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-   -   Initial Setup - Stronger on Vizio tuner than PC (http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=13192)

zbert_2000 12-Mar-2013 1:56 PM

Initial Setup - Stronger on Vizio tuner than PC
 
Here's my report: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...1dda334c801727

I purchased a ClearStream 4 with Winegard ANWI8700 Pre-amp. I have installed the antenna on about a 20' pole. I have the pre-amp about 5' from my antenna, then about a 20' RG6 line to the "splitter" that comes with the pre-amp. Then I have about a 60' RG6 line to my living room. When I plug the coax into my Vizio TV, it receives 7 channels (7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 51.1, 51.2, 56.1, 56.2) strong and another 2 (19.1, 19.2) that are iffy. When I plug it into my PC, which has a Hauppauge HVR-1600, I can get only 5 channels strong (7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 51.1, 51.2) and a weak 56.1, 56.2 and absolutely no 19.1 or 19.2.

Possibly 2 thoughts I have that I wanted you experts to give your 2 cents on:

1) Do I need a stronger PC TV tuner than my HVR-1600? Since the channel reception is clearly worse could this be part of my problem? Please add your thoughts on the best PC TV tuner?

2) Maybe there is something wrong with my antenna position or setup?

Thanks in advance for any help you might can give.

Brett

ADTech 12-Mar-2013 3:39 PM

I would conclude that the Vizio has a better tuner than does the PC's card. The Vizio is able to handle signals that are either weaker or of poorer quality than what the card wants to see. Sorry, haven't worked with any PCI tuner cards.

You might try to see if changing the antenna's location makes a noticeable difference. Raise or lower it and see if reception improves. Try to optimize the antenna's location so that it has the clearest possible "view" back towards the signal's origin.

teleview 12-Mar-2013 4:56 PM

A Repeated and Common Situation is PC tuner cards that are designed to be not as good as tuners in most Tv's.

There Are No stronger tuner cards that I know of.
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Also a Repeated and Common Situation is , TIVO's , Do Not have tuners that are as good as tuners in most Tv's.

The tuner cards and tuners in Tivo's are designed to be less capable.

The PC tuner cards and Tivo tuners do not deal well with , Multipath/Reflected Signals and Weak Signals.

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The tvfool report you have provided says , Address was only resolved to block level and might not be that close to your actual location. For more accurate results , try entering a specific address and coordinates.

Also the tvfool report is not showing any antenna feet above ground.

Please make a tvfool radar report with the Exact address and if antenna height is more then 25 feet above ground the use that antenna height to make the tvfool report.

If antenna is less then 25 feet then -->Use a 25 foot antenna height to make the tvfool report.

Do not delete the first tvfool report that has no antenna height in the tvfool radar report.

zbert_2000 12-Mar-2013 5:04 PM

What heading should I aim the antenna to get optimal results?

ADTech 12-Mar-2013 6:20 PM

Try 170° +/- 10 °, then adjust as needed.

zbert_2000 12-Mar-2013 6:46 PM

This may be a STUPID question, but when you point the antenna do you point it perpendicular to the antenna or do you point one side of the antenna toward the target? The reason I ask is because I get better reception when I point the center of the antenna toward about 250 degrees. One end of the antenna is pointed about 160 at that point. Again, maybe this is a dumb question...

Brett

ADTech 12-Mar-2013 7:26 PM

The "front" of the C4 is the pair of looks with our Company logo on them. The two loops should be perpendicular to the direction of the signal's origin.

The antenna will exhibit very little reception either "edge-on" or from the rear compared to reception from the front. There's a reception pattern printed on the back of the C4 box.

GroundUrMast 12-Mar-2013 7:39 PM

The ClearStream4 should 'face' the stations you're aiming at. The reflector grid is the back of the antenna, the flat loops are the 'face' or front of the antenna.

My personal experience with the SiliconDust HDHR tuner has convinced me that my Visio tuner in the living room is slightly better at maintaining a lock on a difficult signal and the the HDHR beats our Toshiba tuner.

If possible, mount your antenna higher. You can investigate the signal conditions by running additional TV Fool reports at different antenna heights.

zbert_2000 12-Mar-2013 9:44 PM

Tried to run a report with my street address but it came up with the same message. So, I ran a report with my coordinates:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...1ddacc0ad6046e

Thanks, guys, for all your help.

Brett

teleview 13-Mar-2013 1:39 AM

KYTX-DT REAL UHF Digital channel 18 , virtual number (19.1) CBS is your Weakest receivable Tv station of the group of Tv stations to the south / south east.

Aim the CS4 antenna at about 167 degree magnetic compass direction.

Here is how to aim antennas , http://www.kyes.com/antenna/pointing/pointing.html.

Install the CS4 antenna above the Peak Of The Roof in such a manner that the roof and house are not blocking reception to the , south / south east.

Here are some above the roof antenna mounts.

http://www,ronard.com/909911.html. use the 5 foot tripod antenna mount.

http://www.ronard.com/34424560.html. use the #4560 eave antenna mount.

http://www.ronard.com/ychim.html.

http://www.ronard.com.

Buy the ronard antenna mounts at solidsignal by typing the word ronard in the solidsignal search box.

Here are some places to buy antennas and etc. , http://www.solidsignal.com , http://www.amazon.com , http://www.winegarddirect.com.

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The device that you think is a splitter is most likely the Power Injector that connects the power supply to the coax so the power can travel through the coax to the actual preamp out by the antenna.

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For 1 Tv connected use No splitter.

For 2 Tv's connected use a , HFS-2D , 2 way splitter.

For 3 Tv's connected use a , HFS-3D , 3 way splitter.

Buy the HFS splitters at , http://www.solidsignal.com , or , http://www.hollandelectronics.com.

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As always trees and tree leaves do a good job of , multipath/reflecting , absorbing , blocking , Digital Broadcast Tv Reception and so do buildings and other obstructions including your own roof and house.

It is best to install the antenna at a location that has the least amount to No amount of obstructions of any type or kind in the directions of reception including your own roof and house.

The Tv/s Must Channel Scan for the Digital Broadcast Tv stations/channels , often namrd the 'Air Channels' or 'Antenna Channels' in the Tv Setup Menu because the Tv transmissions travel through the Air from the transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna.

Some Digital Tv's will automatic channel scan for cable tv channels.

DO NOT channel scan for cable tv channels.

Go into the Tv Setup Menu and select , 'Air Channels / 'Antenna Channels'.

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If the CS4 antenna does not quite provide reliable reception.

Then install a Winegard HD7698P antenna in places of the CS4. Remove the CS4 completely and install the HD7698P antenna.

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To help keep water out of outside connections and coax.

For outside coax , use the coax that has the Compression type connectors on the ends of the coax , not the Old type crimp on connectors.

Water that gets into the outside connections and inside the outside coax will make for Bad reception.

To make double sure that water does not get in the connections and coax , wrap the connections and coax with http://www.coaxseal.com.

zbert_2000 13-Mar-2013 4:28 AM

So I re-checked my height today for my antenna and it's only at 18 feet. Do you think it would benefit for me to add another 10 foot section?

Secondly, I aimed the antenna about 170 degrees and was able to pick up all ABC, NBC, FOX, and a little bit of CBS using my Vizio TV about 6:00 p.m CST. I'd be very happy with that if it were on my computer. ABC and CBS were very shaky at best using my Hauppauge tuner. However, tonight when we started to try and watch a show at 8:00 p.m. using the Vizio tuner ABC, CBS and even FOX were unstable. Do UHF stations reduce power at night or could there be something else affecting my signal strength?

Brett

GroundUrMast 13-Mar-2013 4:47 AM

Compare the numbers, run a TVFR for 18' and another for 28'. Higher NM values would be an indication of improved reception. Also, if the path changes from 2-Edge to 1-Edge or LOS, you can expect improvement.

TV broadcasters do not typically reduce power at night. Propagation conditions do change though. If a distant signal makes it to your antenna, it can interfere with a local signal. There could also be more interference from electrical devises with everyone in the neighborhood home, turning on stuff.

teleview 15-Mar-2013 7:09 AM

I see no receivable PBS Tv stations at your location at the 20 feet antenna height.

If higher antenna heights do not bring any PBS Tv stations up in to the , Red , Yellow , Green , reception zones of the Tvfool radar plot and channel list.

Then here is a way to receive , All of the PBS channels for free , and other channels for free.

FTA = Free To Air Satellite Tv with a Small Dish.

Yes FTA is 100% legal. And requires No descrambler , And no subscription fee.

FTA is a less costly (a lot less) way to transmit and receive satellite tv because the whole scrambling and descrambling industry and fees are avoided.

And there is no law that says that program providers have to scramble.

Yes it is true , believe it or not there are program providers / channels if you like the term channels , that transmit to every one with no subscription fee.

Here is a good place to start.

http://www.ftalist.com.


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