I have had a Carefree automatic (sensor in the roller) and now a A & E (new coach) has trouble retracting, STAY away from the A & E it is junk.
The Carefree worked like a charm. I could just shake the awning fabric and it would go up. I still never depended on the automatic function and simply retracted the awning if we left for a while.
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On our last coach (no slides) I upgraded our Carefree manual to the Electric Eclipse and only used the manual switch in the bottom of the front arm. We loved it as it unlike most electrics you can angle the awning just like the manual one. It takes 20 seconds to extend or retract it so why have a wind sensor. If you leave the coach roll it up (-:
Our current coach has a A-E electric and between being over the kitchen slide and not tiltable it is a waste of money.
It is easy to incorporate a simple "on off switch" for the wind sensor if it is that big of a problem. However that is what the sensor was installed for in the first place, to save awnings from high gusts.
My thoughts when upgrading from a manual awning to the Eclipse electric were this. The wind sensor was a additional cost that was extra. Running wiring for it was going to be a PITA. I likely would not trust it when we left the coach and I had no problem holding the retract button for 20 seconds as we left. The kit also came with a little control panel with controls for it that would also be a PITA to install inside and it would be about 3' from the control switch that is in the bottom of the front arm just outside of the door. I decide "Why bother".