HDTV Setup

Visited the radiostationworld.com, thanks, a very clear description of the locals for me, with Kw strengths. I think they haven’t updated that list in a while, I know that on my KETH/TBN (Ch 14.1) has 5 more sub channels, which aren’t listed on the site, possibly others too.
yes that website may not be 100% up to date, but its pretty close. I Mainly use it to see what stations are in a market. The extra digital ones are even better :)

Your comment about not being able to “overpower” digital appears to be right on, considering that the other stations, not sure just where the Kw level “break” is, but the rest of them that I’m looking at, view about the same, though they do have a varying amount of Kw output.
yep with digital, as long as you have some signal it will come in. All of my digital stations are NE of me (all same area) except for Pax/i which is NW (90 degrees off the rest). Analog picture is blech for it but digital comes in great (76 signal...the rest are between 85-90)

OH WOW, just thought of something else, IF I did a A/B, wouldn’t I have to do an “Auto-Search”, each time I changed it ?
If you do that, I would do an auto search on the antenna that has the most and then manually add the others (most boxes will allow you to manaully add channels)

Also, you said: “Digital is drastically different than analog when aiming”. Just how different ?
just like in satellite, digital is more precise aiming. Analog will have snow if you're close. Digital will have a very low signal. Digital is better to aim an antenna because you can see the meter as you move the antenna :)
 
Berg
Aren't you going to answer his question about eating, sleeping, etc? :D
 
The foil backing on your new roof material will practically kill any reception from an attic antenna. An outside antenna will probably be needed.

The "yellow" reference is supposed to be a standard for rating the receiving range of an antenna. Yes there are yellow UHF/VHF antennas. The yellow specification won't have anything to do with "field of view". That varies with each antenna model/manufacturer. On the bright side if you're only trying to pull in signals from 7 miles away AND if you are concerned about neighbor complaints, there are several antennas on the market that are dome type or bar type and don't look like a conventional antenna. Generally they also don't perform as well as a conventional antenna either, but they might be an option. And there is always a chance that your existing attic antenna might be able to receive a digital signal well enough for you to use.

If you want to post your antennaweb results or zip code I'm sure you will get some good antenna recommendations.


I seem to remember seeing a OTA antenna that attatched to the outside edge of a DTV / DN dish . That might be a way of getting past the HOA ? Even if you did not use the feed from the DTV / DN LNBF for anything ?

Wyr
 
yep. Only drawback is if the antenna doesn't face the right way it wont work.

Where I am, the antenna would be aiming north and the stations are NE of me so it wouldnt work
 
Ice,
I knew of the FCC Regulation about Antenna’s/HOA. And you’re right about having an Antenna on the Roof. But, the hassle of dealing with them over one up there, is just not worth it. I’ve been through a long term fight with them over my Roof replacement, and I’m SO fed up with dealing with them, I just don’t want any more to do with them. They’ve made my home which I loved, into a house I hate to live in. Just thinking about them/that situation, just burns me up. Nuf said !

Ok, moving on now:
I’ve checked around on several Sites provided in the Posts, and can’t seem to find any information about just what “range” a Yellow Antenna gets. I see in your Post Attachment above, where it shows the Omni’s, but, the “smallest” Directional Antenna starts with a “Medium” directional “red” Antenna. Subsequently, I hope when I locate the specifications on some Antennas, they’ll give some physical sizes, where I can determine if I can use one or another.

I’ve been trying to read as many of the existing (posts) info on DTV, and saw one where (Towerguy I think) mentioned something about “overpowering” the DTV receiver. Given I’d like to have Towers A thru E available, even if I have to physically turn the Antenna, would getting an Antenna that would “reach” out 45+ miles, cause a problem when I had it set on Towers F and G, that are at 7 miles?

techpuppy/FAYRICH,

Uoops, spoke TOO soon about that Yagi I have in the Attic !
Seems like the Roofers, squashed the Cable when they laid the Plyboard over the Rafters! Having replaced the Cable, the signal is not bad at all. I just couldn’t understand why it deteriorated SO much, given the good signal it once provided.

Am getting 32 channels of DTV, from the F and G Towers, but haven’t turned the Yagi around, to check the other Towers yet. Actually I’m not too interested in the programming on them, but like I said to Ice, I’d like to have them available, IF I wanted to get up and adjust the Antenna.

Apparently I was a bit too judgmental about the Foil on the underside of the Plyboard. It appears that for the most part, it’s not attenuating the signals all that much. I admit, I just may not know what a “really” good signal looks like, having just started watching HD. But!, it is PROFOUNDLY better than what I’ve been watching in the past !

However, I AM getting a weak signal from my (lowest) Channel 2 and 2.1. Given what I’ve seen in some of the Posts, it may just be the characteristics of the Yagi, which, causes me to consider a “Directional” type replacement, IF that’s an answer to an unbalanced signals. Just to mention it, the DTV ranges up to 67.1 at my location, and it seems to have fair signal strength. It could be (like I said) that the Yagi is just weak in the lower range. Yet it could be because Ch 2/2.1 is not a strong signal to start with. I’ve yet to find a source that tells me just what power the Stations are transmitting at, where I could compare it to one with good reception.

FYI:
Yagi is a Rad Shack VU-90XR, 32 Element, 80” Boom,
VHF: 90 mi, UHF: 70 mi, FM: 70 mi, Dec. 1997.

The range issue and “opposite” tower locations, brings up the possibility of an additional antenna, via a A/B Switch. Used them before, and never was quite satisfied with their performance.
Does anyone know of one (Mfg) that is of “good” quality?

Given that the “Square” Phillips MANT940 has been mentioned, would there be any problems using it (which is an Amplified Antenna) and the Yagi which isn’t. Am concerned about the surge of voltage on the receiver, when changing A to B.
Someone have experience with this?

PS: Ice,
Hope I’m not “over thinking” this :) , and now (on another Thread) have been accused of being “Bi-Polar”. That, plus having purchased a “Dickfer” for my Sat System, I find it’s really hard to keep a good reputation on this website. :D



I know next to nothing about OTA HD / DTV . But since it is digital , it may be like digital sat TV ?

In that case , sat digital TV never gives a " bad " picture like the old analog OTA TV . You either get a good picture or , at low signal quality , it starts to pictilize & break up . But not much in between . Pretty much a good picture or no picture .
 
I know next to nothing about OTA HD / DTV . But since it is digital , it may be like digital sat TV ?

In that case , sat digital TV never gives a " bad " picture like the old analog OTA TV . You either get a good picture or , at low signal quality , it starts to pictilize & break up . But not much in between . Pretty much a good picture or no picture .

correct...when we start having storms my signal drops to 70 or less and starts pixeling
 
Catching up !

FELLAS !, I am SO sorry I haven’t gotten back with a reply to all of your posts. Been busy with family, showing my NEW TV off :) , and just haven’t had time to get back online and read your posts. THANK YOU ALL, for responding, and your patients !

Ice,
OF COURSE !, I didn’t think about just adding the channels manually ! I guess you CAN teach an OLD dog, new tricks! :confused: I probably could have read that in the Manual for the TV, but it’s almost 100 pages, and I keep going to sleep while I’m reading it ! :D

Don’t have a Signal Strength Meter built in, and would like to have that capability ! I suppose one can “add” one inline, true? Can you recommended a good brand ?

raoul5788,
Very glad you prompted Ice to reply about the eat/sleep comment.
I just thought he was hibernating, most Bears do about this time of year ! :D
PS: Great Car pic !, I used to own a 1949 Studebaker, just like yours ! :D :D

Wyr,
It’s SO good to see you online, was worried if everything was ok. Please keep in touch, and thanks for your comments, they’re always welcome.

All,
Given Ice’s comments on the sensitivity of aiming, I thought to get a Compass up in the Attic with me. It’s easy to get a little disorientated up there. I had thought to set up a new mount. Like a Floor Flange and Pipe, where I could get more precise settings. Right now I got it hung with some Nylon Cord, and it’s hard to get it moved “a little”.

I have a small portable TV (batt op), that I thought to take up in the Attic with me, to watch the signal, but it’s Analog, and I don’t think it will be sensitive enough to zero in on the Towers, like a Digital would. ( Ice, have a comment on that? )

When first connecting the system up, I got SO many HD/SD Channels, I thought it was just fine! However, as I tune back in on some, there’s sound dropout and pictilization on several, which I may be able to clear up (some) with the aiming adjustments.

Once I get past the holiday season, I’ll have time to find out if techpuppy was right about that foil backing on the roofing Plyboard, it just may be the reason for some of the signal problems. (DTV - 32 Ch total, 7 below standard ).

I did some Cable swapping the other day, checked out the Analog part of the Antenna, and it’s NOT all that good either. (18 Ch total, 8 below standard). Customarily I have the TWC box connected to the Analog Receiver.

Let me take this opportunity, to wish each and every one of you, and VERY Mary Christmas, and prosperous New Year. It has been such a joy, finding this site, and “meeting” good people like you guys. My VERY best to all of you. :up
 
tvfool.com New Tower Locator

Gees, I hate to post twice in a row, but I've ran across a Site, much like Antennaweb. Gives UHF/VHF Towers, Azimuths, Power, lots of stuff, thought you'd like to check it out at:

www.tvfool.com

Have a good Day ! :)

SWHouston
 
PB,
I liked it a LOT more than some of the others one can use, and you're right about the "Saves", I just GOT to have something in my hand I can look at ! :D

Specially liked the way you can select the Analog and Digital stations separately, but, I did send the Administrator (andy.s.lee) a note, asking that he make the Towers able to be "sorted" by Azimuth and Channel number. I use those two "sorts" a lot more than I do by the"Rx_dBm" (strength of signal at the selected location).

I'm not sure just how many of that type site you're interested in, but maybe the following might help in some instances:

CEA Antenna Tower Locator:
http://antennaweb.org/aw/Address.aspx3px#

Broadcast Stations Tower Locator:
http://www.2150.com/broadcast/default.asp

Radiostation World (TV & FM):
http://www.radiostationworld.com

GPS Coordinates & Magnetic Declination:
http://www.topozone.com
or
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/seg/geomag/jsp/Declination.jsp
or
http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/gazetteer

Additionally you might be interested in:

Tropospheric Ducting Forecasts:
http://www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo_wam.html

VHF Propagation Map, N.A.:
http://www.mountainlake.k12.mn.us/ham/aprs/path.cgi?map=na

A couple URL's above, are other sites which do the same as fvfool, just wanted to show them, someone may prefer those.
(can't understand why though) ! :rolleyes: :)

Have a good Day ! :)
 
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