Pittsburgh, PA Antenna Users
 

Hello,

I am trying to connect with other antenna users in my area. ZIP is 15086 and is located about 20 miles north of Pittsburgh, PA. I am in between two reception areas, well actually three. I of course can get all of the PGH stations and most of the Youngstown, OH area except 33.1(comes and goes). The Wheeling, WV channel 9.1 and 9.2 come in really no matter how I point the antenna.

I have received channels from other OH cities. WEWS TV for example. It worked at 80% signal strength for 3 days and then never again. TVfool.com states the channel at being over 99 miles away, but I have read that it is nearly impossible to receive a channel that far away because of the curve of the earth.

The kicker is I was using an antennacraft HBU-33 with a preamp. I have added a distribution amp because I am running 5 TV’s. I also added a second antenna (Winegard HD-7697P) and pointed it to the direction of these channels.

Both antennas are preamped and distribution amped, AB switched, and mounted above the roof line (on the same pole separately).

The antennas are independent of each other.

Here are my coordinates: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...7fcf04df2226aa

Hopefully some responds. I would like to compare notes.

Thanks,
Kevin

You probably received WEWS via an atmospheric anomaly known as tropospheric ducting. Stations that can only be received via this phenomenon have "Tropo" designation in the Path column of your TV Fool Radar plot. Tropospheric ducting is essential to the success of the DX movement which pulls in distant stations as hobby. As a phenomenon, tropospheric ducting can be forecast much as the weather is forecast.

An aside. The signal meter on you TV is an indicator. If it says that you have a signal then you have a signal. However, it is is not calibrated to any established standard of signal strength. The meter also tells you nothing about the quality of your signal.

The takeaway message is that your signal meter is useful, but don't take it too seriously.