"Good" OTA signal strength?

[blackjackmark]

just got the OTA dongle and realize the signal strength scale for it only goes to 100 (heaven forbid Dish keep it consistent with the Dish signal strength!). Anyway, I have a few that show in the high 60's and the bar is yellow, so I'm guessing that's not optimal. What is considered an acceptable strength for OTA?

 

[Bobby]

70 and up

 

[dishdude]

70 is the bare minimum for my 612, anything lower freezes and skips. I like to see 75 or higher for a reliable picture.

 

[boba]

With 612 or 211K I start breaking up in the high 60's

 

[HipKat]

Asking because i don't know, how do you check signal strength on the OTA Dongle?

 

[charlesrshell]

Asking because i don't know, how do you check signal strength on the OTA Dongle?

Go to Settings then select OTA Antenna. Scroll thru all your OTA channels to see the signal strength for each channel.

 

[HipKat]

Go to Settings then select OTA Antenna. Scroll thru all your OTA channels to see the signal strength for each channel.

Thanks!! I've been thinking about adding one to my own system and dropping locals from my subscription. Much appreciated!

 

[cpdretired]

just got the OTA dongle and realize the signal strength scale for it only goes to 100 (heaven forbid Dish keep it consistent with the Dish signal strength!). Anyway, I have a few that show in the high 60's and the bar is yellow, so I'm guessing that's not optimal. What is considered an acceptable strength for OTA?

Where are you in central Illinois. Which are the closest cities that have strong signal. Which are the weakest stations. I'm only 30 S/W of Chicago in Lemont and I have a solid 100 on all Chicago stations. I did notice that you have four cities in different directions.

 

[MikeD-C05]

I have a couple of low powered stations that come in with a yellow signal strength on them and they come in from 75 to 80 but we don't lose signal. The rest of my main ota channels are in the green and 100%.

 

[Tampa8]

just got the OTA dongle and realize the signal strength scale for it only goes to 100 (heaven forbid Dish keep it consistent with the Dish signal strength!). Anyway, I have a few that show in the high 60's and the bar is yellow, so I'm guessing that's not optimal. What is considered an acceptable strength for OTA?

You can't realistically expect an OTA signal strength scale to have any relation to a Satellite scale. In fact there is no relation to the WA and EA readings because they are different. Same reason my VIP 612 readings have no bearing on your Hopper dongle readings they are different scales - all different than what a given TV strength means, different than my TIVO readings. None can be compared. So the only relation that has the most close meaning would be others with your same set-up though there can be a variation even there.
In addition to all that, 100% on my TV, 612, and TIVO are all different. 100% on the TIVO is about 85 - 90% on the 612 and over 100% on the TV. (Because when the TIVO shows around 90 to 95% the TV shows 100% or more) To keep a signal my VIP 612 has to show 60 or above my TIVO approx 50 or above.

 

[HipKat]

Where are you in central Illinois. Which are the closest cities that have strong signal. Which are the weakest stations. I'm only 30 S/W of Chicago in Lemont and I have a solid 100 on all Chicago stations. I did notice that you have four cities in different directions.

I didn't check signal strength but it picked up all of the Peoria, Springfield/Champaign channels, 1 from western Indiana, Quad Cities and a few from Northern Illinois. I should say this was early spring, cold, clear day, top of a 2 story house with no trees nearby.

 

[blackjackmark]

Where are you in central Illinois. Which are the closest cities that have strong signal. Which are the weakest stations. I'm only 30 S/W of Chicago in Lemont and I have a solid 100 on all Chicago stations. I did notice that you have four cities in different directions.

I'm in Champaign, so I have signals all around me. It'd be nice to be able to point in a single direction! But Fox and ABC are to the west and west-northeast, and CBS, PBS, AND NBC are to the west and west-southwest! Had an omnidirectional but it rarely picked up two of the five big networks. This one (ChannelMaster Ultratenna "multidirectional") is doing pretty well with all but two that are in the mid to high 60's. im only using it to supplement the Hopper locals and get a better picture for my new LG OLED.


I need to play around a little more with aiming it, but I'm not really fond of heights so I need to get my buddy back that put it up for me!

 

[tim3320070]

I am in Evanston (just north of Chicago, so close to towers) and get 100% on all major channels using Mohu leaf 30. Had a couple hiccups but moved the antenna to a more open part of my front window, now solid. Love saving $10 month but the improved PQ is the real benefit to me (less blurred edges around things).

 

[jackbyron1]

70! I beg DISH to lower that number to 40. I purchased a PVR converter box recording on an external hard drive because the best I can get from one of my locals is 44%. I want the COZI sub channel. That's with an outdoor antenna. Even with an indoor antenna it's the best it's gonna be. Yes, the station sucks.
I can't see why a $30 box made in China can pull in a consistent signal strength and the OTA dongle for the H3 can't. Please adjust your software and more of your subscribers will drop the locals. I have a theory the all my locals have dropped they're signal to either save money or they're preparing for the repack in 2 years and will have to invest in the new equipment. I don't know. Does the Tablo pull in stations with low signal strength?

 

[jackbyron1]

70! I beg DISH to lower that number to 40. I purchased a PVR converter box recording on an external hard drive because the best I can get from one of my locals is 44%. I want the COZI sub channel. That's with an outdoor antenna. Even with an indoor antenna it's the best it's gonna be. Yes, the station sucks.
I can't see why a $30 box made in China can pull in a consistent signal strength and the OTA dongle for the H3 can't. Please adjust your software and more of your subscribers will drop the locals. I have a theory that all my locals have dropped they're signal to either save money or they're preparing for the repack in 2 years and will have to invest in the new equipment. I don't know. Does the Tablo pull in stations with low signal strength?

 

[comfortably_numb]

The new dual OTA tuner is FAR less sensitive than the old single tuner; I try to get my signal strenghts as close to 100 on the dual dongle as possible. Every other tuner I own or have owned is more sensitive than the dual.

I agree with the other posters that 70 is the bare minimum on that dual dongle.