Tuning in OTA signals

[deltamaster]

I have a winegard batwing with a combination booster switch/tv/vcr switchbox inside.

I understand the batwing should be able to receive the OTA digital signals and send them to my new Digital TV.

I also understand that the digital signal is more directional than the old analog and that if the antenna is not pointed precisely the TV will not find the available channels.

Without changing the current equipment is there a way to find out where the signals come n from and make sure the antenna is pointed in the correct direction so that the TV will find the channels?




ALSO I once saw some sort of deal that replaces the crank handle with a knob and it had a little LED display that identified the signal strength as the antenna was rotate but I can not find that any longer and am not sure if it was part of a new antenna kit or not.

[SCVJeff]

The difference between that portable meter and the SensarPro are night and day for about $25 difference.

This shows nothing other than there may be a channel in the area. What channel?, How many? The Winegard is inline, it has 2 outputs, a built in amplifier, and park/ roof switch, on top of telling you what channels it just found.

[1775]

A portable signal finder is a very easy and inexpensive solution. Here is a link to what I found and how easy it was to install. I don't have to turn the antenna, scan, turn again, scan again for an hour routine any longer!

http://roadtrek190popular.blogspot.com/2013/09/adding-digital-antenna-signal-finder.html

[jorbill2or]

The wingman attachment is not necessary as you say but I highly recommend it be your first addition it will make a large improvement in signal of UHF and it's easy and cheap

[Bill_Satellite]

As mentioned previously, the digital signal is NOT directional at all. It is transmitted in a nearly 360 degree pattern. However, the Batwing antenna IS directional and it's even more directional if you add the Wingman attachment. Generally, all of the local TV programming comes from one general area (the high ground) but that's not always the case.
The Sensar (Batwing) is considered to be an antenna capable of receiving a signal up to 60 miles away. This can be substantially more or less depending upon geographic conditions and requires the antenna be pointed correctly for optimal reception (thus the Sensar Pro).

[mikestock]

deltamaster wrote:
I also understand that the digital signal is more directional than the old analog and that if the antenna is not pointed precisely the TV will not find the available channels.

I have discovered that my batwing, with Wingman attached, will almost always find all the digital signals in the area, no matter how it is aimed. Sometimes it finds stations in distant places, up to 60 or 70 miles away, that I can't tweak in. I guess this means that a lot less signal strength is required for setting the stations up on the tuner than is required to actually watch that station.

[Bill_Satellite]

wa8yxm wrote:
THe Winegard Sensar Pro then is what you want, 100 bucks (Rounded) one time, it goes between the box of many buttons and the antenna, it eats 12 volt..

Retail on the Sensar Pro is $69.99 plus tax (+shipping if necessary).
It is designed to replace an existing Winegard wall plate which is being used as the antenna power supply but it can also be added to a coach which has a "powered" video control center as that power is what sends the 12V power to the Batwing. If you have a small video control center with only 3 buttons for each TV you would not connect to this device but rather replace the wall plate (the most likely installation location).

[SCVJeff]

deltamaster wrote:
Well, I checked out the Sensar Pro at the Wineguard web site. There are manuals in PDF so I looked them over and as someone mentioned the Sensar Pro goes inline with the antenna before the switch box. I suppose that BOTH the switchbox booster and the Sensar Pro can be turned on at the same time. It is ten dollars less through the Winegard site over Camping world.

I understand about the wingman attachment but as I understand it the attachment should not be necessary.

Thank you all for your assistance. Maybe I will look around and see if I can find the Sensar Pro elsewhere for even less money!

Something that's often overlooked when people talk about amplifiers doing all the heavy lifting, is that you cannot amplify what's not already coming down the coax in the first place. That's what antenna gain does, and you cannot recreate it artificially. The FIRST addition I would do is add a Wingman. THEN to assist you in pointing it, and to help offset the coax and splitter losses in the RV, add the SensarPro.

[Popsie]

A simple place to start, is to look at the antennas on the roofs of other RVs near you. You often can figure out a good direction to orient your antenna by copying what others are doing.

Oh yeah, there is usually no cost for trying this method.

[deltamaster]

Well, I checked out the Sensar Pro at the Wineguard web site. There are manuals in PDF so I looked them over and as someone mentioned the Sensar Pro goes inline with the antenna before the switch box. I suppose that BOTH the switchbox booster and the Sensar Pro can be turned on at the same time. It is ten dollars less through the Winegard site over Camping world.

I understand about the wingman attachment but as I understand it the attachment should not be necessary.

Thank you all for your assistance. Maybe I will look around and see if I can find the Sensar Pro elsewhere for even less money!

[MNtundraRet]

Are you getting any channels at all where you are camping?

Is anyone else picking up channels there?

If they are and you are not, you have a bad coaxial cable connection somewhere. Start on the roof with the antenna connection. Remove and clean the connection and reattach. Check all connections at the switch-box and make sure you are routed correctly from the antenna to the new TV.

Also; add the Wingman attachment to the current antenna. It is a cheap and easy fix to gain some more range.

[SCVJeff]

HERE is what you need.

[wa8yxm]

THe Winegard Sensar Pro then is what you want, 100 bucks (Rounded) one time, it goes between the box of many buttons and the antenna, it eats 12 volt..

NOTE: if you have a DVR (Stand alone like a TiVo) you can feed it's #2 output to the DVR, then you can feed your Sat Receiver (if you have one) to the DVR via A/V or HDMI leads.. That way you can record OTA as well as Sat shows.

I have TWO DVR's here, one on each out of the Sensar Pro.

The Sensar Pro also gives you an adjustable gain 2ndary pre-amp. Makes a big difference in the number of stations I can get. Fits in a standard house type outlet box.

[SCVJeff]

The Sensar Pro doesnt necessarilly replace the switchbox IF you use it for routing different things to the rear TV, etc.. In this case the SensarPro goes between the antenna and the switchbox.

Even if you had a smartphone app, that tells you whats supposed to be there, not what you can really receive, and for that reason I would recommend the SensarPro regardless. You wont be dissapointed.

[deltamaster]

I do not have a "Smart Phone" or internet on the phone or anything like that. My cellular telephone is just that, a telephone and the cost per month is already high enough. Company wants ANOTHER $25.00 or so per month to activate the internet part of the phone. I refuse to do it, especially after the one month free turned out so bad.

I tried to use it but the display was so small that even with my glasses and a magnifying glass I could not read the web pages on it.

Yes, the King Controls thing looks similar to what I saw once but the device I saw had a LED bar display that was similar to a cell phone where the bar would get longer as the signal strength increased.

I do not have one of those singe switch things that is mounted in the wall. I have an actual switch box that will work for two televisions and VCR and such. It also includes the button to activate the antenna booster which must be shut off if cable TV is connected from the camp ground.

It appears that the Sensar Pro would take the place of this switch box???

The procedure that someone mentioned about moving the antenna and continually scanning is what I am currently doing but this becomes tedious and time consuming.

I mentioned the TV is new but it is actually a little over a year old and I have been using it all that time. I guess I just wanted everyone to know that it does have a digital tuner and not one of those converter box things. I am familiar with switching the input.

What I would like to have is some sort of device that does not require a mart phone that will locate the signal direction so I can point the antenna in the direction of the strongest signal so that I do not have to keep scanning the channels with the tuner every time I turn the antenna until I find the proper direction to point it.