New home and no reception

gojengo1 · 1-Jul-2012, 4:20 AM

Hello and thank you first off for your help. We just moved to Franklin, TN which is outside of Nashville. We have the indoor antenna and the digital converter box, but we can't get any channels even after double scanning. The house has a dish network dish on it, but from what I read, we cannot convert that in any way to an antenna that will pick up free digital signals, so it looks like we will need to something else. The towers all look to be north from us. Can we use the existing cable and dish mount to easily put an outdoor antenna up? Any suggestions on a cost-effective model that would work for our location?

Thanks so much for any ideas on how to proceed!

http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...13492c50a6a5dc

GroundUrMast · 1-Jul-2012, 5:04 AM

Your report indicates you have a comprehensive selection of over-the-air signals available. To take full advantage, an outdoor mounted antenna would be your best hope for reliable reception.

You're correct, the dish is of no use receiving OTA TV signals. There may be satellite system components such as multiswitches, line amplifiers and diplexers at various points in the system. In almost every case these will need to be removed. The J-pole (short tubular mounting that the dish is clamped onto) may be useful as a mounting point for an OTA antenna provided it's in an acceptable location. The coax can be reused if water has not leaked into the core.

Regarding the J-pole, is it on the south side of the house? More importantly, if you use the existing mount, would an antenna be pointing into the roof when aimed north?

Also, your report is based on a default height of 10' above ground. A new report based on the actual mounting height would be helpful.

The answers to these questions could have a significant impact on the choice of antenna.

Electron · 1-Jul-2012, 6:17 AM

Please make a tvfool radar report plot with the tv antenna height at 25 feet.

How many Tv's are/will be connected??

signals unlimited · 1-Jul-2012, 10:03 AM

Also we need to know about any trees to your North.

What type, how tall, how far from your home?

gojengo1 · 2-Jul-2012, 2:41 AM

Here is the plot at 25ft. http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...13499f38a7a3b2

The dish is on a pole about 5ft off the ground on the south side of the house (if it can be used for mounting at all). There is a house and a few sycamore trees about 20 to 25 ft tall on the north side of the house (the closest is maybe 15 feet from the front of the house). We are in a cul-de-sac with maybe 3 to 4 houses to the north that would in the line of the dish (including our home).

We are only hooking up one T.V. Something low to the ground would be great due to the HOA rules.

Thanks again for your thoughts!

Electron · 2-Jul-2012, 3:58 AM

Here is the Federal Antenna Law that says Yes you can install and use antennas above the roof of your house. http://www.fcc.gov/guides/over-air-r...n-devices-rule.

This Federal Antenna Law is in effect now for 16 years , Hoa's are well aware of this Federal Antenna Law.
It is amazing that Hoa's continue to scam people to thinking that they can't install and use antennas above the roof or at a location that has the Best Reception.

The dish pole on the south side of the house at 5 feet above ground Is Not usable for Broadcast Tv Reception , it is to low and the house Will Block reception of the Tv transmitters to the north.

It is best that the Tv antenna is higher then trees to the north or install the antenna where there is the least amount trees or no trees in the way of reception to the north.

Install a Winegard HD7082P antenna above the roof or of a manner that the Tv antenna has the least amount of trees or other obstructions in the way of reception to the north.

Aim the HD7082P antenna at about 15 degree magnetic compass.

Here is how to aim antennas , http://www.kyes.com/antenna/pointing/pointing.html.

Here are some antenna mounts , http://www.ronard.com/909911.html , http://www.ronard.com/34424560.html , http://www.ronard.com/ychim.html , http://www.ronard.com.

Buy the ronard antenna mounts at solidsignal by typing the word ronard in the solidsignal search box.

Here are places to buy antennas and etc. , http://www.solidsignal.com , http://www.winegarddirect.com , http://www.amazon.com.

Electron · 2-Jul-2012, 4:04 AM

The Tv/s Must scan for the 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.

Do Not scan for cable tv channels.