TV reception?

[waksupi]

Ever since digital TV was forced upon us, my TV reception has been very poor at times. It used to just be during a rain, but now it goes out in good weather.
Not a huge deal usually, as so little is on the tube, but I am a baseball fan, and the Little League World Series, and the Major League World Series are coming up. The last three years I've missed most of the series, because of the equinox storms blocking the signal with rain or other weather conditions. I've been trying to find someone to DVD the main series for me, and hope I can get someone to do it, as I don't have many friends who are rabid baseball fans.
I have an amplifier on the antenna, but it doesn't seem to be doing the job. The translator is across the lake, and I'm sure I have very little clearance over the range to pick up the signal. Would it help to raise the mast higher? Any other ideas?

[Ford SD]

Are you picking up anolog or Digital tv

Some tv's are better at picking up Digital over the air (ATSC receiver)

I pick up ATSC (digital pictures/moves in in High def with 5.1

Is your amplifier a amplifier for digital
if you are using a anolog amp it will not work for digital

there are online places to get info
see
http://www.remotecentral.com/hdtv/
and others

My father gets some different chanels than I do -1/2 hour drive or channels in different places

and some atenas pick up digital better than others

[SGTM9]

It should help to raise the antenna. I get my tv off of an old pair of rabbit ears. Cars going by will scramble the signal for a few seconds. I put them up on the mantel and it helped.

[Garyshome]

Try this site, It should tell what you need to know.

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29

[MtGun44]

I had the same problems with an old TV and the converter box. Recently spent $300 on a 39"
Panasonic - - - WOW, WHAT A CHANGE!

Suddenly with just a set of old rabbit ears, I have something like 30+ channels, most sharp and
clear and stable. I think the new TVs are a ton better at dealing with this compared to the
converter boxes that they came up with to bandaid the situation. We are getting good reception
now from 70 miles in one direction and 35 miles in another, could barely get 3 channels before
with the converter box and old TV.

Now we are on a hill, so that helps, but it is a ton better than it was before with the old set
and converter box.

Maybe you can borrow a new TV for a day and see if it works as well for you as this did
for me.

Bill

[hiram1]

i may not be a big fan but if you don't have it fixed by that time let me know i will record it for you no biggy and send it to you.just let me know bro .

[manithree]

You might try AntennaWeb.org (http://www.antennaweb.org/Address.aspx) for help with aiming, types, etc. My reception greatly improved with the switch to digital.

[waksupi]

I've tried two different tv's on it, no luck. Both are digitals. The local PBS stations are analog, and are usually the only ones left on the air if bad weather happens. Now they are also gone.
When the switch over happened, the local translator tech told me what I needed to do, which amplifier to add to pull in signals. Worked pretty well for awhile, but has steadily and gradually gotten worse over the past few years. I'm in a canyon, and am also starting to think maybe the trees behind the shop have grown enough to block the signal??
Hiram, thanks for the offer, I'll keep that in mind.

[Cmm_3940]

In my experience, elevating the antenna helps. There is a marginal station where I live. I have a 14' roof antenna on my one story house and the reception gets choppy whenever the weather is bad. There are also thick pine trees in the LOS. My neighbor, with a 6' antenna on his 2 story house, gets the same station rock solid.

[firefly1957]

Waksupi those trees may be part of your problem since you are getting weak signals to begin with i have not looked into it but i think they recently cut the signal strength of the TV channels again i recently lost two more stations i got all the time and completely lost three stations i got some of the time. As far as DVD series my daughter got me season one of Justified last year for Christmas both me and the better half liked it so we bought seasons 2 & 4 and rented season three i just started watching them over when nothing is on .

[bangerjim]

DirectTV. Problem SOLVED!

bangerjim

[MaryB]

There is zero difference between a preamplifier for digital or analog signals. As long as it covers the frequency range in question it works. How old is the coax? Over time it can absorb water and degrade. And yes the higher you get the antenna the further away you can pick up a signal and the stronger the closer in signals get. Trees also block signals quite well at higher frequencies so if you can get above them go for it.

[waksupi]

There is zero difference between a preamplifier for digital or analog signals. As long as it covers the frequency range in question it works. How old is the coax? Over time it can absorb water and degrade. And yes the higher you get the antenna the further away you can pick up a signal and the stronger the closer in signals get. Trees also block signals quite well at higher frequencies so if you can get above them go for it.


The coax has to be close to ten years old, so could be part of the problem. I think I will try for higher, as most of the problem trees are on the neighbors property. I won't go for cable, I've seen it before, less to watch than if I only have five channels it seems. Definitely not worth the money to me.

[Artful]

waksupi does you internet connection let you have enough to do a Roku connection?

https://www.roku.com/meet-roku

[Cmm_3940]

The connectors also oxidize over time, which will lose you a few db of signal. With digital, though. It really shouldn't matter much. The challenge is getting the signal to the antenna. Digital is remarkably resilient to signal loss in the cable run.

FYI, digital TV signals are almost all in the UHF band; there is one annoying exception where the slot falls into the very top of the VHF spectrum. Naturally, one of my local stations uses that channel. :( This means that you are mostly using the skinny, or pointy end of a traditional kite-shaped rooftop antenna, and not the wide booms that stick out to the sides, which are for VHF/FM. Get the compass bearings for your local broadcast and make sure the long skinny end of the antenna is pointed towards the source.

[lylejb]

+1 on the trees blocking signal

I'm using a converter box on a 15ft long old type outdoor antenna, on 15' of pole to the ground.

I looked on antennaweb.org to find the heading for my stations, and guess what........exactly at the neighbors 50+ ft pine trees.

I get maybe half of what that antenna should pull in, even with an amp.

That's on a good day. If it rains, the wet pines seen to do even a better job of soaking up the signal.

and that's IF it's pointed in EXACTLY the right place. Digital seems much more directional than analog was.

I usually have to try to point the antenna slightly one side or the other of the tree, to try to pull in enough signal.

I don't watch much tv, but IF there's something I do want, I would like to be able to

Maybe that's why I spend so much time on here

[MaryB]

All the stations must be up in the UHF band segment. You can go to a bigger antenna, longer the antenna the more gain it has and the more signal your TV will see. Replace the coax with a good quad shield, that alone could make a difference. And amplifiers do go bad! I have seen all the above in the 40 years I have been repairing electronics(fixed dads 1965 Zenith hybrid when I was 10, from there on he never called the repair shop).

[waksupi]

waksupi does you internet connection let you have enough to do a Roku connection?

https://www.roku.com/meet-roku


I'd never heard of it, may look into it. Thanks!

[FISH4BUGS]

My son and I took our TV to the range 25 years ago to be murdered. Shot a full 36 round magazine from the S&W 76 on full auto. Finished it off with a single shot from the Serbu Super Shorty 20 ga. Son shot it with his .22. (yes, we cleaned up the mess).
What a liberating moment! Haven't missed it a bit. My 2 kids grew up without TV. They are now 34 and 28. I don't think they were any worse off for it. In fact, they are better off for it. They read a lot now as adults.
I read more and get lots more done now than when I had a TV. Casting, reloading, gardening, yard work, painting rooms indoors in the winter, etc.
TV was a wasteland for me and like a drug.....to each their own, but TV just didn't work for me.

[doc1876]

I reaimed my interior antenna about 15%, and that made all of the difference in the world. I really appreciate these links with the maps, I will check my new direction with them.

[MrWolf]

+1 on the Roku. We have three and I like them better than Apple tv and are cheaper.

[firefly1957]

Thanks for the information links i have had a channel here that does not show on any other information i finally know where it is from now. It is a religious station and for some reason never give a valid station ID.

[MT Gianni]

My son and I took our TV to the range 25 years ago to be murdered. Shot a full 36 round magazine from the S&W 76 on full auto. Finished it off with a single shot from the Serbu Super Shorty 20 ga. Son shot it with his .22. (yes, we cleaned up the mess).
What a liberating moment! Haven't missed it a bit. My 2 kids grew up without TV. They are now 34 and 28. I don't think they were any worse off for it. In fact, they are better off for it. They read a lot now as adults.
I read more and get lots more done now than when I had a TV. Casting, reloading, gardening, yard work, painting rooms indoors in the winter, etc.
TV was a wasteland for me and like a drug.....to each their own, but TV just didn't work for me.
I read an article in the Missoula Newspaper a few months after hurricane Katrina. A relocated lady from NO had ended up in MT and was working in a local diner. She claimed to be unaware of the upcoming storm as she had trashed her TV. Her first purchase was a 13" set and she claimed to only watch the 5:30 news but not to have missed any broadcast since her arrival. Just be smart and not let it control you.

[Reg]

Dishnet.com problem cured.

[Artful]

Had the bundle and by dropping everything but internet and getting 2 Roku's - even getting on Netflix, Hulu plus and Amazon prime - it's still saving me a bunch of money.

[FISH4BUGS]

I read an article in the Missoula Newspaper a few months after hurricane Katrina. A relocated lady from NO had ended up in MT and was working in a local diner. She claimed to be unaware of the upcoming storm as she had trashed her TV. Her first purchase was a 13" set and she claimed to only watch the 5:30 news but not to have missed any broadcast since her arrival. Just be smart and not let it control you.

I still get my news from the radio and/or internet and/or newspapers. I read at least three newspapers a day (both conservative and left wing) and still stay up to date on the news. I like getting my news from different sources - you would be surprised how blatantly biased some news organizations can be. It is good to get an alternative point of view.