How signals work? Picking up other channels
 

So the other night I went to watch TV and was having trouble getting some of the normal Boston, MA channels to the East that I usually get fine, but after doing a scan discovered that a lot of Providence, RI channels to the South East that I can usually never get were coming in great. Is there a weather related reason I could experience this?

Probably going to get a rotator to see if I can consistently pick up channels from both cities.

For reference:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...46ae2c1dc975ef

Yes, heating, cooling and probably other terrestrial interference that I can't name off the top of my head.

Rotors are great, but if your set doesn't allow for adding channels, you would be doing a complete scan, every time you move it.

I look forward to those nights when distant channels show up. I keep a log of call signs and distance from my location.
As you saw, when your normal channels act goofy for no apparent reason, it's a good time to scan for new channels. Here's a website that forecasts those events.

http://www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo.html

Yeah, getting a DX tropo is cool but, I get more of a thrill getting channels consistently that are w/in 100 miles.

It finally dawned on me that I had no life, when I got excited about finding two more channels in a scan:)

If only I lived two miles north on the high ridge instead of in the valley with two edge reception. I'm thrilled I can get all the major networks and their sub channels which BTW are getting better and better with the variety of programming they carry.
I've plugged in an address up on that ridge into the TVfool analysis just to see how much better the signal is. Picking up Dayton Ohio 85 miles away would be a reality but then again it's mostly the same programs, just new faces on the local news LOL!

How true!
A bigger variety of news chicks and a handful of PBS stations that don't mirror each other. There's even one PBS that is completely independent of all the other feeds.
PLUS, all the retro programming from the 50s-80s.

"Eighteen years ago, I left Dayton, Ohio..." haha sorry couldn't help myself

Thanks guys, I am still hoping I can find a way to pull in some of these stations regularly.