Community Forums

aronthego · 10-26-2014, 08:33 PM

I currently have a Winegard Sensar. However it seems to have quit on me, for some weird reason my television has stopped getting any reception from the antenna. I'm a total newby and I'm not sure if it's even amplified or not. If it is amplified I can't find any type of energy source feeding it. I bought my RV used and it doesn't look like the previous owner did any maintenance on it.

Regardless I'd like to buy a new amplified antenna. Does anyone have any recommendations, I'm seriously considering the Winegard RAZAR Air HD.

Thanks
Alan

Clayobx · 10-26-2014, 08:47 PM

It will help us if we know what coach you have and year. There is a booster somewhere or should be. For about thirty bucks you can add an external booster to the antenna. It really helps, check at Amazon or CW I used one on my 03 FW Excursion made a great difference. Most boosters are a push button on a switch plate in the video cabinet. BTW.

aronthego · 10-26-2014, 09:31 PM

To answer your question I'm riding in a 2007 Newmar All Star model 4154.

**CountryFit** · 10-26-2014, 09:37 PM

don't know others but the one i am using is perfect - jack by king controls.

focker · 10-26-2014, 10:12 PM

Your current antenna is generally a very good one. It is very likely that there may be an amplifier built into your switch box (aka the box of many buttons "BOMB").
I was getting poor reception with my Sensar and added a Wingman thinking that would solve the problem however it did not. My next step was a 12V tester at the BOMB and I had power there. I climbed up on the roof and tested for 12V power at the cable that goes into the antenna and had 12V power there. I was very confused but screwed back in and down the ladder I went thinking I was going to need to buy a new antenna because the head must be shot BUT... the TV in the coach had perfect reception when I walked back in. It turns out the problem was the coax connection at the head, it just needed to be cleaned up and screwed back on securely which is what happened when I tested it.
The Wingman is a worthy add on but don't give up on your Sensar until you do some testing.

Jim A · 10-26-2014, 10:30 PM

I put the Rayzar antenna on my coach a few months ago, and I have been very happy with it. It is an easy job to convert from the Sensar antenna to the Rayzar using their RVRZ25 conversion kit. (If the lift mechanism is working there is no reason to replace it. Both antennas use the same mechanism.) The Sensar IV probably gets a little better distance reception, but the Rayzar is less sensitive to direction.

But before I spent the money, I would check to see if you are getting voltage to the Sensar antenna head. Disconnect the coax where it goes into the head, and check for voltage between the inner conductor and the nut. It should be around 12 volts. If not you have a problem somewhere in your system that needs to be addressed. The new antenna won't fix that. If there is voltage present, sometimes the problem is corrosion on the connector at the antenna head. Clean it while you have it disconnected.

Take a look at the user guide for the Rayzar. Page 9 shows the wall mounted power hookup. You should find something like that, or the Winegard selector box. Those provide the 12 volt power. And take a look at their troubleshooting guide. They apply to your existing antenna too.

http://www.winegard.com/kbase/upload/2452331.pdf

I also installed the SensarPro meter system to supply the power to the antenna head. Makes it easy to turn the antenna to get the best reception. And you can see if it is worthwhile scanning for stations, or just a waste of time when the signal is weak. Well worth the money in my opinion.

wa8yxm · 10-27-2014, 06:31 AM

First: make sure it is the antenna... There is a Suspect #1 and the antenna is not it

Inside you have a module, either a wall plate or a box of many buttons (Matrix Switch or BOMB).

This provides 12 volts to the coax that runs up to the roof, there you find a connector (double female or bulkhead) and a 2nd length of coax (Suspect #1) to the antenna.

Once you make sure the connections are good and 12 volts is reaching the antenna THEN you suspect the antenna.

problems I have seen

Blown fuse
Bad Coax
Bad bulkhead connector at roof.

And I do not do this for a living.

What antenna is best?

Winegard Sensar IV with the Sensar Pro indoor module.

aronthego · 10-27-2014, 10:19 PM

I appreciate all the assistance. All have been most helpful. I guess I need to do a deep dive into all the wires going in and out of my "BOMB" this week end to check coax cables.

**Lt Dan** · 10-27-2014, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aronthego

I currently have a Winegard Sensar. However it seems to have quit on me, for some weird reason my television has stopped getting any reception from the antenna. I'm a total newby and I'm not sure if it's even amplified or not. If it is amplified I can't find any type of energy source feeding it. I bought my RV used and it doesn't look like the previous owner did any maintenance on it.

Regardless I'd like to buy a new amplified antenna. Does anyone have any recommendations, I'm seriously considering the Winegard RAZAR Air HD.

Thanks
Alan

The antenna amplifier is powered through the coax cable. Look at the BOMB (Box of Many Buttons) and see if you have a switch for Antenna Power and a red light. That is the source of amplifier power on most and can easily get turned off. If you don't have a power switch on the BOMB unit, then you may have an coax outlet somewhere that has a power supply built in.

etcmss · 10-28-2014, 04:44 AM

in trying to help need some input:
1. did it work before?
2. did you recently move the unit? turn the antenna to get better reception? (and then it stopped working)
3. did the red amplifier light work then? (or did you not notice this before)
4. assuming the tv is set to scan and antenna.....results...# channels.
5. what recently changed?

beginning says power to amp....tv didn't scan channels-maybe due to setup.....then go to amp-and I doubt its wires unless you have a connection problem (last wires thread on connector fell apart

Let us know what you found.

wa8yxm · 10-28-2014, 06:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by focker

Your current antenna is generally a very good one. It is very likely that there may be an amplifier built into your switch box (aka the box of many buttons "BOMB").

That device contains no amplifer, It may contain a modulator for the DVD, but it contains no amplifier, it contains the POWER SUPPLY for the amplifier, which is in the antenna, where it belongs, It does NOT however contain an amplifier.

Winegard did make an early model that had the amp indoors, or so I'm told, but I've never seen one. All the modern ones (since sometime before the turn of the century) the amp is in the head.. only the Sensar Pro puts an amp (2nd one) inside.

Which is why I use a Sensar Pro, that 2nd amp gives me a lot more range (Stations).