Help getting Fox (WTIC-TV)

[bigl523]

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3df1f04ea1279087

I get CBS, NBC, and ABC but am having problems getting FOX (61.1 WTIC-TV). I don't understand as the NBC antenna is at the same azimuth as NBC 30.1. 61.1 the signal strength is 81% but the quality jumps from 0 to 10 to 36. Could it be a problem with the antenna thats transmitting? I have a Channel Master CM-3018 (60 mile range) located in the attic with a winegard boost xt preamplifier. Without the preamp I get diddly squat. It's pointed at more or less 340 degrees. Thanks in advance.

[No static at all]

Have you tried moving the antenna to different areas of the attic? It may be sitting in a dead spot for Fox.

[ADTech]

If you're not getting anything without a pre-amp, you have something severely wrong with your system or its location. You have signal margins at your location with surplus signal margins of over 35 dB plus an antenna with a presumed UHF gain of ~10 dB.

That suggests that one or more of the following is affecting your reception:

You're in a dense forest.
Your roof contains metal that is blocking the signals from the antenna.
The antenna is assembled incorrectly or has a defective matching transformer.
The antenna is situated either behind or too close to some metallic object that is detuning it or is blocking the signals.
You have a defective coaxial cable or connector somewhere in the signal path.
There is an unidentified component somewhere in the system that's severely attenuating signals. Old satellite multiswitches are the most common if reusing coax from a Dish or Directv install.
Defective tuner.

As NSAA, suggested, move the antenna and see if reception of that Fox station improves. Yours is a very common problem and correcting the antenna location is almost always the solution to the problem.

[GroundUrMast]

One of the most effective tools available to the DIY antenna installer is a known good cable that can be used to bypass a suspect component. For less that $20 you can get a 50' cable with factory installed connectors and an F-81 barrel connector. These two parts can greatly simplify trouble shooting.

Example: http://www.homedepot.com/p/CE-TECH-50-ft-18-Gauge-RG-6-Coaxial-Cable-Black-RG6-COAX-CABLE-Black-50-ft/203717795
http://www.homedepot.com/p/CE-TECH-Twist-On-F-Connector-White-5010-WH/204267367

With the 'tools' mentioned, and a good TV tuner, you have all the parts need to run this test, http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=13646 as well as trouble shoot the other possibilities listed in the previous posts.

[bigl523]

Thanks for the replies. Here's an update (sort of).

When I setup the antenna in the attic, I was getting all 4 channels perfectly. It seemed that everything was great. The next day I began having the problems with FOX and figured it may be something with the antenna from FOX because I was getting NBC which is right next to the other antenna so I didn't move the antenna. I have an appox. 25' foot factory crimped coax that I bought from monoprice years ago. Antenna to tuner is setup as follows:

Antenna -> transformer -> short cable run to preamp -> 25' cable to pre amp power device -> short cable run to HDHomerun network tuner

I have no splitter's in this setup other than the powered preamp components. I'll go up there tonight and try moving the antenna around. We are kind of out in the woods and the antenna is pointed directly at a metal gable vent on the side of my house so that may be an issue.

[timgr]

Read "Trees and UHF" here - http://www.hdtvprimer.com/antennas/siting.html - if you are aiming through a tree, reception can change a lot depending on the weather (wind, wet).

Also, gable vents typically have wire screen in them. Wire screen is opaque to TV signals, to very nearly the same degree as sheet metal.

[bigl523]

Oh boy. So today 61.1 is coming in fine but I'm getting problems on NBC with it dropping out. Still have yet to go up in the attic, hope to get up there soon.

[bigl523]

Went up this evening and moved it. Actually have it pointing to 5 degrees and it's pulling in ABC/FOX/NBC at over 90% and CBS around 65-75%. Thanks for the help. Hopefully the signal holds...

[byetocable]

Can I ask you how you are reading those signal levels? What unit do you have that gives you that information?

Thanks!

[bigl523]

I'm looking at the silicon dust config program on my macbook/htpc. It shows the signal strength %, signal quality %, and symbol quality %.