Starting over with antennas etc. 2 antennas different directions - Page 2

crashHD · 21-Dec-2013, 1:14 AM

Just FYI, wdaf has been having transmitter issues lately. A few weeks ago someone told me they've been having issues for a while now, and then last week it dropped out on both my OTA, and on DirecTV. Directv put up a tech difficulties banner for an hour before they got it back, but it was a further day and a half before I got anything OTA.

Before you go overboard trying to get them to come in, you might see if anyone in your area has a known working setup. It would suck to spend a day on the antenna tower if the problem's at the transmit end.

Flint Ridge · 21-Dec-2013, 2:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crashHD

Just FYI, wdaf has been having transmitter issues lately. A few weeks ago someone told me they've been having issues for a while now, and then last week it dropped out on both my OTA, and on DirecTV. Directv put up a tech difficulties banner for an hour before they got it back, but it was a further day and a half before I got anything OTA.

Before you go overboard trying to get them to come in, you might see if anyone in your area has a known working setup. It would suck to spend a day on the antenna tower if the problem's at the transmit end.

Wow! Well Son of a dB!

YES I have been up and down over the past couple of days about 15 times. Some of that is good I guess. I just took it off of 291 degrees and put it back more to the west. So I'll be back up there again.

On the bright side I've been reading a lot. Thinking I needed maybe a DB8e or a Super G 1483. Blowing my mind that KCTV 5 a half mile away has a mega signal. Brain hurts.

Guess I'll have to do some research to see the status of that transmitter.

But I did get my HomeRunHD tuners going. GroundUrMast has taught me a lot and was using to see 4 stations at once today trying to dial it in via my oldest.

Here is a picture earlier today of the KCTV and WDAF station next to each other on top. One perfect one dead. And two backside UHF bonus channels that I don't have to have another antenna setup.

Thanks!

Flint Ridge · 21-Dec-2013, 2:30 AM

I can't find anything about it being down... hmmmm...

crashHD · 21-Dec-2013, 4:11 AM

Let me know if you find anything. I looked online for a while over the last two weeks trying to find somewhere that someone was discussing it, but had no luck. Searching relevant forums for wdaf was what lead me to your post. I'd have responded several days ago, but apparently that's how long it takes to get a new account approved on this forum.

KCTV is much better than WDAF, but it's still my second weakest station. If wdaf would transmit as well as kctv, I wouldn't need to be searching.

I have a friend who's been using OTA tv for a few years now. I may have to see about going over to his house to watch some tv. He's not a tv geek, I'm sure I'll get an odd look when I tell him I'm more interested in the signal strength indicator than the actual programming...If I get the chance, I'll see how wdaf looks there.

crashHD · 25-Dec-2013, 9:57 AM

What software is that in your post above, and what are you using for a pc tuner?

WDAF's signal has much improved lately. I've done nothing to my antenna setup , yet it's coming in stronger (71 on a dtvpal signal meter, when it's normally mid-to-high-40's at night, and 0 during the day). I don't know if they've done something on their end, or if this is a weather effect of cold air and snow cover.

I manually set a 24 hour recording on my tivo yesterday on WDAF. It will end at 3 o'clock, and I can see if/when there were any signal dropouts/pixelation during that timeframe.

Flint Ridge · 25-Dec-2013, 1:35 PM

First off, Merry Christmas to all! We have our celebration after church on Christmas Eve. So all my girls are sleeping.

The software is found within SiliconDust HDHomerun PC Tuners. I've picked them up on special over the past couple years under $70 each. Each is a dual tuner, but only one antenna connection. It can work as a DVR etc. But from GroundUrMast I found this utility within the program that allows a person so see the tuner info. There is a $200 version that is a Tech version that allows more precise detail to be displayed. But really this works good enough.

As to WDAF CrashHD, who knows? It truly may be the signal difference. If you look at the neighboring KC stations they are around (for me) 1NMdb and up to 5NMdb. Yet it is -7NMdb I get everything else so very solid. I'm thinking of an antenna upgrade a notch and be done with it. With your location you should be able to upgrade your antenna and I bet your problems go away. Have you decided on an antenna yet? The DB8e is good and you are closer, but with the split bays, I'd be curious to see how that works. Should be fine.

Below is some mind numbing fuzzy math data pulled together, and extrapolated between known points of data. There could be notches in gain that mine does not show.

crashHD · 25-Dec-2013, 2:18 PM

I haven't decided on anything yet. I've been here over two years, and I'm only just now getting around to doing something with this antenna. It will probably be spring before I'll do anything. Recent discussion with the Mrs. has determined unplugging the sat is not the viable alternative I once thought it was, so this is really just becoming a hobby project for me. I've got more to say about it, but I'm going to keep it to the other thread.

Are your signal strength/noise margin figures from the tvfool signal analysis tool, or from the software with your pc tuner?

I do have a question for you, since we're in the same tv market. Do you have any idea what makes KMOS so powerful? I'm around 30 miles from sedalia, and back when it was analog, you could get KMOS up here by putting a 3 foot piece of coax in your tv, and if you stripped the other end back 4 or 5 inches, and held it up in the air, you got KMOS. Even today, their digital signal is the easiest one to pick up.

Flint Ridge · 25-Dec-2013, 2:55 PM

The Noise Margin figures are from TVFool. The particulars on stations are showing what MHz they are broadcasting at. The other db figures are my ponderings as to antenna selection for my particular situation. Yours will be different.

On KMOS back in the Analog days their tower was about 2 miles from my house. I had to run TWO channel 6 (VHF) filters in series to knock it down to something reasonable. Now the tower has moved and really is no where near Sedalia anymore. It is in Syracuse, MO (20 miles further away) and IS the tallest structure in the state of Missouri at over 2,000 feet I think. 4th largest in the US - behind a few other towers by no more than 63'. Matter of fact it is tied for 9th place as the Tallest Structure in the WORLD! 322kw digital transmitter and that height means it is technically Line of Sight for probably half of Kansas. Heck the math presuming normal curvature of the earth at 8" drop per mile and a 2000' tower means 3000 miles would be LOS. Now that is funny!

crashHD · 25-Dec-2013, 4:24 PM

That explains a few things. The transmitter map for KMOS on google earth actually does reach into kansas.

If only PBS had entertaining content...

It would be LOS for a long ways, but that 8" drop per mile is not a linear drop rate. The further away you are, the faster you drop off the horizon.

Flint Ridge · 26-Dec-2013, 3:13 PM

WDAF is in fact having issues. They were operating at half power. Currently greater than half, but definitely not full power. They continue to struggle with getting it back. It has dropped multiple times after bringing it back up (after a couple days). Also indicated it was fluctuating in signal output too. I noticed the other day a rhythmic pulse to their signal that no other stations had. It was almost like a EKG - with a steady cadence to it.

So. Guess I do not have to order that AntennaCraft Super G 1483 - But shipping horror stories appear to be gone as it was only like $23 to ship.

Will see what happens.

crashHD · 27-Dec-2013, 6:00 PM

Good to know. Where did you get the information? Is it available online somewhere?

I've been noticing improved signals of late, but there's still inconsistency to it, and I haven't been paying attention to this sort of thing long enough yet to have a good feel for how much might be due to weather/time of day, or actual changes in the transmission quality.

Flint Ridge · 27-Dec-2013, 6:18 PM

I was finally sufficiently PO'd, so I called the station asked the receptionist and she dumped me into voicemail. Redial, Engineering please... Dude answers and says where are you? That far out, cool. Yeah, we've been having problems... the rest is above.

Is it available on line - well now it is.

Just checked again with the HDHomeRun and that signal is all over the place, bouncing from 0 to 75% Signal Quality in 15 seconds. That is my primary Fox station I have to rely on backside reception of a low watt unit out of Jeff City for another Fox. That is dicey.