Help with DB8e Tuning [Archive]

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freedy

11-Dec-2014, 12:03 AM

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3dd243f333a3cd10

I finally got my DB8e out of the living room and installed on the roof. At this point with both antennas pointing at Mt. Wilson 91* true north with a slight angle between the two, I can get all the channels I want from that direction.

One of the reasons I bought the two antenna system is so that I can also get KEYT at 291*. When the antenna was in the house I could get KEYT when I pointed the antenna at it (can't recall if I could get it using just one side or not). But with the antenna on the roof I cannot seem to get KEYT with one antenna. Also, when I use one of the antennas to point to KEYT I lose a few of the weaker stations from Mt. Wilson.

The stations that I watch from Mt. Wilson are (virt.) in the order they are on the analysis: 4.1, 7.1, 9.1, 5.1, 11.1, 13.1, 50.1, 58.1, 2.1. When I point an antenna toward KEYT 9.1, 28.1 and 50.1 fall off.

When I had the antenna in the house I could use the signal strength meter on the TV and flip through the channels to optimize the direction of each antenna. With the antenna outside I'm unable to do that. Is there a handheld signal strength meter I can get at a reasonable cost that has a tuner in it so I can tweak the antenna and see what each channel is doing in real time?

I appreciate any help I can get. I attached a picture of the install FWIW.

timgr

11-Dec-2014, 1:35 PM

Maybe enlist a helper and cellphone to aim the antenna? Someone on the roof and someone at the TV?

Certain heights may be bad for KEYT - look here. http://www.hdtvprimer.com/antennas/siting.html Try moving the antenna some, left/right and up/down.

ADTech

11-Dec-2014, 4:07 PM

You'd likely do best to simply remove the reflectors (carefully drill out the rivets, use standard #10 hardware to reinstall, if needed) rather than to try to aim individual panels in opposite directions. Doing so will make the antenna purely bi-directional (although at slightly lower gain, about 2-3 dB) on UHF. The drawback might be that whatever coincidental VHF reception you're currently getting might have to be addressed separately.

Is there a handheld signal strength meter I can get at a reasonable cost

How much is reasonable? You can usually score a working Sencore 1454 on ebay for under $300 if you're patient. Impatience will usually cost you $600 for which you can usually get a working Sencore 1476CM.

GroundUrMast

16-Dec-2014, 5:11 AM

Canadianeh

16-Dec-2014, 4:49 PM

I have been very satisfied with the metering capability of the SiliconDust HD HomeRun tuner.

The tuner is not a traditional handheld meter, but there's an app available that makes it a good substitute for an expensive commercial solution.

http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=820
http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=14059

I would agree with you on this. However, my HDHR4 is not nearly as sensitive on fringe channels, as my Hauppauge 950Q, or even my old Pinnacle 800i. But the HDHR's android tuning app does help with the initial aiming.

GroundUrMast

18-Dec-2014, 4:15 PM

I would agree with you on this. However, my HDHR4 is not nearly as sensitive on fringe channels, as my Hauppauge 950Q, or even my old Pinnacle 800i. But the HDHR's android tuning app does help with the initial aiming.I have to agree that the HDHR tuner is not the highest performance tuner out there... But for the price, it's signal metering makes it a very competitive option for antenna aiming and other system diagnostics. The Sencor test sets as suggested by ADTech are what I would look into if I was going to try to make a business of antenna installation. I would love to have some of the Agilent (HP) test gear such as their spectrum analyzer / sweep generators.

Cheers.