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Old 6-Aug-2012, 1:15 AM   #1
ayomateo
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Stuggling in downtown Dallas

Hello all,

I am struggling to get any channels from my downtown condo. Let me first start by explaining the layout of our condo. We are located in downtown dallas on the 5th floor of an apartment that is built within a courtyard. The courtyard faces a pool. Our condo faces due north west when I used a compass just now. We are only able to get two digital channels (8-1 and 8-2) which is ABC and some type of ABC accuweather channel, after multiple scans, and trying from many locations. The only way I was able to get the channel was by putting an indoor antenna outside on the patio and using coax cable through the window into the tv in the living room. It only worked AFTER I plugged in the amplifier, which surprised me because everything i've read on this forum says to not use an amplifier if you are in a good location (which I am). The type of Antenna I bought was this

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Multi-Dire...ndingMethod=rr




My best guess is we are about 60 feet high on the fifth floor. Also, the only channel I do get (abc) sparks out anytime an airplane flies over (southwest airlines flies by around every 10 minutes.


Here is my link to
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...990007e6d76e7b
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Old 6-Aug-2012, 2:36 AM   #2
GroundUrMast
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Disconnecting the power from most amplified antennas does not disconnect the amplifier. Instead it makes the amplifier a block to signals.

The high powered stations are less than a mile from you. The signals are far too strong for an amplifier to operate correctly. All consumer TV amplifier products are going to be overloaded.

Try a Terk HDTVi http://www.walmart.com/ip/Terk-Passi...ndingMethod=rr But, you may also need one or two 20 dB attenuators. http://www.amazon.com/F-Male-Attenua...b+F+attenuator


I'm quite certain a straightened paper clip will be enough antenna to give you many signals. If you try this, don't push the wire into the TV antenna connector more than 3/8". I'm not recommending you do this, just illustrating the extreme nature of your situation.

Last edited by GroundUrMast; 6-Aug-2012 at 2:44 AM. Reason: sp.
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Old 6-Aug-2012, 3:50 AM   #3
ayomateo
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GroundUrMast View Post
Disconnecting the power from most amplified antennas does not disconnect the amplifier. Instead it makes the amplifier a block to signals.

The high powered stations are less than a mile from you. The signals are far too strong for an amplifier to operate correctly. All consumer TV amplifier products are going to be overloaded.

Try a Terk HDTVi http://www.walmart.com/ip/Terk-Passi...ndingMethod=rr But, you may also need one or two 20 dB attenuators. http://www.amazon.com/F-Male-Attenua...b+F+attenuator


I'm quite certain a straightened paper clip will be enough antenna to give you many signals. If you try this, don't push the wire into the TV antenna connector more than 3/8". I'm not recommending you do this, just illustrating the extreme nature of your situation.
I tried the paper clip just nowand got 0 channels to come up.My address is 2611 Ross avenue Dallas Texas as you will see the 40 story tower is right in my site line.At radio shack they were adament that you cannot get signal downtown. Are you sure its an equipment issue and not a sure line. According to thegoogle map most ofthe stations are around 12 miles away and not on the to of the towers but on cocker hill. It would be great news if it was an equipment issuebut it seems to be a location issue
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Old 6-Aug-2012, 4:31 AM   #4
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Do you know much about the constructions of the building? Is it concrete and steel? The street view in Google Earth looks like that's the case. This is a six story building?

Are you on the Arts Plaza end of the building or the Routh St. end? Do you have a window or other opening that looks out onto Ross Ave. or Routh St.?



When you tried the high-tech ( ) paper clip antenna, did you rescan for channels?
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Old 6-Aug-2012, 7:23 AM   #5
teleview
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Tv Reception.

The Tv Must Channel Scan for the Digital Broadcast Tv Channels sometimes named the 'Air Channels' or 'Antenna Channels' in the Tv setup menu because the Tv transmissions travel through the air from the transmitting antenna to the receiving antenna.

Older Tv's will have a Analog tuner and a Digital cable Tv tuner , The Tv might look like it is scanning for Digital Broadcast Tv Channels , when in fact it is scanning for digital cable Tv channels.


DO NOT channel scan for cable tv channels.

___________________________________

Un plugging the antenna Does Not make the antenna a non amplified antenna.

Un plugging the antenna makes it No antenna.

The amplifier is off and no signal gets through.

If a microwave oven is un plugged , will the microwave oven still work??

Plugging the antenna in , turns on the amplifier , and the signal gets through.

_____________________________________________

The Tv transmissions are Over The Top Strong at your location.

Do Not use a amplified antenna.

___________________________________

Is the balcony on the outside of the west/south side of the building??

Or is the balcony on the inside of the court yard??

Is there a window that faces west or south , on the outside of the building , not toward the court yard??

Are there big buildings to the west and south that are close??

________________________

The Tv transmitters are to the south west at about 211 degree magnetic compass direction.

Last edited by teleview; 7-Aug-2012 at 4:16 PM.
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Old 7-Aug-2012, 3:40 AM   #6
ayomateo
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The building is constructed with wood, but the bottom floor is a concrete parking garage. Our orientation is on the internal court yard of Ross avenue. If you look at the google street view of 2611 ross avenue dallas, tx you will see two cout yards, we are on the eastern court yard looking our north towards the tall skyrise. I've tried the paper clip a few times now and gotten no response. For some reason I am still able to get 8-1 8-2 and 8-3 using a amplified antenna on the courtyard facing south west. I guess I don't understand what you are saying about the scan. In the menu I see the following options for scan:

auto scan: Which takes about 20 minutes and only finds ABC 8-1 8-2 and 8-3
manual input: Only for entering non digital channels - I tried typing in numers to this and I get nothing

and cable scan: obviously not what I should do.

Any ideas?
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Old 7-Aug-2012, 4:23 AM   #7
teleview
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Tv Reception.

These next 2 questions are important questions.

Is there a window or windows that that face Out away from the Outside of the building in the general or exact direction of the Tv transmitters to the south west??

Is there a balcony that faces Out away from the Outside of the building in the general direction or exact direction of the Tv transmitters to the south west??

Last edited by teleview; 7-Aug-2012 at 4:17 PM.
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Old 7-Aug-2012, 3:33 PM   #8
ADTech
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Reception of only VHF channels usually suggests that the TV set is scanning cable channels only since cable and antenna channels 7-13 happen to coincide. Please check your TV set's settings.

BTW, what's the make and model # of the TV set?
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Old 8-Aug-2012, 9:53 PM   #9
ayomateo
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Quote:
Originally Posted by teleview View Post
These next 2 questions are important questions.

Is there a window or windows that that face Out away from the Outside of the building in the general or exact direction of the Tv transmitters to the south west??

Is there a balcony that faces Out away from the Outside of the building in the general direction or exact direction of the Tv transmitters to the south west??
Our balcony does fact internally to the courtyard. Unfortunately NO windows face away from the courtyard. THe building has a hallway in between units, so your unit either faces the street, or the internal court yard. Our balcony in the internal court yard happens to point EXACTLY where the transitters are on the south west. I used a compass last night and had a DIRECT line of site to the transmitters, but I am still only able to pick up WFAA (ABC) 8-1, 8-2, and 8-3. I can post a picture from our balcony tonight if that will help. Also, I did a "antenna strength" mode on my tv's menu and the max is 38 I believe and we had 35. It just seems odd to me I am only picking up one of the major networks, and it's crystal clear.
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Old 9-Aug-2012, 3:23 AM   #10
ayomateo
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Talking

**********Update*******

OK all, interesting news. I was so frustrated so I played around with my TV settings last night. I found something called power saver mode and turned it OFF. and performed a new scan. This allowed me to get 14 channels total digital, but the odd thing was I was able to get one additional major network now (fox). So now I have ABC and fox. THe rest of the additional channels I picked up were a plethora of latin channels. I am wondering what I can do to get CBS and FOX now. My ultimate goal is to get all major networks. I also noticed my expense RCA antenna has a REMOVABLE amplifier. I tried removing the amplifier and plugging the antenna into a atenuator and usin ga second coax cable to "dumb" down the stength of my location. This actually caused me to get the exact same result (ABC and fox, and no nbc and cbs) . At this point I am trying a ton of trial and error, I still am confused if it's a location issue or settings issue.

Last edited by ayomateo; 9-Aug-2012 at 3:26 AM.
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Old 9-Aug-2012, 4:22 AM   #11
teleview
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Tv Reception.

Quote: " so your unit either faces the street , or internal court yard ".

My question is.

What street??

_____________________

The Tv receives more channels with the power saver off !!

Sounds like a defective Tv.
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Old 9-Aug-2012, 4:27 AM   #12
ayomateo
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Quote:
Originally Posted by teleview View Post
Quote: " so your unit either faces the street , or internal court yard ".

My question is.

What street??

_____________________

The Tv receives more channels with the power saver off !!

Sounds like a defective Tv.

I would be facing Wade Street, but the 1 arts plaza building is the first thing I see from my balcony. I tried moving my antenna around more from different parts of the balcony and now NBC is crystal clear, but no fox, cbs, and abc.

It must be a nightmare to try and get reception in manhatten if I am having problems in downtown dallas.
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Old 10-Aug-2012, 10:24 PM   #13
ayomateo
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To answer your question directly no there is not a window that faces south west, only a balcony, which I have been running the coax cable through the window to the balcony. I can post a picture if it gives you a better visual

Last edited by GroundUrMast; 10-Aug-2012 at 11:12 PM. Reason: Deleting off topic comments
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