Older RV Antenna With New HDTV?

[Oldvet]

Originally Posted by RVDude

vet - one of your rubber bumpers probably fell out, but the hole is still there. You only need 3 rivets to secure it (some Sensar models have 4), the push rivet just pushes into the hole used by the bumper with just thumb pressure. Takes longer to climb up and down the rig than to install!

I would NOT just drill a hole, you could drill into the amplifier inside the Sensar head and ruin it.

ok thanks i`ll check it out tomorrow, i didn`t see any other holes but it was dark.
I did tape it on with some duct tape to see if it makes any difference, did a scan and only came up with the same four channels I had today.
8-1, 2-3 and 11
11 has picture freeze until I put the wingman on now it`s clear, does the wingman supposed to draw in more channels or just make the available ones better?
How does this thing work, it`s mostly all plastic and no wires.

Also were all winegards the same, i did try and screw the two rubber bumper out but they wouln`t come off, they turned but would not loosen.

[RVDude]

vet the bumpers need to be pulled, as in yanked, out, not "unscrewed." Turning them should loosen them up and then yank 'em with your fingers. Grab bumper w/ pliers and yank if you have to.

Regards to Wingman performance - see my earlier post here with link to rv.net and all the oscilloscope details by SCVJeff. It increases lets say the TV wave gathering power, or sort of sensitivity (the Wingman shape sort of grabs and focuses more TV waves) so the Sensar can then detect what was a weaker signal. Hence it doesn't need wires and the like. Maybe think of it kind of like a little mirror. (Sorry radio dudes, I hope I didn't take too many simplifying liberties in this description!!!) However, from the test in that link, the gain is rather minimal which suggests that it'll boost a weak signal slightly, which might be enough to actually lock onto and pick up. But it won't reach out and grab mass quantities of signals and radically change what you get.

Of course, this science stuff has a bit of art to it and you may get more or less performance than that test indicates. For the $30 and the really "tough" job of installing it (DW should at least allow you a beer or two) it's worth it to try it. I did and it gained me nuttin, at least in my current location. But next time it might do me all I needed.

[Oldvet]

Originally Posted by RVDude

vet the bumpers need to be pulled, as in yanked, out, not "unscrewed." Turning them should loosen them up and then yank 'em with your fingers. Grab bumper w/ pliers and yank if you have to.

Regards to Wingman performance - see my earlier post here with link to rv.net and all the oscilloscope details by SCVJeff. It increases lets say the TV wave gathering power, or sort of sensitivity (the Wingman shape sort of grabs and focuses more TV waves) so the Sensar can then detect what was a weaker signal. Hence it doesn't need wires and the like. Maybe think of it kind of like a little mirror. (Sorry radio dudes, I hope I didn't take too many simplifying liberties in this description!!!) However, from the test in that link, the gain is rather minimal which suggests that it'll boost a weak signal slightly, which might be enough to actually lock onto and pick up. But it won't reach out and grab mass quantities of signals and radically change what you get.

Of course, this science stuff has a bit of art to it and you may get more or less performance than that test indicates. For the $30 and the really "tough" job of installing it (DW should at least allow you a beer or two) it's worth it to try it. I did and it gained me nuttin, at least in my current location. But next time it might do me all I needed.

Thanks RVDude, i`ll get it hooked up tomorrow, I did watch a video clip on installing the wingman. The head of the winegard looked different than mine and they pulled three rubber bumpers off as you said.
Mine only has two black rather tall bumpers on the mast side of the head and they appear to have a screw in the center of them but have to look closer in the light.
I`ll up-date tomorrow.
My winegard is a 1985

[Oldvet]

I must be missing something, there is no way to instal the wingman on this antenna. Even if the bumpers came off when lining up the holes with the wingman it would not fit properly.
Here`s pics of my antenna.

[Bill Adams]

The Wingman will not fit on this antenna. It does appear to be a Winegard antenna, but if so it is a much older antenna. Assuming it is a Winegard you can replace that antenna with the new Sensar antenna and the Wingman will be able to attach to that.

[Oldvet]

Originally Posted by Bill Adams

The Wingman will not fit on this antenna. It does appear to be a Winegard antenna, but if so it is a much older antenna. Assuming it is a Winegard you can replace that antenna with the new Sensar antenna and the Wingman will be able to attach to that.

Yes it`s a winegard pulsar antenna, i tried to get a clear picture of the name on that oval name plate on the side but it was to blurry to read.
I`ll save the wingman for our next RV which will be newer and have the newer antenna.
Thanks for all the help.

[RVDude]

vet - well now, ain't that a bummer.... Wow that Winegard is a museum piece!

I'll bet you could still duct tape and bailing wire that Wingman on there - at least to see if it'll help...

BTW - I do have a couple year old Sensar laying around and Bill thinks it might fit your mast. Where you be? I'll be heading from VA to CO via IN/MI in a few weeks...

[Bill Adams]

That should work! The connection to the arms has not changed from version to version.

[Oldvet]

Originally Posted by RVDude

vet - well now, ain't that a bummer.... Wow that Winegard is a museum piece!

I'll bet you could still duct tape and bailing wire that Wingman on there - at least to see if it'll help...

BTW - I do have a couple year old Sensar laying around and Bill thinks it might fit your mast. Where you be? I'll be heading from VA to CO via IN/MI in a few weeks...

Tried that bailing wire, actually cheated and used duct tape idea , it didn`t seem to make much difference but this old Winegard isn`t as flat on the bottom so it doesn`t line up very well.
I`m parked down here in Fairfield TX at a rv park and don`t have no toad so can`t travel very far.
That sure is kind of ya to make that offer and if there was a way to meet up we sure would, thank ya sir.

[Bill Adams]

Originally Posted by Oldvet

Tried that bailing wire, actually cheated and used duct tape idea , it didn`t seem to make much difference but this old Winegard isn`t as flat on the bottom so it doesn`t line up very well.
I`m parked down here in Fairfield TX at a rv park and don`t have no toad so can`t travel very far.
That sure is kind of ya to make that offer and if there was a way to meet up we sure would, thank ya sir.

A month or 2 back, someone came up with a very clever thing called mail-order. It's a very cool concept. If you can't go to the seller, the seller will ship the item to you! I know it sounds crazy but it actually works really, really well.

[Oldvet]

Originally Posted by Bill Adams

A month or 2 back, someone came up with a very clever thing called mail-order. It's a very cool concept. If you can't go to the seller, the seller will ship the item to you! I know it sounds crazy but it actually works really, really well.

That would work but i`m going to hold off for now as we are getting channels to watch.
Thanks for the help, offers and suggestions.

[John Hilley]

The Winegard Pulsar may be a VHF only antenna.

[Oldvet]

So RVDude gets the credit he mailed me the newer version antenna
But it doesn`t work for some reason, I had good reception with the old antenna then went up and put on the new one and no reception at all.
Question, are the newer models as good as the old one or can they go bad. I`m right on the fringe of getting channels anyway so maybe the newer model doesn`t pull a signal as good as the older model?
Regardless thank you very much for your kindness in sending me a antenna to try RVDude.

[Bill Adams]

Did you check to see if there is 12V in the coax cable up on the roof where it connects to the Winegard?