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Old 22-Apr-2012, 3:48 PM   #2
MisterMe
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: USA Gulf South
Posts: 231
Quote:
Originally Posted by kevinm78 View Post
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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.

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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.
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