I installed a 'Jack' antenna head on my existing Sensar mast. The install was straight forward with no hiccups. When pressing the Winegard wall plate button to turn on the amplifier to power up the Jack antenna head, the green 'on' light on the wall plate briefly illuminates while I push it in then the light goes out. Furthermore, the red light 'ON' light on the base of the Jack head does not illuminate. The tv signal IS stronger when the button is pushed, but I have a feeling I'm not getting enough 12DC to the unit. What's a good procedure to test the wall switch and powered cable connections. I have a multi-meter. Thanks in advance.
__________________
2010 Cedar Creek 5th Wheel 34SATS "The Beast"
2006 Ford F350 Lariat 6.0L Diesel
2003 Harley Heritage Softail "Hogzilla"
1986 Marriage to "Wifey" (patience of a saint)
I believe your coax should carry voltage between the inner wire and the metallic sheath. I would measure at the wall plate and at then at the roof line and compare voltages. You may have a bad end on the cable. I installed a jack antenna and didn't see any difference in reception. Installed a wingman and that seemed to help more, but that was just my personal experience.
I just installed a Jack antenna and it wouldn't power up. I had power to tje antenna but it would not turn on (no red LED). I found the coax connector in the Jack was bad. Instead of returning it, i opened it up and fixed the connection. How was the green wall LED before the jack? If it was OK i would check out the Jack antenna.
__________________
2012 Georgetown XL 350TS, Hellwig front/rear sway bars, Sumo Springs, Blue OX True Center steering damper
2013 Ford Explorer LTD toad, Roadmaster Stowmaster 5000, VIP><Tow Brake
Better to have a bad day of camping than a good day at work!
I could never see the green light on the wall plate since the tv I replaced was larger and hidden from view. I'm perplexed why the green wall plate light briefly went on when I pushed the button then back off. Strange.
__________________
2010 Cedar Creek 5th Wheel 34SATS "The Beast"
2006 Ford F350 Lariat 6.0L Diesel
2003 Harley Heritage Softail "Hogzilla"
1986 Marriage to "Wifey" (patience of a saint)
I could never see the green light on the wall plate since the tv I replaced was larger and hidden from view. I'm perplexed why the green wall plate light briefly went on when I pushed the button then back off. Strange.
Sounds like a short in the antenna cable, perhaps in the amplifier at the antenna. With a Winegard Sensar the amplifier is actually in the white box up there.
__________________
Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
I agree Herk, it does seem like a short. I'll start my diagnosis at the wall plate and that connection then work my way up the cable to the Jack antenna.
__________________
2010 Cedar Creek 5th Wheel 34SATS "The Beast"
2006 Ford F350 Lariat 6.0L Diesel
2003 Harley Heritage Softail "Hogzilla"
1986 Marriage to "Wifey" (patience of a saint)
OK, I'm a bit perplexed. As soon as I disconnect the cable running to the main tv, the wall plate green light illuminates. If I reconnect that coax or switch cables to the bedroom tv it goes out again. Whatever I plug into that r\s input jack seems to ground it out, only that 'right side' input jack. Does anyone have a schematic or diagram indicating the cable routing from the roof antenna and where that goes as well as the routing with the splitters etc? The inputs on the back of the wall switch are CABLE, tv1, tv2, SAT and of course the hot and ground legs. Where the heck does the roof antenna coax go, into a splitter?
__________________
2010 Cedar Creek 5th Wheel 34SATS "The Beast"
2006 Ford F350 Lariat 6.0L Diesel
2003 Harley Heritage Softail "Hogzilla"
1986 Marriage to "Wifey" (patience of a saint)
OK, I'm a bit perplexed. As soon as I disconnect the cable running to the main tv, the wall plate green light illuminates. If I reconnect that coax or switch cables to the bedroom tv it goes out again. Whatever I plug into that r\s input jack seems to ground it out, only that 'right side' input jack. Does anyone have a schematic or diagram indicating the cable routing from the roof antenna and where that goes as well as the routing with the splitters etc? The inputs on the back of the wall switch are CABLE, tv1, tv2, SAT and of course the hot and ground legs. Where the heck does the roof antenna coax go, into a splitter?
You have a short in the output; not the input(s).
I will try to draw you a schematic.
We get this type of question a lot.
The roof antenna goes to the back as does the cable input.
On the face is the SET1 output and (normally) goes right to the TV1 in the LR.
Also on the back is SET2 output which normally goes to the second TV (TV2).
If there is more than one TV (OR your installation DOES NOT use the faceplate for SET1; then SET2 output is split with a splitter (TV1 and TV2 split from the SET2 rear connection). If there are 3 TVS you get split 3 ways (if they wired it right) or with 2 - two way splitters in the lines (if done correctly, there should be a 75 ohm Balun terminal on the unused split port).
The AUX/SAT (if you have one) is a "home run" single wire to the outside SAT port.
__________________
Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
I installed a 'Jack' antenna head on my existing Sensar mast. The install was straight forward with no hiccups. When pressing the Winegard wall plate button to turn on the amplifier to power up the Jack antenna head, the green 'on' light on the wall plate briefly illuminates while I push it in then the light goes out. Furthermore, the red light 'ON' light on the base of the Jack head does not illuminate. The tv signal IS stronger when the button is pushed, but I have a feeling I'm not getting enough 12DC to the unit. What's a good procedure to test the wall switch and powered cable connections. I have a multi-meter. Thanks in advance.
I just did the same install and power light stays on but the one on the antenna never came on or it's so light I can't see it. My old antenna barely picked up the local channels the Jack picks them +++ more. At night I can pick up 22 channels some as far away as 150 miles.
__________________
Think about things before you do them make life easier not harder.
OK, here's an update. I found the source of the output ground. The antenna cable entered a 2 way splitter behind the wall. The splitter sent has one leg going to the main tv and the other to my Panasonic Surround system. Well, the Panasonic has a female coax jack for it's FM antenna. Apparently the wall 12v power and the Panasonic FM coax don't play well together because as soon as I unplugged the Panasonic, the green wall plate light stayed on!...hmmmm. I will prolly have to go to Radio Shack and get a portable FM antenna if I want to pick up a broadcast. Now the strange thing is that red Jack light does not illuminate nor do I get any analog channels, just a dozen real nice digital ones. I'm getting 12v at the coax up on the roof, but no light under the Jack head. It does work because I ran a spare coax from the antenna coax jack to the Jack head and it lit up. The center electrode is plenty long enough so it's making contact. Weird stuff.
__________________
2010 Cedar Creek 5th Wheel 34SATS "The Beast"
2006 Ford F350 Lariat 6.0L Diesel
2003 Harley Heritage Softail "Hogzilla"
1986 Marriage to "Wifey" (patience of a saint)
To wrap up this thread, I used the FM wire that came supplied with the Panasonic surround and it works just fine. I simply lay the three ft of 20g wire inside the cubby where the surround is and it picks up many local channels. The red light on the Jack antenna still won't illuminate, so I'll put call into them tomorrow.
__________________
2010 Cedar Creek 5th Wheel 34SATS "The Beast"
2006 Ford F350 Lariat 6.0L Diesel
2003 Harley Heritage Softail "Hogzilla"
1986 Marriage to "Wifey" (patience of a saint)
I would reinvestigate your cable going to the roof. If the Jack works, but just not with the existing coax, it about has to be there. Maybe replace the ends. Might be that when you tighten, you lose connection.
I just installed a Jack antenna and it wouldn't power up. I had power to tje antenna but it would not turn on (no red LED). I found the coax connector in the Jack was bad. Instead of returning it, i opened it up and fixed the connection. How was the green wall LED before the jack? If it was OK i would check out the Jack antenna.
I just installed the Jack to my Sensar mast. I pushed in the amplifier button and the green light came on(as it should). No difference in reception from the batwing antenna. The red light on the bottom on the Jack is not lit up. But if I push the amp button off, there goes my reception.
Does the red light on the bottom have something to do with amplifying the antenna?
The jack has its own amplifier. You send double power up if you use the trailer amp. The red light can only be seen at night. If it is not burning it may be blown.
The jack has its own amplifier. You send double power up if you use the trailer amp. The red light can only be seen at night. If it is not burning it may be blown.
True: The Jack has its own Amplifier (as does the Wingard Sensar); both are located in the antenna head.
False: The trailer does not "have an amp". It does have a powered coax switch and a power supply for the Jack's (or Winegard's Sensar) amplifier.
False: "double power" - Are you saying it sends 24 volts up there from a 12 volt battery?
True: "If it is not burning it may be blown" or a half dozen other reasons. (Like the antenna is not pointed at a station).
Here are the manuals on the wall plate amplifier power supply and the Sensar OEM antenna.
__________________
Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
The diagram for the test points were a little vague or it could be I'm not smart enough to figure it out. I assume to test the power supply itself- put 1 lead on the red wire and 1 lead where the coax terminal to the antenna is. And for the end of the coax at the antenna- 1 lead on the wire at the end of the coax and what does the other lead touch? Should each reading be in the 12+ amp range?
The diagram for the test points were a little vague or it could be I'm not smart enough to figure it out. I assume to test the power supply itself- put 1 lead on the red wire and 1 lead where the coax terminal to the antenna is. And for the end of the coax at the antenna- 1 lead on the wire at the end of the coax and what does the other lead touch? Should each reading be in the 12+ amp range?
You should read 12 volts DC from the center of the coax (bare wire) to the shield.
__________________
Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
The shield- you mean the aluminum foil that is on the outside of the conductor or the strand of wire "hair" that is outside of the white plastic conductor that is around the bare wire?
The shield- you mean the aluminum foil that is on the outside of the conductor or the strand of wire "hair" that is outside of the white plastic conductor that is around the bare wire?
You'll have to draw me a picture.
I'm gonna figure this out sooner or later.
The metal shield (the part with the screw threads) is ground and the thin center wire should be positive. The aluminum foil is the actual shield but it needs good contact with the threaded fitting to make a good electrical contact with the antenna's coax connector.
This is the best photo I have of the center wire and the "shield"
Remember the actual signal carried by the RF is now digital and if your cable connection is poor you will lose stations. Buy a good quality cable tool and compression set. Those twist on's are worthless.
Linear Mode
