Awning wind sensor

[Basil Shannon]

Has anyone ever bought a wind sensor for an A&E Weather Pro or LA-03 rafter awning? I assume the wind sensor is the same for both. I understand from another forum that they will only sell you the sensor and the control box as a package. PPL wants $474 for the package for my LA-03 awning. No way, Jose!!!

The control box beeps when the sensor is activated. I cycled power, took the sensor apart and cleaned it and reseated all the connections. No help.

[lundy]

This does not answer the question, but how does one adjust the sensor. It either comes in with heavy breathing or it won't come in on its own. I was once told how to set the sensor but long since, just used it manually because I couldn't feel that I could depend upon it.

[johnwr]

Ours failed this summer and I probably did the same as you, removed it and cleaned it, etc. with negative results. Actually I disassembled it and found what appeared to be a burned trace and component on the small circuit board that is "the sensor". There was no indication what the component was so I reassembled it and reinstalled it "as-is". I now only operate the awning in the manual mode until I can get the sensor (and the control module, as you have already heard) replaced. It's possible that an RV Repair shop can get the separate components, but I certainly couldn't.

As for the control features, it's either in manual or automatic modes determined by the switch, but in the automatic mode (when it works) you can set the wind speed that it retracts at automatically by changing the dip switch settings inside the control box, or for the new control box I think you press a button to select the wind speed (see the ACA Technical website).

[Basil Shannon]

This is the adjustment procedure from the ACA website:

http://http://alpinecoachassociation...20Retrofit.pdf

I think I will play with the settings and see if I can make my problem go away.

[golden]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Basil Shannon This is the adjustment procedure from the ACA website: http://http://alpinecoachassociation...20Retrofit.pdf I think I will play with the settings and see if I can make my problem go away.

Actually, you will need to leave off the first http://

I have had a WeatherPro for years with the same problem. I just said the heck with it and "disable" it when I want to use it and then close it when done. A sneeze would close it when in the "enable" mode.

[Ronnie Bledsoe 2006 Dutchstar 43']

I had the wind sensor only replaced at the shop I use in Stockton, Ca. As I recall it was about $340, don't have the invoice in front of me.

[Langord]

Basil:
Thanks for the link information to adjust the wind speed on the awning sensor. It may solve some of our concerns also.

[ernieh]

As I recall, the older units must be replaced as a pair. The newer ones have the ability to program the box for a new sensor.

They replaced my units a couple of years ago for no charge, but I still had the problem with the automatic retract. I found a bad connection in the harness that was made by Winnebago.

[lundy]

My automatic has never worked properly so the only thing I can say in an ad, 'auto awning'!! The remote control switch works great and I guess that is good enough. On my 2000, I had a conversion kit from another manufacturer and after it was hard wired (warranted update), worked great.

[Richard and Cris]

I think the problem is it is a sorry wind sensor. Mine never works right. It works sometimes when it shouldn't. I have often thought it is the length of the tower it sits on. If the wind is blowing curb side it seems to work ok. When it blows from rear or port side it doesn't. I suspect the wind deflects off the coach and never gets to the sensor. Maybe they will appoint a wind sensor czar to handle this.

[Wil Rathke]

I read somewhere that the sensor is not really a "wind velocity" sensor. It operates on the theory that the temperature in the sensor is reduced by wind blowing through it. I assume it has 2 thermistors - one inside the sensor and another on top of the wind sensor. The manual states that the "wind sensor" will not operate correctly in cold weather. I can only assume that this is because there would not be enough differential temperature in cold weather.

[OldForester]

Basil,

I had the same problem last year and played with the dip switches based on the setting diagram I had. That solved the problem for a while, but then the beeps continued. I tried cleaning the wind sensor and everything I could find and it didn't help. I also used a hair dryer with no heat on it to test the wind sensor, which did work for me. I finally replaced both wind sensor and the control box under Dometic warranty and it solved the problem. The new box and sensor actually work at speeds more like the 12/15/18/21 mph settings in the control box. The original sensor really didn't work like it was supposed to.

My bias is that you will have to change both, but I'm hoping the dip setting changes help.