losing channels

**krisman** · 12-26-2009 11:33 PM

I am from zip 37841. I have 11 channels that i can get with my antenna, including 4 channesl of ion. I was watching it one night last week with about a 60 signal. the next night i turn it on and nothing, like a 3 signal. so i do some turning and rescanning and still isnt doing anything. i cannot figure this out as ion was one of my strongest stations. the same thing happened with abc, luckily i got it back this morning. would the kind of converter box i have have anything to do with it? are there stronger boxes that might help to get better signal or possibly more channels?

**boba** · 12-27-2009 10:08 AM

We need much more information than a discription of your problem.
What converter box are you using?
What do you use for an antenna?
Where are you located zip code?
How long have you had this problem?
Do you have just 1 TV with problem or is it happening on more than 1 ?

**krisman** · 12-27-2009 10:25 PM

ive been having this problem for 3 days now, it was working fine but now i cant even pull in ion. im using a vhf and uhf separate antenna. antennas direct and yogi i think it is? and a winegard pre amp. im using a radio shack brand converter box (which could be my problem) but it seems like a high quality box. i just have it on one tv.
heres the report

TV Fool

37841 zip code
i know a guy from my city that is pulling in about 16 channels to my 11 using a wal mart box, and he isnt using anything but a combination uhf vhf antenna with no preamp at all.

is all of this even going to matter if congress gets rid of free tv?

**boba** · 12-28-2009 12:24 PM

How are your 2 separate antenna connected togther? The models of your antenna would be really helpful but probably unknown to you.

A first guess would be that you have a problem with your pre amp. Try removeing all parts from the system and see what your reception looks like.

Do you really believe FREE TV is going anywhere?

**krisman** · 12-28-2009 11:30 PM

well thats easier said than done, my pole is 30 feet high and i cant take it down by myself. but my 2 antennas are 5 or 6 feet apart. well its the same system that "nostaticatall" has. i cant really remember his name or i would look it up and tell you. but anyway yes i do have the preamp to where i can get to it. i have it wrapped in plastic wrap, maybe it could have gotten water in it or something. so youre saying the converter boxes are all about the same? it wouldnt have anything to do with getting anymore channels or better reception?

i would hope that free antenna tv woldnt go anywhere since the governemt spent all this money on converter boxes and going digital, but i saw where congress was trying to do away with antenna tv, have you heard this?

**Splicer** · 12-28-2009 11:59 PM

You may have a bad RG6 connection is what I'm thinking. Or water might have migrated in in. Why would you wrap anything in plastic?

Furthermore:

is all of this even going to matter if congress gets rid of free tv?

Congress has no intention of getting rid of free OTA TV. That shouldn't be a consideration for you at all.

**krisman** · 12-29-2009 02:56 PM

how are you getting 43 channels? seran wrap just sounded like a good idea at the time, what should i use?

**Splicer** · 12-29-2009 03:10 PM

You can see how I get 43 channels from 2 different DMA's in my signature. All 3 antennas are on one 10' mast.

As for the plastic wrap, you shouldn't need to use anything. What model pre-amp are you using?

**krisman** · 12-29-2009 10:54 PM

winegard ps 1503 does that sound right? for the preamp that is. i have it mounted near the bottom of my antenna pole and it said to keep indoors is the reason im keeping it covered. i just thought it was mandatory. anyway i have that, the converter box i got from radio shack (again, would all converter boxes do about the same or do some have a weak front end tuner kind of like a fta box?) and i have 2 antennas, vhf and uhf, one is an antennas direct and one is a winegard and thats all i can remember. are you telling me that you have 3 antennas on a pole? how would you even do that? id like to be able to get more channels but i dont want to get too complicated though

**Splicer** · 12-29-2009 11:50 PM

Originally Posted by krisman

winegard ps 1503 does that sound right? for the preamp that is. i have it mounted near the bottom of my antenna pole and it said to keep indoors is the reason im keeping it covered. i just thought it was mandatory.

What you have is a power inserter, for a pre-amp. It should be indoors as it is not weather proof.

anyway i have that, the converter box i got from radio shack (again, would all converter boxes do about the same or do some have a weak front end tuner kind of like a fta box?) and i have 2 antennas, vhf and uhf, one is an antennas direct and one is a winegard and thats all i can remember.

The box is, as has been said earlier, fine. Yes there are better boxes, but what you have should do the trick since it was doing the trick before.

are you telling me that you have 3 antennas on a pole? how would you even do that? id like to be able to get more channels but i dont want to get too complicated though

My antenna setup. However, the bottom antenna is lower. The bottom deflecter sits on top of the PVC pipe the mast clamps are attached to.

You live a messy area according to your TVFool plot if I recall so the likelyhood of getting 16 channels is a hope and a prayer in my opinion. Not saying it can't be done, but you have to be situated right to do it. 43 channels is the most I have heard about but I am sure there are others that get similar results. Oh, BTW, I worked in the CATV field for over 27 years so know a little about setting up antennas.

As I said. It sounds like a bad fitting/connector/power inserter either corrosion, water or poor quality materials. The wind might have blown the antenna off alignment. You could be getting multipath now with no leaves on the trees. A building could have been built causing multipath. A whole slew of reasons that it could be but it will be a process of elimination to find the cause(s). Check the balun connection, the balun itself, the fittings, etc...