OTA digital signal threshold points

[waltinvt]

I searched a lot of past threads on this and still don't understand the criteria for what determines if the 811 will lock on a signal or not.

I recently spent $500 and put up an antenna, amp & rotor. I live in (hilly) Vermont and can get the Vt PBS HD with 85%. The transmitter is about 45 miles away and it locks quickly and looks good but there are a few other channels that seem to "want" to come in but won't lock. I realize this could be for a variety of reasons but before I invest anymore in improving the antenna I'd like to determine if it's the fault of the 811 or just a weak signal.

I'm at zip 05033 at about 800 ft elevation with partial view to the south. There are a slew of Boston stations down that way at about 126 miles plus WMUR in Manchester NH at about 76 miles - in almost the same direction.

When I do a "scan for digital" it will sometimes pick up enough to add 2 Boston stations (42-1 WHDH & 19-1 ?) to the list but not the Manchester (59) station, which actually seems to provide a "stronger" signal.

If I go to "add DTV" and manually enter 59, I get readings that bounce between 0, 40 & 49%, with an occasional spike to mid 50s and a few times I've even seen low 60s but just for a split second. If I tweak the rotor, I sometimes find a spot where it will stay steady at 49% for a while and then drop back to 0 or 40 for a second and back up to 49. Other times it will drop to 0 and then up to 55-60 for a second but mostly just to 49. I get similar results with the 2 Boston stations but they never a spike over 55% and never "stay" and 49%.

Is this possibly an 811 49% problem or more likely just a weak signal. If a weak signal, does it sound like it would be worth getting a stronger mast and raising the antenna a few feet ?

Thanks
WaltinVt

 

[ShadowEKU]

sounds to me like a weak signal. consider going to http://www.antennaweb.org to see if you can recieve some of those stations. Where I am 30 miles form my DMA I cant recieve anything,.

 

[oljim]

What ant, and amp do you have?

 

[waltinvt]

What ant, and amp do you have?

It's hard to read the receipt but it looks like 1 @ CWI 9022 $70.00; 1 @ 10' HDMast $18.00; 1 CM Rotor $119.00 (it's got a digital control box and looks like a 9521A); 1 @ AP-8275 Amp $130.00 + various brackets, cables & labor.

 

[gredneck]

If I go to "add DTV" and manually enter 59, I get readings that bounce between 0, 40 & 49%, with an occasional spike to mid 50s and a few times I've even seen low 60s but just for a split second. If I tweak the rotor, I sometimes find a spot where it will stay steady at 49% for a while and then drop back to 0 or 40 for a second and back up to 49. Other times it will drop to 0 and then up to 55-60 for a second but mostly just to 49. I get similar results with the 2 Boston stations but they never a spike over 55% and never "stay" and 49%.



Thanks
WaltinVt

I live in central New hampshire and have the same problem with wmur(fluctuating signal 0-75-35-0).
I have used a samsung ota tuner and now w/ my 921 with the same results.
(but I can catch boston staions)
I first thought I might have some how fried the amp or the ota tuner, but the 921 has the same characteristics and now you confirm this.
I think it's wmur.

look around the fcc site, there is a section where it will list t.v. stations by state and there approved watt output. (it doesn't mean that they are outputing at that wattage but most likely they are)

 

[mevman]

OTA lock threshold

You are pretty far away from your signal source. I live across the lake from Chicago at about 45 miles and I can barely get CBS. The average strength that I found I 'need' to get a good lock is at least 70%. At that level it will still pixelat sometimes.

 

[gredneck]

now that I think about it, when I first installed my antenna and then installed the Samsung HD OTA receiver wmur came in fine.
about a week later it started to pixelate a lot and then it went out.

maybe they cut back the power?

 

[waltinvt]

I live in central New hampshire and have the same problem with wmur(fluctuating signal 0-75-35-0).
I have used a samsung ota tuner and now w/ my 921 with the same results.
(but I can catch boston staions)

Yea, must be WMUR if you're having problems too - heck, you're about halfway between them and me. I envy you getting the Boston stations. Funny, I get roughly the same signal activity for WHDH (42) and whatever is on 19 as I do for WMUR and they're about 120 miles from me. Just wish I could get one ABC station in digital.

By the way, I've talked to WNNE and they're almost ready to start testing digital on 25 - probably mid December. Although with access to Boston's channels, you're probably not that interrested in another NBC from up this way.

 

[Tahoerob]

This is why we need to be able to get national HD feeds off the satellite!!!!!

Of course, Directv may seriously trump Dish next year with their plan for ~500 HD locals with another 1000 the year after on their new satellites!!

I may have to switch then!?!?!?

 

[hancox]

1) The national feeds on satellite won't help these guys. NH, while "in the boonies," isn't even close to a white area. The crap floating around for distants would only be for people in buttscratch, AR, and thus, worthless to most.

2) Antennaweb.org seems to have switched their methodology for determining antenna types and the like (probably in an effort to get people to buy bigger rigs - hmmmmmm). I use http://www.2150.com/broadcast to look at milages, etc. This also gives the wattage and signal pattern for each station.