Trouble with WRC-TV Channel 4-1 Washington DC

[chapelrun]

My brother and I have been working at my Mom's house near Berryville, VA (22611) to try to get WRC-TV 4-1 from Washington, DC.

First the setup and what we have tried so far. The antenna is a combo antenna from about 1982 and is about 11 feet long with both VHF and UHF sections (we don't believe the antenna is the problem). The issue started when we noticed none of the Washington, DC or Baltimore VHF channels were tuning. This problem was corrected by replacing the Channel Master Spartan PreAmp with a Channel Master 7778 Titan (not the Titan 2) using the combined Input. This allowed us to get some of the VHF channels back but not all - - but did NOT allow WRC-TV 4-1 to be tuned in. Next we purchased a Channel Master 7777 (not Titan 2) from eBay that appears to have never been used. This improved almost all signal strengths across the board - - and added a few more channels, but still no WRC-TV 4-1.

It appears that possibly something is interfering with UHF channel 34 but we are not sure what. We have tried several different tuners including the old DTV Pal Plus and the internal tuner in the old Visio TV. The total number of channels scanned in was 53 today about noon time.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be welcome. And please let me know if you need more information.

https://www.rabbitears.info/s/1276543

Sorry - just noticed I put this thread in the wrong place - - sorry about that.

 

[fri1038]

Looking at your RabbitEars report, you may be getting interference from WHSV's transmitter on the south end of Massanutten mountain. Both it and WRC transmit on channel 34 - the number in parenthesis in the report.

Similar situation with WSVF-CD and WTTG - both on 36.

There aren't any VHF same-channel issues in your report.

Click on the mileage links under Transmitter Distance in the report. You'll see there is a 1750' obstruction blocking DC.

 

[chapelrun]

I had totally missed the other UHF 34 WSVF-CD on Massanutten Mt. It now seems clear that Mom's antenna can "see" both WRC-TV in Washington, DC and WSVF-CD. However, when WRC-TV was on UHF 48 - - it was one of the strongest channels - even though we are behind the 1750' Blue Ridge Mt. which you point out. Thanks - - this is very helpful.

Without getting too fancy - I guess we could move Mom's antenna to a place that would block the UHF - 34 from Massanutten. Maybe even using the house to "block" signals from the south. I may setup a little test to see if this is feasible.

 

[primestar31]

I had totally missed the other UHF 34 WSVF-CD on Massanutten Mt. It now seems clear that Mom's antenna can "see" both WRC-TV in Washington, DC and WSVF-CD. However, when WRC-TV was on UHF 48 - - it was one of the strongest channels - even though we are behind the 1750' Blue Ridge Mt. which you point out. Thanks - - this is very helpful.

Without getting too fancy - I guess we could move Mom's antenna to a place that would block the UHF - 34 from Massanutten. Maybe even using the house to "block" signals from the south. I may setup a little test to see if this is feasible.

I had this issue with two rf17's almost directly opposite of each other. Lowering my antenna 12 feet stopped it, so now I only get the rf17 in front that I want to get.

 

[fri1038]

Do you receive any UHF channel from DC currently? WETA 26.x on RF31 or WPXW 66.x on RF35?

If so, I am hesitant to mention it because of the risk, but WRC can be had with an ATSC 3.0/NextGen tuner that supports DRM encryption: a TV with an ATSC 3.0 tuner or an external tuner box such as the ChannelMaster/Zinwell ZAT-600B or Zapperbox. It would be an at least $150 gamble. WHUT's RF33 transmitter is the ATSC 3.0 host for WRC and the other DC primary networks.

edit: only WRC's 4.1 is on the ATSC 3.0 signal - not the other 4.x or 44.x subchannels.

 

[chapelrun]

We DO receive both WETA and WPXW, plus many other channels with towers in DC like WTTG. If fact, we get most of the channels coming from DC and Baltimore. I think your original answer really did point us in the right direction.

Not ready yet to go to ATSC 3.0 since Mom just got rid of her old Cathode-ray Tube (CRT) TV with a converter box from 2009. Mom's 93 and just wants to watch her "normal" channels.