Winegard Video Switch box connections and rear TV

[Oldgrape]

Howdy all. Purchased a 2005 Monaco Monarch SE about two months ago. Originally had two old analog TVs with a DTV converter. Both TVs picked up channels in my driveway. I replaced both with digital flat panel TVS. removed the DTV converter and connected the antenna coax directly to the Winegard video selector/amplifier. There is a Winegard batwing antenna on the roof. First I have to select the Aux button instead of the antenna button on the video selector box to get a signal in the Front or Rear TV. On the rear TV it either gets no signal or says it is too weak. I have read at "http://rvtvstereo.com/rv-tv-antenna-amplifier" that batwings older than 2009/10 are not actually designed to work well with HDTV signals. So my questions are: Does it sound like my selector/amplifier box could be bad? Do I need an additional signal booster/amplifier somewhere to boost the rear TV signal? And is the linked article true and I should just replace my current Batwing with a newer version?

[Oldgrape]

I direct connected the rear TV to the TV2 connection on the back of the selector box. That is when I finally got some signal in the rear TV. It was still too weak to actually play on the TV. I will double check all of the connections again to be sure I did not connect something incorrectly. The selector box does have the power wire connected. I have not crawled up on top to see if it is actually making it to the antenna yet. I also plan to connect the DVD player to the rear TV Coax just to make sure that cable is not bad and then I will connect it to the main TV connection to see if the rear TV will find the channels and play them. It will be next week before I can do all of that. I'll post my results then.

[CA_Traveler]

On my prior rig the unit supplies the power to the antenna and hence no wall plate. The Aux should not be necessary for the front TV. I suspect that the unit has been rewired either internally or externally, perhaps due to the converter box.

Reason: It's likely that the converter box could not be connected to the coax going to the antenna because of the DC voltage being sent up to the batwing. Anything connected to the Aux input? Is the converter box removed?

"I direct connected the Rear TV to the coax input to the splitter."
Is that a typo? The input to the splitter should go back to the unit and the outputs to the storage and rear TVs.

[Bill_Satellite]

Oldgrape wrote:
Howdy all. Purchased a 2005 Monaco Monarch SE about two months ago. Originally had two old analog TVs with a DTV converter. Both TVs picked up channels in my driveway. I replaced both with digital flat panel TVS. removed the DTV converter and connected the antenna coax directly to the Winegard video selector/amplifier. There is a Winegard batwing antenna on the roof. First I have to select the Aux button instead of the antenna button on the video selector box to get a signal in the Front or Rear TV. On the rear TV it either gets no signal or says it is too weak. I have read at "http://rvtvstereo.com/rv-tv-antenna-amplifier" that batwings older than 2009/10 are not actually designed to work well with HDTV signals. So my questions are: Does it sound like my selector/amplifier box could be bad? Do I need an additional signal booster/amplifier somewhere to boost the rear TV signal? And is the linked article true and I should just replace my current Batwing with a newer version?

As mention above, any suggestion that your "old" antenna will not do a good job with the current TV service is complete bunk (I usually spell that BS).
Many of the Winegard boxes also provide the 12V power to the antenna head required to make it work. When you came in and disconnected the wiring to the converter boxes you may not have gotten the connection correct. Is there a red and black set of 12V wires coming into the back of the Winegard control center? If so, that's the power for the antenna. You can check very quickly and easily by going up on the roof, disconnecting the coax going into the Batwing head and put a 12V multi-meter on the coax itself. You need to see 12+ VDC in the cable itself. If you do not then you do not have the connections correct inside.
Let us know what you find and we can get you pointed in the right direction so you can watch TV again.

[Old-Biscuit]

HERE is an instruction manual for a Winegard Entertainment Select (Dist. Box)

[Oldgrape]

Thanks all. I'll try the direct connect test for the rear TV. All of the cables are labeled. The coax labeled antenna is connected to the antenna jack on the box. There is no wall plate, just the box with a power switch. When I switch the selector box from Aux to Ant for the front TV the picture freezes. The box output jacks are clearly labeled, "To TV, From Antenna, From DVD" etc. I will revalidate all connections. Also the rear TV was originally connected to a splitter that has the coax for the outside TV. I direct connected the Rear TV to the coax input to the splitter. That is when I actually received the weak signal. There was no signal while connected to the splitter.

[CA_Traveler]

Isolate the problem. Run a temporary coax inside the rig from the rear TV to the video box or even the front TV coax using a barrel connector. A weak signal could be the rear TV or the coax or a splitter.

[wa8yxm]

Oldgrape wrote:
I have read at "http://rvtvstereo.com/rv-tv-antenna-amplifier" that batwings older than 2009/10 are not actually designed to work well with HDTV signals.

First, let me say this about what I quoted BULL!!!!

The older Batwings (mine is a 2005) work just fine with digital TV in the VHF band, but they are a bit anemic in UHF, HOWEVER this is very easy to fix, The "WIngman" fixes it, this brings the UHF performance up to the same level as the VHF

The newer Sensar IV.. The Wingman comes in the box.

Second the Sensar Pro, can be installed BETWEEN the antenna and the switch box, it is the exception to the rule NOTHING Between antenna and switch box.

However you have identified the problem.. When the Prior Owner installed the digital converter he changed some wires behind the switch box. STEP ONE is returning them to orgianal hookup.

Sadly, This can be a bit involved.. You need to identify the lead that runs up to the roof and connect it to the jack labeled ANT.

THEN try again.

[rvten]

Do you have cable from Ant. Conn. To Ant in on vidio selector?
Is the booster switch on the Ant turned on? Should be plate with cable conn. And 12 volt plug.
Some TV's pick up signal better than others.
Age of the Ant. Makes no difference.