Live on Kaua'i Hawaii we have special needs

[kauaidog]

Hi, All. My first post. I have been threatening myself with chord cutting and my oceanic time warner bill just went up another $10 and now is as good as any. I was referred here by AVS Forum posters. After registering I got caught in a catch 22 to post so I was forced to do some more investigating on my own considering antennas and reception etc. To my "special needs". Here on Kauai all our broadcasts originate from Honolulu and sent to big towers here. They are located about 6 miles from me but there is a small hill that blocks them from my vision. I did go on here to do the receptivity and that was WAY beyond my understanding but then I found another site that I could point and shoot my location on a map and see that I get weak to weak to no reception. When I was moving the locator over the map in my neighborhood a matter of a block made a big difference(moderate,weak,weak), I don't know if this is normal or not. The topography in my hood is about the same,no big hills or valleys and such.
http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...ec2f6147273e18 It appears I am heading for a roof installation which might not be possible since I RENT. Ok, mahalo ahead of any help or replies.

Looking at the signals and stuff I have absolutely no idea what dbs and azimuths and all the lingo means. (willing to learn if there is a chance).Basically I guess what I am looking for is someone who can tell me I should buck up and pay the cable guy or learn more and there may be a way to pull in the signals.

Also, I have a decent HT system so reception for HD is critical when watching OTA.

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The Tvfool report is not showing any antenna height above ground.

Do not delete the Tvfool report that is not showing any antenna height above ground.

To see if more Tv stations/channels are receivable at higher antenna heights above ground , please make and post 2 more Tvfool reports , 25 and 40 feet antenna heights above ground.

[stvcmty]

dBm is a measure of signal strength. NM is an adjustment to the dBm based on how much signal is needed for a TV to decode the signal.

Azimuth is where the signal is coming from around the compass. Multiple signals being on the same azimuth is good, it makes reception easier.

Approximate OP’s location at 25’ http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...ec2fc6585684ed

Approximate OP’s location at 40’ http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...ec2fc63b185765


K36IJ-D and K30JE-D are both Hawaii Public Television (as is K34IS-D). The OP only needs to receive one of them.


Height does not appear to improve the number of available stations. The OP’s neighborhood seems to be blocked by a ridge to the east and a high area to the south.

Any non-amplified UHF antenna pointed at 224 degrees magnetic with some height should work if the path to the transmitters is not obstructed. K32IX-D and K30JE-D appear to be licensed as transmitting from the same antenna and they are close in channel, so at the OP’s residence if an antenna location works for one it should work for the other. Since they are on the same heading a directional antenna could be used.

There are no VHF stations at the OP’s location, so the size of a VHF antenna is probably not called for. The only VHF station sort of nearby (93.4 miles) is KHET, which is available on UHF translators.

K34IS does not appear to have a usable NM even at 500’.

If I lived where the OP lives, I would look at what antennas are available from nearby, then see what people on TV fool thought about the options. I imagine it would be best to avoid paying for shipping anything in.

If I had to order something I would look to see if the dimensional weight or the actual weight was going to drive the shipping cost and choose an antenna from there. For example, a winegard 4400 antenna ships in the same size box as an 8800, and both are light so the long box will drive the shipping cost. A 4400 would be enough antenna to get K32IX-D and K30JE-D but given the shipping would be the same, I would order an 8800.

If the line of sight to the transmitters for K32IX-D and K30JE-D is clear, a dipole cut to channel 31 on a 10’ pole in the backyard would probably get all the stations and sub channels the OP is likely to receive.

If rabbit ears is correct about what is (will be?) on K32IX-D and K30JE-D, all that will be available OTA at the OP’s location is:
NBC
Antenna TV
Grit
PBS
Create
NHK World
http://www.rabbitears.info/market.ph...callsign=K32IX

[kauaidog]

Gosh thanks STV for posting those for me. Looks like a lot of trouble and expense for not much. I will look into this. Home Depot,Kmart, Costco and walmart are my options and u r correct to avoid shipping at all costs. Now I know why there are no antennas on homes. Dish is big here and some of them look like they are tracking the Space Station!(which IS done from the navy base on the west side of the island. FYI, when u hear they are testing and tracking these rockets that intercept incoming missiles in Hawaii that is from PMRF naval base,Kauai. Even in the middle of the Pacific we are ground zero!) Ok thanks, again. You are right, the ancient edge of the volcano is the ridge to the east, called Sleeping Giant. Beautiful to look at but the darn thing is blocking my TV signals. Oh well.

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The approximate location is in fact a approximate location.

The approximate location using triangulation shows that the location is on the west end of the ridge that is impeding reception of the Tv stations of Honolulu.

Tv fool reports that are made with the exact location may very well show that the location is far enough to the west to clear the ridge with higher antenna heights and provide reception of Honolulu Tv stations.

I do not give up so easy.

Please provide the higher antenna height reports with the exact address.