Community Forums

mrhockey · 11-22-2010, 05:42 PM

I have a 1996 Gulfstream with an Antenna Teck Signal Commander antenna. It only picks up about 11 channels where as my old motorhome had a round Roadstar antenna and I picked up around 40 channels. I was hoping to put a Winegard Wingman on this antenna till I got up there today and realized it was an A-Teck antenna and from what I read won't fit. Inside my cabinet on the wall is a jack with a red light on it on a wall plate. What is that for? Is that some sort of power supply? What would be the easiest most economical upgrade for this antenna? Should I stick to this type of antenna but get an amplified version of a Winegard and if I do get one of those what powers it?

RJay · 11-22-2010, 06:07 PM

I have the wingman but haven't really put it thru its paces yet, but if I have to upgrade again I'll try the Jack. I've heard good things about it and it's supposed to be better than the wingman. Also the Jack fits on the same mast as the Batwing.

Pusherman · 11-22-2010, 06:14 PM

Nothing I've read states the 'Jack' is better than the Winegard batwing antenna with the Wingman attached. The Jack is definitely smaller, and probably does as good a job as the Winegard w/ Wingman on UHF, but due to the smaller radials, probably doesn't do as well as the Winegard bat wing on VHF.

If size is a concern on your roof, then consider the Jack. If you're interested in the best reception you can get on both UHF and VHF, then consider the Winegard batwing with Wingman.

RJay · 11-22-2010, 07:05 PM

Hi Pusherman,
I based my statement on what other members who own the Jack have reported on the comparison of their performance. Take a look at this thread.

mrhockey · 11-22-2010, 07:09 PM

So you guys are saying to ditch the Signal Commander I have and get the Winegard Sensar antenna? If so do I get the amplified or non-amplified and if you say the amplified, what powers it?

Clay L · 11-24-2010, 10:29 AM

You want the amplified version I think.
It requires a wall plate which supplies voltage to the amplifier in the antenna head. There is a switch that applies power to the head and activates an LED indicting it is on.
The switch also acts an A/B switch switching the outputs between the TV cable coax in and the antenna.

Pusherman · 11-24-2010, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RJay

Hi Pusherman,
I based my statement on what other members who own the Jack have reported on the comparison of their performance. Take a look at this thread.

RJay, thanks for the link. Bill Adam's post on the prior post would be my belief as well - I would believe they are comparable in performance. But I do not have any experience with the Jack antenna, nor have I seen any data on performance evaluation between the two.

I've read the info on the 'Jack' website as well as Winegard's website on the Sensar with Wingman. Both claim they are superior. Who do you believe?

The Jack antenna is clearly in a neater package, and they have made it easy to replace the Winegard in a smaller package.

Anyone else have any experience with the Jack antenna?

wildtoad · 11-24-2010, 01:26 PM

The wall-plate with a jack and red light is most likely the power supply for your amplified antenna. My Winegard wall-plate has a red light, cable/antenna switch, coax connections. Does your antenna allow you to rotate it? One of the issues with this great digital broadcast system is that the signals are highly directional. An antenna off just a few degrees may lose the station. The round antennas are designed to pick up signals from many directions.

I have an old old winegard to which I added the wingman but have yet to ascertain for myself how much it helps. I do know that if I'm at a state park with lots of trees I get squat. In my front yard I get many stations, but have to turn the antenna (just as I did years ago at home with an old "Tenna-Rotor") to pick them all up.

And always get an amplified antenna.

SCVJeff · 11-25-2010, 03:26 AM

I HAVE run the Wingman through it's paces up against the stock batwing with a $50k spectrum analyzer so I can say it does exactly what Winegard claims it does. HERE is the original post of the test for anyone familiar with reading an analyzer. I emailed the Jack folks several times asking for technical specs of any kind on their antenna, and the best I got back was the sale sales hype posted in the magazines... ie: zero.

There is absolutely nothing magic about the Jack over the batwing. Gain is achieved with additional elements and also add to the antennas directivity, but you don't get something for nothing. Just looking at the Jack leads me to doubt that the antenna can perform on par with a Wingman/ Batwing combo, so that leaves only the pre-amps between the two. While it's possible that the Jack may have a more modern front end, I'll take a real antenna over artificial gain any day.
If someone around here ever buys one and wants to give it up for an afternoon I'll put it up against the Winegard test under identical conditions. Until then I'm not convinced it's even on par with the good ol' standby.

hardy1000 · 11-25-2010, 06:10 AM

I have been comming to quartszite for 3 years and have tried to get local broadcasts and have only been able to recieve 1 channel. I just installed the Wingman and I am in the same spot in Quartzsite and now have been able to recieve 3 digitial and 2 annalog channels.....it works!!!

mrhockey · 11-25-2010, 08:33 AM

Thanks guys. I will have to get back to the unit next week and see what that wall plate looks like exactly. I will keep you posted.
Marc

gpearston · 03-22-2011, 07:17 AM

SCVJeff - thanks, that was very helpful. I was considering the Jack as a replacement for my Bat wing since I need to either replace the antenna or add the Wingman.

Do you have any data/thoughts on the Wingman add on? It appears to be the right choice for me but would like your thoughts before I buy and install.

Thanks

wa8yxm · 03-22-2011, 09:15 AM

The wall plate with the red light and switch (And I assume a 12 volt outlet and an antenna connector) is either a power supply, as you suspect, or a pre-amplifier, AND (either case) a switch.. it is the switch that selects cable if you turn the light off.... Oh, it's also a splitter (The additional connections are on the back)\

To find out if it's a pre-amp or not.. Top side, switch off, disconnect the cable from the antenna and attach it to a volt-meter, Have partner turn switch on.. ZERO volts means either bad cable or pre-amp, battery voltage means power supply.

SCVJeff · 03-22-2011, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gpearston

SCVJeff - thanks, that was very helpful. I was considering the Jack as a replacement for my Bat wing since I need to either replace the antenna or add the Wingman.

Do you have any data/thoughts on the Wingman add on? It appears to be the right choice for me but would like your thoughts before I buy and install.

Thanks

Yeah, check out the link in my post above. That is a A<>B test with and without the batwing installed on the same antenna. There are very few who have installed it that say it did nothing for, but that's not the fault of the antenna, they're just out of a coverage area.