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Old 8-Sep-2011, 7:42 PM   #1
PhotoJim
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Regina, SK, CA
Posts: 9
Antenna help - Regina, Saskatchewan

Hi all,

I really appreciate this website and forum - lots of good advice and information.

We have just gotten OTA ATSC broadcasts here over the past four weeks. Currently I have a very old (1970s or 1980s) yagi pointing due east in the attic. The roof is wood frame with asphalt shingles. From the attic to the basement, down the chimney (masonry with metal liner) is an RG-59 cable to a splitter. I have new RG6 cable installed from that point. I have two connections, although one is currently disconnected.

Prior to DTV conversion I got strong channels 9 and 13, mediocre channel 2 and acceptable but noisy channel 11. With the transition, 9, 11 and 13 have stayed on their existing channels and flash-cut to ATSC. Channel 2 has moved to 8 (virtual 2-1 despite the TVFool report).

Post-transition, my reception is this: 2-1 (real 8-1), 9-1 and 13-1 come in perfectly with about 92-93% signal strength on my Panasonic Vieira 46" plasma (late 2010 model). Global (11-1) came in so-so at first but had a lot of dropouts at a signal strength of about 65%, but now I get signal strength in the 20-30% range. I get a signal lock but no audio and usually no picture (horridly pixellated and unrecognizable content if I do get a picture). Global transitioned August 10, the others August 31; I'm not sure if that's significant. It's also possible Global has tweaked their tower and transmission power to my detriment.

My initial thought was to add an antenna to the existing setup to boost Global, but I understand it's not that easy.

The masonry chimney with metal liner is in the way between the antenna and Global's tower, so I'm sure that's an issue. Plus, the antenna is pointed the wrong way to optimally receive Global.

What are the options? Outdoor might be best, but my wife isn't keen on an obvious outdoor antenna. I could probably mount an outdoor antenna on the east side of the home (it's very sheltered and private there) but I'd need to get it high enough to receive Global 11-1 over the roofline. Another option is to reverse the attic antenna but it looks like that will involve some disassembly and reassembly, plus it will face the wrong direction and have the chimney in the way for the other channels. Perhaps they are strong enough that this doesn't matter.

Suggestions?

Thanks much.

Jim

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...8387944e9bebc3 (click on pending digital channels, as 2, 9, 11 and 13 still show as being analog but have transitioned to 8-1, 9-1, 11-1 and 13-1 ATSC now). The stations west of me but more distant than Global 11-1 are unimportant.
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Old 9-Sep-2011, 9:06 AM   #2
John Candle
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Join Date: Jun 2010
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Tv Antennas and Reception

I will like to see a radar plot at 25 feet , please.
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Old 9-Sep-2011, 4:53 PM   #3
PhotoJim
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Regina, SK, CA
Posts: 9
Redone plot at 25': http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...8387d28ac443b0

Thanks much.
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Old 9-Sep-2011, 5:32 PM   #4
John Candle
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,697
Tv Antennas and Reception

Not much signal strength improvement and no additional tv stations available by going to 25 feet. So a lower antenna height is ok. I recommend a Antennas Direct C5 Vhf High antenna with the reflector screen and reflector screen support rods not installed on the metal receptor. This will enable the C5 to receive in 2 directions , the 2 direction of your reception situation are east and west. I recommend hang the C5 front metal receptor in the attic with NON Metal cord. Hang as high as possible , in a manner that the antenna is not blocked by metal ductwork or a chimney that goes up through the attic. If the house has solar panels on the roof , the solar panels will reduce or block tv reception. Here are places to buy antennas and etc. , http://www.solidsignal.com , http://www.amazon.com , http://www.starkelectronic.com , http://www.3starinc.com , http://www.antennasdirect.com
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Old 9-Sep-2011, 6:16 PM   #6
PhotoJim
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Location: Regina, SK, CA
Posts: 9
Thank you very much.
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Old 2-Oct-2011, 9:33 PM   #7
PhotoJim
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Regina, SK, CA
Posts: 9
Update...

I bought the Antennas Direct C5 as suggested. I thought I would try the antenna fully assembled at first, with the rods and reflector screen attached. A quick test in my living room revealed that it should work quite well!

I set it up in my attic a few minutes ago. For now it's just sitting on the ceiling joists. I'm going to hang it with nylon cord eventually. I've aimed it right at the Global site, so the back of it (the reflector side) is facing CBC and Radio-Canada, and the back is just off-axis from CTV's site.

My Panasonic TV tells me I'm getting CTV at 88%, CBC at 100%, Radio-Canada at 89% and Global at 92%. This is using the old antenna's RG56 cable, which I should probably replace, but it seems that many not be necessary. (I use RG6 to the TV from the basement, it's just the drop from the attic down the outside of the masonry chimney into the basement that's RG56.)

As an added bonus, despite being a VHF HI antenna, the antenna has sufficient gain that I can still use it for FM. Stations from 75 km/40 miles away that are hissy when using an in-room wire antenna are clean with the C5, just as they were with the old VHF attic antenna.

Thanks very much for the advice. It is greatly appreciated.

For the sake of the archives, I'm in the Regent Park neighbourhood of Regina, near Pasqua Street and 9th Avenue North.

Jim
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Old 9-Nov-2012, 3:37 PM   #8
norsman
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Join Date: Nov 2012
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No Global over the air in Regina

My friend inside Global will kill me but I have it on good authority that the local transmitter is down and has been for about a year. It pisses me off that over the air users as ignored. I'd like to know how many of us there are and if the advertisers are aware of this situation.
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