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Post Info TOPIC: Winegard SensaPro, does it perform well in Australia?
bruceg


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Winegard SensaPro, does it perform well in Australia?
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I have a 5 year old Winegard Sensa HV antenna with the old Power Supply/Outlet plate. This has never performed well, so I'm thinking about 'upgrading' the power supply to the 'SensarPro' combined Power Supply and Distribution Amplifier with Signal Strength Meter.  US models - RFL-332 (black), RFL-342 (white), price about AU$130 (delivered), so ...

 

The Power and Amplifier sections should be no problem because US digital TV has similar frequency allocations, but instead of each channel being 7MHz wide theirs are only 6MHz, so they have 46 channels and we have 30 over a similar (ish) frequency range -

US channels start from #2 at 57MHz, Australia starts at #6 at 177.5MHz

US channel 10 is at 195MHz while Australian channel 10 is at 212.5MHz

US has channels 13 to 27, this is a gap in Australia

US channel 28 is at 557MHz while Australian channel 28 is at 529.5MHz

US channel 42 is at 641MHz while Australian channel 42 is at 627.5MHz

US channel 51 is at 695MHz while Australian channel 51 is at 690.5MHz

Channels 52 to 83 are ... GONE !  re-allocated to mobile services worldwide

 

Can anyone tell me if the 'designed for American digital channels' device will work correctly with Australia's TV frequency allocations?  Quote from Winegard - "High grade electronic digital tuner focuses only on U.S. digital broadcast frequencies and ignores non-TV broadcast signals"

Q1 Are the models sold in Australia re-configured to recognize Australian channel numbers, or do they show the nearest US channel number for frequencies detected?

This should not be a problem, UNLESS the search program runs through at US 6MHz spacings, or skips unused US bandwidth sections (that are used in Australia) so that the search will miss some Australian channels altogether.

 

Q2 What is the Australian experience of the Signal Strength Meter; does it sometimes not display channels that we KNOW are present because of the frequency differences?

 

 

Background info -

In 2010 Australia had 82 channels reserved for TV broadcasts (requiring 5 different TV antennas according to frequency Bands); in 2019 there are only 30 digital channels (requiring just 2 types of antenna)

Each digital TV transmitter site is allocated a 'Block' of 6 frequencies, 1 for SBS & 1 for ABC, 3 for commercial broadcasters (Seven, Nine & Ten), and 1 spare. [Yes, its an over-regulated, closed market]

 

Australian Digital TV frequency allocation from 2014 (planing started in 2011) -

* Band I -   unsuitable for digital TV broadcast, partially re-allocated to other services 45MHz to 70MHz

* Band II -  overlaps FM radio, partially re-allocated to other services 85MHz to 145MHz

* Band III - 'Block A Channels', 6 channels numbered 6 to 8 & 10 to 12 on 174MHz to 230MHz [capital cities only, excludes 9 & 9A, whose 14MHz bandwidth is to be used for digital radio]. These transmitters are usually so high powered that they can easily be picked up with Band IV antennas

* Band IV -  'Block B Channels' 6 channels numbered 28 to 33 on 520MHz to 570MHz. Only used where interference could occur between blocks C, D or E when in close proximity

* Band IV extension [actually the lower half of international Band V, but the Australian Government choose to locally name it Band IV  confuse] -

             'Blocks C, D & E', 3 x blocks of 6 channels (18) numbered 34 to 51 on 570MHz 695MHz

* Band V -   re-allocated to other services, mostly to future mobile phone and wireless broadband on 695MHz to 820MHz (700 to 800MHz is used for 4G worldwide)

 

thanx in advance for any info/help smile.  bye

 



-- Edited by bruceg on Saturday 19th of January 2019 07:29:25 AM

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Bruce & Judy pulling a 3T 23.5' Traveller Prodigy behind a Diesel Range Rover
PeterD


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Bruce, you are worrying too much about unnecessary technicalities. Also do not take too much notice of the Winegard website, it was produced by advertising people not techo type people. TV antennas are not "designed for American digital channels," they are designed to pick up electrical signals. It is the receiver that sorts out the signals. No antenna has sharp cutoff frequencies, they mostly go beyond the required frequency range. The US and Oz TV frequency allocations are roughly the same. The metal part of the two antenna heads you are looking at are the same so they will pick up the same signals. It does not matter how good the amplifiers are, if you are receiving a weak noisy signal the amplifier will just amplify it as a noisy signal. All amplifiers add a little noise to the amplified signal, the only difference is an excellent amplifier will add slightly less noise (1 or 2 dB less whish is not going to make much difference.

If you are going to change your antenna then I suggest you get this one - Winegard Freevision HV Antenna - RetroFit Kit only. It is designed to receive both vertically and horizontally polarised signals. The one you are looking at is designed for horizontally polarised signals only.

 

 

ps, you have too much info in your profile. What is the motor on the trailer at the rear of your property?



-- Edited by PeterD on Friday 18th of January 2019 03:47:13 PM

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PeterD
Nissan Navara D23 diesel auto, Spaceland pop-top
Retired radio and electronics technician.
NSW Central Coast.

 
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