Chicago area reception results

[Lurker501]

I live in Bartlett right next to Elgin right on the border of Cook, Kane, and DuPage counties. i'm approximately 32-33 miles from the broadcast towers for the main Chicago stations. Here are my results, please post yours. (sorry about the formatting, wish I could do tabs. It took out all the spaces I put in to separate the columns!!!)


This is using a Radio Shack VU-190 160" boom 57 element antenna on a Vizio 47" 1080p LCD TV

Quality Call Sign Channel Network City State Compass Miles
720p WPWR-DT 50.1 MNT Gary IN 106 32.5
720p WFLD-DT 32.1 FOX Chicago IL 106 32.5
1080i WMAQ-DT 5.1 NBC Chicago IL 106 32.5
480i Poor W57DN 57 TBN Elgin IL 44 .6
480i WYCC 20 PBS Chicago IL 103 32.9
480i WGBO 66 UNI Joliet IL 103 32.9
480i WPWR 50 MNT Gary IN 106 32.5
1080i WGN-DT 9.1 CW Chicago IL 105 32.5
480i WSNS 44 TEL Chicago IL 106 32.5
480i WLS 7 ABC Chicago IL 106 32.6
720p WLS-DT 7.1 ABC Chicago IL 106 32.5
480i WTTW 11 PBS Chicago IL 106 32.6
480i WFLD 32 FOX Chicago IL 106 32.9
480i WXFT 60 TFA Aurora IL 106° 32.5
480i SD WXFT-DT 60.1 TFA Aurora IL 106° 32.6
480i WCIU 26 IND Chicago IL 106° 32.5
720p WCIU-DT 26.1 IND Chicago IL 106° 32.5
480i WCPX 38 i Chicago IL 103° 32.9
480i SD WCPX-DT 38.1 i Chicago IL 106° 32.6
480i WWME-CA 23 IND Chicago IL 106° 32.5
480i Poor WBBM 2 CBS Chicago IL 103° 32.9
Can't get WBBM-DT 2.1 CBS Chicago IL 103° 32.9
720p WTTW-DT 11.1 PBS Chicago IL 106° 32.5
480i SD WSNS-DT 44.1 TEL Chicago IL 106° 32.5
480i Poor WJYS 62 REL Hammond IN 144° 38.6
480i Very Poor WMAQ 5 CBS Chicago IL 106 32.6
480i WGN 9 CW Chicago IL 103° 32.9
480i SD WYCC-DT 20.1 PBS Chicago IL 103° 32.9
480i SD WGBO-DT 66.1 UNI Joliet IL 103° 32.9
480i SD WJYS-DT 62.1 REL Hammond IN 106° 32.5
Can't get WYIN 56 PBS Gary IN 137° 62.4
Can't get WQRF 39 FOX Rockford IL 296° 51.1
Can't get WREX 13 NBC Rockford IL 295° 54.9
Can't get WTVO 17 ABC Rockford IL 296° 51.4
Can't get W64CQ 22 TBN Arlington Heights IL 56° 17.0
Can't get W68DO 68 TBN Palatine IL 106° 32.5


The following channels were not listed on Antennaweb.org that I receive. The information is limited.

480i SD NBC5WX 5.2 CBS
480i SD WLS SD1 7.2 ABC
480i SD WLS SD2 7.3 ABC
480i SD TUBE 9.2 TUBE
480i SD WTTW DT 11.2 PBS
480i SD WTTW DT 11.3 PBS Create
480i SD WYCC 2 20.2 PBS Test pattern
480i SD MeTV 26.2 IND
480i SD WFBT 26.3 Korean TV?
480i SD WWTO-D1 35.1 Religious
480i SD WWTO-D2 35.2 Religious
480i SD WWTO-D3 35.3 Religious Music JCTV
480i SD WWTO-D4 35.4 Religious TBN Enlace USA Spanish
480i SD WWTO-D5 35.5 E/I ?
480i SD QUBO 38.2 qubo Children's TV
480i SD ION W 38.3 ION W ?
480i SD WORSHIP 38.4 Religious
480i ? 41 KBS World Korean TV
480i ? 48 Chinese ?

 

[Lurker501]

Oh, I forgot to mention that I have the antenna just laying on my fiberglass insulation in my attic.

 

[dodge]

chicago Reception results

When the Weather warms up, put that antenna outside where it belongs!!! Better Reception, and Higher signal strength will occur and you might just get wbbm dt3... I reccomend taking black electrical tape and taping the antenna elements to the blue plastic insulators to help renforce the elements.

If you still cant get wbbm, try a preap those usually help if there is not a ton of electrical noise around you Ie power poles and transformers...

 

[Lurker501]

I noticed in your sig that you have both a 921 and a 622.

1.) Which is better, and why?
2.) Is the 921 even available anymore?
3.) Do you have your OTA feeding through the receiver or directly to the TV?

Thanks.

 

[dodge]

921 and 622

I have the 921 on one hd set and the 622 on the other hd set. I have my ota in the tuner of the 622 and the 921. The 622 is better as it gets more hd channels ( receiver is mpeg 4 capable). The ota tuner on the 622 is a tad better as it gets wbbm ota a majority of the time after 7 p.m. as the 921 barely gets wbbm unless the conditions are good. Pretty soon I will be replacing the 921 with a new 622 and my brother will get the 921.

The 921 is nolonger availible from dish except as a warranty reconditioned replacemnt. You probably still could get a used 921 on ebay or Craigslist...

 

[Lurker501]

How'd you manage the no DVR fees for the 721?

I've got a 721 now along with an older 4000 unit. I just got my first HDTV and I'm trying to figure out if I want to go with a Dish PVR, or maybe make my own HTPC.

See I think I can live without the Dish HD content as long as I can get my OTA stuff. But I would love to be able to have the PVR functionality. Like maybe have a PC setup to pass through the OTA signal and the SD Dish signal so I can have my cake and eat it too.

Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks.

 

[dodge]

How'd you manage the no DVR fees for the 721?

I've got a 721 now along with an older 4000 unit. I just got my first HDTV and I'm trying to figure out if I want to go with a Dish PVR, or maybe make my own HTPC.

See I think I can live without the Dish HD content as long as I can get my OTA stuff. But I would love to be able to have the PVR functionality. Like maybe have a PC setup to pass through the OTA signal and the SD Dish signal so I can have my cake and eat it too.

Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks.

The 721 came out before dvr fee's did, If you want dvr but no dish hd, pc may be good, dont know much about the internal tuners, just make sure if you dont like it or the tuner sucks, just make sure you can take it back, as for antenna , if you want cbs, get big vhf uhf combo antenna and get it up high, you may also need a preamp as well
antenna to get would be either the winegard hd8200p or hd7084p
preamp would be any ap series like the ap 8275