Help with reception. Cape Cod, MA
 

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...9900e5fa90c540

I live on Cape Cod, Ma. over 60 miles away from Boston towers.
I bought and installed a (Clearstream 4 antenna) from a local store. Installed on the lower part of my roof (where existing cable was) at approximately 25' off the ground. I am able to receive WDPX and WMPX easily but would like to receive some Boston channels as well. The first night I was able to pick up a lot of the red highlighted channels after adjusting the antenna for hours. But in the morning those channels have vanished, never to be seen from again :( I do have some large trees directly in the LOS about 20' from the antenna.
My question is whether I need a different antenna, preamp or what?

thanks in advance.

Your BD4 antenna is UHF only. Boston has a FOX 12 and CBS 13. These fall into the High VHF band and will require that you add High VHF or change your antenna to a High VHF/UHF.

I recommend that you change to an Antennacraft HBU55 antenna. aim to 300 degrees.

You also could need a pre-amplifier, but there is a chance that you may have signal overload on the nearby ION and independent channels. To prevent this use a Channel Master 7778 pre-amplifier.

You could try the antenna only and evaluate the need to install the amplifier.

Boston is an all-UHF city (except for a two-bit shopping channel). The two VHF channels on the chart are from Providence.

Azpilot,

Two things: 1) Move the antenna from behind the trees. Gain additional height, if possible 2) Add a high-input capability pre-amp.

If you want the two VHF stations from Providence, you will need to add a high-VHF antenna aimed in that direction.


Best of luck!

For the add VHF option use an Antennacraft Y5713 High VHF antenna. combind the two antennas using a U/V signal joiner. This will give you a single output which you can run into a Channel Master 7778 amplifier.

The antenna, amplifier and joiner are available at www.solidsignals.com

Tv Reception.
 

A Simple , 1 antenna reception situation/solution.

Aim a Winegard HD7698P antenna with antennas direct CPA-19 preamp at about 310 degrees magnetic compass direction

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

Tv antennas receive the best when Nothing is in the way of the direction of reception.

As Always , trees and tree leaves do a great job of reducing or blocking Tv reception.

And so do buildings , including your own building , that are in the way of reception.

Locate the HD7698P antenna at a location that has the Least amount or no amount of obstructions in the way of reception.

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I see 2 VHF high band channels , WPRI-TV channel 13 CBS and WNAC-DT channel 12 FOX.

And the others channels are UHF channels.

So install the HD7698P antenna that receives the VHF high band channels of 7 thru 13 and UHF channels 14 thru 51.

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

Tv Reception.
 

Here are some Strong and Sturdy antenna mounts , http://www.ronard.com/909911.html , http://ww.ronard.com/34424560.html , 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.

Thank you everybody.

I did go out and purchase a preamp (RCA TVPRAMP1R). I moved the antenna to the highest point on the roof, but no way to get around the trees. I am picking up a few stations but NBC WHDH is very broken up. Fox WFXT is the same. I'm going to need those stations if I'm going to watch football this year :)

I don't understand the difference in design and uhf vhf frequencies and such. Do you all think switching to a Winegard HD 7698P would improve my channels at all? Also saw the Winegard HD8200U Platinum HD. looks like that has better range?

Is my preamp good enough or should I spring for the Channel Master 7778?
I wish I found this forum before I bought.

Tv Reception.
 

Here are the current Tv channels that are transmitted here in USA.

VHF low band channels 2 thru 6.

VHF high band channels 7 thru 13.

UHF band channels 14 thru 51.

There are No receivable VHF low band channels 2 thru 6 at your location.

The receivable channels at your location are 7 thru 51.

The HD7698P antenna receives channels 7 thru 51.

The HD7698P is the same as the HD8200U without the low band capability because you have no receivable low band channlels at your location.

There are No antennas that can see through trees like x-ray vision.

The HD7698P antenna is right at the top of the most powerful antennas.

Trees and tree leaves do a real fine job of reducing or blocking reception.

It is best to locate the antenna where there is the least amount or no trees in the direction of reception , north west.

The antenna can be moved to the side of trees and shoot around trees.

The antenna can be mounted up high to receive over the tops of trees.

The antenna can be mounted down low to shoot under trees.

And in some situations a antenna can be mounted Up High in a tall straight pine tree.
http://www.ronard.com/tree_adjust.html.

Also trees can be cut down.

It is now time to think creative about dealing with the trees.

Thank you teleview for that explanation. Whats funny is this morning I can receive 20 channels, all perfect signal. Last night was 9 tops and some spotty. I have not adjusted anything. What makes the signal better at night/morning? I doubt I will have these channels all day as with past performance.

Tv Reception.
 

Type , tv dx , in the google search box.

Read about short distance dx reception.

Medium distance dx reception.

Long distance dx reception.

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The way to move beyond DX on several of those weak channels , is get abetter shot at those transmitting antennas.

A good question but one without a really simple answer.

There are several mechanisms that may be at work when this happens. One is that, after the sun goes down, background atmospheric noise levels drop allowing weaker signals to have enough signal-to-noise ratio to become receivable. Another mechanism is that the temperature of the air changes at various altitudes, enough so that minor inversions may be created. These inversions, especially at their boundaries, will allow RF signals to propagate either more or less effectively than those same signals would otherwise have traveled through an atmosphere that is a quiescent condition. Summertime often brings large variations in the atmosphere that often brings both opportunity and frustration with fringe reception.

Getting the antenna higher in the air when in fringe areas often puts it into a stronger signal zone. An old rule of thumb for installation height back in the day was 10' of height for every 10 miles of distance. Not always practical, but it gives you a feel for what worked for the old-timers and analog. Digital signals behave in the same fashion and will usually benefit from the same measures.

Adding a low-noise pre-amplifier will help to boost weak signals (along with the background noise) and will often put the signal-to-noise ratio above the threshold of failure and will permit reception of signals that are otherwise too weak.

Last year I had a dairy farmer from Amarillo call me about reception he was getting with his C4. He said that when he got up at 4:00, he could usually get stations from Houston (hundreds of miles away), but they were always gone when he got done milking the cows after sunrise. He wanted to know what he could do to get them all the time... ;)

Thanks everyone! I may be SOL, but with your advise, i purchased the HD7698P and installed it. No Difference at all.

I purchased a Channel Master CM 7777 Titan2 and new Channel Master RG6 cable. which i will have tomorrow. Just wondering if the difference in the preamps will finally pull in the channels.... ? i have the RCA TVPRAMP1R now. gain of 15db. the 7777 is gain of 30..is that good? or am i just spending money for no reason :)

edit: It is WBZ that I am after. I get it at night, but not solid.
edit2: funny i get wcvb very solid. looks like its on the same tower?

Tv Reception.
 

As always , coax cable is suspect of being bad.

However the main issue is obstructions in the way of reception.

And also a Tv tuner can be bad.