Community Forums

Paulin · 04-22-2009, 09:02 PM

Does the Wingman improve DTV reception or just HD reception or both?

Our TV needs a converter box to receive DTV (which I have already bought), but the TV may not be able to receive/display HD. We can live without HD and digital reception will be just fine. So, in conjunction with the converter box, will the Wingman allow us to receive better OTA digital reception after the June switch over date?

Thanks,
Paul

wa8yxm · 04-23-2009, 07:32 AM

The Wingman improves UHF television reception, Since most Digital TV (HD or otherwise) will be in the UHF portion of the television band (Channels 14-59, yes I know the current UHF goes to 69 and in the old days 83) it will work for both

Baby Bear · 05-05-2009, 06:24 PM

Just installed today the Wingman antenna. Yes, it does make a difference. Could only watch the local Savannah station if the wind wasn't blowing. Now get 2 Savannah stations and 1 1/2 Charleston stations. This brings true meaning to being thankful for small inventions when you part time in the boonies of SC.

MyLife · 07-17-2009, 11:48 AM

Today I hooked up a Wingman to the antenna and now I get 11 extra channels and the channels I had before come in better. Money well spent.

TXiceman · 07-17-2009, 12:28 PM

If your TV does not receive digital signals, it will not provide HDTV signals with a digital converter box. All the Digital converter box does is translate the digital format signals to analog signal on the old channel 3 or 4 so that an old analog TV can be used to view the signal.

Digital DTV is broken down in to SDT or standard definition TV and HDTV, high definition TV. Only TVs with HD capabilities can display the HD pictures. A lot of the new station broadcast in both HD and SD signals.

If you notice, the station may have several stations identified as 11.1, 11.2 and 11.3. Usually the first one will the the HD station and requires close to 1/2 of the band width available to the station. The other station will be SDT and use a much lower bandwidth. Each station is allocated so many kHz in available bandwith to use. Since the HD uses so much bandwith they will usually only have one HD signal. Often they will broadcast the same signal as HD and SD as well or a couple of other separate SD signals.

On the antenna issue, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN HD ANTENNA. Any VHF-UHF TV antenna will work to receive a signal. It is up to the TV or converter box to deal with the digital signal.

For anyone not a bit familiar with TV and electronics, the HD issue is a mess...to me it is still a mess and I am an engineer and a ham radio operator.

Ken

Ken

Baby Bear · 07-17-2009, 07:24 PM

I don't recall anyone ever saying the Wingman was an HD antenna. It was sold to me as an assist the receiving the channels above 13 , and in my case it DID help in that area. But, it also gave me a butter picture on the lower channels as an added benefit.

wa8yxm · 07-19-2009, 12:28 PM

First: HDTV is Digital TV so if you improve one, you improve the other.

Digital TV, however, may be HDTV or it may not,

The Wingman improves UHF television reception, don't matter if it's Digital, HD or Analog, it works kind of like this

Batwing w/o Wingman -8- ("the 8 is the antenna's reception pattern, the - - is the wings)

Batwing WITH wingman _0_

You will notice the pattern is now twice as far in front of the antenna (At the expense of the rear side, in the analog world, if a signal passed over you, bounced and came in from the backside, that was a GHOST, so the wingman cures that too)

FLYTYER · 08-01-2009, 05:55 AM

I installed my Wingman yesterday and WOW what a difference!

All channels that were always very marginal are now solid with no picture break up.

verygoooy · 09-22-2009, 03:10 AM

Hello,

I have a Wingman and digital tvs.

If you have no idea where the closest antenna is located how do you find it?
Never had problems with the old analog dinasour system.

I spent 2 hours

trying to tune and fine tune the direction for the best reception and greatest number of channels on the last outing. Every time you change the antenna direction you have to auto rescan the channels. That scan takes 5 minutes or more everytime you do one. I am sure there are those of you shaking your heads and saying "why bother you are camping": I like my tv in the evening!

If you are 'fine tuning' then you move it a small amount until the picture streams without stopping or breaking up. Maybe we need maps like pilots use that show the vectors and distances between towers. An antenna that automatically locks on to the strongest signal then turns toward it or tells you which direction to aim for the best signal? Can the electronic satellite antennas be used for digital tv? I really don't want to pay for satellite tv.

I have a directional rotor at home. I have 3 compass headings programmed into the box so I just turn the antenna and hit 1 of the 3 towers and I get my programming. The antenna has to be within 10 degrees of dead center on the target or it doesn't pick up well and you lose stations and quality. I have to rescan for channels every time I chane the direction. I am about 85 miles away from all 3 towers and my antenna is 50 feet off the ground. Obviously the motorhome antenna is only ~ 17 feet off the ground so that makes the problem worse.

There seems to be some very bright folks that contribute to these columns. I will look forward to your thoughts.

Robert

billyb · 09-22-2009, 03:46 AM

i think for now until some inventor comes out with an electronic finder , you will have to use "antennaweb.com" on a laptop, and a compass to find your best location for a transmitter.

Ken-55 · 09-22-2009, 04:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billyb

i think for now until some inventor comes out with an electronic finder , you will have to use "antennaweb.com" on a laptop, and a compass to find your best location for a transmitter.

I went to antennaweb.com . . . couldn't find a link to do what you suggested???

Superslif · 09-22-2009, 06:18 AM

Actually at home I get piss poor reception, even living in the 2nd ring suburb of Cleveland (about 12 miles out). While camping with-in 60 miles of Cleveland I get twice the channels I received before. After setting up I'll scan to see how many channels I get. If I'm not happy I'll turn the antenna 1/4 of a turn and re-scan. Still in the remote areas I usually don't get any reception.....This past weekend we received 43 channels at a place about 50 miles from Cleveland.

FLYTYER · 09-22-2009, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by verygoooy

Hello,

I have a Wingman and digital tvs.

If you have no idea where the closest antenna is located how do you find it?
Never had problems with the old analog dinasour system.

I spent 2 hours

trying to tune and fine tune the direction for the best reception and greatest number of channels on the last outing. Every time you change the antenna direction you have to auto rescan the channels. That scan takes 5 minutes or more everytime you do one. I am sure there are those of you shaking your heads and saying "why bother you are camping": I like my tv in the evening!

If you are 'fine tuning' then you move it a small amount until the picture streams without stopping or breaking up. Maybe we need maps like pilots use that show the vectors and distances between towers. An antenna that automatically locks on to the strongest signal then turns toward it or tells you which direction to aim for the best signal? Can the electronic satellite antennas be used for digital tv? I really don't want to pay for satellite tv.

I have a directional rotor at home. I have 3 compass headings programmed into the box so I just turn the antenna and hit 1 of the 3 towers and I get my programming. The antenna has to be within 10 degrees of dead center on the target or it doesn't pick up well and you lose stations and quality. I have to rescan for channels every time I chane the direction. I am about 85 miles away from all 3 towers and my antenna is 50 feet off the ground. Obviously the motorhome antenna is only ~ 17 feet off the ground so that makes the problem worse.

There seems to be some very bright folks that contribute to these columns. I will look forward to your thoughts.

Robert

I do not believe the wingman makes the Batwing antenna sharply directional. My experience has been that the wingman improves those DTV stations that are in the UHF portion of the TV band.

Just to clarify our understanding, do you receive ANY stations at different campgrounds or at home? Also have you rechecked the cable connections and have the antenna switch box turned on to power the antenna amplifier?

Bill Adams · 09-22-2009, 07:13 AM

I spoke with the folks at Winegard and while they did not describe the addition of the Wingman as making the bat-wing sharply directional, they do agree that it makes it even more directional than the bat-wing alone in the UHF band. For best UHF reception you want to point the end of the wingman directly toward the tower(s).