Help with Reception in Houston

[bcg123]

I am new to Houston, and my husband and I bought a new HDTV two weeks ago. We want to get OTA programming since we mostly just watch a few sitcoms and Netflix, no sports. The only channels we care about are the main network channels plus PBS (so, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, and PBS).

My TV Fool Report is here:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...0b865b15487ac0

The problem is, it's looking impossible to get OTA. I began with an inexpensive rabbit ears-style antenna (RCA Basic Indoor Antenna). Initially, that got NBC, PBS (sometimes), and FOX, but not CBS or ABC. We watched one night of TV on NBC, but during the first minute of the last show, it began cutting out badly (it had been basically perfect previously), so we turned it off. Since then, we can barely get ANYTHING (usually channel 38 and sometimes 20 and others above channel 38), despite trying multiple positions (although we are limited now by a short-ish cord--maybe 3-4 feet?). So, I bought a fancy $75 antenna at an electronics store: it was a flat, multidirectional, amplified indoor antenna, and it was no better, so I returned it. The cord wasn't long enough for either of the antennas to be actually on the windowsill, but the positions pointing directly out the window didn't seem to be any better (about a foot away from the window, although also pretty low, since the only space was on top of the coffee table).

There are lots of things going against our set-up, I know: the only window in our living room (where the TV is) faces north, and so does our balcony. We are living in a second (top) floor apartment in zip code 77027, and Greenway Plaza is just a few blocks to the south of us, so that's probably in the way, too (the signals are pretty much all southwest of us).

So, my question is, is there anything better I can try without an outdoor antenna? Although some people have satellite dishes in my complex, they are pretty much all attached to balconies, not the roof, and I don't think an antenna would help in that case (since my balcony faces north and it would actually be attached at a lower point than the indoor antenna is located). I am in an end unit, so from one end of my balcony, I have about 5 feet to the corner; if I had an antenna that could stretch that far (or reach the corner), then it might get some signal to the south (but still, Greenway Plaza is in the way). I've seen a lot of people recommend the following antennas, but I'm not sure if any of these are likely to help in my situation:
Terk Technology HDTVi VHF/UHF HDTV Indoor Antenna

Terk HDTVa Indoor Amplified High-Definition Antenna
RCA ANT751R Outdoor Antenna
Winegard HD 7696P High Definition VHF/UHF Antenna (recommended by hdtvantennalabs.com)

Any advice? Thanks!

[MisterMe]

Originally Posted by bcg123

I am new to Houston, and my husband and I bought a new HDTV two weeks ago. ...

My TV Fool Report is here:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...0b865b15487ac0

...

No, it is not. You posted the link to the address entry page and not to your TV Fool Radar report. When you redo the report, it is a simple matter to test the link from [Preview Post] before you submit it.

While you are redoing your TVFR report, bear in mind that Houston is as flat as a board and that you live very close to a lot of very strong stations. These strong signals will saturate the amplifier in an amplified antenna. Therefore, you should not use an amplified antenna. Simply removing power from an amplified antenna will not do the trick because an unpowered amplifier becomes an attenuator which dramatically reduces your signal. You need an antenna placed in a location with a south view. If you have no window with a south view or a south wall in your apartment, then you need an outdoor antenna. Judging by the options presented in your OP, an outdoor antenna is an option for you. Run the antenna above your roof and point it 193° magnetic compass or 13° west of your south magnetic compass reading. With the signal available to you, even due south should work fine. Adjust the direction for strongest signal.

A popular choice on this forum is the RCA ANT751R. The Winegard HD 7696P is a great antenna, but is probably overkill for your situation. Buy the Winegard if you like, but the RCA should receive every channel available to you.

[bcg123]

Originally Posted by MisterMe

No, it is not. You posted the link to the address entry page and not to your TV Fool Radar report. When you redo the report, it is a simple matter to test the link from [Preview Post] before you submit it.

Oh, sorry about that! I ran it again, and here is the link that I can use to share with others:
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...0b86d8bee756e7

Originally Posted by MisterMe

If you have no window with a south view or a south wall in your apartment, then you need an outdoor antenna.

I do have a window with a south view, but it's in the bedroom, the furthest possible spot from the TV. That would mean running a cord through the living room, kitchen, hallway, and the far end of the bedroom, which is probably not feasible (especially since part of the cord would have to go across the kitchen entrance). If it's relatively cheap to buy a really long cord, though, I might buy one and check it out--it can't hurt, really, and I'm desperate for anything that would help.

Originally Posted by MisterMe

Judging by the options presented in your OP, an outdoor antenna is an option for you. Run the antenna above your roof and point it 193° magnetic compass or 13° west of your south magnetic compass reading. With the signal available to you, even due south should work fine. Adjust the direction for strongest signal.

A popular choice on this forum is the RCA ANT751R. The Winegard HD 7696P is a great antenna, but is probably overkill for your situation. Buy the Winegard if you like, but the RCA should receive every channel available to you.

Thanks for the comparison. Unfortunately, I don't think I can actually mount anything on the roof of my apartment--all satellite dishes are mounted on the sides of the balconies here (I don't know anyone else here with an OTA antenna). My balcony faces north, but would it still be worthwhile to mount it there, even though it would be lower than the roofline? Or is it only worthwhile to get an outdoor antenna if I could mount it on the roof?

Thanks so much for your help!

[ADTech]

Corrected TVFool: http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...0b865b15487ac0

A small, unpowered 7-69 antenna should work perfectly when aimed at Missouri City with a clear line of sight. There's nothing complicated about that TVFool plot as long as mistakes are avoided.

If you're in a metal or masonry building and have windows only in a direction away from the source of the signals, you may find that you're out of luck unless you can catch a reflected signal off a building that bounces back to your window. It's tough predicting that situation.

[Electron]

As a test , put the rabbit ears type antenna out on the balcony. Run a long length of coax from the antenna out on the balcony to the tv in the apartment . The long length of coax can be connected to the rabbit ears type antenna with a in line coupler , commonly called a barrel because it looks like a barrel , an F81 coax coupler. Do Not use any type or kind of amplified antenna. The Tv transmissions are strong at you location even though you are on the other side away from the transmitters and the multipath (reflected signals) are strong also. An antenna amplifier or amplified antenna Will make the reception worse. An antenna amplifier of any type or kind will amplify the multipath and the Tv tuner will say , I can not deal with all that strong multipath and so there for you will not be watching some channels. If the reception is better with the rabbit ears type antenna out on the edge railing of the balcony , then I suggest a Winegard FVHD30 antenna , the >< shaped metal reception elements are what receive the Tv transmissions so those >< shaped elements are directed out away from the building. Here is a flat coax coupler that is used to get past windows and doors. http://www.amazon.com/Flat-Female-Ty.../dp/b003ZECP24. Here are some places to buy antennas and etc. , http://www.winegarddirect.com , http://www.solidsignal.com , http://www.amazon.com

[Electron]

The easy way to have good reception is run a coax from the rabbit ears antenna in the window in the south bed room all the way to the Tv. Put the rods of the antenna at a low V <- lower then this if you can , with the rods extended out as far as possible. Do not have the rods straight up. So the question , is , are you going to watch Many channels of digital Tv or not ?? Here is a example of how to get coax across doorways , http://www.amazon.com/Wiremold-CDl15.../dp/B0006VAWFG.

[bcg123]

Thanks for all of the help. So, I don't have a long coax yet, but I tried this: I moved my TV into the bedroom, plugged in the current antenna, and set the current antenna on my bedroom windowsill. That window is south-facing, and I tried to tilt the antenna a little southwest, too (since the antenna farm is southwest of me). It worked better and I got 50-odd channels (mostly in the 20s and above), but, of the four I care about (2.1-NBC, 11.1-CBS, 13.1-ABC, 26-FOX), the only one I got was 26 (FOX). So, no NBC, CBS, or ABC. I'm a little surprised, but I have a few theories about why it's still so bad:

1) My antenna's bad, and I need a better one (I have the RCA Indoor Antenna, which is a basic rabbit ears plus loop antenna). Solution: get a better antenna. Any suggestions? Any thoughts on whether just a different model, same design is fine, or whether a different design might be helpful?

2) Tall office buildings are blocking the signal (I'm a few blocks north of a bunch of them). Solution: I'm not really sure. Any ideas?

3) The construction of my building (which is brick, at least on the outside) is blocking the signal somehow. But since the antenna is not going through the building, that shouldn't matter (it's going directly through the window, and I am in an outside unit). Solution: not sure here, either. Maybe putting an antenna on my balcony would help? But in that case it wouldn't be pointed the right direction, and it would be lower in elevation than the antenna on my south-facing window.

I'm thinking of just getting the coax cable anyway, and just testing it, both on the balcony and in the bedroom, but given my earlier experiment, I'm not hopeful, at least not without doing something else different (maybe a better antenna?). Would either of the Terks be a good option for a better indoor antenna that might plausibly make a difference?

[Electron]

It's the Strong signal reflections (multipath) off the other buildings that is killing the reception. The Digital Tv Tuner says , I can't deal with all those strong signal reflections so you will not watch some channels. Install a variable attenuator to 'Dial Down' the signal strength. Do Not use any type or kind of antenna amplifier or amplified antenna. In the http://www.solidsignal.com , search box type , 1296f. . Put the http://www.winegarddirect.com , FVHD30 antenna in the south window.

[Electron]

This is a misleading statement -> This unit allows you to manually control the amount of 'amplification' going through the system. . It should read , This unit allows you to manually control the amount of 'signal strength' going through the system. . The 1296F Does Not in any way shape or forum amplify or add signal strength , The 1296F Reduces signal strength , Reduces Strong reflected ( multipath ) signals. And reduces strong multipah reflected signals off of the other buildings.

[MisterMe]

Originally Posted by bcg123

...

3) The construction of my building (which is brick, at least on the outside) is blocking the signal somehow. But since the antenna is not going through the building, that shouldn't matter (it's going directly through the window, and I am in an outside unit). Solution: not sure here, either. Maybe putting an antenna on my balcony would help? But in that case it wouldn't be pointed the right direction, and it would be lower in elevation than the antenna on my south-facing window.

...

With rare exception, brick play a minor to no role in the structure of brick buildings. Brick is almost exclusively used for siding. Loads are borne by beams of wood, aluminum, or steel. Wood is common in single-family dwellings. Steel is common in commercial buildings. In many modern buildings, aluminum is used in place of both wood and steel. If your building's structure is metal, then its windows are framed in metal.

The upshot is that is is simply not true that multi-path shouldn't matter because your antenna is going directly through the window. The fact is that signals are reflecting off your window frame and other metal structural elements in your apartment. If your antenna is not sufficiently directional, then multi-path signals may matter a great deal.

[Electron]

The Tv signals are also bouncing off of the other buildings.

[bcg123]

Thanks so much for the feedback and advice I've received. I'm happy to report that I received my 50-foot coax cable and I tested it and I got all 4 channels I really wanted (plus 59 others I don't really care about). Other than that change (adding a much longer coax cable so I could move the antenna to have a direct line of sight to the antenna farm), this is the same set-up I began with (same TV tuner, same $8 antenna, no amplifier). This has really affirmed for me just how important location is--it's really quite remarkable. Thanks!

[Electron]

The signals traveling through 50 feet of coax has reduced the signal strength of the multipath enough so the tuner can deal with the reflected signals strength. Having the antenna in a window has reduced the signal reflections that would be picked up in the rooms of the apartment because the antenna is not in the rooms of the apartment , it is in the window. The 1296f variable attenuator will also reduce Strong main signal and the reflected (multipath) signals.

[Electron]

Many question askers that come here to tvfool would be very happy to receive 59 channels that they do not care about because they are receiving only one or two channels no matter they do to receive broadcast tv.