Can I just get this thing to pull in ONE channel???

[notny41]

OK,

So I have this 42" Sony Plasma EDTV in my basement. I just want to see what she'll do on HD right?

I got a Voom box off ebay. I got a powered indoor antenna from Menards. I hook them up in my kitchen (main level) and depending on where I have the antenna I can pull in 11 channels. They look very nice on my 13" tv in the kitchen.

Now I want to pull in just one channel to see what it looks like on my plasma downstairs. Do you think I can even find one fricken channel when I have the antenna down there? NO!!!!!

Alright, I tried to hook up the antenna in the kitchen and pipe it downstairs through coaxial cable... (for all you Steve Martin fans out there) ...NoooOOOOoooo!!!!

Even though when I go through the aim local antenna procedure, I can get the dang thing to read in the high 90's in the RF I'm trying to pull in. When I scan it goes right by that RF without even attempting to find the station...

What can I do?

I'm thinking an outdoor antenna would be the next step, but will I buy that and then come across the same problem???

ALMOST READY TO GIVE UP!!!!

 

[lctidwell]

just one channel

My son in Ohio had same problem. The basement was full of rebar. He had to use an out side antenna. Works fine now. Larry

 

[snaggerbob]

higher is better for antennas

 

[Ilya]

Alright, I tried to hook up the antenna in the kitchen and pipe it downstairs through coaxial cable...

Welcome to the forum!
Try scanning upstairs (where you get 11 channels), and then try running a cable from the antenna to your TV set (and the box) in the basement. Make sure the voltage is passed to the antenna. If you are using any splitters they may not be passing the DC voltage. Once everything is connected, try switching the channels (without re-scanning them).
Good luck!

 

[notny41]

Snaggerbob, all I have to say is....NICE AVATAR!!!!!

Ok, here's the update (some good news, some bad, but mostly good):

I went and got an outdoor antenna. Threw it up in my attic hoping I had it in the general direction of our towers. Nothing (although I hadn't really aimed it at that point). So, I went and got a $10 12db amplifier at Menards and then I could pull in one channel (not with the original box but a 2nd voom box I had laying around). Then I decided it was time to take a compass up in the attic and get the antenna pointed at 328 degrees as according to antennaweb.org. After that and in conjunction with the amplifier I now proudly scan and get 21 channels loud and clear. So I am good to go. That's the good news.

Here's the final setup that works for me: Voom Receiver on 6.20 software version, RCA ANT3020X antenna aimed at approx 328 degrees on the compass, RCA outdoor antenna 12 db amplifier, about 100ft coaxial cable strung down to my basement, scans 21 channels and pulls them in very well.

Here's the bad news. I changed all of the wires over to my original voom box and I scan channels and get absolutely nothing. Even though when I go to aim local ota antenna comes up green bar and over 85 on each RF that I have channels on... Is this box bad? I also have another voom box that has super old software on it that will not allow me to scan channels. I wonder if I could interchange any parts between the two to make another good receiver????

 

[Ilya]

...I wonder if I could interchange any parts between the two to make another good receiver????

You can try replacing the OTA tuner module. That's pretty much the only part that is easy to replace.

 

[notny41]

Well I ended up getting the other machine to scan (and find) channels. I powered it off, on and then hit the little red reset button under the far right hidden compartment on the front. Then it worked just fine.

MAN! I am super impressed with the picture I get on the HD channels. I had the voom box connected to the tv via the yellow video rca cable and the two left and right sound rca jacks... Switched it to the progressive scan red, blue, green rca jacks and it made a HUGE difference! I'm really liking this!

Thanks everyone!

 

[Ilya]

... and then hit the little red reset button under the far right hidden compartment on the front.

That button is not a reset button. It switches the resolution modes: 1080i-720p-480p-480i-Native.

I had the voom box connected to the tv via the yellow video rca cable and the two left and right sound rca jacks... Switched it to the progressive scan red, blue, green rca jacks and it made a HUGE difference!

Only this component and also DVI output deliver HD signal. All other video outputs (including the yellow composite and S-video) can only deliver SD at 480i.

 

[notny41]

Ilya, thanks for the info there. No wonder it wasn't all that impressive before

What's the best resolution then, is it the 1080i?

 

[snaggerbob]

I think native finds the best resolution for what you are watching.

 

[Ilya]

Yes, Native mode (when all 4 horisontal bars blink) is usually the best one.
However, if your TV set does not support 720p (or if it down-converts it to lower resolution), switching to 1080i-fixed may produce better results.
Though this all may not be very important with EDTV, since it is not really HDTV...

 

[notny41]

I think I will try to get it to native mode then.

Can I just push that button anytime while the box is on?

 

[Ilya]

Yes you can. And as you do that watch the horisontal bars on the box blink.
The upper one means 1080i, the next one is 720p, and so on.

 

[notny41]

I put it on native (which I like because it automatically adjusts the shape of the picture to the correct shape) but it takes so long when switching channels before you see the picture. Any way to speed that up? I have it set to the 1080 now because I don't like the wait.

 

[lilyarbie]

The Waiting period could reside within the television set...

Sometimes it takes a second or two longer to display an image on my HDTV when I set it to native whenever I switch from a channel that is 1080 interlaced to an SD channel that is 480 interlaced. The reason for this is because the television has to readjust to the resolution that is being inputted to the picture. Maybe that is the case with your situation???

 

[notny41]

Could be. Oh well. Probably just leave it set to 1080. Thanks!

 

[notny41]

Snagger, what's up with the new avatar????

 

[snaggerbob]

which one? i use several.

 

[notny41]

I was just bummed that you don't have the santa-ish one out there anymore...

I do like the hotrod one that you have out there now though! What is that a fairlane?

 

[snaggerbob]

It's a 65 Fairlane. Good eye notny. My granny bought it in 72. I've had it for about 15 years. I've put alot of TLC into it.