Combining the signal from 2 OTA antennas

[traveller333]

I have a 2019 Ventana 4369.

It came with a Winegard Rayzar Automatic Antenna


Inside it has this antenna controller:


I bought this additional antenna: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1


and this combiner: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1


I'm trying to combine the signal from the Batwing with the signal from the Rayzar so I can get OTA reception from 2 different directions at the same time, without having to re-position the Rayzar antenna.

When I connected the 2 antennas and the cable going to the Winegard controller inside the coach, to the combiner, I got an E-01 error on the controller display. According to the manual, this means that there is a short circuit in the coax between the controller and the antenna.

All of the cables I used in connecting the antennas have tested Good, with no shorts.

When I removed the combiner and connected the Batwing to the controller, the E-1 error disappeared and the TV worked normally.

When I connected the Rayzar to the controller, the E-1 error disappeared and the TV worked normally.

I tried this with all the cables and in every case, there was no E-1 error and the TV was receiving OTA signal. I did this to confirm that the cables were OK.

I also confirmed that the cables from the two antennas to the combiner are the same length.

So the conclusion is that the combiner is the problem, but I have done this before, although the antennas were identical, and it worked.

I'm trying to figure out why it won't work in this case, so here are the questions I'm asking.

1. Of course, the first possibility would be that the combiner is bad, but for the sake of this discussion, let's assume that the combiner works as intended.
2. Could the problem be that the Rayzar is an amplified antenna and the Batwing is not? Would the problem go away if I added an amplifier to the Batwing antenna?
3. Could the problem be that the combiner is Dc and IR passing? Would the problem go away if I used a combiner that does not pass Dc and IR?
4. Are there other ways of combining the signals from 2 antennas into one?

I would love to hear feedback and advice from the group.

Thank you

[Archer2]

I think that both of the antennas are amplified. That means that the coax to/from each antenna is also carrying DC voltage to power the amplifiers that exist at each antenna head. Power for the Razor is provided by the controller and power for the Sensar comes from a separate power supply usually located in a wall plate with a power switch. My guess (and it’s just a guess) is that the polarity on the 2 separate power supplies is opposite each other. If you connect the two coax lines That originally went to the TV to the two combiner input ports and the output of the combiner to the tv. In other words combine the antennas AFTER the controller and power supply. The coaxes should not have DC voltage on them at that point in the signal path.

[traveller333]

Originally Posted by Archer2

I think that both of the antennas are amplified. That means that the coax to/from each antenna is also carrying DC voltage to power the amplifiers that exist at each antenna head. Power for the Razor is provided by the controller and power for the Sensar comes from a separate power supply usually located in a wall plate with a power switch. My guess (and it’s just a guess) is that the polarity on the 2 separate power supplies is opposite each other. If you connect the two coax lines That originally went to the TV to the two combiner input ports and the output of the combiner to the tv. In other words combine the antennas AFTER the controller and power supply. The coaxes should not have DC voltage on them at that point in the signal path.

Thanks Archer2. I will bypass the controller to see if that eliminates the problem.

Regarding both antennas being amplified, I didn't open the dome that the Rayzar antenna is in, but the specs say that it is amplified, so I'll take them at their word, but the Batwing I know for sure it is not amplified. There is no amp or pre-amp at the antenna and there is no place to connect power anywhere on or near the antenna.

I just thought of another question: Would the fact that these are two different antennas be part of the problem? I wouldn't think so, but I don't know for sure.

[hewebb]

I would suggest that you install an A/B switch to control which antenna is to be used. That is what I did.

[777 Driver]

I've found Winegard customer service to be helpful on a couple of issues regarding their equipment. Here's a link to send them a question via their website: https://winegard.com/support/contact-us

Or their email for help: E-mail: help@winegard.com

Or, their Phone: 800.288.8094
Hours Of Operation:
Mon - Fri: 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sat 8:00 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. CDT

Not sure which would get you a quicker response.

Take care,
Stu

[hohenwald48]

There is a powered preamp in the antenna that gets power via the coax.

Read the warning on page 6 of this installation guide.

https://d38mfwkkxtsm2m.cloudfront.ne...ts/2452013.pdf