Winegard Batwing TV - Wingman Aerial Booster

[John From Detroit]

The clip on adapter is a reflector that enhances the signal to the antenna,

Uh, Director, not reflector.. Rest of post is accurate

To the OP. What I am about to post depends a lot on your digital television receiver (Adapter or TV) Some of them (ACCESS HD for example) have a jack on the back, like a Phone Jack (RJ-45) and are compatable with a "Smart Antenna" such as the DX-Antenna

Two more problems with this is 1: I am not sure how much "Range" it has (The batwing may be better) and 2: You need one antenna per receiver

The Oringal problem is it has to be a "Smart Antenna" enabled receiver

Winegard does make a Omni directional antenna. I think it's called "Roadstar" it is the one that looks like a flying saucer.. However it's not got the range of the batwing wither and multi-path receiption can be a female canine in some places.

 

[Jack Nichols]

"Director" is the correct term, thank you John.  Getting old is ......  not for sissies. 

 

[John From Detroit]

Well. to most folks.. I don't think it matters.. Since I am short on cash I tend to design my own ham antennas and .. Well,,, When you are starting with pencil paper and computer program.. THEN it's important

The rest of the post was very good though and that was the important part..

And as for getting old.... Still beats the other alternative far as I'm concerned.

 

[SCVJeff]

Uh, Director, not reflector.. Rest of post is accurate

To the OP. What I am about to post depends a lot on your digital television receiver (Adapter or TV) Some of them (ACCESS HD for example) have a jack on the back, like a Phone Jack (RJ-45) and are compatable with a "Smart Antenna" such as the DX-Antenna

Two more problems with this is 1: I am not sure how much "Range" it has (The batwing may be better) and 2: You need one antenna per receiver

The Oringal problem is it has to be a "Smart Antenna" enabled receiver

Winegard does make a Omni directional antenna. I think it's called "Roadstar" it is the one that looks like a flying saucer.. However it's not got the range of the batwing wither and multi-path receiption can be a female canine in some places.

You're right, the Batwing is definitely better than either of those antennas. The Smart Antenna is electronically steered dipoles with unity gain. While it's cool because it knows exactly where it found each station, it just doesn't come close to the batwing (got one).

Just can't beat the Batwing..

 

[John From Detroit]

Well.. Yes I can beat the batwing.. But not in any package I'd care to lug around in my RV.

When my dad "Semi-Retired" he moved to a smaller farm.. According to all the television station coverage maps television reception there was simply not possible

We put up a 100' tower with Channel Master's largest signal sucker on top of it. pre-amp in the antenna and a distribution system down below servicing every room in the house.. Some with multiple ports.

We could watch television from Detroit, (Over 100 miles) Lansing/Jackson, Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo (Gun Lake) South Bend Indiana and a whole bunch more with that high gain amplified and directional antenna.

but a 100' tower with that monster antenna (over 20 feet long) is a tad big to lug in an RV

 

[JerArdra]

John,

Nice  Job.  I didn'now that could be done.

JerryF

 

[John From Detroit]

Well.. I keep telling folks that "HEIGHT IS MIGHT" when it comes to VHF/UHF radio and television... I even give real life (I should know I was there) examples.

That's one of 'em.. the 100' tower got the antenna up where it could "See" the stations and the high gain antenna sucked 'em in.  Worked great.

I tell another story with ham radio... Poor guy in Windsor (just across the river from Detroit) running around 40 or so watts effective radiated power could not reach a repeater I was hitting with a 1 watt hand held and a very poor antenna. perhaps 1/4 watt effective radiated power

The difference.....about 220 feet verticle... I was on the 12st floor of an office building, He was on a 30 foot tower.... Oh, I could see his house from where I was standing.

 

[SCVJeff]

Did the same at my dad's house, but I ended up with the adult-size Winegard Wedge and a deep frings pre-amp. I had to go the the wedge to lower the vertical beamwidth because the skip kept rolling in and stomping out the local stations. The wedge all but cured that..

 

[SunStar203]

I have a Signal Commander [not Winegard] bat antenna on my Gulfstream BT Cruiser. Has anyone installed a Wingman on this mfgr's antenna to boost the signal?  If so, results? Thanks in advance.

 

[SunStar203]

A follow-up on my inquiry about the compatibility of the Winegard Wingman signal booster and the Signal Commander antenna:  I was able to speak with a Winegard tech rep who informed me they "did not design the Wingman to fit the Signal Commander" [that's perhaps understandable] and the tech rep was clearly not interested in pursuing this subject [maybe they think I'll replace the Signal Commander with a Winegard antenna just so I can buy their Wingman????]

Has anyone any experience with installing a Wingman on a Signal Commander?  Any modifications needed?

 

[Jack Nichols]

The director, as the add on is called, would have to be in correct position to interface with the existing antenna.  That said, if I was in a tight situation where I felt I had to have some improvement, I might try the add on to your existing antenna.  Attach it in the same plane as the antenna elements, on the side of the antenna that faces the source.  That could be done temporarily to see if it worked, and it might, then you could devise a mounting arrangement for more permanent use.  You might move the "add on" closer or further from the existing antenna until you got it tuned in.

If it does not work, then upgrade to the Winegard Batwing, and install the booster on that.  I think we have established that will work.

Might be a fun project.  Report back if you try it.

If I am all wet on this, I hope someone more savvy will step up and keep you out of trouble. 

I am not familiar with your antenna, so have no clue if mounts are compatible.

 

[Jim Godward]

You can try it but at the frequencies of the UHF band where most of the new TV is located a fraction of an inch can be critical when dealing with antennas.  Since the Wingman is about $25 or so that is the risk you are taking.  If it doesn't work, sell it to someone who has the batwing antenna.

 

[dfdcaptain]

The clip on adapter is a reflector that enhances the signal to the antenna, and as such it does not need a direct metal to metal contact to work.  However, that increase in signal has to come from somewhere, and it comes from a narrower angle that the antenna will accept.  Instead of a nice wide cone of acceptance, it amplifies (focuses) a narrow portion of it.  Aiming is more critical.

I had a unique situation that pointed out the strength of the design.  I was parked in a small town without a TV station, and the closest ones were 70 miles to the north and 45 miles to the south.  I could not see any signal from either before putting on the add on director gadget, and was able to pull in digital signals after installing it.  The direction you point the antenna is very critical, because of the narrower acceptance angle.

Radio engineers have been using this technique for years, and I picked it up working with HAM radio.

As mentioned it is very easy to install (you would have to modify it and really work at it to get it on wrong), works well using established antenna physics (not a "magic" black box no one can explain), is inexpensive and works.  The main thing you give up with it is the antenna has to be more carefully aligned in the direction of the signal, and that is a one time deal until you move again.