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-   -   Baltimore in Building Shadow? (http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=8376)

joecacti 30-Apr-2012 7:48 PM

Baltimore in Building Shadow?
 
Here is my location / antenna view:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...de650e04b49f75

The transmitter(s) are 5.2 miles away, and by using google earth i can tell that the LOS goes right through a pretty big building about .5 miles away. I have this antenna:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=3740645

I have 1 question: Does the type of coax I'm using matter? The antenna is powered, but it's 50 feet of coax from the power plug up to the antenna. Then the next question: channel 2, 11, and 13 don't work well or at all, but 45, which is broadcast from the same spot, does work. Am I out of luck with this building? Is there a better antenna to use?

Thanks in advance!

Electron 30-Apr-2012 7:59 PM

Tv antennas and Tv reception
 
The big building is at about , 340 , 270 , 238 , or 190 , degree magnetic compass?? Is this a , house , townhome , condo , apartment , mobile home , motor home , or etc.?? How many Tv's are/will be connected??

signals unlimited 30-Apr-2012 8:39 PM

The large buildings around you could be causing reflections and most likley multipath signals causing your problem. Any coax should be ok if it is 75 ohms and has a decent shield. Your antenna being omni-directional could be picking up these reflected signals and the built in amplifier only adds to the problem. You may need to go to a small directional antenna with no amplifier aimed toward the towers. With that antenna you can move from side to side and find a setting that will lock your channels in. You may even be able to find a setting that will also bring in the stations from DC. Electron is more up on small U/V directionals and may be able to help you make the best choice of antenna make and model.

Electron 30-Apr-2012 8:54 PM

Tv antennas and Tv reception
 
How many floors high is the big building?? How many floors high is your building?? What floor are you on?? Can a antenna be placed on the roof?? Answer the questions I have asked , so I can provide a Real and Actual antenna recommendation.

joecacti 30-Apr-2012 10:51 PM

Thanks so much everyone,
The big building is 20-25 stories high. My house (it's a Baltimore rowhome, hon) is 3 floors, with the antenna on the roof. It's so strange because channels 2 and 45 come in fine, but 4, 11, and 13 are problematic. All of those channels originate from the same set of towers. The big building is at about 330 degrees, confirmed with a compass, it's directly in the path of the LOS signal. There's nowhere on my property to get me out of the shadow. I only plan on connecting one TV.

joecacti 30-Apr-2012 11:03 PM

Does it make any difference where you add the power adapter for the antenna? I'm thinking probably not, from what you all are saying, what I need is LESS power, and maybe a cheap antenna down in the living room by the TV is actually better for the Baltimore stations...

signals unlimited 1-May-2012 12:45 AM

The indoor antenna will not improve your reception, nor will moving the power supply. The roof mounted antenna with the right directional antenna will help.
As for the your missing channels, 4 is channel 48 DTV from Washington DC, 11 and 13 are from Baltimore and in the same direction but they are VHF. The VHF (channels 2-13) have different characteristics from UHF (14-51) and react to buildings differently. Vhf also requires a longer rod than is in your omni-directional antenna and there for there has less gain on these channels than on 2 (which is actually 38DT) and 45. This is the reason I am recomending a small but directional UHF/VHF antenna. Electron may have some recomendations shortly. I also will study the seperation between your Baltimore and DC stations to see if a directional antenna can be aimed between these locations and receive the stations from both.

Electron 1-May-2012 1:50 AM

Tv antennas and Tv reception
 
Can you see the lights at night of the transmitting tower at , Jerry Turner Way , Parkdale Ave. , Malden Ave. , Rockrose Ave. , Hooper And Rockrose Park?? Install a Winegard HD7696P antenna with NO Amplifier aimed at about 339 degree magnetic compass. Here is how to aim antennas , http://www.kyes.com/antenna/pointing/pointing.html. Here are some examples of Strong and Sturdy antenna mounts , http://www.ronard.com/909911.html , http://www.ronard.com/34424560.html , http://www.ronard.com/ychim.html , http://www.ronard.com. Buy the ronard antenna mounts at solidsignanl by typing the word ronard in the solidsignal search box or by from ronard. Here are places to buy antennas and etc. , http://www.solidsignal.com , http://www.winegarddirect.com , http://www.amazon.com. The HD7696P antenna and the Omni Directional antenna Will Not be connected together on to one coax. DO NOT use a amplifier with the HD7696P antenna. Separate coax will be used for the HD7696P and the Omni antenna All the way to the location of the Tv. And a Radio Shack remote control A/B antenna # 15-1968 switch will connect the two antennas to the Tv. As a Test of reception , you can use the coax of the Omni antenna for the HD7696P antenna , HOWEVER REMOVE ALL AMPLIFIER PARTS , NO AMPLIFIER POWER SUPPLY NO POWER INJECTOR NO NOTHING , You are using the coax only to get the signal from the HD7698P to the Tv. Now scan for channels , I suspect many if not all of the Tv stations/channels to the , west , south west and south will also be received by the HD7698P.

joecacti 1-May-2012 2:25 AM

Great, thanks electron and signals unlimited. Channel 4 was my mistake, I don't need that, I just need 2, 11, 13, and 45. 4 is NBC from DC, but 11 is NBC from Baltimore, and that's what I want. I cannot see any tower lights, they're on the other side of the city...
I will look into the suggestions and post back the results. Thanks again!

Electron 1-May-2012 6:27 AM

Tv antennas and Tv reception
 
Five mile is not on the other side of the city. I gave the streets and the park where the tower is located. Drive to the location in the day time , look up at the top of the tower , then in the night time drive close to the tower , look up at the tower , see the lights , drive further away from the tower , look up at the tower , keep doing this all the way to your house , do you see the lights of the tower.

joecacti 1-May-2012 12:35 PM

Ah, maybe I wasn't completely clear. I live about .5 mile from the Big Building in question, and about 5 miles from the transmitters. Using Google Earth and it's awesome 'ruler' feature, I can tell that the building is right in the path of the LOS. In addition to the Big Building, the city of Baltimore is right between me and the tower, offering additional opportunities for multipath.

Also, there are 3 towers on that hill, and I took bearings for each of them. For all of the bearings, the Big Building is in the path.

What I cannot confirm just yet is whether I can see the tower lights above that building from my roof. I don't think I can, but it was cloudy last night, and it's cloudy today. I have a hunch that I cannot, because even though the tower is tall and on a hill, I'm down by the harbor, the hill and tower are not THAT tall, and the city and the Big Building are in the way.

I have already laid out a bunch of money for the omnidirectional antenna that didn't work, and I can try to get rid of it on craigslist, but I do have to ask: Is there an equivalent to that HD7696P from RadioShack that I can try? I'd like to have a convenient place to return the equipment if it's just not going to happen...

joecacti 1-May-2012 12:48 PM

And you know, I was just looking outside and thinking about it. The Big Building is .5 miles away, and the antenna is 5 miles away. So in order for me to be able to see the top of the antenna, it would have to be 10 times higher than that ~25 story building. Even with the elevation of the tower hill at 320 feet, that would mean the tower would have to be 2100 feet tall, assuming each story of the building is 10 feet...

I posted on their facebook page, asking how tall their tower is :)

The big building can be seen here:

harborviewcommunity.com

No static at all 1-May-2012 12:57 PM

You may be in luck. I am seeing a listing for the HBU-33 on Craigslist in Columbia. That would be a nice fit for your situation & the price of $40.00 is great.

If you are not interseted in it, I will probably buy it, but you can have first dibs. CRAIGSLIST LINK

ADTech 1-May-2012 5:10 PM

Quote:

I posted on their facebook page, asking how tall their tower is
Tower details are in the station's FCC registration. Go to http://transition.fcc.gov/mb/video/tvq.html and enter the call letters of the station, then do the search. Scroll down to the details of either the "Licensed" or, sometimes a "Construction Permit" listing.

joecacti 1-May-2012 10:48 PM

So the antenna is 300 meters tall, which won't be enough to clear the guiding in front of me... I'm asking about that Craigslist antenna...


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