OTA module issue

[Yragha]

OK, I originally posted this in general discussion but didn't get a reply to me that was satisfactory.

I recently gave my parents a 42 inch HD Dynex and I took their 25 inch Magnavox SD.

I originally had the 42 inch, using a 722k with a DB4 I believe it's called outdoor antenna only it's used inside. I got signals using the OTA antenna in the 90% range and I'm outside the city of Houston. I get signals fine using the 25 inch per the trade.

My parents who are in Houston, are now using the 42 inch Dynex, with a 322k and they too have the OTA module along with a DB4 outdoor antenna INSIDE.

HOWEVER...

Since the trade they have the most difficult time pulling in 2-13 (65% range) while most of 14-69 are fine. All the stations jump like crazy though now. They never had this issue with their old SD TV which I now have.

I meant to help them by giving them a gift of a almost brand new 42 inch TV cause I rarely ever watched it as it was a second TV for me. But now I'm befuddled as to what has caused their difficulty in pulling in the locals.

Can anyone help? A new antenna has already been suggested in the general forums but I ask why then did the DB4 work fine and dandy with their old SD and when I had the 42 inch I was pulling in locals fine on the outside of the city?

Thank you for your time.

 

[myron243]

You might have better luck in the AVS Houston OTA forum. Houston, TX - OTA - Page 197 - AVS Forum And inside the city and outside the city don't give much in regard to what a signal strength should be. There are folks outside the city that are a lot closer to the towers than a lot of us inside the city. Distance and direction are important factors. And that's about all I can say. The folks in the AVS forum can fully explain the reason a different antennea or a pre-amp may work.

 

[boba]

OK, I originally posted this in general discussion but didn't get a reply to me that was satisfactory.

I recently gave my parents a 42 inch HD Dynex and I took their 25 inch Magnavox SD.

I originally had the 42 inch, using a 722k with a DB4 I believe it's called outdoor antenna only it's used inside. I got signals using the OTA antenna in the 90% range and I'm outside the city of Houston. I get signals fine using the 25 inch per the trade.

My parents who are in Houston, are now using the 42 inch Dynex, with a 322k and they too have the OTA module along with a DB4 outdoor antenna INSIDE.

HOWEVER...

Since the trade they have the most difficult time pulling in 2-13 (65% range) while most of 14-69 are fine. All the stations jump like crazy though now. They never had this issue with their old SD TV which I now have.

I meant to help them by giving them a gift of a almost brand new 42 inch TV cause I rarely ever watched it as it was a second TV for me. But now I'm befuddled as to what has caused their difficulty in pulling in the locals.

Can anyone help? A new antenna has already been suggested in the general forums but I ask why then did the DB4 work fine and dandy with their old SD and when I had the 42 inch I was pulling in locals fine on the outside of the city?

Thank you for your time.

There is no 322K a 322 is a SD receiver and cannot use an OTA module, please clarify your information?

 

[Yragha]

222k

 

[TheKrell]

The DB4 antenna is a UHF-only antenna. That is why your parents aren't getting service on VHF channels. If your parents were formerly using the MT2 module in their 222k using this antenna, and it worked fine with their SD TV, then I'm mystified. It should not. Perhaps your parents were bypassing their 222k tuner and using the tuner in their SDTV? Surprised it could do anything with an ATSC signal! The experience you report with this UHF antenna in a different location is not really relevant to the same antenna in another location. Sometimes you can make a world of difference just raising an antenna 6".

 

[tempVAdish]

A city can create multipath (signal bouncing off structures and such and coming from several directions), which is bad for any reception, however analog signal will show ghosting when multipath is occurring... Digital signals do not handle multipath very well because of the "ghosting" that is occurring with the data stream... Sometimes moving an antenna from the point of the strongest signal will help (not pointing directly in the direction of the station), or if it's in an attic like mine, moving around the attic can help as well.

 

[Peter Parker]

The channels that identify themselves with legacy VHF channels numbers are not necessarily broadcasting from those frequencies. i would start by running a channel scan if the receiver indeed has an OTA tuner.

If that fails I would move the antenna and repeat the process. BTW a UHF antenna should be adequate to tune in High VHF (7 and above) but again what matters is the actual broadcast frequency which may not e the ency.same as the traditional broadcast frequ

 

[whatchel1]

There is a low power digital on 7(Daystar) & high power ch 8 PBS in Houston. Other than that everything is UHF. Power for everything except maybe 7 should get you good signal. Sounds more like you have directional or multipath problem.

 

[Yragha]

I set it up just like I set my system up. That's why I'm totally baffled on this one.

They were getting all 90% before the switcharoo and now, poof!

I tried their OTA module in my 722k thinking the module might be going.... nada I get all 100% in Pasadena. They get 58-65% on digital 11, 13 on the NW side and consistent signal drops (we're talking 85% to 70) which make all or most other stations unviewable.

 

[boba]

I set it up just like I set my system up. That's why I'm totally baffled on this one.

They were getting all 90% before the switcharoo and now, poof!

I tried their OTA module in my 722k thinking the module might be going.... nada I get all 100% in Pasadena. They get 58-65% on digital 11, 13 on the NW side and consistent signal drops (we're talking 85% to 70) which make all or most other stations unviewable.

Sure sounds like you are describing multipath problems, relocate the antenna or get them a better more directional one.

 

[pamajestic]

Both CBS KHOU-11 and ABC KTRK-13 are VHF. Your parents need a combo antenna to receive all of the Houston channels.

 

[n0qcu]

Both CBS KHOU-11 and ABC KTRK-13 are VHF. Your parents need a combo antenna to receive all of the Houston channels.

While that may be true, the way I read the original post it was working before they swapped TV's. So my guess would be the antenna is now longer in the the so called "sweet" spot to receive the stations. If the OP cannot find the same spot again or another that works then the antenna should be moved outside or replaced.

 

[whatchel1]

OUTSIDE which is what the DB4 was designed for. Not an inside antenna.

 

[whatchel1]

Both CBS KHOU-11 and ABC KTRK-13 are VHF. Your parents need a combo antenna to receive all of the Houston channels.

Hi VHF will pick up fine on UHF antennas. Been doing it since digital came out. You only need a big VHF/UHF ant for 2 reasons. 1 directionality where you need a tight beam (in cases of where you can reduce multipath) or gain where the signal is distant.

 

[myron243]

What boba says. You can go to http://www.tvfool.com and get maps that show the expected signal strengths. There may be more things to cause multipath between the area of NW Houston your parents are in and the antennas in Missouri City compared to the Area of Pasadena you are in.