Loss of reception after two years

Buffaloed in Montana · 9-Apr-2012, 8:07 PM

We have 2 antennas mounted on 2 different buildings on our property. We have had adequate reception on both for over 2 years. About 6 weeks ago the reception started becoming sketchy, with our HDtv breaking up, going black and coming back on. It got worse over 2 or 3 weeks until there was almost no reception at all (now only once in a great while does it fight for a signal and is on for a few seconds) The signal strength on the menu shows no signal at all registering. Two older TVs and the other antenna don't work either.
My husband has switched cables, TVs and tried everything he can think of. Noone else seems to have this problem, even people who live miles farther away. (We are on a hill and about 20 miles from transmitters)
If someone has activated something in the area that is interfering, why would it have been a gradual losing of reception?
It seems like it all started about the time the solar flares were especially bad. Could that have done some kind of permanent damage?
Thanks so much for any input at all on this.

Dave Loudin · 9-Apr-2012, 8:34 PM

Please follow the steps in the sticky "Guidelines when asking for help" so we know what your situation looks like, at least RF-wise.

Electron · 9-Apr-2012, 8:52 PM

Do as the other question askers do and , Do This-> http://forum.tvfool.com/showthread.php?t=4. Use your exact address to make the tvfool radar report. Make the antenna height 25 feet or how ever high the antennas are. Of the antennas pictured what antenna/s look the most like in the picture. http://www.kyes.com/antenna/pointing/pointing.html. Do the antennas amplifiers??

signals unlimited · 9-Apr-2012, 9:16 PM

I agree that we could help more with the TV Fool information, but with two antennas and receivers producing the same problem, I am jumping to interference. If you have electric fences check for arcs from wet grass ect. Electrical arc from power lines will have the same effect.

Buffaloed in Montana · 9-Apr-2012, 11:46 PM

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...36166c83f5d149
Here is the info. If I need to add something else please let me know.

(As far as power poles there are none in our area at all. No electric fences, at least not close by that we know of. This is a rural area)

Buffaloed in Montana · 9-Apr-2012, 11:53 PM

The antenna looks like the All Band UHF-VHF-FM.
There are no amplifiers.
But as I said, we had no problem with reception before this.

Electron · 10-Apr-2012, 1:06 AM

To prove out the reception situation. Connect a known to be good matching transformer (balun) to the antenna and connect a known to be good Long coax to the matching transformer , run the coax through a open door or window direct to the Tv. The tv must scan for the digital broadcast tv channels , Do Not scan for cable tv channels. If reception is still bad , connect a known to be good tv.

Buffaloed in Montana · 10-Apr-2012, 1:43 AM

We will try all that again. Just one question, to make sure about "a good tv". This TV plays movies from a DVD player perfectly. Is it possible for it to have lost its ability to accept TV reception? On the TV menu showing the signal, it shows no bars at all.
And keep in mind, 2 other TVs have no reception either.

Dave Loudin · 10-Apr-2012, 1:51 AM

You've been getting four channels, correct? Three VHFs and one UHF? Have there been trees growing nearby?

Buffaloed in Montana · 10-Apr-2012, 2:51 AM

We got the 3 main networks, and several PBS channels. Yes we have lots of pine trees in the area of that direction, and considered that. It just seems unlikely (they're Ponderosas and not fast growers) that they would have grown taller during the late winter and interfered with both antennas in 2 different locations at the same time.

GroundUrMast · 10-Apr-2012, 2:57 AM

The make and model of your antennas is going to be helpful information. Do the antennas have integral baluns? Or are there balun/matching transformers connected to terminal posts?

What weather sealing measures have been taken to keep water out of the coax and connectors? If the antennas were installed at about the same time and have been subjected to the same weather, I wonder if water has gotten into the coax.

In your first post you said, "My husband has switched cables, TVs and tried everything he can think of." Does this mean that the cable from the antenna was replaced with a new, factory assembled cable?

(I'm concurring with the gist of Electron's thought in post #7 of this thread.)

Buffaloed in Montana · 10-Apr-2012, 3:13 AM

Unfortunately, we don't have the info on the antennas, but both were bought at Radio Shack (the house one is bigger than the outbuilding one) and were told these were the best for our situation. --and they were--til a month ago. The smaller one had been working for 4 years.
He tried connecting a 2nd coax (not exposed to the weather) directly to the house antenna. BUT, we did not do a channel scan at that time. We will have to repeat that test.
How can cable be protected from water when it's connected up in the air and exposed to weather?
Just a side note: Today he tried our small TV in our RV that has a Winegard amplified antenna that also used to get reception. No dice.

Buffaloed in Montana · 10-Apr-2012, 3:26 AM

The transformer is connected to the terminal posts on the antenna.
The alternate cable was one he installed along with the other, but not used. He put the ends on them himself.

GroundUrMast · 10-Apr-2012, 3:30 AM

Products such as Coax-Seal and Scotch #2228 are able form a water tight seal when wrapped over connectors. I have seen water wick between layers of standard electrical tape so I never recommend using vinyl electrical tape alone for weather proofing, but I always wrap a layer of vinyl electrical tape over the sealing tape as a protective cover to block UV rays and to keep dirt from accumulating on the tacky surface of the sealing tape.

GroundUrMast · 10-Apr-2012, 3:36 AM

I don't want to disparage the quality of the work... but field built cables (including those I've assembled) are always high on my list of suspects. The gradual loss of signal quality is a classic symptom of a cable filling with moisture. The matching transformer at the antenna is also on the list of suspects. If the 'test' cable had been in the weather, try a known good (new) cable.

If water has gotten into the coax, it needs to be replaced. Water will permanently alter the RF properties of the coax.

Buffaloed in Montana · 10-Apr-2012, 3:47 AM

Well, that does sound like something, although he bought a new transformer and with trying the 2nd cable....
Anyway, my husband says thank you and will certainly look into all this. But first he says, he's going to mount the antenna on the lumber rack on his truck, put a generator in the back with a small TV. And drive it around the roads to see what happens. (Yes, he's serious)
There is a cellphone tower a mile or two from us that just might possibly be in a direct line and that may have increased it's power and causing interence. So his experiment will eliminate that possibility. I'll let you know how that goes.

GroundUrMast · 10-Apr-2012, 6:32 AM

A reasonable plan, even if only for those with a generator and rack on their truck.

Buffaloed in Montana · 10-Apr-2012, 11:14 PM

New info: Our previous tests were not very scientific or complete and too many variables. We've discovered that one old analog TV will get clear reception on the smaller antenna for the one analog channel: 32. It barely gets a little something on the bigger antenna (same channel). Converter box didn't help. The other old TV gets nothing, and neither does the digital TV. (Our son told us TVs differ in sensitivity to signal, and digital TVs need a stronger signal, since it's all or nothing with them.) All 3 TVs used to get good reception with our 2 poor little antennas.
We took the digital TV out on our excursion (see above post), new transformer, store bought cable, was very clumsy trying to get the antenna faced in the right direction, scanned for channels: nothing.
Visited a neighbor (about 1/4 mile away) who has a larger antenna with amplifier. He gets fine reception.
The bottom line seems to be: Something has changed the signal strength in the area. (The cell tower is not really in line with the northerly TV signal, but could still be a factor maybe).
So buy a big expensive antenna with all the amplifying equipment and hope it works?

Dave Loudin · 10-Apr-2012, 11:25 PM

A quick test for local electrical interference: are you getting a lot of noise on AM radios at your house?

GroundUrMast · 10-Apr-2012, 11:33 PM

Is it possible to take your digital TV to the neighbor, connect to their antenna to prove you have a functional tuner? If so, your converter box should be tested also.

No point in replacing the antenna(s) if there is trouble with the tuner(s).

In general, I'd try to prove each part good or bad if there is a reasonable means to do so.

It doesn't happen often, but over the years, I've found more than one failure in the same system... Most recently, this morning, the local telco repaired my DSL service. When the technician called to let me know they had fixed the problem, they indicated that they had found two separate faults, either of which would have caused the intermittent trouble.

If you have the means to take a digital photo of your antennas, feel free to post them. Close up of the matching transformer and it's connections would be good to see.