Winegard SenSar pro, amplifier doo daa

iana · Guru

Winegard SenSar pro, amplifier doo daa

patrol03 · Senior Member

A small red LED indicates there is power to the head when switched on. The switch is usually a small button just next to where you screw your antenna lead into the wall fitting. Hope this helps you with yours.

iana · Guru

I am sus, that this thing is drawing power all the time.

Mike Harding · Guru

iana wrote:
I am sus, that this thing is drawing power all the time.

It may be but it is unlikely to be more than 10mA (0.01A) and probably much less so it would take it around four days to consume 1Ah from the battery.

kgarnett · Senior Member

I recently installed a Sensar Pro Signal Strength meter/amplifier etc.

The instructions state : "Input Voltage must be between 9 and 16V with a maximum draw of 500mA"

I have not measured the actual current drawn by the unit but it has to power any remote masthead amplifier, its own inbuilt amplifier and the LED displays.

It is powered continuously but the LED signal strength & RF channel displays turn off after 3 minutes.

In order to avoid power wasted while not being used I installed an ON/OFF switch and also a small LED as a reminder that is was being powered when the display is off.

Ken

Possum3 · Guru

I have left mine "on" for weeks just to check for any battery draw - it's too minute to register on the ammeter.

kgarnett · Senior Member

Ok, - I have just measured the actual current draw of my Winegard Sensar Pro Signal Strength /Amplifier unit.

When first turned on it draws ~ 200mA while the digital display is on.

After 3 minutes the display turns off and the current reduces to ~ 90mA.

If left on continuously it would use ~ 2.2Ah per day while drawing 90mA.

Ken

iana · Guru

Thankyou all, so it is on all the time, but the current draw is negligible.

Tony Bev · Guru

We always switch our off, when not in use, Ian

In theory, it sends 12 volt to the aerial, via the aerial cable, so if (I think) the aerial cable was plugged into the TV, then the TV may be completing a circuit

Switched on with no aerial cable attached it shows 0.12 Amps (120 mA)

From memory the TV used nearly 1 amp less when I am in town, not using the amplifier

To put this another way

TV + Amplifier = around 5 amps

TV (no aerial) sat dish box = around 5 amps

Therefore Amplifier = same amps as sat dish box

Hope that is understandable, as I am just a layman

iana · Guru

Thanks Tony, I believe I have another gremlin behind the scenes in the area, or another way of putting it, a voltage drop. When we have the TV on, then switch the outside lights on, the TV drops out. Easily fixed, just don't turn the lights on. So I am having a half hearted think about the problem.

I have so many other jobs to do and finish, it isn't really top priority. I just can't believe people who own these vans can say they've owned one for years and not had a problem.

kgarnett · Senior Member

If the TV drops out (ie loses signal) when the lights are turned on, then and particularly if they are LED lights, it is possible that RF interference generated by the LED power supply is overwhelming the TV signal causing loss of TV signal.

Read here: https://kosnic.com/radio-tv-wifi-interference-led-lamps-2/

Ken