The Grand Plan needs help

[Electron]

It is not QAM , QAM is Quaduature Amplitude Modulation , QAM is cable Tv signals/channels . . Digital Broadcast Tv is ATSC = Advanced Television System Committee . I am not getting on you in any way shape or form. It is that people read these forum posts and this is one of the many ways that misinformation get's spread around. People read and say , O , QAM is broadcast tv And It Is Not.

[Electron]

Here are digital converters that will convert the digital broadcast Tv transmissions to Analog to receive on the old Analog broadcast Tv receivers. The old Analog Tv receiver will show the best picture you have ever seen because the converter will feed a close to perfect analog signal to the Tv. . Channel Masters newest digital receiver is DVR with 2 digital tuners and has Many inputs and outputs. http://www.channelmasterstore.com

[LOTL]

Sorry for the misinformation and thank you for the correction. I edited my post to let people know QAM was the wrong term to use.
Weren't the cable company's supposed to provide the digital converters for free? I dont need the DVR capability and instead of spending any more money on a converter, ill drag the 50 incher upstairs and see if there's an improvement in signal strength.

[Electron]

You are not receiving cable tv. You are receiving OTA = Over The Air , Broadcast Television. If you are referring to the converter box $40.00 coupon program , that was our tax dollars funding the program , that program came and went a long time ago. It was advertised , Constantly and Loudly , In Your Face kind of advertising about the beginning and ending of the program. Many people sent for and received there coupons and used them before the dead line date.

[Electron]

Yes you can use a CPA-19 preamp to provide a stronger signal to the Tv/s. For your reception situation with the antenna inside the house. The antenna is right there so put the CPA-19 preamp and the power supply for the preamp right there close to the antenna.

[LOTL]

Originally Posted by Electron

Yes you can use a CPA-19 preamp to provide a stronger signal to the Tv/s. For your reception situation with the antenna inside the house. The antenna is right there so put the CPA-19 preamp and the power supply for the preamp right there close to the antenna.

So if bringing my TV upstairs doesnt increase my signal strength, then the issue isnt the RG59 cable and you would recommend the CPA-19?

I guess the only other thing worth trying is moving the DB4e outside and up higher correct?
I think for the cost of the CPA-19, it might be the way to go vs the cost of moving the DB4e outside.

[Electron]

Yes use the CPA-19 preamp. it will give a stronger signal to the one Tv and will be needed for , 2 , 3 or 4 Tv's.

[MisterMe]

Originally Posted by LOTL

...

Weren't the cable company's supposed to provide the digital converters for free? I dont need the DVR capability and instead of spending any more money on a converter, ill drag the 50 incher upstairs and see if there's an improvement in signal strength.

Cable companies did distribute digital converters for their customers who needed them. However, you may be confusing two completely unrelated issues:

• Full-power OTA TV stations in the USA were required to switch to digital broadcasts in 2009. Viewers with analog TVs could use a converter to receive these broadcasts OTA and view them on their old TV sets. The Government provided two coupons for each household that could, in principle, pay for two converters. Viewers who received their programming via cable were assured that they did not need to worry. Their cable company would maintain analog versions of their programming that their old TVs would continue to receive as though nothing happened.
• Rarely reported is supposed to be a digital transition for cable in the USA. In 2009, I read that the digital cable transition was scheduled for 2012.* My cable company went through that transition in 2011. All programming, including all standard resolution programming, has been switched to QAM and given virtual cable channel numbers that mirror the old NTSC analog cable channels. For example, QAM Channel 12 is displayed as "12" and not "12.0" or "12.1." For subscribers who do not have QAM-compatible TV sets, a converter box is required. The cable company provides converter boxes for subscribers who need them.

Make no mistake. The OTA converter box converts ATSC digital signals to NTSC analog signals. It cannot be used on cable. The cable converter box converts QAM digital signals to NTSC analog signals. It cannot be used for OTA stations.

*The cable transition is not mandated by the FCC. It is a business decision made by the cable companies.

[Electron]

Mister Me is getting better and better , getting very precise at explaining the many different situations of Tv reception. And is explaining in a way that is to the point and leaves no loop holes to get tangled in. . I like the wording , Make no mistake. And then straight to the point.

[LOTL]

Thanks MisterMe for all the info.
Another question for you guys.
My signal strength is all over the place. Ill check it one time and its at 3, another time and its at 4 or 5 and this morning it was at 8!
This morning i rescanned the channels when it was at 8 and for a couple hours i was channel surfing through the 16 channels it tuned.

Tonight signal strength is down to 3 and i lost some of the channels and im getting pixelation and drop outs on others.

Had a busy day yesterday and havent had the chance to drag my TV upstairs. Im curious as to why the signal strength will hold solid for a extended period of time at a particular level and then drop off or increase at other times.
Weather has been clear and cold here, so i dont think thats a factor.

I have the pre-amp on order and hope to have it by end of week.
I suppose my issue could still be with the old RG59 run and possibly the crimped connections i made with the RG6 run from the basement to the TV. Although the RG6 connection worked fine when hooked up to Comcast cable.

I guess i need to get that TV upstairs to rule out the cable being an issue.

[MisterMe]

Originally Posted by LOTL

... Im curious as to why the signal strength will hold solid for a extended period of time at a particular level and then drop off or increase at other times.
Weather has been clear and cold here, so i dont think thats a factor.

...

To the contrary, clear cold weather can be very much a factor. There is an atmospheric condition known as tropospheric ducting. That's what the Tropo means in your TV Fool Radar report. It is associated with high pressure systems and the still cold dry air that accompany high pressure systems. Normally, TV signals propagate just over the horizon. Tropospheric ducting allows signals to propagate up to hundreds of miles. This may or may not be a good thing. If it allows you to receive RF Channel 15 from 200 miles away, then it may a good thing. If it allows RF Channel 15 from 200 miles away to interfere with your local RF Channel 15, then it is a bad thing.

Here is the deal. My RF Channel 15s are mythical. Your TV Fool Radar plot indicates that you live in a poor reception area with many weak signals. You have multiple instances of local stations that use the same RF channel as stations about 100 miles away--or less. WMUR/ABC (RF-9) uses the same RF channel as WEDN/PBS. WCVB/ABC (RF-20) uses the same RF channel as WCCT/CW. WHDH/NBC (RF-42) uses the same RF channel as WSAH/MeTV. These are just three examples in your TVFR plot. Each of these stations may be received on a regular basis with a deep fringe VHF/UHF antenna. This phenomenon is not restricted to stations in your TVFR plot. What is more, tropospheric ducting is just one of several atmospheric anomalies that may allow you to receive distant stations. And remember, if you can receive the signal, then the signal may also interfere with another signal that you prefer.

[LOTL]

I got a lot more than i bargained for when i came here for an antenna recommendation. (thats a real good thing)

You guys are going to love this. This morning i turned the TV on and checked my signal strength. Well it was down to 3 on 7-1WHDH and up to 10 on 4-1WBZ, 7 on 5-1WCVB. So you get the picture. I had never used an OTA antenna on this TV (or any other) and never had the need to check antenna strength. I thought the signal strength was the overall strength of the connection between the antenna and the TV and not of each individual station.

So with that said, i have still lost some of the stations that i tuned in yesterday, but that could just be the fringe stations. Once again the newbie shows his newbieness

[Electron]

So what channels are being received all the time. You can list them like this , WBZ-TV real channel 30 , virtual channel (4.1) CBS.

[Electron]

The signal strength at the Tv is the signal strength at the antenna minus some loss through the coax and minus some loss if there is a splitter , the more output ports the splitter has the more the signal will be reduced.

[LOTL]

Originally Posted by Electron

So what channels are being received all the time. You can list them like this , WBZ-TV real channel 30 , virtual channel (4.1) CBS.

I just got finished moving the TV up to the 3rd floor. Connected it directly to the DB4e with the 15' run of RG6.
I rescanned all of the OTA channels and here is what i got.
3rd Floor Data w/TV Connected directly to Antenna
RC=Real Channel V=Virtual SS=Signal Strength
WGBH-DT RC-19 V2-1 SS:9
WGBH-DT2 RC-(not on chart) V2-2 SS:9
WBZ-TV RC-30 V4-1 SS:9-10
WCVB-DT RC-20 V5-1 SS:10
WHDH-TV RC-42 V7.1 SS:2-3
WHDH-DT2 RC-(not on chart) V7.2 SS:2-3
WFXT-DT RC-31 V25.1 SS:6
WSBK-DT RC-39 V38.1 SS:5-6
WGBX-DT RC-43 V44.1 SS:5
WGBX-DT2 RC-(not on chart) V44.2 SS:5
WGBX-DT3 RC-(not on chart) V44.3 SS:5
WGBX-DT4 RC-(not on chart) V44.4 SS:5
WMFP-DT RC-18 V62.1 SS:9
WMFP-DT2 RC(not on chart) V62.2 SS:9
WUTF-DT RC-27 V66.1 SS:6
WBPX-DT RC-32 V68.1 SS:3
WBPX-DT2 RC-(not on chart) V68.2 SS:3
WBPX-DT3 RC-(not on chart) V68.3 SS:3

Downstairs Data
WGBH-DT RC-19 V2-1 SS:8
WGBH-DT2 RC-(not on chart) V2-2 SS:8
WBZ-TV RC-30 V4-1 SS:8
WCVB-DT RC-20 V5-1 SS:8-9
WHDH-TV RC-42 V7.1 SS:2-3
WHDH-DT2 RC-(not on chart) V7.2 SS:2-3
WFXT-DT RC-31 V25.1 SS:2
WSBK-DT RC-39 V38.1 SS:2-3
WGBX-DT RC-43 V44.1 SS:4
WGBX-DT2 RC-(not on chart) V44.2 SS:4
WGBX-DT3 RC-(not on chart) V44.3 SS:4
WGBX-DT4 RC-(not on chart) V44.4 SS:4
WMFP-DT RC-18 V62.1 SS:7
WMFP-DT2 RC(not on chart) V62.2 SS:7
WUTF-DT RC-27 V66.1 SS:0-1

Originally Posted by Electron

The signal strength at the Tv is the signal strength at the antenna minus some loss through the coax and minus some loss if there is a splitter , the more output ports the splitter has the more the signal will be reduced.

I think i may not have made myself clear when i made that 5 A.M. post this morning. I didnt realize that each station would give me a different signal strength. I was thinking i was looking at the strength of my connection from the antenna to my TV. I know it sounds extremely stupid that i made that assumption and thats why i mentioned the newbie comment. I now realize that each station that i tune will give me a different signal strength. Im really not a stupid man and had this idea stuck in my head and was blinded by my inexperience.

[LOTL]

Edited above post to include Downstairs Data.