oPEratIon InstructIons
2
Modes
The SELECT button on the front of the SensarPro cycles
through all six modes (PARK CABLE, ANTENNA-SCAN,
ANTENNA-SEEK, ANTENNA-CHANNEL, ANTENNA-GAIN, and
ANTENNA-VOLUME) on the SensarPro.
The Winegard SensarPro has two main modes:
PARK CABLE
(OFF)
ANTENNA
(ON).
1
= Speaker
2
= Signal Strength Display
3
= Select Button
4
= Available Modes
5
= Up/Down Buttons
6
= Mode Display
How the Signal Meter Works
The digital transition changed television in many ways. Many
broadcasters were forced to move from the frequency they
had been using for years. When this happened, broadcasters
fought to continue to call themselves by their old channel,
even if they were using a different one to send their
programming.
This means that many stations will broadcast on one channel
but say they are another. For example, KWQC in Davenport,
IA, calls itself channel 6 and appears as channel 6 on the
television. However, when the digital transition took place,
KWQC moved its broadcast frequency to channel 36. The
computer in the television translates the information that
KWQC sends to identify itself as channel 6.
This translation slows down the tuner in the television,
making real time signal strength impossible to measure. For
this reason,
the SensarPro displays only the broadcast or
RF channel number
. Therefore, when looking for KWQC in
Davenport, IA, set the SensarPro to channel 36 instead of 6.
In addition, not all channels are broadcasting in digital. In
many markets, some smaller broadcasters are still using the
old analog technology.
Due to this, it will often be useful to visit the following sites:
www.antennaweb.org or www.tvfool.com.
Before traveling, enter the zip code of the location where the
SensarPro will be used into one of the websites above. This
will help point the antenna and determine which channels are
available in the area.
Basic Operation
Once the vehicle is set up and ready to watch television,
begin by raising the antenna. Turn on the SensarPro by
pressing the SELECT button ( ) until the lights beside
ANTENNA-SCAN are lit.
With the unit in SCAN mode, the SensarPro will shortly
display both a signal strength and an RF channel number.
The displayed channel will not change until a button is
pressed. The signal strength will continue to adjust as the
antenna moves and environmental conditions change slightly.
Slowly rotate the antenna handle clockwise. If the signal
strength increases, continue to rotate the antenna clockwise
until the signal begins to slowly drop. Then, carefully move
the antenna back to the strongest signal possible. If the signal
gets weaker when moving the antenna clockwise, rotate the
antenna counter-clockwise to find the best signal.
Once the signal does not get any stronger, press SELECT
to move the SensarPro to ANTENNA-SEEK mode. In SEEK
mode, it is possible to see how many channels are available
by pressing the UP button and making a note of the channels
found. Channels with a signal strength below 40 may not
appear or may not be watchable on the television. The
antenna may need to be fine-tuned when these channels
are desired. Pressing the UP or DOWN button returns the
SensarPro to the channel found during the SEEK mode.
Rotate the antenna 90
°
, and repeat these steps until the
antenna returns to the direction of the first scan. The reason
for this is that most areas will have channels in multiple
directions. Running multiple scans in different directions is
the best way to pick up all available stations.
Move the antenna to the area that had the most watchable
channels in SEEK mode. Turn the television on, and run a
channel scan on the television. Consult the television manual
for these instructions.
Running the channel scan on the television will input the
channels into the television and allow it to display the
available programming. The channel numbers on the
television scan may not match the channel numbers found
on the signal meter.
TIP
Should the SensarPro not function as this guide indicates,
press and hold both the UP and DOWN buttons at the
same time for 3 seconds. This will reset the SensarPro.
3
4
5
1
6
Park Cable
When the SensarPro is set for PARK CABLE, it is, in essence,
off. The park cable system connection will press through the
wall plate without interference from the SensarPro amplifier.
Antenna
ANTENNA mode is broken into five modes: SCAN, SEEK,
CHANNEL, GAIN, and VOLUME. Each mode is designed
to improve the process of finding and tuning in to quality
broadcast television signals. Anytime the SensarPro is in one
of these modes, both the antenna and the mode light will be
lit. Use the SELECT button ( ) to cycle through the modes.
• Scan
In SCAN mode, the SensarPro will check each RF television
channel between 2 and 51 and will take a reading of the
signal strength for each channel. The SensarPro will display
the signal strength in the SIGNAL STRENGTH DISPLAY ( )
and the channel in the MODE DISPLAY ( ) for the
strongest signal found during the scan. The SensarPro will
remain on that channel until either the UP or DOWN buttons
( ) are pressed. Then, it will start a new scan and will
display the strongest channel the antenna is currently
receiving. It is possible that the same channel could not
be displayed. If nothing (-) is showing in both the SIGNAL
STRENGTH DISPLAY and MODE DISPLAY, then no channels
are available, and the gain should be checked.
• Seek
In SEEK mode, the SensarPro works much like a car radio.
Cycling through each RF channel, the SensarPro will
display only viable channels. Once it finds a channel, it
will display a live signal reading in the SIGNAL STRENGTH
DISPLAY and the RF channel in the MODE DISPLAY. The
SensarPro will remain on this channel until either of the
UP or DOWN buttons are pressed. While this channel is
displayed, it is possible to peak the channel for maximum
signal strength by slowly rotating the antenna and watching
the signal strength display. The signal strength displays up
to 99, but not every channel can be peaked to this point.
Generally, a channel can be watched at a signal strength of
40. Any signal above this level is less likely to have minor
interruptions due to environmental factors. To send the
SensarPro back into SEEK mode, press either the UP or
DOWN button. The SensarPro will start searching for the
next channel (either UP when the UP button is pressed or
DOWN when the DOWN button is pressed), stopping on
the next channel it finds in that direction. SEEK mode is
not intended for use while making large corrections with
the antenna. Moving the antenna while the SensarPro is
in SEEK mode can cause channels to be missed.
• Channel
In CHANNEL mode, the SensarPro will continuously
scan for the RF channel shown in the MODE DISPLAY.
To select a different RF channel, use the UP or DOWN
button. This mode is used to find low strength signals. By
focusing on a single RF channel, the signal meter allows
the antenna to be aimed at a weak or distant RF channel.
• Gain
The SensarPro contains an amplifier to adjust GAIN.
While in Gain Mode, increase the gain on the SensarPro
by pressing the Up Arrow, which can help improve a
weak channel that is not quite watchable. Decrease the
gain by pressing the Down arrow, which can help prevent
a strong signal from overloading the television tuner. If
the signal is too strong, you will see a high number on
the signal strength display but no picture. Turning down
the gain will stop this overloading, and a picture should
appear. If there is no signal, check that the gain is not set
to 0 or 1. In most situations, optimal gain will be 10, the
factory preset. Gain should not need to be changed in
most cases. Note that the tone is muted in GAIN mode.
• Volume
The SensarPro has an audio tone ( ) that can help to
peak a signal when the meter is not easily seen from
where the antenna is mounted. If the signal remains
steady and no buttons are pressed, the tone will last for
ten seconds before muting so that it does not disturb
programming once the channel has been located. To use
the tone to peak a channel with the SensarPro, press the
MODE SELECT button until the VOLUME light is on. Press
the UP button until the tone can be clearly heard.
Note: in VOLUME mode, the SensarPro will return to
SCAN mode if no button is pushed for 3 seconds.
Sleep Mode
If no button is pressed for three minutes, the SensarPro will
enter SLEEP mode, turning off all of its displays and the
buzzer. In SLEEP mode, the SensarPro will provide signal but
will remain unlit until a button is pressed.
3
3
2
6
5
1