OTA TV

[L92 OLDS]

I am pulling in channels over 40 miles away with minimal interference. My antenna array includes (2) huge directional mast antenna's pointed directly at the transmitters and an omni
directional powered antenna for UHF channels. All of these are tied into a quality splitter. I found that outboard gain amplifiers actually degrade the signal so I tossed those in the trash. If your antenna's are directional, getting them aimed correctly is obviously key.....I have a huge attic space but it still took some time to get it right.

 

[motorheadmike]

This thread takes me back:

 

[fleming442]

I got it pointed directly at the tower I am trying to pick up by using tvfool.com's tower heading, a compass, and backed it up with the RCA Signal Finder app. I'm wondering if my 2005 preamp isn't up to snuff.

 

[L92 OLDS]

I got it pointed directly at the tower I am trying to pick up by using tvfool.com's tower heading, a compass, and backed it up with the RCA Signal Finder app. I'm wondering if my 2005 preamp isn't up to snuff.

Usually amplication = distortion and signal degradation.....Have you tried to eliminate the amp? Having an electronics background you probably already know that a bigger antenna will have more gain....one situation where bigger is better.

 

[fleming442]

Yeah, it's driving me nuts. I've tried so many different combinations; it's ridiculous. I suppose I can try jumping the preamp out. I also need to make a test lead to bypass the mast to the basement to eliminate it as a possibility. I'm testing all of it with the crappiest tv I have. It has a signal meter built in, and the best I can get is 25%. If I get that one good, everything else should fall into place.

 

[Bonnewagon]

test lead

Can you get up in your attic? Lug your TV up there and connect it directly to an antenna. You should get your best possible signal. I did just that because I read that the farther away from the antenna you are the more you need a signal booster. So up there I set up a simple UHF antenna like what you find on the front of the old combination antennas and it worked like a charm. Not the YAGI- the UHF portion. In fact I got better reception on some channels than the electronic antenna but had to physically rotate it to get the same selection. I had just purchased and installed a huge VHF/UHF antenna on the side of my house about a year before they switched to digital which made mine obsolete. I salvaged the front VHF part and it works great for digital if the set is close enough. I use it in a room on my second floor and it works.

 

[L92 OLDS]

I had just purchased and installed a huge VHF/UHF antenna on the side of my house about a year before they switched to digital which made mine obsolete. I salvaged the front VHF part and it works great for digital if the set is close enough. I use it in a room on my second floor and it works.

Say what? Don’t let the false advertising fool you into thinking you need a digital antenna. There is no such thing as a digital antenna. Your “huge VHF/UHF antenna” would have worked fine.

 

[GP403]

Say what? Don’t let the false advertising fool you into thinking you need a digital antenna. There is no such thing as a digital antenna. Your “huge VHF/UHF antenna” would have worked fine.

^^^ this. its just rf. I have an old LP antenna in my attic, about 30mi away from the towers and does fine, but this is in Flatistan OK, too. also try without the amp, its just amplifying the noise along with the signal and does nothing. IIRC you need like ~60% signal to decode ATSC or something. Its true you do see some signal loss over the coax, but not enough to worry about UNLESS your cables or fittings are bad.

 

[Bonnewagon]

huge VHF/UHF antenna

Well it was on the side of my house and NOT working very well. I tested with the UHF part alone and it worked great up in my attic space. No way was I dragging that huge YAGI abomination up to my attic working or not. As I said it gets some channels better than the electronic antenna, but I can only point it one way at a time so some channels I can't get. I pointed it towards the Empire State Building. After 9/11 all the main transmitters were re-located back there.

 

[fleming442]

Achieved a major breakthrough this morning. The elusive NBC & Fox stations are good and strong, but lost ABC that I had and still can't get CBS.
I tried it with no amp, and signal was almost nonexistent. The fix so far has been the new CM-7777V2 preamp with 26dB of gain. I have a few more combinations to try, but I have regained my confidence.