"Lost" a station
 

I have been using a homemade db4(? with 8 vee shaped 'whiskers') bowtie antenna now for a few months and it works pretty well. Yesterday the weather station(WFTV) I was monitoring for hurricane info was gone. The only real problem I have had with this antenna was during thunderstorms and the signal would be intermittent. But now it is clear and sunny. So far as I can tell nothing has changed to affect it.

Here is a link to my TVFR:http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wr...9e74b6c55d1956

I don't know if there is an explanation as to why it would suddenly drop out. But any ideas would be great.

If any more info is needed, please let me know.

Thank you very much,
Todd

edit: The antenna is in my attic of a one story house...

If that's the only station that has been lost, two things come to mind:

1) The station is, for whatever reason, not transmitting at it previous power levels (maintenance or repairs, perhaps). Call the station's engineering department to find out.

2) Temporary interference from an out of market station brought in by tropospheric ducting. These effects will wax and wane with the atmospheric conditions. Summer is the peak season for tropo enhancement.

Keep in mind that a reflector-less 4-bay is bi-directional in it's reception pattern. Adding a reflector grid about 4 to 4.5 inches behind the bow ties will cause it to focus more strongly to the front while rejecting signal from the rear.

Just to be sure - your antenna should match one of the designs documented here. With the strong signals you have, you should never see any dropouts except for the closest of thunderstroms. A design popularized by a youtube video has elements that are too small and too close together for best results. Additionally, you should ensure that the bowties are not directly mounted to wood. Doing so changes the radiofrequency characteristics of the antenna, making it less effective.