel and not really suited to use on the RV ROOF to replace the BATWING antenna. Makes a great HOME mounted antenna however...

BATWING UHF VERSION Crank-up OTA Antenna




8 BAY BOW TIE HDBX8 ARRAY PANEL - AMAZON


Bottom line is use what works best for you...

Roy Ken