OTA What is wrong with this picture?

[Martin]

Ok first off.....All are all Install, Inc installers total idiots?

When I first had VOOM installed everything worked great except for my OTA reception. I was receiving all my channels but one and the other channels would fade out so much you couldn't watch.

As you see below all of the digial channels in my area with the exception of one have broadcase antennas within 7 miles of my house. The one channel I do not get is 43.1 whose tower is 21.3 miles away. I live in Central Illinois which is pretty flat terrain.

After the initial install and the installer left, I was cleaning up the boxes and noticed he did not hook up the amplifier for the OTA antenna. I was nervous about hooking it up to the back of one of my TVs because I didn't want to blow out the satallite since there was a diplexer installed on the roof of my house.

I called the VOOM and they scheduled a service call for today. Well the installer came out and hooked it up. I do think he did not have any idea what he was doing. And obiviously when he came out the singal from the antenna was perfect, meaning I was not getting any channel fade from the OTA antenna like I usually get when watching local stations.

Anyway, I have attached a diagram of how my VOOM and OTA is currently installed. I believe I have a Wingard Omnidirectional TV Antenna Amplified Model MS-1010 or MS-2000. I do not know which model number I have. Should I expect to get channel 43.1 which is only 21.3 miles away using this antenna?

Call Sign / Channel / Compass Orientation / Miles From / Frequency Assignment
WTVP-DT / 47.3 PBS / 177° / 5.7 / 46
WEEK-DT / 57.1 NBC / 166° / 5.8 / 57
WHOI-DT / 19.1 ABC / 189° / 4.0 / 40
WMBD-DT / 30.1 CBS / 160° / 5.6 / 30
WYZZ-DT / 43.1 FOX / 103° / 21.3 / 28
WAOE-DT / 39.1 UPN / 136° / 6.8 / 39


Any help or comments on what I should do next would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Martin

 

[vurbano]

i have heard of using 2 directional antennas before, pointed in different directions with the proper frequency filters installed. Or a rotor would do it.

 

[occammd]

You don't want that antenna amp in the line. If he used the diplexer then the antenna should be getting its power from the STB.

 

[CraziFuzzy]

You should probably be able to pick up FOX with a directional antenna, the problem is it is a different direction than the rest. Like vurbano said, two antennas should work, but you would bee to install a channel 28 block on the other antenna, and a 28 passthrough filter on the fox antenna, then just send these two singals into a combiner (a splitter hooked up backwards) and then into the amp and diplexer.

Question about your setup though, do you sldo have diplexer in the bedroom? My suggested setup with one antenna would be as follows:

 

[occammd]

In that case, do you use a diplexer that doesn't pass DC for one of the STB?

 

[CraziFuzzy]

The dual diplexer that i was given with my install (a channelmaster something) passes the DC from one of the boxes (the one on Out1) to the antenna. It is clearly indicated on the connection diagram on the diplexer. Out1 passes it's DC to LNB1 and to the ANT, while Out2 passes it's DC to LNB2 only.

 

[bryan27]

Martin, although 21 miles isn't much WYZZ is operating with an STA (Special Temporary Authority). It is only putting out 3Kw. The signal isn't likely to go farther than 10 miles.