please help with troubleshooting signal issues
 

Hello,

Just getting going with OTA, here is my tvfool report:

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...e6a4d6b45bbcf4

I've installed a GE 33692 antenna in the attic with a Winegard LNA-200 preamp that is helping somewhat. The antenna was aimed at as close to 97 magnetic as possible, then we adjusted it based on the signal strength meter on a Tivo Roamio for KOVR. The coax is about 50' to a two way splitter, then about 50-60' to TVs in two rooms. Channel scan without the preamp gets me 22 channels and with the preamp I get 29.

Only KOVR and KTFK are watchable with signal strengths around 60%, the others are in the high 30's low 40's range. My goal is to get KCRA, KVIE, KXTV, KOVR, KMAX, and KTFA.

I'm in a new development, so trees are not an issue; but I am in a single story house surrounded by two story houses. I have a tile roof.

I've tried to research solutions by reading other threads but I don't want to just buy stuff and see if it works, so I'm looking for suggestions. Am I close? Maybe a different preamp?

Thanks in advance for your help.

JimR

Your TV Fool report suggests that reception should be fairly easy...

I would try testing reception outdoors. All you need to 'spend' is some time and effort moving the existing antenna from the attic where it may be experiencing interference or may be shielded by roofing materials.

You don't need to do a full reinstall to begin with, simply set the antenna up outside and connect it to a 'test' TV set using a short piece of coax and no preamp. Based on your report there should be plenty of signal in the air with no need for any amplification if driving one TV tuner through 20 to 50 feet of coax. Until you find a location that the antenna can 'see' a reliable signal, there's no point in adding the complexity and signal distortion that a preamp will cause.

Some attics simply can not provide acceptable signal conditions for TV reception.

Thanks for the quick response GroundUrMast. I did check the signal with the antenna in the attic and got great signal strength through a 100' of coax, I was able to view all the networks I'm wanting. What I have now is about the same length of cable run, but I've connected to the existing satellite cable runs from the previous install. So now there is a connector where I tapped into the existing wiring, the connection to the splitter, then to the receiver. That's were I get 21 channels, with only 2 or 3 that are viewable. With the preamp, I "get" more channels but still the same 2 or 3 that are watchable. I'm not opposed to an outdoor antenna, but I want to exhaust all my options for the attic install first. That and the antenna I bought won't last long outdoors.

So after all that, if I hear that I don't have any reasonable options for improving the signal strength from my attic (I've tried several locations and aiming angles in the attic), what outdoor antenna would you suggest?

Thanks again for the help.

Jim

Satellite television installations are often very sloppy. I'd start by checking all the connections throughout the system.

Also, did you replace the splitter? Typically the ones used for satellite television are not spec'd for OTA television.

A standard debug method would be to follow the lead from the attic antenna into the house. At the first break in the coax connect it to a television and see what you get. Then move slowly throughout the system to see where you are loosing signal.

Thanks Jake. And I did replace the splitter with one spec'd for tv. When I first put the antenna up in the attic I did connect it with one cable to a TV and it worked well. I have checked and rechecked all the connections I can find, I found one with a bad connector (center wire was a bit short) that I replaced. There is one potential problem that I have, the power source for the power inserter I'm using is not the one it came with. The way the box where I have it plugged in doesn't have clearance so I substituted another that has a 90 degree plug. Both put out 5V but the one with the 90 is rated for 0.7A compared to 1A for the one that came with it.

I've read in other places that the Roamio tuner isn't the best so maybe I'm fighting that battle as well.

At this point I'm planning to put the indoor antenna I have up outside and see what happens. I will try it first without the preamp and see what happens. If the signal needs help, I'll try the preamp again. I don't expect this one to last very long, so I would welcome suggestions on antennas. And I will share what happens.

Thanks again to Jake V and GroundUrMast for your suggestions.

Jim

I'd find a way to insert the correct power supply for your amplifier just for a test. Then run a cable from the output of the amplifier directly to a television. If it works with the original power supply and won't fit where you want it you can always replace it with a amplifer with a remote power supply.

You can also easily check if your Tivo has issues by connecting the antenna directly to your television and scanning for channels a few times.

Thanks, it looks like it will stop raining for a few days so I should be able to check this out later today.

put a different power source in for the power inserter and I'm in business. Signal strength meter is showing about 50% but so far the signal is clean and clear.

Thanks again for the help and advise.

Jim