Newbie questions

[mastermesh]

Antenna Web is showing me this:
Antenna Call Sign Channel Network City State Live Compass Miles Frequency
Type Date Orientation From Assignment
red - vhf KOMU 8 NBC COLUMBIA MO 100° 26.4 8
* red - uhf KMOS-DT 6.1 PBS SEDALIA MO 194° 24.6 15
* blue - uhf KOMU-DT 8.1 NBC COLUMBIA MO 100° 26.4 36
blue - vhf KRCG 13 CBS JEFFERSON CITY MO 117° 39.8 13
blue - uhf KMIZ 17 ABC COLUMBIA MO 141° 16.8 17
blue - vhf KMOS 6 PBS SEDALIA MO 119° 29.5 6
violet - uhf KNLJ 25 REL JEFFERSON CITY MO 115° 39.6 25
violet - uhf K38II 38 FOX COLUMBIA MO 115° 27 38
violet - uhf K56AU 56 TBN COLUMBIA MO 90° 25.2 56

We've got a standard ota antenna on the chimney of our house. I don't know brand name or anything... but it's just your typical arrow aerial type thing. We get channels 6, 8, 13, 17, and sometimes 25 by aiming that sort of southeasterly. We are basically straight down I-70 from Columbia, so I think we are sort of aiming for an area halfway between Columbia and Jefferson City.

Would it do us any good to try to add another antenna or anything to try to pick up 25 better, and maybe 38 and 56.

Also, is there any way of knowing if 38 and 56 are digital or analog? We just have analog tv for ota at the moment. When we are forced to go digital in 2009 (or maybe sooner?) will we get 38 and 56 and not have to worry about any new antennas or anything?

 

[voomvoom]

I'm not sure, but I think if 38 and 56 were Digital, they would be listed as 38.1 and 56.1 respectively? I don't really want to add to your confusion with something I know little about, but it appears to me, if you put a rotor on the antenna, you could turn it in the direction of the best signal for the Station you may be watching? There's probably nothing wrong with the antenna you have, you just need a way to turn it? My guess...

Al

 

[Jim5506]

38 and 56 are analog repeaters. More info coming.

 

[Jim5506]

TV Fool - Home gives more info than antennaweb.org. Input your exact address and zipcode.

You appear to be down in a low area and need to get the antenna up at least 60 ft agl to start getting better signals.

I used 100 ft on TVFool.com and found all the major networks except FOX. They will probably be on a repeater after Feb 2009.

All the digitals will be UHF except KRGC-DT on ch 12.

* yellow - uhf KMOS-DT 6.1 PBS SEDALIA MO 194° 24.7 15
* red - vhf KRCG-DT 13.1 CBS JEFFERSON CITY MO 117° 39.7 12
* blue - uhf KOMU-DT 8.1 NBC COLUMBIA MO 101° 26.3 36
* violet - uhf KNLJ-DT 20.1 REL JEFFERSON CITY MO 116° 39.6 20

ABC will be KMIZ-DT 17.1 ABC Columbia Mo 141 16mi Ch22

 

[mastermesh]

38 and 56 are analog repeaters. More info coming.

So are 38 and 56 not real stations that you should be able to pick up? I've never been able to pick them up, even when I lived in Columbia... do repeaters really have any purpose to us home users or are they just for moving signals along from station to station? It'd be darn nice if there was some local FOX station. Unfortunately, there's not. I was kinda hoping it'd be possible to pick up 38, but if it's not a real station, I guess I'll give up?...

 

[Jim5506]

They receive the signal from the station, probably by OTA or microwave and re transmit it at low power levels for a very limited area.

 

[mastermesh]

did some looking around on other forums elsewhere... apparently 38 and 56 are both hard to get, but they are also subchannels on the digital side of 17, so I gotta get myself a digital tv one of these days. I think I'll wait til 2008 when the voucher program starts. It's kinda cool that there'll be lots more tv to watch around here ota...

Channel 8 also looks like on digital it's got CW.... http://www.komu.com/satellite/Satel...c60b8a6d/8ef5183e-c0a8-2f11-01f6-da9714606b37

so once I go digital...

I'll pick up upn, nbc, abc, cbs, cw, fox, my network tv, a special weather channel that shows a radar and does weather forecast automated 24/7, when all we got right now is abc, cbs, and nbc analogue.... This is a freaking revolution! WOO HOO!

 

[TommyTDFVC]

I'm hoping that most channels are close 25,30 or less miles. Hard to read your antennaweb results unless the last number is distance. Since distance is the key, I would analyze the location of the closest ABC,NBC,CBS,FOX, others. If they are in the same direction, good. Sounds like you need a rotor or a bigger antenna rated for that distance. Maybe check with -not an ad- my friends at Bursma electronics in Michigan-go to website. Don't go to radio shack in my opinion.
Getting the VHF (larger waves) channels you enjoy will come from the big arrow shaped part of your antenna. The UHF (smaller wave) channels will be received by smaller fins on the tail of the antenna. It is often necessary to turn an antenna so that the smaller section faces the higher channels so they come in clearly.
Sometimes, All the lower channels are close in direction, and you add a UHF antenna to point to the higher channels you like and route the signal through an appropriate signal combiner.
All of this is relatively cheap. Unless you live in the middle of a bunch of trees with no tower.
Sounds like you simply need a rotor. I also see lots of big tvs with poor off air tuners.
Spend a couple of bucks on the rotor and signal amplifier. Though you won't need one if you live in a metro area.-Not familiar with your info.

Don't be confused-any antenna is a digital antenna. Even a coat hanger! The digital signal basically "rides piggyback" on the analog signal. Because of modern conversion technology, you can get a perfect digital picture from a comparably weak analog signal.

Good luck,

Tom